Class A Top 20 1-20-19
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 3:16 pm
Apparently Elliott is busy and/or nursing a hangover following the HDM festivities this weekend in Bemidji, so I’ll get the party started instead for a change.
A few upsets, a few teams having tough weeks, and a few marquee matchups (one of which lived up to the billing) all combined to shake up the rankings a bit this week. There are two huge sectional games on tap between highly ranked teams, which should help clarify things a bit more come next Sunday, and could even oust one or more of our long entrenched top four.
1. Hermantown (12-3-1) (LW 1)
W 4-0 vs Greenway, W 5-3 vs St. Cloud
The Hawks were brutally effective against Greenway, and although the score was relatively close, the result was never really in doubt. They struggled uncharacteristically with St. Cloud, being down 2-1 and tied 3-3 before eventually pulling away. Hermantown next faces two of the weaker teams in 7A in Hibbing and Proctor, and there figures to be plenty of running time in those games.
2. St. Cloud Cathedral (16-1-0) (LW 2)
W 6-0 @ Delano, W 5-0 @ Virginia
The Crusaders dismissed Delano with ease, racking up 26 shots in the first period alone. Virginia met an eerily similar fate Friday, and it seems the defense has tightened up considerably after allowing six goals to Orono last weekend. Cathedral has a section contest coming against Little Falls before heading up I-94 to Moorhead on Saturday.
3. Mahtomedi (13-2-1) (LW 3)
W 2-1 (OT) vs Hudson, W 14-2 vs North St. Paul
The Zephyrs needed extra time to get past one of Wisconsin’s best, but there’s no shame in that. Mahtomedi then just pasted a struggling North St. Paul team. The top seed in 4A is likely on the line Tuesday night against Totino-Grace, followed by a visit from Simley.
4. East Grand Forks (13-4-0) (LW 4)
L 2-3 (OT) @ Roseau
By all accounts the Wave outplayed a very good Roseau team, but couldn’t quite close the deal. They still only have one loss to a Class A team, a 7-2 defeat against Cathedral back on 12/1, and several quality wins. This week sees a return to 8A competition, with a potentially huge sectional game at TRF, followed by a trip to Baudette.
5. Thief River Falls (11-4-2) [LW 8]
W 7-2 vs Kittson Central, W 2-1 (OT) @ Warroad
The Prowlers cruised past Kittson, then pulled off a huge win at Warroad to sweep the season series with the Warriors. Barring a tailspin, TRF has locked up the #2 seed in 8A, and has a shot at the top perch. Speaking of which, EGF comes to the mini-Ralph Tuesday for the first of their two meetings, followed by a visit from Denfeld.
6. Alexandria (12-4-0) (LW 5)
W 9-2 @ Sauk Rapids
The Cardinals sautéed Sauk Rapids in their only action, as the Mankato West trip was postponed due to weather. However, they slipped a bit in the rankings thanks to TRF’s performance along with reevaluating Alex’s resume, which has a distinct lack of quality wins. The schedule becomes a bit more interesting with River Lakes and Bemidji coming to Runestone.
7. Totino-Grace (12-5-0) (LW 6)
W 3-2 vs Armstrong/Cooper, L 1-4 @ Champlin Park.
Not the best week for the Eagles, who needed a late comeback and stellar goaltending to escape a frisky Robbinsdale squad, then were Boyntened by CP. As noted above, TG travels to Mahtomedi Tuesday in what will certainly be one of the most anticipated Class A games of the year, before things cool down a bit against Osseo.
8. Sartell-St. Stephen (12-4-0) (LW 10)
W 5-1 vs River Lakes, W 2-1 @ Virginia
The Sabres rolled River Lakes, then slipped past Virginia in a sloppy affair that saw them whistled for five penalties in the third period. They nonetheless move up slightly due to the struggles of teams previously ahead of them. Sartell is staring at a three-game week, starting with a rough rematch with Brainerd, then facing off against Minneapolis and Sauk Rapids.
9. Orono (10-6-0) (LW 7)
L 3-4 (OT) vs Mound Westonka, W 9-3 vs Waconia
The Spartans coughed up a golden opportunity to all but seal up the top seed in 2A by dropping a home game to rival MWT. Orono was sloppy with the puck too often and needed a furious comeback to even force overtime. After starting slowly versus Waconia, the Spartans poured on six straight goals for a lopsided final margin. Two road contests await them next week, with a potentially tricky sectional game at Delano, followed by what will likely be an ugly one against Holy Family.
10. Warroad (9-8-0) (LW 9)
L 1-2 (OT) vs TRF, L 1-2 (OT) vs GF Red River
The Warriors drop to 0-3 versus the top two teams in 8A after a crushing defeat to TRF, and almost certainly become the third seed in the process. They then met the exact same fate in losing to Red River Saturday. Warroad next has two easy home games against Park Rapids and Hibbing, followed by a more challenging visit from Denfeld.
11. Monticello (12-5-1) (LW 12)
L 2-3 vs STMA, W 5-0 @ St. Francis, W 9-0 vs Cambridge
The Moose put up a serious fight against STMA, with the Knights needing a late goal to secure the victory. They then proceeded to post back-to-back shutouts in easy victories over St. Francis and Cambridge. Monticello hosts Miss 8 rival Rogers before trekking up to Little Falls Thursday.
12. Greenway (6-13-0) (LW 11)
L 0-4 @ Hermantown, L 0-3 @ Bemidji
Greenway failed to find the back of the net all week. The Hermantown game was depressing to watch, as the Raiders simply didn’t have the depth to match up and could barely sustain offensive possession. The Bemidji game at HDM was at least more competitive, but they ran into a hot goalie. The light at the end of the tunnel finally appears as Greenway hosts International Falls and Virginia.
13. Mound Westonka (13-5-0) (LW NR)
W 4-3 (OT) @ Orono, L 0-7 vs Holy Family
I have been a skeptic for much of the season, in part due to some bad losses, and also not being particularly impressed having watched them play several times. However, they now have a signature win and have defeated nearly everyone they should, which is more than most teams on this list can say. So welcome to the rankings, White Hawks. Mound next faces road trips to Gentry and Luverne.
14. Marshall (16-2-0) (LW 14)
W 4-1 @ Windom, W 14-3 vs Fairmont
The Tigers rolled through two weaker Big South foes without breaking much of a sweat. Marshall now heads to Redwood Valley before hosting LDC in a contest that could determine the top seed in 3A.
15. Minnesota River(13-3-0) (LW 15)
W 9-0 vs Fairmont
See Marshall above, though their game against Windom was postponed. The Bulldogs look to avenge a loss to New Ulm Tuesday night before facing Redwood Valley and Austin later in the week.
Out: North Branch (LW 13)
Next Five Up (what the heck, let’s rank ‘em):
16. Rochester Lourdes (13-6-0)
W 7-0 @ Waseca, W 5-1 vs Kennedy
17. North Branch (12-4-2)
T 1-1 vs Pine City, L 0-2 vs Buffalo
18. Northfield (13-4-0)
W 4-2 vs SPA, W 5-1 vs Winona, W 5-2 @ SP Johnson
19. Duluth Denfeld (9-6-1)
L 5-8 vs Cloquet, W 3-2 vs I-Falls
20. Delano (8-8-1)
L 0-6 vs Cathedral, W 5-1 @ New Prague
A few notes:
- Princeton gets the axe despite winning both of their games this week. They don’t really have any good wins, just a gaudy record.
- Aside from Princeton, the next two out are probably Mankato East and Albert Lea, showing what a mess 1A is.
- Marshall and Minnesota River feel like placeholders at this point, but no one else has really asserted themselves to take those spots, and they keep piling up wins.
- Greenway should be favored in their six remaining games, an abrupt change from the schedule to date.
A few upsets, a few teams having tough weeks, and a few marquee matchups (one of which lived up to the billing) all combined to shake up the rankings a bit this week. There are two huge sectional games on tap between highly ranked teams, which should help clarify things a bit more come next Sunday, and could even oust one or more of our long entrenched top four.
1. Hermantown (12-3-1) (LW 1)
W 4-0 vs Greenway, W 5-3 vs St. Cloud
The Hawks were brutally effective against Greenway, and although the score was relatively close, the result was never really in doubt. They struggled uncharacteristically with St. Cloud, being down 2-1 and tied 3-3 before eventually pulling away. Hermantown next faces two of the weaker teams in 7A in Hibbing and Proctor, and there figures to be plenty of running time in those games.
2. St. Cloud Cathedral (16-1-0) (LW 2)
W 6-0 @ Delano, W 5-0 @ Virginia
The Crusaders dismissed Delano with ease, racking up 26 shots in the first period alone. Virginia met an eerily similar fate Friday, and it seems the defense has tightened up considerably after allowing six goals to Orono last weekend. Cathedral has a section contest coming against Little Falls before heading up I-94 to Moorhead on Saturday.
3. Mahtomedi (13-2-1) (LW 3)
W 2-1 (OT) vs Hudson, W 14-2 vs North St. Paul
The Zephyrs needed extra time to get past one of Wisconsin’s best, but there’s no shame in that. Mahtomedi then just pasted a struggling North St. Paul team. The top seed in 4A is likely on the line Tuesday night against Totino-Grace, followed by a visit from Simley.
4. East Grand Forks (13-4-0) (LW 4)
L 2-3 (OT) @ Roseau
By all accounts the Wave outplayed a very good Roseau team, but couldn’t quite close the deal. They still only have one loss to a Class A team, a 7-2 defeat against Cathedral back on 12/1, and several quality wins. This week sees a return to 8A competition, with a potentially huge sectional game at TRF, followed by a trip to Baudette.
5. Thief River Falls (11-4-2) [LW 8]
W 7-2 vs Kittson Central, W 2-1 (OT) @ Warroad
The Prowlers cruised past Kittson, then pulled off a huge win at Warroad to sweep the season series with the Warriors. Barring a tailspin, TRF has locked up the #2 seed in 8A, and has a shot at the top perch. Speaking of which, EGF comes to the mini-Ralph Tuesday for the first of their two meetings, followed by a visit from Denfeld.
6. Alexandria (12-4-0) (LW 5)
W 9-2 @ Sauk Rapids
The Cardinals sautéed Sauk Rapids in their only action, as the Mankato West trip was postponed due to weather. However, they slipped a bit in the rankings thanks to TRF’s performance along with reevaluating Alex’s resume, which has a distinct lack of quality wins. The schedule becomes a bit more interesting with River Lakes and Bemidji coming to Runestone.
7. Totino-Grace (12-5-0) (LW 6)
W 3-2 vs Armstrong/Cooper, L 1-4 @ Champlin Park.
Not the best week for the Eagles, who needed a late comeback and stellar goaltending to escape a frisky Robbinsdale squad, then were Boyntened by CP. As noted above, TG travels to Mahtomedi Tuesday in what will certainly be one of the most anticipated Class A games of the year, before things cool down a bit against Osseo.
8. Sartell-St. Stephen (12-4-0) (LW 10)
W 5-1 vs River Lakes, W 2-1 @ Virginia
The Sabres rolled River Lakes, then slipped past Virginia in a sloppy affair that saw them whistled for five penalties in the third period. They nonetheless move up slightly due to the struggles of teams previously ahead of them. Sartell is staring at a three-game week, starting with a rough rematch with Brainerd, then facing off against Minneapolis and Sauk Rapids.
9. Orono (10-6-0) (LW 7)
L 3-4 (OT) vs Mound Westonka, W 9-3 vs Waconia
The Spartans coughed up a golden opportunity to all but seal up the top seed in 2A by dropping a home game to rival MWT. Orono was sloppy with the puck too often and needed a furious comeback to even force overtime. After starting slowly versus Waconia, the Spartans poured on six straight goals for a lopsided final margin. Two road contests await them next week, with a potentially tricky sectional game at Delano, followed by what will likely be an ugly one against Holy Family.
10. Warroad (9-8-0) (LW 9)
L 1-2 (OT) vs TRF, L 1-2 (OT) vs GF Red River
The Warriors drop to 0-3 versus the top two teams in 8A after a crushing defeat to TRF, and almost certainly become the third seed in the process. They then met the exact same fate in losing to Red River Saturday. Warroad next has two easy home games against Park Rapids and Hibbing, followed by a more challenging visit from Denfeld.
11. Monticello (12-5-1) (LW 12)
L 2-3 vs STMA, W 5-0 @ St. Francis, W 9-0 vs Cambridge
The Moose put up a serious fight against STMA, with the Knights needing a late goal to secure the victory. They then proceeded to post back-to-back shutouts in easy victories over St. Francis and Cambridge. Monticello hosts Miss 8 rival Rogers before trekking up to Little Falls Thursday.
12. Greenway (6-13-0) (LW 11)
L 0-4 @ Hermantown, L 0-3 @ Bemidji
Greenway failed to find the back of the net all week. The Hermantown game was depressing to watch, as the Raiders simply didn’t have the depth to match up and could barely sustain offensive possession. The Bemidji game at HDM was at least more competitive, but they ran into a hot goalie. The light at the end of the tunnel finally appears as Greenway hosts International Falls and Virginia.
13. Mound Westonka (13-5-0) (LW NR)
W 4-3 (OT) @ Orono, L 0-7 vs Holy Family
I have been a skeptic for much of the season, in part due to some bad losses, and also not being particularly impressed having watched them play several times. However, they now have a signature win and have defeated nearly everyone they should, which is more than most teams on this list can say. So welcome to the rankings, White Hawks. Mound next faces road trips to Gentry and Luverne.
14. Marshall (16-2-0) (LW 14)
W 4-1 @ Windom, W 14-3 vs Fairmont
The Tigers rolled through two weaker Big South foes without breaking much of a sweat. Marshall now heads to Redwood Valley before hosting LDC in a contest that could determine the top seed in 3A.
15. Minnesota River(13-3-0) (LW 15)
W 9-0 vs Fairmont
See Marshall above, though their game against Windom was postponed. The Bulldogs look to avenge a loss to New Ulm Tuesday night before facing Redwood Valley and Austin later in the week.
Out: North Branch (LW 13)
Next Five Up (what the heck, let’s rank ‘em):
16. Rochester Lourdes (13-6-0)
W 7-0 @ Waseca, W 5-1 vs Kennedy
17. North Branch (12-4-2)
T 1-1 vs Pine City, L 0-2 vs Buffalo
18. Northfield (13-4-0)
W 4-2 vs SPA, W 5-1 vs Winona, W 5-2 @ SP Johnson
19. Duluth Denfeld (9-6-1)
L 5-8 vs Cloquet, W 3-2 vs I-Falls
20. Delano (8-8-1)
L 0-6 vs Cathedral, W 5-1 @ New Prague
A few notes:
- Princeton gets the axe despite winning both of their games this week. They don’t really have any good wins, just a gaudy record.
- Aside from Princeton, the next two out are probably Mankato East and Albert Lea, showing what a mess 1A is.
- Marshall and Minnesota River feel like placeholders at this point, but no one else has really asserted themselves to take those spots, and they keep piling up wins.
- Greenway should be favored in their six remaining games, an abrupt change from the schedule to date.
