A Rankings for 1/16/22
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2022 10:41 am
Class A Ranking Week #8 (1/16/2022)
1- Hermantown (7A) (12-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 8-0 St Cloud Cathedral, W 2-1 OT Warroad
Upcoming Schedule: 1/17 @ Greenway, 1/18 vs. Hibbing, 1/20 vs Superior
The Hawks dominated St Cloud Cathedral to get their weekend started. They outshot the Crusaders 50-5 and Zam Plante returned from his injury absence nicely as he racked up three points. The Hawks then took on the Warriors in a game that definitely lived up to the hype. The back and forth affair went into OT when senior Gavin Blomdahl’s shot from the side wall somehow snuck through the Warroad goalie and gave the Hawks the #1 seed as we get closer to March. This week they will look to roll over 3 local opponents including two Section 7A teams.
2- Warroad (8A) (15-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 16-0 Crookston, L 1-2 OT Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 vs Duluth Denfeld, 1/22 vs Wayzata
The Warriors embarrassed Crookston to start their week by scoring at least five goals in all three periods. Senior defender Todd Powassin hada career night as his Hattrick and 4 point night helped the Warriors rout their 8A foes. Warroad then headed to Hermantown and gave the Hawks all they wanted; they actually had the better of play as the game wore on. However, in OT the Hawks snuck one past Hampton Slukynsky that I am sure he wants back. This week they have a challenging slate again as they Host Denfeld and Wayzata which both should be good tests.
3- Mahtomedi (4A) (7-7-1)
Past Week Results: W 2-1 Simley, L 2-3 OT Hill Murray
Upcoming Schedule: 1/19 vs Two Rivers
The Zephyrs found themselves in a slugfest on the road vs. 4A Simley. Similar cracks in the Zephyrs armor appeared as Mahtomedi really struggled generating offense in this one. While they controlled the pace of play they didn't threaten much until David Wolsfeld was able to sneak behind the Spartans D and bury a breakaway in the middle of the 3rd period and they hung on for a big 4A win from there. The Zephyrs were then just 30 seconds away from securing a big win over Hill Murray before the Pioneers were able to tie the game and win it in OT. Mahtomedi moves up this week after the Flyers got waxed on the road and they just have one game this week vs 4A Two Rivers.
4- Little Falls (5A) (15-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-0 Princeton, L 1-5 Fergus Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 vs Thief River Falls, 1/22 vs Crookston
The Flyers kept up their Section 5A dominance as they went into Princeton, a place where they have struggled in the past, and picked up a solid 5–0 win. It was the second line that provided the key offense in this one as Isaiah Jendro led the way with a solid three point night. The Flyers then saw their unbeaten season come to a crashing end as they were thoroughly beaten by the Otters over the weekend 5-1. The game exposed some questions moving forward but I don't want to drop them too far as no one below them did much either this week to improve their stock.
5- Delano (2A) (10-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 4-8 Holy Family, W 6-0 Hutchinson
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs Minneapolis, 1/20 @ LDC
The Tigers historic struggles vs long time WCC Conference foe Holy Family continued. In a rarity the Tigers gave up EIGHT goals in a game that they never led despite outshooting and outplaying the Fire for stretches of the game. Delano was able to pick up a good Section and Conference road win over Hutchinson. In a game that was tight after two periods the Tigers behind Andres Peterson and Jesse Peterson two goals each the Tigers were able to blow open the game and cruise to the win. Now comes a huge Section 2A week facing Minneapolis for the number 1 seed and then playing redhot LDC who has been knocking off section opponents of late.
6- Minneapolis (2A) (10-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 1-0 OT Orono
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Delano, 1/20 vs St Paul Academy
Minneapolis picked up a crucial Section 2A win over Orono on the road. In a game where they controlled the pace of play and dominated the Spartans in the shot category outshooting them 50-21. It wasn't until overtime that they were able to solve the Orono goalie as Hank Davis played the hero with the GWG in OT and Alex Lamont was stout again in net picking up the shoutout. Now they have their biggest game of the year as they travel to fellow top Section 2A Contender Delano on Tuesday with the Secton’s #1 seed on the line.
7-Duluth Denfeld (7A) (12-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-8 Grand Rapids, W 7-0 Dodge County
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 @ Warroad
The Hunters were dominated on their home ice by a good AA Grand Rapids team. Connor McClure’s 21st goal of the season was not nearly enough as Denfeld was blown out. Cooper McClure’s four goal night helped the Hunters rebound in a big way as they blew out Dodge County to get back in the win column to end their week. This week they have a tremendous test as they only have one game, a trip to Warrod to test themselves against one of the state’s top teams regardless of class.
8- Detroit Lakes (8A) (10-4-0)
Past Week Results: W 2-1 Thief River Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/20 vs Prairie Centre, 1/21 @ Red Lake Falls
The Lakers won a crucial Section 8A game at home they took down the Prowlers 2-1. In a game that that was tied 1-1 after two periods of play it was the Lakers that were able to find the big goal in the third period to help secure their #3 seed in Section 8A and will now avoid 8A powerhouse Warroad until the Section Final. This week provides an interesting trip up to Section 8A Red Lake Falls on Friday night. The Lakers have been known to let inferior teams stick around in games and that one could be dangerous for them.
9- Alexandria (6A) (7-5-1)
Past Week Results: W 3–2 OT Brainerd, L 1-7 Totino Grace
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs. St. Cloud Cathedral, 1/21 vs. Sartell
The Cards found themselves in a battle with struggling Brainerd on the road. Luckily for them Brycen Berg played the hero as he had a two goal night including the GW in OT to survive the upset scare from the Warriors. Alexandria then got hammered on their home ice by Totino Grace. It's a head-scratching loss but they really can't drop as they own wins over two of the three teams, Fergus & EGF, right below them. They have a big week with old Section 6A foes coming to town in SCC and Sartell. We will see if the TG game was a hiccup or sign of bad play to come quickly.
10- Fergus Falls (6A) (10-5-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-1 Little Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs. Crookston, 1/20 vs Sartell
Welcome back to the TOP 10 Fergus Falls. The Otters delivered what may end up being the Game that turned around their season as they got revenge on the Flyers and won 5-1. Senior Michael DeBrito who was injured during last season’s Section Final made his presence known in this one as his big four point night led the way. This Game could jump start the Otters to live up to the pre season expectations. This week they have an easy one vs Crookston before getting a good test from Sartell to see if the Otters are truly a top 10 team or not.
11- Providence Academy (2A) (12-3-1)
Past Week Results: L 1-6 Blake, T 3-3Rock Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs St Paul Academy, 1/20 vs Minnehaha Academy, 1/22 @ Armstrong/Cooper
The Lions had a very bad week as they saw their stock drop as their ten game winning streak came to a crashing halt as Blake scored two goals in all three periods and took out Providence soundly on their home ice. They then followed that up with an eye opening tie to Rock Ridge. They will look to get back on track this week as they play 3 games they should win easily but this week showed they might not be the top 10 team we thought.
12- East Grand Forks (8A) (5-9-0)
Past Week Results: L 2-8 Moorhead, Fargo Davies
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs. Roseau, 1/20 vs. Bemidji, 1/22 vs. Prior Lake
The Greenwave got smacked by the Spuds on the road Jaksen Panzer’s two goals were nice but not nearly enough as EGF’s goaltending and defensive nightmares continued. East Grand Forks took on a good North Dakota Fargo Davies club and for the sixth straight game their defense and goaltending allowed at least five goals and Greenwave was shut out at home. I will keep EGF ranked in the Top 15 but obviously I have to move them down from the Top 10. Their schedule is incredibly tough and I am not sure any team in the lower five would have a better record and they own a dominant win over St Cloud Cathedral so I will leave them right above the Crusaders for now. This week is highlighted by the HDMN Spotlight between the State’s Most Disappointing team in each class as they take on Prior Lake at the end of another very tough week.
13- Orono (2A) (7-8-1)
Past Week Results: L 2-5 Chanhassen, L 0-1 OT Minneapolis, W 8-2 Bloomington Kennedy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Chaska, 1/22 vs Bloomington Jefferson
Orono hung around with a very good young and up and coming AA Chanhassen team for two periods as they were tied 1-1. However, the Storm wore the Spartans out and scored four third period goals to win the game 5-2. The Spartans then dropped a critical Section 2A game at home in overtime to Minneapolis despite Brock Peyton’s heroic effort in the net and that loss dashes most likely any hope of #1 seed. They were able to finish the week with a positive by hammering 2A Kennedy. This week they face a tough Chaska crew and then play Jefferson to finish their week.
14- St. Cloud Cathedral (5A) (9-6-0)
Past week: W 7-1 Pine City, L 0-8 Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Alexandria, 1/20 @ Dodge County, 1/22 vs. Holy Angels
The Crusaders young guns continued to shine as freshman John Hirschfeld’s 3 point night led the way as Cathedral won a game they should have over Section 5A Pine City. The good vibes were short lived as the Crusaders were blown out at home not only did they get beat 8-0 by the Hawks but they were only able to muster five shots in the game. I kept them ahead of Cambridge just because of the common opponent of Pine City the Crusaders crushed them while Cambridge struggled. This week is going to really test SCC as they have three tough games and why on earth are they taking a three hour plus venture south on a Thursday night to Dodge County talk about bad scheduling. It will be good to see how this young team responds after a slow start to the 2022 version of their schedule.
15- Cambridge- Isanti (5A) (12-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 10-3 Becker Big Lake, W 3-2 Northern Edge, Pine City W 3-2 OT
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs St Paul Highland Park, 1/20 @ Monticello
Cambridge routed fellow Section 5A Becker Big Lake 10-3 behind Treyten Green’s big 5 point night. The next night on a rare Tuesday/Wednesday back to back the Bluejackets were able to pick up another tight 3-2 win behind Junior Finn Overby’s hat trick. Cambridge finished their week by finding themselves in a battle with Pine City not an ideal game to be in but the Blue Jackets found a way as Peyton Andrews played hero with the GWG and they have now won twelve in a row. This week they have a big test with Monticello, a team they beat earlier this year but as we saw with the Dragons every game is going to be a battle for low scoring Cambridge as they look to continue their unbeaten streak since 9th Grader Sibell took the Starting Goaltender job.
16- Northfield (1A) (7-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 6-2 Owatonna, W 7-1 Rochester Century
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs Mankato West, 1/22 @ Winona
Northfield’s stock is rising back up after a few bad showings this week they showed signs of life vs AA Owatonna led by Sophomore Kamden Kaiser’s four point night the Raider were able to pull away and get a convincing win over the Huskies. They followed that up by crushing a Rochester Century team that Mankato East has lost too. The Raiders have two easy Big Nine games this week to continue their recent roll. They take on struggling Mankato West and Winona both games they should win.
17- Mankato East (3A) (10-5-0)
Past Week: W 2-1 OT Dodge County, L 2-5 Rochester Mayo
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 Mankato West
The Cougars won their 10th game of the year on the road vs their southern rivals Dodge County. Shea Gavin had the big game winning OT goal to give Mankato East a nice road win. Mankato East jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first period against Rochester Mayo but then it was all Spartans after that as they scored four unanswered goals for the 5-2 win. The Cougar now turn their attention to their struggling cross town rivals as they will meet up with West on outdoor ice Friday night to kick off the HDMN Mankato celebration.
18- Chisago Lakes (4A) (9-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Northern Edge, W 3-1 Monticello
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Princeton, 1/20 vs. Becker Big Lake
The Wildcats found themselves in a battle against a struggling Northern Edge program tied 1-1 after 2 periods of play However, behind their Super Senior duo Nicholas Helland & Ryan Schmidt Chisago Lakes was able to score three straight late 3rd period goals and get back in the win column. The Wildcats followed that up with a very nice home win over the Moose to secure a rare series sweep for them. Now they turn their attention to Princeton who handed them an embarrassing loss early this year and look for Chisago Lakes to redeem themselves this coming week and keep their current winning ways going.
19- Thief River Falls (8A) (6-8-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-1 Lake of the Woods, L 1-2 Detroit Lakes, W 6-1 Bemidji
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Kittson Central, 1/21 @ Little Falls, 1/22 @ Northern Lakes
Thief River Falls had a good week as always they are improving steadily as the season goes on they did pick up a nice win over Bemidji yesterday. They have found some more offense behind the Tysen Loeffler & Brendan Bottem duo of late. As always they play a very structured game and have a good goalie in Brett Holmer to hold them in every game. They have a big game this week at Little Falls on Friday night. I won't be shocked if the Prowlers win that one but I know it will be close like all their games.
20- Simley (4A) (11-6-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-2 Mahtomedi, L 1-7 Hill Murray, L 3-7 Hastings
Upcoming Schedule: 1/20 vs Tartan, 1/22 @ Mound Westonka
Simley had a very nice showing to start their week as they stuck with Section 4A favorite Mahtomedi throughout the game. They fell 2-1 but they learned in the process they can compete with the section top team come March. After that though things went south for the Spartans who were dominated on their home ice by a very good AA Hill Murray team they fell behind early and were never really in the game. They finished the week getting beat up by Hastings for an (0-3-0) week. I will leave them in the rankings this week due to their good performance vs Mahtomedi but they must win both games this week or they will most likely drop out of the Top 20.
The Next Five Notable Class A Teams-
Southwest Christian (2A) (8-5-1)- The Stars picked up two more Section 2A wins but also got beat handily by Roseville. The Stars look to be the 5 seed in 2A. Is that worthy of a top 20 spot?
Albert Lea (1A)- (10-3-0)- Dropping the game to Red Wing was a massive loss as not only do they drop out of the Top 20 but they have no chance at the #1 seed anymore in Section 1A.
New Ulm (3A) (10-4-0)- The Eagles lost their only game this week 2-6 to AA Holy Family. A big week for New Ulm as they take on 1A Struggling New Prague and 2A SWC to get a better gauge of this group.
Litchfield Dassel Cokato (2A) ( (8-5-1)- The Dragons returned nearly everyone from their State Tournament team this year but got off to a terrible start. The DC Football team winning the Prep Bowl and half their team not getting on the ice till December may have had something to do with it. However, in their last eight games they are (6-1-1) and appear to be getting better each time out.
Proctor (7A) (10-5-1)- I know the Rails don’t have any big wins but they are having one of their best seasons in a long time and with all the messy things that happened at that school this fall its nice to see them doing well and thought they should get mentioned.
1- Hermantown (7A) (12-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 8-0 St Cloud Cathedral, W 2-1 OT Warroad
Upcoming Schedule: 1/17 @ Greenway, 1/18 vs. Hibbing, 1/20 vs Superior
The Hawks dominated St Cloud Cathedral to get their weekend started. They outshot the Crusaders 50-5 and Zam Plante returned from his injury absence nicely as he racked up three points. The Hawks then took on the Warriors in a game that definitely lived up to the hype. The back and forth affair went into OT when senior Gavin Blomdahl’s shot from the side wall somehow snuck through the Warroad goalie and gave the Hawks the #1 seed as we get closer to March. This week they will look to roll over 3 local opponents including two Section 7A teams.
2- Warroad (8A) (15-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 16-0 Crookston, L 1-2 OT Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 vs Duluth Denfeld, 1/22 vs Wayzata
The Warriors embarrassed Crookston to start their week by scoring at least five goals in all three periods. Senior defender Todd Powassin hada career night as his Hattrick and 4 point night helped the Warriors rout their 8A foes. Warroad then headed to Hermantown and gave the Hawks all they wanted; they actually had the better of play as the game wore on. However, in OT the Hawks snuck one past Hampton Slukynsky that I am sure he wants back. This week they have a challenging slate again as they Host Denfeld and Wayzata which both should be good tests.
3- Mahtomedi (4A) (7-7-1)
Past Week Results: W 2-1 Simley, L 2-3 OT Hill Murray
Upcoming Schedule: 1/19 vs Two Rivers
The Zephyrs found themselves in a slugfest on the road vs. 4A Simley. Similar cracks in the Zephyrs armor appeared as Mahtomedi really struggled generating offense in this one. While they controlled the pace of play they didn't threaten much until David Wolsfeld was able to sneak behind the Spartans D and bury a breakaway in the middle of the 3rd period and they hung on for a big 4A win from there. The Zephyrs were then just 30 seconds away from securing a big win over Hill Murray before the Pioneers were able to tie the game and win it in OT. Mahtomedi moves up this week after the Flyers got waxed on the road and they just have one game this week vs 4A Two Rivers.
4- Little Falls (5A) (15-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-0 Princeton, L 1-5 Fergus Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 vs Thief River Falls, 1/22 vs Crookston
The Flyers kept up their Section 5A dominance as they went into Princeton, a place where they have struggled in the past, and picked up a solid 5–0 win. It was the second line that provided the key offense in this one as Isaiah Jendro led the way with a solid three point night. The Flyers then saw their unbeaten season come to a crashing end as they were thoroughly beaten by the Otters over the weekend 5-1. The game exposed some questions moving forward but I don't want to drop them too far as no one below them did much either this week to improve their stock.
5- Delano (2A) (10-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 4-8 Holy Family, W 6-0 Hutchinson
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs Minneapolis, 1/20 @ LDC
The Tigers historic struggles vs long time WCC Conference foe Holy Family continued. In a rarity the Tigers gave up EIGHT goals in a game that they never led despite outshooting and outplaying the Fire for stretches of the game. Delano was able to pick up a good Section and Conference road win over Hutchinson. In a game that was tight after two periods the Tigers behind Andres Peterson and Jesse Peterson two goals each the Tigers were able to blow open the game and cruise to the win. Now comes a huge Section 2A week facing Minneapolis for the number 1 seed and then playing redhot LDC who has been knocking off section opponents of late.
6- Minneapolis (2A) (10-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 1-0 OT Orono
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Delano, 1/20 vs St Paul Academy
Minneapolis picked up a crucial Section 2A win over Orono on the road. In a game where they controlled the pace of play and dominated the Spartans in the shot category outshooting them 50-21. It wasn't until overtime that they were able to solve the Orono goalie as Hank Davis played the hero with the GWG in OT and Alex Lamont was stout again in net picking up the shoutout. Now they have their biggest game of the year as they travel to fellow top Section 2A Contender Delano on Tuesday with the Secton’s #1 seed on the line.
7-Duluth Denfeld (7A) (12-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-8 Grand Rapids, W 7-0 Dodge County
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 @ Warroad
The Hunters were dominated on their home ice by a good AA Grand Rapids team. Connor McClure’s 21st goal of the season was not nearly enough as Denfeld was blown out. Cooper McClure’s four goal night helped the Hunters rebound in a big way as they blew out Dodge County to get back in the win column to end their week. This week they have a tremendous test as they only have one game, a trip to Warrod to test themselves against one of the state’s top teams regardless of class.
8- Detroit Lakes (8A) (10-4-0)
Past Week Results: W 2-1 Thief River Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/20 vs Prairie Centre, 1/21 @ Red Lake Falls
The Lakers won a crucial Section 8A game at home they took down the Prowlers 2-1. In a game that that was tied 1-1 after two periods of play it was the Lakers that were able to find the big goal in the third period to help secure their #3 seed in Section 8A and will now avoid 8A powerhouse Warroad until the Section Final. This week provides an interesting trip up to Section 8A Red Lake Falls on Friday night. The Lakers have been known to let inferior teams stick around in games and that one could be dangerous for them.
9- Alexandria (6A) (7-5-1)
Past Week Results: W 3–2 OT Brainerd, L 1-7 Totino Grace
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs. St. Cloud Cathedral, 1/21 vs. Sartell
The Cards found themselves in a battle with struggling Brainerd on the road. Luckily for them Brycen Berg played the hero as he had a two goal night including the GW in OT to survive the upset scare from the Warriors. Alexandria then got hammered on their home ice by Totino Grace. It's a head-scratching loss but they really can't drop as they own wins over two of the three teams, Fergus & EGF, right below them. They have a big week with old Section 6A foes coming to town in SCC and Sartell. We will see if the TG game was a hiccup or sign of bad play to come quickly.
10- Fergus Falls (6A) (10-5-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-1 Little Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs. Crookston, 1/20 vs Sartell
Welcome back to the TOP 10 Fergus Falls. The Otters delivered what may end up being the Game that turned around their season as they got revenge on the Flyers and won 5-1. Senior Michael DeBrito who was injured during last season’s Section Final made his presence known in this one as his big four point night led the way. This Game could jump start the Otters to live up to the pre season expectations. This week they have an easy one vs Crookston before getting a good test from Sartell to see if the Otters are truly a top 10 team or not.
11- Providence Academy (2A) (12-3-1)
Past Week Results: L 1-6 Blake, T 3-3Rock Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs St Paul Academy, 1/20 vs Minnehaha Academy, 1/22 @ Armstrong/Cooper
The Lions had a very bad week as they saw their stock drop as their ten game winning streak came to a crashing halt as Blake scored two goals in all three periods and took out Providence soundly on their home ice. They then followed that up with an eye opening tie to Rock Ridge. They will look to get back on track this week as they play 3 games they should win easily but this week showed they might not be the top 10 team we thought.
12- East Grand Forks (8A) (5-9-0)
Past Week Results: L 2-8 Moorhead, Fargo Davies
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs. Roseau, 1/20 vs. Bemidji, 1/22 vs. Prior Lake
The Greenwave got smacked by the Spuds on the road Jaksen Panzer’s two goals were nice but not nearly enough as EGF’s goaltending and defensive nightmares continued. East Grand Forks took on a good North Dakota Fargo Davies club and for the sixth straight game their defense and goaltending allowed at least five goals and Greenwave was shut out at home. I will keep EGF ranked in the Top 15 but obviously I have to move them down from the Top 10. Their schedule is incredibly tough and I am not sure any team in the lower five would have a better record and they own a dominant win over St Cloud Cathedral so I will leave them right above the Crusaders for now. This week is highlighted by the HDMN Spotlight between the State’s Most Disappointing team in each class as they take on Prior Lake at the end of another very tough week.
13- Orono (2A) (7-8-1)
Past Week Results: L 2-5 Chanhassen, L 0-1 OT Minneapolis, W 8-2 Bloomington Kennedy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Chaska, 1/22 vs Bloomington Jefferson
Orono hung around with a very good young and up and coming AA Chanhassen team for two periods as they were tied 1-1. However, the Storm wore the Spartans out and scored four third period goals to win the game 5-2. The Spartans then dropped a critical Section 2A game at home in overtime to Minneapolis despite Brock Peyton’s heroic effort in the net and that loss dashes most likely any hope of #1 seed. They were able to finish the week with a positive by hammering 2A Kennedy. This week they face a tough Chaska crew and then play Jefferson to finish their week.
14- St. Cloud Cathedral (5A) (9-6-0)
Past week: W 7-1 Pine City, L 0-8 Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Alexandria, 1/20 @ Dodge County, 1/22 vs. Holy Angels
The Crusaders young guns continued to shine as freshman John Hirschfeld’s 3 point night led the way as Cathedral won a game they should have over Section 5A Pine City. The good vibes were short lived as the Crusaders were blown out at home not only did they get beat 8-0 by the Hawks but they were only able to muster five shots in the game. I kept them ahead of Cambridge just because of the common opponent of Pine City the Crusaders crushed them while Cambridge struggled. This week is going to really test SCC as they have three tough games and why on earth are they taking a three hour plus venture south on a Thursday night to Dodge County talk about bad scheduling. It will be good to see how this young team responds after a slow start to the 2022 version of their schedule.
15- Cambridge- Isanti (5A) (12-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 10-3 Becker Big Lake, W 3-2 Northern Edge, Pine City W 3-2 OT
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs St Paul Highland Park, 1/20 @ Monticello
Cambridge routed fellow Section 5A Becker Big Lake 10-3 behind Treyten Green’s big 5 point night. The next night on a rare Tuesday/Wednesday back to back the Bluejackets were able to pick up another tight 3-2 win behind Junior Finn Overby’s hat trick. Cambridge finished their week by finding themselves in a battle with Pine City not an ideal game to be in but the Blue Jackets found a way as Peyton Andrews played hero with the GWG and they have now won twelve in a row. This week they have a big test with Monticello, a team they beat earlier this year but as we saw with the Dragons every game is going to be a battle for low scoring Cambridge as they look to continue their unbeaten streak since 9th Grader Sibell took the Starting Goaltender job.
16- Northfield (1A) (7-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 6-2 Owatonna, W 7-1 Rochester Century
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs Mankato West, 1/22 @ Winona
Northfield’s stock is rising back up after a few bad showings this week they showed signs of life vs AA Owatonna led by Sophomore Kamden Kaiser’s four point night the Raider were able to pull away and get a convincing win over the Huskies. They followed that up by crushing a Rochester Century team that Mankato East has lost too. The Raiders have two easy Big Nine games this week to continue their recent roll. They take on struggling Mankato West and Winona both games they should win.
17- Mankato East (3A) (10-5-0)
Past Week: W 2-1 OT Dodge County, L 2-5 Rochester Mayo
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 Mankato West
The Cougars won their 10th game of the year on the road vs their southern rivals Dodge County. Shea Gavin had the big game winning OT goal to give Mankato East a nice road win. Mankato East jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first period against Rochester Mayo but then it was all Spartans after that as they scored four unanswered goals for the 5-2 win. The Cougar now turn their attention to their struggling cross town rivals as they will meet up with West on outdoor ice Friday night to kick off the HDMN Mankato celebration.
18- Chisago Lakes (4A) (9-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Northern Edge, W 3-1 Monticello
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Princeton, 1/20 vs. Becker Big Lake
The Wildcats found themselves in a battle against a struggling Northern Edge program tied 1-1 after 2 periods of play However, behind their Super Senior duo Nicholas Helland & Ryan Schmidt Chisago Lakes was able to score three straight late 3rd period goals and get back in the win column. The Wildcats followed that up with a very nice home win over the Moose to secure a rare series sweep for them. Now they turn their attention to Princeton who handed them an embarrassing loss early this year and look for Chisago Lakes to redeem themselves this coming week and keep their current winning ways going.
19- Thief River Falls (8A) (6-8-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-1 Lake of the Woods, L 1-2 Detroit Lakes, W 6-1 Bemidji
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Kittson Central, 1/21 @ Little Falls, 1/22 @ Northern Lakes
Thief River Falls had a good week as always they are improving steadily as the season goes on they did pick up a nice win over Bemidji yesterday. They have found some more offense behind the Tysen Loeffler & Brendan Bottem duo of late. As always they play a very structured game and have a good goalie in Brett Holmer to hold them in every game. They have a big game this week at Little Falls on Friday night. I won't be shocked if the Prowlers win that one but I know it will be close like all their games.
20- Simley (4A) (11-6-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-2 Mahtomedi, L 1-7 Hill Murray, L 3-7 Hastings
Upcoming Schedule: 1/20 vs Tartan, 1/22 @ Mound Westonka
Simley had a very nice showing to start their week as they stuck with Section 4A favorite Mahtomedi throughout the game. They fell 2-1 but they learned in the process they can compete with the section top team come March. After that though things went south for the Spartans who were dominated on their home ice by a very good AA Hill Murray team they fell behind early and were never really in the game. They finished the week getting beat up by Hastings for an (0-3-0) week. I will leave them in the rankings this week due to their good performance vs Mahtomedi but they must win both games this week or they will most likely drop out of the Top 20.
The Next Five Notable Class A Teams-
Southwest Christian (2A) (8-5-1)- The Stars picked up two more Section 2A wins but also got beat handily by Roseville. The Stars look to be the 5 seed in 2A. Is that worthy of a top 20 spot?
Albert Lea (1A)- (10-3-0)- Dropping the game to Red Wing was a massive loss as not only do they drop out of the Top 20 but they have no chance at the #1 seed anymore in Section 1A.
New Ulm (3A) (10-4-0)- The Eagles lost their only game this week 2-6 to AA Holy Family. A big week for New Ulm as they take on 1A Struggling New Prague and 2A SWC to get a better gauge of this group.
Litchfield Dassel Cokato (2A) ( (8-5-1)- The Dragons returned nearly everyone from their State Tournament team this year but got off to a terrible start. The DC Football team winning the Prep Bowl and half their team not getting on the ice till December may have had something to do with it. However, in their last eight games they are (6-1-1) and appear to be getting better each time out.
Proctor (7A) (10-5-1)- I know the Rails don’t have any big wins but they are having one of their best seasons in a long time and with all the messy things that happened at that school this fall its nice to see them doing well and thought they should get mentioned.