2022-23 Class A Preseason Rankings
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2022 11:20 am
2022-23 Class A Preseason Rankings
Hello Class A Hockey Fans!
With High School Fall sports officially entering the postseason and the calendar turning to November soon I thought it would be time to put out the official Class A Preseason Rankings. The power structure in Class A will look to remain the same this season and we are likely to see many of the same teams we are accustomed to seeing dominate the Class A ranks once again this winter.
1- Hermantown (7A)- The defending State Champion Hawks get the pre-season tab as the team to beat in Class A again as has become the norm. While the Hawks were hit hard by graduation and an unusually high early departure list (Zam & Max Plante and Ty Hanson) this year's group will still be very strong as they look to defend their title. Their strength starts in the net as returning Junior goaltender Dane Callaway (20-2-0 .920 SV% 1.47 GAA) will provide an area of strength in the net that has been the Achilles heel of past Hermantown teams. Seniors George Peterson (10-12-22 pts.) & Nolan Baker (4-4-8 pts.) and Junior Will Esterbrooks (4-5-9 pts.) return on the blueline to lead a very solid defensive attack. Up front they will have firepower as they are led by a nice trio in Seniors Kade Kohanski (21-37-58 pts.), Wyatt Carlson (18-13-31 pts) & Matthew Kauppinen (5-8-13 pts.) along with emerging superstar Junior Dallas Vieau (17-12-29 pts.). Also, don't forget the batch of AA Bantams ready to step in led by Super Sophomore River Freeman ready to contribute immediately. Hermantown will be a mighty mountain to conquer for the rest of Class A this winter as they look primed to defend their title.
2- Warroad (8A)- Could we be in store for a Class A Title rematch this winter? The Warriors look like Class A’s number two team on paper again this winter. Warroad returns stud netminder and recent D1 commit Senior Goaltender Hampton Slukynsky (26-4-1 .924 SV% 1.59 GAA) who played nearly every minute in net last season. He has two outstanding defenders in Senior Eric Comstock (4-30-34 pts) & Junior Ryan Lund (5-19-24 pts.) on the blue line to play mega minutes this winter. On offense they return star forward Senior Jayson Shaugabay (27-54-81 pts.) and dynamic Juniors Murray Marvin-Cordes (15-19-34 pts.) & Carson Pilgrim (17-14-31 pts.) who developed nicely as the season went along last winter and will look to be even bigger contributors in their second full season of varsity hockey. The question marks will be with their depth and they will need to find it in players with last names like Marvin, Boucha and Hardwick which one would think with those great bloodlines this Warriors team should be ready to challenge everyone in Class A and get revenge in the Title Game come early March.
3- Mahtomedi (4A)- One thing we can say almost with certainty is the Zephyrs will be playing in March in St Paul as they have become “the program” in a very down Section 4A and this team returns serious depth from a group that finished 3rd place a year ago. They return a good core of defenders led by Seniors Cav Bruner (6-20-26 pts.) & Carson Marshall (3-6-9 pt) along with Sophomore Sam Harris (0-10-10 pts.) who played good minutes return to lead a solid group on the blueline. Up front they are led by an outstanding core of Senior forwards returning who all played big minutes in their top three lines a year ago in David Wolsfeld (22-27-49 pts), Charlie Drage (18-25-43 pts.), Jonny Grove (14-17-31 pts.), Carter Haycraft (15-15-30 pts.), Cory Bohmert (8-16-24 pts.), Seth Nelson (6-14-20pts.) along with Juniors Jake Hodd-Chlebeck (4-8-12 pts) & Patrick Egan (5-3-8 pts.) ready to get more extensive minutes for the Zephyrs who will have a deep experienced team returning if they have an answer for the goalie question they will be very tough to beat this winter again could very well be the team to win it all in Class A.
4- East Grand Forks (8A)- The Greenwave were easily last year's biggest Class A disappointment but a veteran lineup returns not to mention a wealth of underclassmen, many of whom won the State A Bantam title in 2021. Up front and after some growing pains last winter they will lean on Senior forward Caleb Schmiedeberg (8-10-18 pts.) & Juniors Brock Schultz (14-20-34 pts), Landon Jamieson (5-8-13 pts.) & Jace Fore (4-4-8 pts.) to provide the offensive punch and there will be a few young guns to step in as well. On the blueline they return Junior Grady Magner (9-19-28 pts.) & Sophomore Cole Bies (1-8-9 pts.) to a unit that needs to be much better as last year's leaky team defense proved to be too much to overcome. However, even with the veteran lineup and young talent coming into the lineup the key to this team will be goaltending and how they are in that department will prove again to be the ultimate barometer as to if the Greenwave will look to be back as one of Class A’s elite teams.
5- Orono (2A)- The Spartans return a loaded team this year as they literally only lost one player to graduation last spring and they are a tough and battle-tested crew full of experience. They bring in a new coach who turned the girls program into a powerhouse in a few short years which should play well for the boys program this year. However, the reason this team will be a Top 10 team and legit State Tournament threat is the return of star goaltender Senior Brock Peyton (8-14-0 2.78 GAA .924 SV%) who routinely stopped 40 to 50 shots a game last year for a young team that grew throughout the year and he is the type of goaltender that can carry this group a long ways come March. They return Seniors Bradley Walker (26-22-48 pts.) & Avery Anderson (9-14-23 pts.) along with Juniors Easton Sankey (10-12-22 pts.), John Engebretson (6-9-15 pts.) & Joey Mugaas (1-13-14 pts.) and many others all of whom have a wealth of Varsity experience under their belt coming into this winter. This Orono team will be physical and experienced in all areas and should be good enough to make a strong run this winter and be the favorite to represent the deepest Section 2A at state.
6- Alexandria (6A)- The Cardinals look to return to St Paul this March and continue what could be a dominant stretch in a thin Section 6A. Alexandria brings back a very nice core of forwards as Seniors Tyler Kludt (14-37-51 pts.), Joe Lamski (14-20-34 pts) & Nicholas Peterson (14-11-25 pts), Jack Breitzman (2-5-7 pts) and Juniors Leo Kompelien (9-17-26 pts.) & Gavin Olson (12-6-18 pts.) return from their top 3 lines to form a very nice core forwards to build off of this winter. On the Blueline they will return Seniors defenders Henry Ramstorf (2-8-10 pts.) & Zaven Noetzelman (0-5-5 pts) along with Junior Jack Lamski (3-13-16 pts.) all who played good minutes in their D core a year ago. The big question mark is they will need to find a goalie to step up but they will have a nice group of AA Bantams coming in and they do return a good batch of underclassmen from a very stellar JV team last winter. If they have an answer for the question in the net they return enough up front and on the back end to be a Top 10 team in Class A again this winter.
7- Delano (2A)- The Tigers have built one of the better Class A programs over the last 10 years and while they were hit hard by graduation they still bring back some very nice pieces and should be a Top 10 Team again this winter as we are accustomed to seeing from them. Delano will have the good fortune to rely on returning starting goalie Senior Drew Dorsey (13-5-0 1.77 GAA .912 SV %) to ease the transition of some new young players stepping in. They also return Senior Cole Schmidt (3-14-17 pts.) & Junior Brayden Coppin (3-6-9 pts.) on the blue line and they will rely heavily on super Senior Will Brown (18-18-36 pts.) to carry the load offensively as they will look to rebuild their offensive attack. Add in a group of A Bantams that went to State along with one of the better Class A JV teams in the state and this coaching staff and program has proven over the last decade that they will reload and be right in the thick of it all winter long again in Class A.
8- Northfield (1A)- The Raiders look to be a serious Top 10 contender this year as they bring back a team looking for revenge after being upset early on in the Section 1A Playoffs last winter. They return the majority of their team that winter as Senior Keaton Walock (19-5-1 1.89 GAA .918 SV %) will return for his third year as the starter. Defensively they will return Seniors Michael Fossum (0-22-22 pts.) & Matthew DeBuse (1-12-13 pts.) along with superb Junior Ty Funk (5-25-30 pts.) to be very solid on the back end. Up front they return slew of forwards as Seniors Gabriel Sawyer (6-11-17 pts) & Cullen Merritt (5-10-15) return along with an excellent Junior core of Kamden Kaiser (20-22-52 pts.), Cayden Monson (20-30-50 pts.), Jake Geiger (12-10-22 pts.) & Andrew Winter (9-6-15 pts.) plus they return Sophomore Brayden Olsen (4-13-17 pts.) and have a crew of underclassmen coming up from an A Bantam team that qualified for State. This appears to be the team to beat in the South and this crew could do some serious damage next year.
9- Providence Academy (2A)- If you are looking for a program that could offer some new blood at State, Providence Academy appears to be the best bet. If everyone returns the Lions will have one of best offensive juggernauts units in all of Class A Seniors Johnny Hendrickson (21-18-39 pts.), Andrew Owen (21-20-41 pts.) & Andrew Vos (3-15-18 pts) along with Junior forwards Louie Wehmann (34-27-61 pts.), Sammy Lewis (13-26-39 pts.) & Jac Larson (5-7-12 pts.) all return up front. On defense they will need to find some more depth but they do return Senior Nick Damberg (1-7-8 pts.) but loss of Junior Jack Anderson (7-19-26 pts.) to Benilde is a big blow and the blueline could pose issues to the Lions. The other key will be the development of Starting Goalies Senior Nate Miest & Junior Evan Villagomez both shared time in the net and struggled with consistency. However, for those looking for the new private metro program that is young and looking primed to make a big jump look no further than Providence Academy this winter.
10- St Cloud Cathedral (5A)- Welcome back one of the great Class A programs over the last twenty years. After things looked like they may be falling apart in their disastrous 2021 campaign but a new coach and young team were able to make the Crusaders relevant again last year and came painfully close to State. This year they return as the favorites in Section 5A and their strength is in net where they'll return Junior Nick Hansen (13-13-0 2.96 GAA .902 SV %) who had played nearly every minute last winter. They will also return the majority of their D-core Junior defenseman Vince Gebhardt (5-9 14 pts.) and Seniors Brandon Hemmer (3-9-12 pts.) & Tommy Gohman (2-8-10 pts.) should provide stability on the blue line. Upfront they are led by Sophomore Studs John Hirschfeld (11-13-24 pts) & Joey Gillespie (10-10-20 pts) who look to add on to what were impressive freshman campaigns. Add in a bunch of juniors who all played major minutes last winter and SCC could be one of the surprise teams to be playing on Friday at the Xcel in early March. This group looks primed for a big year and to return to the old days of the program's glory.
11- Hibbing (7A)- Keep an eye on Hibbing this winter and for the next few years as they appear to be a program regaining some momentum and restoring some tradition from its historic past. This year’s Bluejackets return a large Senior core led by Senior Goaltender Brayden Boyer (8-9-0 2.39 GAA .906 GAA) who returns for what will be his third year in net. Up front Seniors Beau Frider (11-13-24 pts.), Peyton Taylor (8-10-18 pts.), Christian Dickson (6-12-18 pts), Keeghan Fink (8-9-17 pts.), A.J. Lehman (8-5-13 pts) returns to lead a veteran group. Defensively, Senior Tristan Babich (1-12-13 pts.) & Junior Christian Emonds (3-6-9 pts.) return to create a veteran team that will have a ton of varsity experience under their belts. Add in that their A Bantams went to State last winter and this Hibbing program will be one to keep an eye on over the next few years as they will be on the rise in the Class A Rankings they could be one of the surprise teams this winter.
12- Little Falls (5A)- Flyers were hit hard by graduation but they do return high scoring forwards Senior Matt Filippi (35-40-75 pts.) & Junior Carter Oothoudt (24-35-59 pts) up front along with Sophomores Joey Welinski (8-14-22 pts.) who played big varsity minutes last winter as freshman. They also bring back Senior defenders Coltin Johnson (6-15-21 pts.) & Matthew Copper (2-20-22 pts) who each had great years and played mega minutes on the blue line and Sophomore Luke Avery (8-11-19 pts.) will move back to defense this year after good 9th grade year at forward on the varsity to create nice core to build a solid Class A team around along with Senior Netminder Richie Varriano (10-3-0 2.77 GAA .907 SV%) who has experience in the net. There is enough there to make another run if they have some other pieces, but last year they tried to play a two line and four D team and got burned late in the year. I may be too high on them? I don't know what comes in from the bantams but they will need depth but again they do have star power up front to be in the mix this winter.
13- Thief River Falls (8A)- Yes I know the Prowlers did graduate 12 seniors from last winter. However, they will return their 2nd leading scorer in high scoring Senior Tysen Loeffler (22-20-42 pts) along with a trio of Juniors Max Arlt (9-13-22 pts), Braydin Lund (10-11-21 pts) and leading defenseman Junior Jace Erickson (4-17-21 pts) who were 4th, 5th & 6th respectively in scoring last winter and they return most of their Powerplay unit which was very successful during the great 2nd half of the season last winter. They also have a very good goaltender in Junior Connor Roff who waited his time last year and who is ready to step in and be an elite goalie. The returning core will give Coach Bergland enough to build another solid team around and be in the thick of it in 8A. I look for them to maybe start slow but they will play their system and be a Top 15 Class A team by the end of the year like always are.
14- Rock Ridge (7A)- The Wolverines will be in the 2nd year of their co-opt and look to get off to a better start this season then last. I had high hopes for this team last season but they really never got it put together as a late season push ended in an early round upset. I may be too low on them this year as they do return leading scorers Seniors Dylan Hedley (12-18-30 pts.), Isaac Flatley (8-15-23 pts & Ryan Mannien (9-9-18 pts.) along with Juniors Kasey Lamppa (7-14-21 pts) & Brant Tiedeman (11-9-20 pts) all of whom will bring productivity and experience to the lineup. They will need to find some depth on the Blueline behind Junior Sam Troutwine (3-4-7 pts) and they will have some goaltenders to choose from with experience in the net. They also will draw from big numbers. I could be low on Rock Ridge as they might end up in the Top 10 but I will let them rise as the year goes along.
15- Detroit Lakes (8A)- The Lakers are coming off one their best seasons in over twenty years and yes they did lose some big pieces to graduation but they also return a good core. They will be led by their top overall player in Senior Defenseman Jacob Thomas (9-25-34 pts) who is a do it all 2-way threat from the blue line. Up front they return Seniors Cole Larson (10-21-31 pts.), Cooper Moore (10-11-21 pts), Ben Hines (11-9-20 pts), Carter Bellefeuille (8-12-20 pts) along with Juniors Cole Deraney (7-11-18 pts.) & Riley Engum (5-9-14 pts.) all return coming good offensive seasons. They also have Senior Goaltender Josh Mack (8-0-0 1.12 GAA .941 SV%) back who did see time in a backup role last season and will be ready to take over the starting gig. Keep an eye on the Lakers again this winter. They should be in these rankings all winter long.
16- New Prague (1A)- The defending Section 1A champions do bring back leading scorer Junior John Schmidt (10-16-26 pts.) who led the team in points while Juniors Willy Seymour (10-12-22 pts.), Braeden Woitas (7-6-13 pts.), Michael Beckius (4-9-13 pts) will be back to add good scoring depth for the Trojans. However, the early departure of Luke Portner who had over 20 points from the blue line will be a big loss. Also the big question will be can New Prague find a goalie but they will play a tough schedule and have a bad record but will be a factor and should be looked at in this Top 20 Rankings all year for Class A.
17-Mankato East (3A)- The Cougars look to be favorites again in Section 3A and look to return to State for the 4th time in the last 7 years. They do return a good chunk of their scoring as leading scoring defenseman Seniors Shea Gavin (16-13-29 pts) & Alexander Morgan (2-7-9 pts) lead a good group of defenders. Up front they return Seniors Andrew Bastian (10-14-24 Pts) & Brayden Borgmeier (11-9-20 pts.) along with Juniors Christian Theuninck (11-12-23 pts) & Rafe Bowman (7-6-13 pts) to have a nice core to build around. They will also get Senior Zach Lebens & Junior Owen Quist back who are two of their better players that both missed last season due to injuries. The big question mark will be in the net but this looks like a solid Top 20 team in Class A who should represent 3A again at the Xcel in March.
18- Chisago Lakes (4A)- The Wildcats did lose their pair of 70 point scorers to graduation from their 21 win team but they return nearly everything else and should still be a very good team this winter. They return their stand out starting goalie Senior Jack Hanson (15-6-1 2.59 GAA .915 SV%). They also return a solid group of forwards in Seniors Nikolas Jinks (22-23-45 pts.), Cameron Stangl (13-13-26 pts.), Cullen Dorcas (7-13-20 pts.) & Junior Jack Bakken (9-8-17 pts.) who should provide plenty of scoring depth. They also return their top defensenseman in Senior Nathan Bluhm(7-31-38 pts.) to lead the teams defensive unit. They in total have 13 returning letterwinners coming back and they should be back in the Section Final for 4A this winter.
19- Northern Lakes (6A)- The Lightning look on paper like a team that should be playing in the Section Final in 6A this winter. They return good scoring punch forwards Juniors Taylor Berg (15-20-35 pts.) & Logan Verville (20-6-26 pts.) along with Senior Darby Boelter (10-12-22 pts) all who had double digit goals. They also return Seniors Christian Crutcher (2-24-26 pts) & Zach Ehnstrom (9-13-22 pts) along with Junior Isaac Peterson (4-16-20 pts) all of whom had 20 points from the blueline. Add in returning starting goalie Junior Nigel DeSanto (10-7-0 3.40 GAA .893 SV%) and an incoming A Bantam team that finished 2nd in State and this should be a Lightning squad on a serious upswing.
20- Monticello (5A)- The Moose lost a ton to graduation but Coach Eric Nelson showed last year you should never count them out as this program has been to State 4 of the last 6 years. Down the stretch last year they did play 4 lines down so they have experience coming back and will be led by Seniors Tyler Miller (6-15-21 pts), Tyler Bitz (14-4-18 pts.) & Brayden Dunn (3-13-15 pts) along with Juniors Roman Thompson (7-9-16 pts.) & Gunnar Simon (4-7-11 pts.) should give them experience and balance up front. However, they will have a big void to fill on the blueline and will need Junior Owen Soderholm (0-2-1 4.13 GAA .833 SV%) to be more steady in the net a year later in order for Monticello to return to State for the 5th time in 7 years and repeat in a very even Section 5A.
Five Notable Class A Teams outside of the Preseason Top 20-
Minneapolis (2A)- After a historic season in the 612, MPLS lost a ton to graduation and their blueline took a hit this offseason when Senior defender Drew Pitts decided to leave for juniors. However, Senior Joel Hanson does return along with Junior Hank Davis to build on from the backend. Finding scoring could be an issue for them as they will look to Senior Will Pankratz & Junior John Bebler to build off solid seasons and provide experience. They will also need to find a goalie as they return no one with experience in the net. There are lots of questions but they should still be mentioned as a notable group to start the year.
Albert Lea (1A)- The Tigers were one game away from State last winter in Section 1A and they will bring back a ton of experience led by Seniors Joseph Yoon & Tim Chalmers and they will also return Senior Starting Goaltender Dakota Jahnke who won 17 games before missing the entire Sectional due to injury. Albert Lea returns 9 of its top 10 leading scorers this winter from a team that won 19 games and will be a very good team with a lot of experience and should be watched as they will be a serious threat to make a trip to St. Paul.
Cambridge Isanti (5A)- The Bluejackets were one of the best Class A stories during the year but they faded down the stretch in Section 5A. They do return their 3 leading scorers in Juniors Finn Overby & Will O'Donovan along with Senior Seth Terhell. They also return all three Seniors Luke Pierson, Kaden Schibilla & Wyatt Nutt who made up their defensive minded shutdown 2nd line and they will return starting goaltender Sophomore Jaxon Sibell to make this a team to watch again next winter. However, they lost all of their defenseman to graduation and will need to address that question mark to be a Top 20 team again this winter.
River Lakes (5A)- Looking for this year's surprise story program that has never had much success look no further than the Stars. This team returns four of their top six defensemen and seven of their top nine forwards including their entire potent first line in Seniors Jacob Philippi & Brady Blaschko and Sophomore Blake Schultz along with returning both of their starting goaltender tandem from last year. River Lakes lost nine 1 goal games as a young team last year and don't be surprised to see this program make some noise this winter and possibly reach the program's first ever Section Final and maybe even play in St Paul.
Luverne (3A)- Is Roll Cards Roll ready to return to the big stage this winter? Well, Luverne will bring back it’s entire core high scorers led by Senior Brock Behrend along with Juniors Patrick Kroski & Owen Sudenga and they return talented young defender Sophomore Blaik Bork to lead the blueline group. They also return their starting goalie from a 15 win team a year ago and look for them to make some serious noise again in the Southwest part of the State this winter.
Hello Class A Hockey Fans!
With High School Fall sports officially entering the postseason and the calendar turning to November soon I thought it would be time to put out the official Class A Preseason Rankings. The power structure in Class A will look to remain the same this season and we are likely to see many of the same teams we are accustomed to seeing dominate the Class A ranks once again this winter.
1- Hermantown (7A)- The defending State Champion Hawks get the pre-season tab as the team to beat in Class A again as has become the norm. While the Hawks were hit hard by graduation and an unusually high early departure list (Zam & Max Plante and Ty Hanson) this year's group will still be very strong as they look to defend their title. Their strength starts in the net as returning Junior goaltender Dane Callaway (20-2-0 .920 SV% 1.47 GAA) will provide an area of strength in the net that has been the Achilles heel of past Hermantown teams. Seniors George Peterson (10-12-22 pts.) & Nolan Baker (4-4-8 pts.) and Junior Will Esterbrooks (4-5-9 pts.) return on the blueline to lead a very solid defensive attack. Up front they will have firepower as they are led by a nice trio in Seniors Kade Kohanski (21-37-58 pts.), Wyatt Carlson (18-13-31 pts) & Matthew Kauppinen (5-8-13 pts.) along with emerging superstar Junior Dallas Vieau (17-12-29 pts.). Also, don't forget the batch of AA Bantams ready to step in led by Super Sophomore River Freeman ready to contribute immediately. Hermantown will be a mighty mountain to conquer for the rest of Class A this winter as they look primed to defend their title.
2- Warroad (8A)- Could we be in store for a Class A Title rematch this winter? The Warriors look like Class A’s number two team on paper again this winter. Warroad returns stud netminder and recent D1 commit Senior Goaltender Hampton Slukynsky (26-4-1 .924 SV% 1.59 GAA) who played nearly every minute in net last season. He has two outstanding defenders in Senior Eric Comstock (4-30-34 pts) & Junior Ryan Lund (5-19-24 pts.) on the blue line to play mega minutes this winter. On offense they return star forward Senior Jayson Shaugabay (27-54-81 pts.) and dynamic Juniors Murray Marvin-Cordes (15-19-34 pts.) & Carson Pilgrim (17-14-31 pts.) who developed nicely as the season went along last winter and will look to be even bigger contributors in their second full season of varsity hockey. The question marks will be with their depth and they will need to find it in players with last names like Marvin, Boucha and Hardwick which one would think with those great bloodlines this Warriors team should be ready to challenge everyone in Class A and get revenge in the Title Game come early March.
3- Mahtomedi (4A)- One thing we can say almost with certainty is the Zephyrs will be playing in March in St Paul as they have become “the program” in a very down Section 4A and this team returns serious depth from a group that finished 3rd place a year ago. They return a good core of defenders led by Seniors Cav Bruner (6-20-26 pts.) & Carson Marshall (3-6-9 pt) along with Sophomore Sam Harris (0-10-10 pts.) who played good minutes return to lead a solid group on the blueline. Up front they are led by an outstanding core of Senior forwards returning who all played big minutes in their top three lines a year ago in David Wolsfeld (22-27-49 pts), Charlie Drage (18-25-43 pts.), Jonny Grove (14-17-31 pts.), Carter Haycraft (15-15-30 pts.), Cory Bohmert (8-16-24 pts.), Seth Nelson (6-14-20pts.) along with Juniors Jake Hodd-Chlebeck (4-8-12 pts) & Patrick Egan (5-3-8 pts.) ready to get more extensive minutes for the Zephyrs who will have a deep experienced team returning if they have an answer for the goalie question they will be very tough to beat this winter again could very well be the team to win it all in Class A.
4- East Grand Forks (8A)- The Greenwave were easily last year's biggest Class A disappointment but a veteran lineup returns not to mention a wealth of underclassmen, many of whom won the State A Bantam title in 2021. Up front and after some growing pains last winter they will lean on Senior forward Caleb Schmiedeberg (8-10-18 pts.) & Juniors Brock Schultz (14-20-34 pts), Landon Jamieson (5-8-13 pts.) & Jace Fore (4-4-8 pts.) to provide the offensive punch and there will be a few young guns to step in as well. On the blueline they return Junior Grady Magner (9-19-28 pts.) & Sophomore Cole Bies (1-8-9 pts.) to a unit that needs to be much better as last year's leaky team defense proved to be too much to overcome. However, even with the veteran lineup and young talent coming into the lineup the key to this team will be goaltending and how they are in that department will prove again to be the ultimate barometer as to if the Greenwave will look to be back as one of Class A’s elite teams.
5- Orono (2A)- The Spartans return a loaded team this year as they literally only lost one player to graduation last spring and they are a tough and battle-tested crew full of experience. They bring in a new coach who turned the girls program into a powerhouse in a few short years which should play well for the boys program this year. However, the reason this team will be a Top 10 team and legit State Tournament threat is the return of star goaltender Senior Brock Peyton (8-14-0 2.78 GAA .924 SV%) who routinely stopped 40 to 50 shots a game last year for a young team that grew throughout the year and he is the type of goaltender that can carry this group a long ways come March. They return Seniors Bradley Walker (26-22-48 pts.) & Avery Anderson (9-14-23 pts.) along with Juniors Easton Sankey (10-12-22 pts.), John Engebretson (6-9-15 pts.) & Joey Mugaas (1-13-14 pts.) and many others all of whom have a wealth of Varsity experience under their belt coming into this winter. This Orono team will be physical and experienced in all areas and should be good enough to make a strong run this winter and be the favorite to represent the deepest Section 2A at state.
6- Alexandria (6A)- The Cardinals look to return to St Paul this March and continue what could be a dominant stretch in a thin Section 6A. Alexandria brings back a very nice core of forwards as Seniors Tyler Kludt (14-37-51 pts.), Joe Lamski (14-20-34 pts) & Nicholas Peterson (14-11-25 pts), Jack Breitzman (2-5-7 pts) and Juniors Leo Kompelien (9-17-26 pts.) & Gavin Olson (12-6-18 pts.) return from their top 3 lines to form a very nice core forwards to build off of this winter. On the Blueline they will return Seniors defenders Henry Ramstorf (2-8-10 pts.) & Zaven Noetzelman (0-5-5 pts) along with Junior Jack Lamski (3-13-16 pts.) all who played good minutes in their D core a year ago. The big question mark is they will need to find a goalie to step up but they will have a nice group of AA Bantams coming in and they do return a good batch of underclassmen from a very stellar JV team last winter. If they have an answer for the question in the net they return enough up front and on the back end to be a Top 10 team in Class A again this winter.
7- Delano (2A)- The Tigers have built one of the better Class A programs over the last 10 years and while they were hit hard by graduation they still bring back some very nice pieces and should be a Top 10 Team again this winter as we are accustomed to seeing from them. Delano will have the good fortune to rely on returning starting goalie Senior Drew Dorsey (13-5-0 1.77 GAA .912 SV %) to ease the transition of some new young players stepping in. They also return Senior Cole Schmidt (3-14-17 pts.) & Junior Brayden Coppin (3-6-9 pts.) on the blue line and they will rely heavily on super Senior Will Brown (18-18-36 pts.) to carry the load offensively as they will look to rebuild their offensive attack. Add in a group of A Bantams that went to State along with one of the better Class A JV teams in the state and this coaching staff and program has proven over the last decade that they will reload and be right in the thick of it all winter long again in Class A.
8- Northfield (1A)- The Raiders look to be a serious Top 10 contender this year as they bring back a team looking for revenge after being upset early on in the Section 1A Playoffs last winter. They return the majority of their team that winter as Senior Keaton Walock (19-5-1 1.89 GAA .918 SV %) will return for his third year as the starter. Defensively they will return Seniors Michael Fossum (0-22-22 pts.) & Matthew DeBuse (1-12-13 pts.) along with superb Junior Ty Funk (5-25-30 pts.) to be very solid on the back end. Up front they return slew of forwards as Seniors Gabriel Sawyer (6-11-17 pts) & Cullen Merritt (5-10-15) return along with an excellent Junior core of Kamden Kaiser (20-22-52 pts.), Cayden Monson (20-30-50 pts.), Jake Geiger (12-10-22 pts.) & Andrew Winter (9-6-15 pts.) plus they return Sophomore Brayden Olsen (4-13-17 pts.) and have a crew of underclassmen coming up from an A Bantam team that qualified for State. This appears to be the team to beat in the South and this crew could do some serious damage next year.
9- Providence Academy (2A)- If you are looking for a program that could offer some new blood at State, Providence Academy appears to be the best bet. If everyone returns the Lions will have one of best offensive juggernauts units in all of Class A Seniors Johnny Hendrickson (21-18-39 pts.), Andrew Owen (21-20-41 pts.) & Andrew Vos (3-15-18 pts) along with Junior forwards Louie Wehmann (34-27-61 pts.), Sammy Lewis (13-26-39 pts.) & Jac Larson (5-7-12 pts.) all return up front. On defense they will need to find some more depth but they do return Senior Nick Damberg (1-7-8 pts.) but loss of Junior Jack Anderson (7-19-26 pts.) to Benilde is a big blow and the blueline could pose issues to the Lions. The other key will be the development of Starting Goalies Senior Nate Miest & Junior Evan Villagomez both shared time in the net and struggled with consistency. However, for those looking for the new private metro program that is young and looking primed to make a big jump look no further than Providence Academy this winter.
10- St Cloud Cathedral (5A)- Welcome back one of the great Class A programs over the last twenty years. After things looked like they may be falling apart in their disastrous 2021 campaign but a new coach and young team were able to make the Crusaders relevant again last year and came painfully close to State. This year they return as the favorites in Section 5A and their strength is in net where they'll return Junior Nick Hansen (13-13-0 2.96 GAA .902 SV %) who had played nearly every minute last winter. They will also return the majority of their D-core Junior defenseman Vince Gebhardt (5-9 14 pts.) and Seniors Brandon Hemmer (3-9-12 pts.) & Tommy Gohman (2-8-10 pts.) should provide stability on the blue line. Upfront they are led by Sophomore Studs John Hirschfeld (11-13-24 pts) & Joey Gillespie (10-10-20 pts) who look to add on to what were impressive freshman campaigns. Add in a bunch of juniors who all played major minutes last winter and SCC could be one of the surprise teams to be playing on Friday at the Xcel in early March. This group looks primed for a big year and to return to the old days of the program's glory.
11- Hibbing (7A)- Keep an eye on Hibbing this winter and for the next few years as they appear to be a program regaining some momentum and restoring some tradition from its historic past. This year’s Bluejackets return a large Senior core led by Senior Goaltender Brayden Boyer (8-9-0 2.39 GAA .906 GAA) who returns for what will be his third year in net. Up front Seniors Beau Frider (11-13-24 pts.), Peyton Taylor (8-10-18 pts.), Christian Dickson (6-12-18 pts), Keeghan Fink (8-9-17 pts.), A.J. Lehman (8-5-13 pts) returns to lead a veteran group. Defensively, Senior Tristan Babich (1-12-13 pts.) & Junior Christian Emonds (3-6-9 pts.) return to create a veteran team that will have a ton of varsity experience under their belts. Add in that their A Bantams went to State last winter and this Hibbing program will be one to keep an eye on over the next few years as they will be on the rise in the Class A Rankings they could be one of the surprise teams this winter.
12- Little Falls (5A)- Flyers were hit hard by graduation but they do return high scoring forwards Senior Matt Filippi (35-40-75 pts.) & Junior Carter Oothoudt (24-35-59 pts) up front along with Sophomores Joey Welinski (8-14-22 pts.) who played big varsity minutes last winter as freshman. They also bring back Senior defenders Coltin Johnson (6-15-21 pts.) & Matthew Copper (2-20-22 pts) who each had great years and played mega minutes on the blue line and Sophomore Luke Avery (8-11-19 pts.) will move back to defense this year after good 9th grade year at forward on the varsity to create nice core to build a solid Class A team around along with Senior Netminder Richie Varriano (10-3-0 2.77 GAA .907 SV%) who has experience in the net. There is enough there to make another run if they have some other pieces, but last year they tried to play a two line and four D team and got burned late in the year. I may be too high on them? I don't know what comes in from the bantams but they will need depth but again they do have star power up front to be in the mix this winter.
13- Thief River Falls (8A)- Yes I know the Prowlers did graduate 12 seniors from last winter. However, they will return their 2nd leading scorer in high scoring Senior Tysen Loeffler (22-20-42 pts) along with a trio of Juniors Max Arlt (9-13-22 pts), Braydin Lund (10-11-21 pts) and leading defenseman Junior Jace Erickson (4-17-21 pts) who were 4th, 5th & 6th respectively in scoring last winter and they return most of their Powerplay unit which was very successful during the great 2nd half of the season last winter. They also have a very good goaltender in Junior Connor Roff who waited his time last year and who is ready to step in and be an elite goalie. The returning core will give Coach Bergland enough to build another solid team around and be in the thick of it in 8A. I look for them to maybe start slow but they will play their system and be a Top 15 Class A team by the end of the year like always are.
14- Rock Ridge (7A)- The Wolverines will be in the 2nd year of their co-opt and look to get off to a better start this season then last. I had high hopes for this team last season but they really never got it put together as a late season push ended in an early round upset. I may be too low on them this year as they do return leading scorers Seniors Dylan Hedley (12-18-30 pts.), Isaac Flatley (8-15-23 pts & Ryan Mannien (9-9-18 pts.) along with Juniors Kasey Lamppa (7-14-21 pts) & Brant Tiedeman (11-9-20 pts) all of whom will bring productivity and experience to the lineup. They will need to find some depth on the Blueline behind Junior Sam Troutwine (3-4-7 pts) and they will have some goaltenders to choose from with experience in the net. They also will draw from big numbers. I could be low on Rock Ridge as they might end up in the Top 10 but I will let them rise as the year goes along.
15- Detroit Lakes (8A)- The Lakers are coming off one their best seasons in over twenty years and yes they did lose some big pieces to graduation but they also return a good core. They will be led by their top overall player in Senior Defenseman Jacob Thomas (9-25-34 pts) who is a do it all 2-way threat from the blue line. Up front they return Seniors Cole Larson (10-21-31 pts.), Cooper Moore (10-11-21 pts), Ben Hines (11-9-20 pts), Carter Bellefeuille (8-12-20 pts) along with Juniors Cole Deraney (7-11-18 pts.) & Riley Engum (5-9-14 pts.) all return coming good offensive seasons. They also have Senior Goaltender Josh Mack (8-0-0 1.12 GAA .941 SV%) back who did see time in a backup role last season and will be ready to take over the starting gig. Keep an eye on the Lakers again this winter. They should be in these rankings all winter long.
16- New Prague (1A)- The defending Section 1A champions do bring back leading scorer Junior John Schmidt (10-16-26 pts.) who led the team in points while Juniors Willy Seymour (10-12-22 pts.), Braeden Woitas (7-6-13 pts.), Michael Beckius (4-9-13 pts) will be back to add good scoring depth for the Trojans. However, the early departure of Luke Portner who had over 20 points from the blue line will be a big loss. Also the big question will be can New Prague find a goalie but they will play a tough schedule and have a bad record but will be a factor and should be looked at in this Top 20 Rankings all year for Class A.
17-Mankato East (3A)- The Cougars look to be favorites again in Section 3A and look to return to State for the 4th time in the last 7 years. They do return a good chunk of their scoring as leading scoring defenseman Seniors Shea Gavin (16-13-29 pts) & Alexander Morgan (2-7-9 pts) lead a good group of defenders. Up front they return Seniors Andrew Bastian (10-14-24 Pts) & Brayden Borgmeier (11-9-20 pts.) along with Juniors Christian Theuninck (11-12-23 pts) & Rafe Bowman (7-6-13 pts) to have a nice core to build around. They will also get Senior Zach Lebens & Junior Owen Quist back who are two of their better players that both missed last season due to injuries. The big question mark will be in the net but this looks like a solid Top 20 team in Class A who should represent 3A again at the Xcel in March.
18- Chisago Lakes (4A)- The Wildcats did lose their pair of 70 point scorers to graduation from their 21 win team but they return nearly everything else and should still be a very good team this winter. They return their stand out starting goalie Senior Jack Hanson (15-6-1 2.59 GAA .915 SV%). They also return a solid group of forwards in Seniors Nikolas Jinks (22-23-45 pts.), Cameron Stangl (13-13-26 pts.), Cullen Dorcas (7-13-20 pts.) & Junior Jack Bakken (9-8-17 pts.) who should provide plenty of scoring depth. They also return their top defensenseman in Senior Nathan Bluhm(7-31-38 pts.) to lead the teams defensive unit. They in total have 13 returning letterwinners coming back and they should be back in the Section Final for 4A this winter.
19- Northern Lakes (6A)- The Lightning look on paper like a team that should be playing in the Section Final in 6A this winter. They return good scoring punch forwards Juniors Taylor Berg (15-20-35 pts.) & Logan Verville (20-6-26 pts.) along with Senior Darby Boelter (10-12-22 pts) all who had double digit goals. They also return Seniors Christian Crutcher (2-24-26 pts) & Zach Ehnstrom (9-13-22 pts) along with Junior Isaac Peterson (4-16-20 pts) all of whom had 20 points from the blueline. Add in returning starting goalie Junior Nigel DeSanto (10-7-0 3.40 GAA .893 SV%) and an incoming A Bantam team that finished 2nd in State and this should be a Lightning squad on a serious upswing.
20- Monticello (5A)- The Moose lost a ton to graduation but Coach Eric Nelson showed last year you should never count them out as this program has been to State 4 of the last 6 years. Down the stretch last year they did play 4 lines down so they have experience coming back and will be led by Seniors Tyler Miller (6-15-21 pts), Tyler Bitz (14-4-18 pts.) & Brayden Dunn (3-13-15 pts) along with Juniors Roman Thompson (7-9-16 pts.) & Gunnar Simon (4-7-11 pts.) should give them experience and balance up front. However, they will have a big void to fill on the blueline and will need Junior Owen Soderholm (0-2-1 4.13 GAA .833 SV%) to be more steady in the net a year later in order for Monticello to return to State for the 5th time in 7 years and repeat in a very even Section 5A.
Five Notable Class A Teams outside of the Preseason Top 20-
Minneapolis (2A)- After a historic season in the 612, MPLS lost a ton to graduation and their blueline took a hit this offseason when Senior defender Drew Pitts decided to leave for juniors. However, Senior Joel Hanson does return along with Junior Hank Davis to build on from the backend. Finding scoring could be an issue for them as they will look to Senior Will Pankratz & Junior John Bebler to build off solid seasons and provide experience. They will also need to find a goalie as they return no one with experience in the net. There are lots of questions but they should still be mentioned as a notable group to start the year.
Albert Lea (1A)- The Tigers were one game away from State last winter in Section 1A and they will bring back a ton of experience led by Seniors Joseph Yoon & Tim Chalmers and they will also return Senior Starting Goaltender Dakota Jahnke who won 17 games before missing the entire Sectional due to injury. Albert Lea returns 9 of its top 10 leading scorers this winter from a team that won 19 games and will be a very good team with a lot of experience and should be watched as they will be a serious threat to make a trip to St. Paul.
Cambridge Isanti (5A)- The Bluejackets were one of the best Class A stories during the year but they faded down the stretch in Section 5A. They do return their 3 leading scorers in Juniors Finn Overby & Will O'Donovan along with Senior Seth Terhell. They also return all three Seniors Luke Pierson, Kaden Schibilla & Wyatt Nutt who made up their defensive minded shutdown 2nd line and they will return starting goaltender Sophomore Jaxon Sibell to make this a team to watch again next winter. However, they lost all of their defenseman to graduation and will need to address that question mark to be a Top 20 team again this winter.
River Lakes (5A)- Looking for this year's surprise story program that has never had much success look no further than the Stars. This team returns four of their top six defensemen and seven of their top nine forwards including their entire potent first line in Seniors Jacob Philippi & Brady Blaschko and Sophomore Blake Schultz along with returning both of their starting goaltender tandem from last year. River Lakes lost nine 1 goal games as a young team last year and don't be surprised to see this program make some noise this winter and possibly reach the program's first ever Section Final and maybe even play in St Paul.
Luverne (3A)- Is Roll Cards Roll ready to return to the big stage this winter? Well, Luverne will bring back it’s entire core high scorers led by Senior Brock Behrend along with Juniors Patrick Kroski & Owen Sudenga and they return talented young defender Sophomore Blaik Bork to lead the blueline group. They also return their starting goalie from a 15 win team a year ago and look for them to make some serious noise again in the Southwest part of the State this winter.
