A Rankings for 1/22/23
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2023 8:51 am
Class A Rankings Week #9 (1/22/2023)
Only one month left before the start of playoffs, the top five teams are obvious and have separated themseleves from the pack, however the mess that is 6-30 in Class A is a weekly challenge as few teams have been able sustain good play and the week-to-week jumble of moving pieces up and down continues. Check out my best attempt below for the Week 9 Class A Rankings:
1- Warroad (8A) (16-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 3-0 Wayzata, W 8-1 #12 Duluth Denfeld
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ Roseau, 1/28 @ Moorhead
The Warriors took on the #1 team in AA to open their week and they won a very good hockey game 3-0 as they shut out the Trojans and now have the claim of the state’s best team regardless of Class. They followed up that big win by heading to Duluth the next day and taking out Denfeld to remain unbeaten on the year. This upcoming week will be a very stiff test as they have two tough road AA games vs their rival Roseau and then with a better then their record Spuds team as every game we get closer to February the eyes of the state on this group’s pursuit of perfection intensifies.
2- Hermantown (7A) (12-2-1)
Past Week Results: W 6-0 #8 Hibbing, W 3-2 Moorhead, L 0-3 St Thomas Academy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ Superior, 1/26 @ Proctor, 1/28 @ #3 Mahtomedi
The Hawks found themselves in a scary game on the road only up 2-0 on Hibbing. They did respond with a big third period and put the game away but they may have given Hibbing some belief in the process if they meet again in the sections. Hermantown followed that up with a very impressive home win over the Spuds of Moorhead when they scored the game winning goal with just 10 seconds left in a great hockey game. The Hawks did not finish the week great getting shut out by St Thomas Academy but are still #2 for now. Big test upcoming next weekend when they take on the #3 Zephyrs at Hockey Day MN.
3- Mahtomedi (4A) (11-4-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-4 Benilde, L 2-3 OT Eden Prairie, W 4-3 OT East Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: 1/25 vs Hill Murray, 1/28 vs #2 Hermantown
The Zephyrs got their week off to a fantastic start when they hit the road and took down a good AA Benilde team. Mahtomedi jumped out to 3-0 period lead and never trailed to pick up yet another impressive win on the road vs AA competition. The Zephyrs continued their good play when they erased a two goal deficit on the road vs AA Eden Prairie to send the game to overtime. While they lost the game overall it was still another very impressive showing. They finished the week struggling with East Ridge but did find a way to win in overtime. Now this week a struggling AA Hill Murray and then a big Hockey Day MN showdown with the #2 Hawks on National TV.
4- Orono (2A) (14-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-3 #15 Providence, W 4-3 #11 St Cloud Cathedral, W 5-2 Bloomington Jefferson
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 vs New Prague, 1/28 @ Waconia
The Spartans got a little bit of a push from the 2A Lions but a big 5 goal send period put the game away and Orono picked up a critical 2A sweep over ProvidenceAcademy for the year. Orono after another slow start used a big four goal second period to overwhelm a good Cathedral team but then took five penalties in the 3rd period, penalties are an issue with this group,and they nearly let the game slip away but came away with a good win. They did end the week with a solid win over Jefferson and now have two more Metro West Conference games this week with the rematch of the overtime win over Waconia presenting some intrigue.
5- East Grand Forks (8A) (11-6-0)
Past Week Results:W 6-5 OT Roseau, W 5-1 #12 Duluth Denfeld, W 4-2 Bemidji
Upcoming Schedule: 1/28 @ Greenway
The Greenwave continued their great stretch of hockey and went up to Roseau and scored late to tie the game and then after an outstanding highlight reel save by their goaltender to save the game went down the ice put the Rams away. East Grand Forks then hit the road over the weekend first taking down a ranked Denfeld team with ease winning 5-1 and having the heavy shot favor total. They finished off the trip in grand fashion when they went into red hot Bemidji and avenged an earlier loss and took the Lumberjacks down. This week the Greenwave just have one game they should win as they continue to prepare for the looming back to back with Warroad in a few weeks for the 8A top seed.
6- Northfield (1A) (12-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 2-4 Rochester Mayo, W 6-0 Mankato West, W 7-0 Winona
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ Mankato East, 1/26 @ #19 Albert Lea, 1/28 vs Rochester Mayo
The Raiders did not start their week off well and they dropped their 2nd consecutive game when they dropped a game to Mayo on the road. Northfield did right the ship a bit to end the week when they beat Mankato West and Winona both convincingly. Now this week they have a tough week and really can solidify things with a few wins when they take on a 3A co-favorite Mankato East, 1A contender Alert Lea, and the team that just beat them this week Rochester Mayo.
7- Delano (2A) (9-7-0)
Past Week Results: W 8-1 Mound Westonka, L 0-6 Lakeville South
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ #17 Litchfield Dassel Cokato, 1/26 @ Holy Family
Delano did exactly what they needed to do vs Mound Westonka blitzing the Whitehawks and picking up another very important Section 2A win in the process. They finished the week getting roughed up by AA Lakeville South which really doesn't hurt them when looking at the mess that is 6-30 A rankings. This week is a Wright County Conference with an important opportunity to sweep 2A LDC and the match up with Holy Family, a program that has owned Delano over the years.
8- Hibbing (7A) (11-5-1)
Past Week Results: L 0-6 #2 Hermantown, W 11-2 North Shore
Upcoming Schedule: 1/23 vs Duluth Marshall, 1/26 @ Superior, 1/27 vs Crookston, 1/28 vs #17 Thief River Falls
Hibbing hung around with the Hawks for 2 periods only down 2 goals to give them hope that if they meet again in the Section Final they can hang around. However the Hawks put the game away in the third period putting it into run time late. Hibbing responded but taking care of North Shore for another 7A win now this week is busy with the game vs Thief River Falls the end of the week looking very intriguing.
9- Detroit Lakes (8A) (11-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 8-1 Prairie Centre, W 6-2 Red Lake Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/23 vs Northern Lakes, 1/26 @ Wadena Deer Creek, 1/27 vs Lake of the Woods
The Lakers have entered the stretch of their season looking at the schedule where they hypothetically should win out in the remainder of their games. They started that stretch well as they took down two teams they should be beating Prairie Centre and Red Lake Falls this week. Now they play three more games this week they should be favored to win in as they look to build some momentum heading into the 8A section playoffs..
10- Rock Ridge (7A) (11-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 6-0 North Shore, W 7-1 Princeton
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 vs Cloquet, 1/26 vs #12 Duluth Denfeld
The Wolverines stayed red hot this week and won their 6th and 7th straight game and are still unbeaten in the new year. They started out their week by shutting out 7A North Shore for a solid section win. After that they took on Princeton and were able to win another game fairly comfortably and this team is playing really good hockey of late. This week they have a game with Cloquet before a big matchup with 7A Duluth Denfeld looms.
11- St Cloud Cathedral (5A) (8-7-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-1 Alexandria, L 3-4 #4 Orono
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 vs Northern Lakes, 1/26 vs Mora, 1/28 @ Rochester Lourdes
The Crusaders had another solid week first picking up a solid 5-1 win over Alexandria to start their week in a very convincing game which they trailed early but scored 5 unanswered to put the game away. Cathedral then went to highly ranked Orono and won the 1st and 3rd period. The problem was the 2nd period they gave up and 4 unanswered goals to their credit they made interesting late and continued to play well of late. This week they have three games they should win as they continue to build on the good stretch of play they have had in the last 3 to 4 weeks.
12- Duluth Denfeld (7A) (10-8-1)
Past Week Results: L 0-4 Duluth East, L 1-5 #5 East Grand Forks, L 1-8 #1 Warroad
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 @ #10 Rock Ridge, 1/27 vs Dodge County
The Hunters had a tough week as they played a very tough stretch of games and lost their star player in the process. They started out the week being shut out by their crosstown AA rival Duluth East. They then saw some of Section 8A’s and Class A’s best when they got swept over the weekend by East Grand Forks and Warroad. The Hunters now have a very important rematch with Rock Ridge they need to win to hold on to the #3 seed in 7A and they will finish next week taking on a decent Dodge County team.
13- Fergus Falls (6A) (8-5-1)
Past Week Results: L 1-5 Sartell, L 0-4 Alexandria
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 vs Sauk Rapids, 1/26 vs Brainerd, 1/27 @ Brainerd
The Otters had a rough week that did not get a good start to the week as they were beat handily by a good AA Sartell squad which really doesn't affect anything rankings wise for them. However, the loss to Alexandria hurts them not only in the Class A rankings but the Section 6A race as well. Getting shut out is very concerning but they will get the chance to win the all important 2nd meeting and still have a game with Wadena yet so they still can get the 1 seed as they also own the head to head win over Northern Lakes. This week they will look to get back on track with Sauk Rapids and then a home and home with Brainerd.
14- Little Falls (5A) (9-7-1)
Past Week Results: W 5-2 River Lakes, W 3-2 OT #17 Thief River Falls, W 4-1 Crookston
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 at Cambridge-Isanti, 1/28 at Mound Westonka
The Flyers season looked in serious doubt at the end of last week getting beat by Duluth Denfeld and losing their Senior starting goalie to injury possibly for the season. However, the Flyers inserted 9th Grader Goalie Izaak Kalis who was very steady in the net not giving up more than 2 goals in any of his three starts this week and suddenly the Flyers have won 3 in row and if they can beat Cambridge Isanti this week they can assure themselves a top two seed in Section 5A which they are currently unbeaten in. Keep an eye on the Flyers as they seem to have found a spark of late.
15- Providence Academy (2A) (8-8-0)
Past Week Results: L 3-6 #4 Orono, W 5-1 Breck
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 vs Blake, 1/28 @ Northern Lakes
The Lions put a bit of a scare into Orono early but they were unable to keep the puck out of their own net during a 2nd period when they gave up 5 goals kind of the story of their season and they were swept for the season series by Orono. They did come back and beat Breck handily which keeps them in control of the 3 seed in 2A due to their win over Minneapolis and again this Lions team has so much offense that when they play the lower half of Class A they can take over. Two games this week with the one vs Blake being the challenge to see if they can hold a good team below six goals in a game.
16- Minneapolis (2A) (9-6-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-3 OT Litchfield Dassel/Cokato, W 5-0 Bloomington Kennedy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ Holy Angels, 1/28 @ Breck
The boys from the 612 stayed hot and picked up a massive win over LDC to start their week when they took down the Dragons in overtime. The win likely puts them in great position for the number 4 seed and home ice in the quarterfinals in Section 2A playoffs. They followed that up by taking care of business vs. Bloomington Kennedy and suddenly Minneapolis is red hot in the 2nd half half of the season. Theis week two games, the important one being the 2A matchup with Breck.
17- Thief River Falls (8A) (8-9-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-0 Crookston, W 6-2 Kittson County Central, L 2-3 OT #14 Little Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/27 vs Greenway, 1/28 @ #8 Hibbing
The Prowlers got their week started by shutting out Crookston to pick up a Section 8A win. They followed that up with another 8A win when they took down Kittson County Central the following night. However the Prowlers ended their week losing to the Flyers of Little Falls and questions surrounding this team are still there and valid. They do have a game this week with Hibbing that could restore their ranking status and help figure out where exactly this Prowler group fits.
18- Two Rivers (4A) (14-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 2-1 Rochester Lourdes, W 5-3 Tartan
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 @ Hastings , 1/28 @ South St Paul
The Warriors struggled with two teams they should not have but they did not get upset like the teams below them and won the games to their credit. They hit the road on Friday night and found themselves trailing 1-0 after two periods. However, they were able to use a big third period to complete the comeback and pick up another win. They followed that up by beating Tartan to end the week with two more wins. This week they have an interesting game with Hastings before an important Section 4A rematch with South St Paul where they will go for the Section sweep.
19- Albert Lea (1A) (12-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 2-4 Luverne, W 5-3 Rochester John Marshall
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 vs #6 Northfield, 1/28 vs Faribault
Albert Lea suffered an upset when they lost to Luverne at home to start the week ending their 9 game win streak. However, they did rebound to beat Rochester John Marshall to end their week but they struggled vs a team that Two Rivers handeled easily the week before so I put the Tigers here for now. This week is very big as they get their only shot at 1A favorite Northfield and that is followed up by a game with sneaky dangerous Faribault who has played everyone in the section tough. Both games should be good tests for the Tigers as the 1A sections are just around the corner.
20- New Ulm (3A) (13-2-1)
Past Week Results: W 7-2 Minnesota River, W 9-0 Redwood Valley, L 1-3 Southwest Christian
Upcoming Schedule: 1/23 vs Windom, 1/14 @ Fairmont, 1/26 @ Luverne
The Eagles started the week by taking care of Minnesota River with ease on the road to pick up another Section 3A win. New Ulm continued to dominate weaker Big South and 3A opponents when it routed Redwood Valley In the middle of the week. However, they were upset at home by Southwest Christian to end the week, which sounded the alarm bells a bit that the soft schedule may be causing them bad habits. Now the Eagles have two more games they should cruise in before a very important game when they head to Luverne in what could be a dangerous game for New Ulm’s Big South Conference winning streak.
The Next 5 in Class A Week #9-
Litchfield Dassel/Cokato (2A) (11-4-2)- The Dragons' struggles continued when they dropped an overtime game to Section 2A Minneapolis in a game that will most likely cost them home ice in the section quarterfinals. This group is reeling of late and needed a big third period to beat Minnesota River. This week big home games with Delano and rematch with Mound Westonka loom and they need to go .500 to keep any hopes of home ice.
New Prague (1A) (10-5-0)- The Trojans rebounded from the rough loss to 3 win Jefferson last weekend and picked up two wins in games they should win when they took down 1A Waseca and then Hutchinson as well. This week is a big test with a game at top 5 ranked Orono who they took to overtime in a loss earlier this year.
Monticello (5A) (9-6-1)- The Moose picked up two more wins this week as they took care of a struggling Northern Edge program and then swept Cambridge Isanti on the year which should assure them a top 3 seed in 5A. Hard to move this team up with losses to LF, LDC, Providence Academy, Delano and Northield on the resume but they are a dangerous team and will be in the thick of it in Section 5A.
Wadena Deer Creek (6A) (10-4-0)- The Wolverines had a brutal loss in overtime to Park Rapids to start the week. However, they did recover well though as they picked up two more 6A wins as they are still unbeaten in section play and control the 1 seed for now. This week 3 games with a big rematch vs top 10 Detroit Lakes being the big match up.
Cambridge Isanti (5A) (8-7-0)- The Bluejackets blew their opportunity at the #1 seed in Section 5A when they got swept by Monticello this week. They did rebound to beat Sauk Rapids for another section 5a win and if they can knock off 5A Little Falls at home this week they could assure themselves a top 3 seed.
Only one month left before the start of playoffs, the top five teams are obvious and have separated themseleves from the pack, however the mess that is 6-30 in Class A is a weekly challenge as few teams have been able sustain good play and the week-to-week jumble of moving pieces up and down continues. Check out my best attempt below for the Week 9 Class A Rankings:
1- Warroad (8A) (16-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 3-0 Wayzata, W 8-1 #12 Duluth Denfeld
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ Roseau, 1/28 @ Moorhead
The Warriors took on the #1 team in AA to open their week and they won a very good hockey game 3-0 as they shut out the Trojans and now have the claim of the state’s best team regardless of Class. They followed up that big win by heading to Duluth the next day and taking out Denfeld to remain unbeaten on the year. This upcoming week will be a very stiff test as they have two tough road AA games vs their rival Roseau and then with a better then their record Spuds team as every game we get closer to February the eyes of the state on this group’s pursuit of perfection intensifies.
2- Hermantown (7A) (12-2-1)
Past Week Results: W 6-0 #8 Hibbing, W 3-2 Moorhead, L 0-3 St Thomas Academy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ Superior, 1/26 @ Proctor, 1/28 @ #3 Mahtomedi
The Hawks found themselves in a scary game on the road only up 2-0 on Hibbing. They did respond with a big third period and put the game away but they may have given Hibbing some belief in the process if they meet again in the sections. Hermantown followed that up with a very impressive home win over the Spuds of Moorhead when they scored the game winning goal with just 10 seconds left in a great hockey game. The Hawks did not finish the week great getting shut out by St Thomas Academy but are still #2 for now. Big test upcoming next weekend when they take on the #3 Zephyrs at Hockey Day MN.
3- Mahtomedi (4A) (11-4-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-4 Benilde, L 2-3 OT Eden Prairie, W 4-3 OT East Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: 1/25 vs Hill Murray, 1/28 vs #2 Hermantown
The Zephyrs got their week off to a fantastic start when they hit the road and took down a good AA Benilde team. Mahtomedi jumped out to 3-0 period lead and never trailed to pick up yet another impressive win on the road vs AA competition. The Zephyrs continued their good play when they erased a two goal deficit on the road vs AA Eden Prairie to send the game to overtime. While they lost the game overall it was still another very impressive showing. They finished the week struggling with East Ridge but did find a way to win in overtime. Now this week a struggling AA Hill Murray and then a big Hockey Day MN showdown with the #2 Hawks on National TV.
4- Orono (2A) (14-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-3 #15 Providence, W 4-3 #11 St Cloud Cathedral, W 5-2 Bloomington Jefferson
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 vs New Prague, 1/28 @ Waconia
The Spartans got a little bit of a push from the 2A Lions but a big 5 goal send period put the game away and Orono picked up a critical 2A sweep over ProvidenceAcademy for the year. Orono after another slow start used a big four goal second period to overwhelm a good Cathedral team but then took five penalties in the 3rd period, penalties are an issue with this group,and they nearly let the game slip away but came away with a good win. They did end the week with a solid win over Jefferson and now have two more Metro West Conference games this week with the rematch of the overtime win over Waconia presenting some intrigue.
5- East Grand Forks (8A) (11-6-0)
Past Week Results:W 6-5 OT Roseau, W 5-1 #12 Duluth Denfeld, W 4-2 Bemidji
Upcoming Schedule: 1/28 @ Greenway
The Greenwave continued their great stretch of hockey and went up to Roseau and scored late to tie the game and then after an outstanding highlight reel save by their goaltender to save the game went down the ice put the Rams away. East Grand Forks then hit the road over the weekend first taking down a ranked Denfeld team with ease winning 5-1 and having the heavy shot favor total. They finished off the trip in grand fashion when they went into red hot Bemidji and avenged an earlier loss and took the Lumberjacks down. This week the Greenwave just have one game they should win as they continue to prepare for the looming back to back with Warroad in a few weeks for the 8A top seed.
6- Northfield (1A) (12-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 2-4 Rochester Mayo, W 6-0 Mankato West, W 7-0 Winona
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ Mankato East, 1/26 @ #19 Albert Lea, 1/28 vs Rochester Mayo
The Raiders did not start their week off well and they dropped their 2nd consecutive game when they dropped a game to Mayo on the road. Northfield did right the ship a bit to end the week when they beat Mankato West and Winona both convincingly. Now this week they have a tough week and really can solidify things with a few wins when they take on a 3A co-favorite Mankato East, 1A contender Alert Lea, and the team that just beat them this week Rochester Mayo.
7- Delano (2A) (9-7-0)
Past Week Results: W 8-1 Mound Westonka, L 0-6 Lakeville South
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ #17 Litchfield Dassel Cokato, 1/26 @ Holy Family
Delano did exactly what they needed to do vs Mound Westonka blitzing the Whitehawks and picking up another very important Section 2A win in the process. They finished the week getting roughed up by AA Lakeville South which really doesn't hurt them when looking at the mess that is 6-30 A rankings. This week is a Wright County Conference with an important opportunity to sweep 2A LDC and the match up with Holy Family, a program that has owned Delano over the years.
8- Hibbing (7A) (11-5-1)
Past Week Results: L 0-6 #2 Hermantown, W 11-2 North Shore
Upcoming Schedule: 1/23 vs Duluth Marshall, 1/26 @ Superior, 1/27 vs Crookston, 1/28 vs #17 Thief River Falls
Hibbing hung around with the Hawks for 2 periods only down 2 goals to give them hope that if they meet again in the Section Final they can hang around. However the Hawks put the game away in the third period putting it into run time late. Hibbing responded but taking care of North Shore for another 7A win now this week is busy with the game vs Thief River Falls the end of the week looking very intriguing.
9- Detroit Lakes (8A) (11-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 8-1 Prairie Centre, W 6-2 Red Lake Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/23 vs Northern Lakes, 1/26 @ Wadena Deer Creek, 1/27 vs Lake of the Woods
The Lakers have entered the stretch of their season looking at the schedule where they hypothetically should win out in the remainder of their games. They started that stretch well as they took down two teams they should be beating Prairie Centre and Red Lake Falls this week. Now they play three more games this week they should be favored to win in as they look to build some momentum heading into the 8A section playoffs..
10- Rock Ridge (7A) (11-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 6-0 North Shore, W 7-1 Princeton
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 vs Cloquet, 1/26 vs #12 Duluth Denfeld
The Wolverines stayed red hot this week and won their 6th and 7th straight game and are still unbeaten in the new year. They started out their week by shutting out 7A North Shore for a solid section win. After that they took on Princeton and were able to win another game fairly comfortably and this team is playing really good hockey of late. This week they have a game with Cloquet before a big matchup with 7A Duluth Denfeld looms.
11- St Cloud Cathedral (5A) (8-7-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-1 Alexandria, L 3-4 #4 Orono
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 vs Northern Lakes, 1/26 vs Mora, 1/28 @ Rochester Lourdes
The Crusaders had another solid week first picking up a solid 5-1 win over Alexandria to start their week in a very convincing game which they trailed early but scored 5 unanswered to put the game away. Cathedral then went to highly ranked Orono and won the 1st and 3rd period. The problem was the 2nd period they gave up and 4 unanswered goals to their credit they made interesting late and continued to play well of late. This week they have three games they should win as they continue to build on the good stretch of play they have had in the last 3 to 4 weeks.
12- Duluth Denfeld (7A) (10-8-1)
Past Week Results: L 0-4 Duluth East, L 1-5 #5 East Grand Forks, L 1-8 #1 Warroad
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 @ #10 Rock Ridge, 1/27 vs Dodge County
The Hunters had a tough week as they played a very tough stretch of games and lost their star player in the process. They started out the week being shut out by their crosstown AA rival Duluth East. They then saw some of Section 8A’s and Class A’s best when they got swept over the weekend by East Grand Forks and Warroad. The Hunters now have a very important rematch with Rock Ridge they need to win to hold on to the #3 seed in 7A and they will finish next week taking on a decent Dodge County team.
13- Fergus Falls (6A) (8-5-1)
Past Week Results: L 1-5 Sartell, L 0-4 Alexandria
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 vs Sauk Rapids, 1/26 vs Brainerd, 1/27 @ Brainerd
The Otters had a rough week that did not get a good start to the week as they were beat handily by a good AA Sartell squad which really doesn't affect anything rankings wise for them. However, the loss to Alexandria hurts them not only in the Class A rankings but the Section 6A race as well. Getting shut out is very concerning but they will get the chance to win the all important 2nd meeting and still have a game with Wadena yet so they still can get the 1 seed as they also own the head to head win over Northern Lakes. This week they will look to get back on track with Sauk Rapids and then a home and home with Brainerd.
14- Little Falls (5A) (9-7-1)
Past Week Results: W 5-2 River Lakes, W 3-2 OT #17 Thief River Falls, W 4-1 Crookston
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 at Cambridge-Isanti, 1/28 at Mound Westonka
The Flyers season looked in serious doubt at the end of last week getting beat by Duluth Denfeld and losing their Senior starting goalie to injury possibly for the season. However, the Flyers inserted 9th Grader Goalie Izaak Kalis who was very steady in the net not giving up more than 2 goals in any of his three starts this week and suddenly the Flyers have won 3 in row and if they can beat Cambridge Isanti this week they can assure themselves a top two seed in Section 5A which they are currently unbeaten in. Keep an eye on the Flyers as they seem to have found a spark of late.
15- Providence Academy (2A) (8-8-0)
Past Week Results: L 3-6 #4 Orono, W 5-1 Breck
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 vs Blake, 1/28 @ Northern Lakes
The Lions put a bit of a scare into Orono early but they were unable to keep the puck out of their own net during a 2nd period when they gave up 5 goals kind of the story of their season and they were swept for the season series by Orono. They did come back and beat Breck handily which keeps them in control of the 3 seed in 2A due to their win over Minneapolis and again this Lions team has so much offense that when they play the lower half of Class A they can take over. Two games this week with the one vs Blake being the challenge to see if they can hold a good team below six goals in a game.
16- Minneapolis (2A) (9-6-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-3 OT Litchfield Dassel/Cokato, W 5-0 Bloomington Kennedy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/24 @ Holy Angels, 1/28 @ Breck
The boys from the 612 stayed hot and picked up a massive win over LDC to start their week when they took down the Dragons in overtime. The win likely puts them in great position for the number 4 seed and home ice in the quarterfinals in Section 2A playoffs. They followed that up by taking care of business vs. Bloomington Kennedy and suddenly Minneapolis is red hot in the 2nd half half of the season. Theis week two games, the important one being the 2A matchup with Breck.
17- Thief River Falls (8A) (8-9-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-0 Crookston, W 6-2 Kittson County Central, L 2-3 OT #14 Little Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/27 vs Greenway, 1/28 @ #8 Hibbing
The Prowlers got their week started by shutting out Crookston to pick up a Section 8A win. They followed that up with another 8A win when they took down Kittson County Central the following night. However the Prowlers ended their week losing to the Flyers of Little Falls and questions surrounding this team are still there and valid. They do have a game this week with Hibbing that could restore their ranking status and help figure out where exactly this Prowler group fits.
18- Two Rivers (4A) (14-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 2-1 Rochester Lourdes, W 5-3 Tartan
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 @ Hastings , 1/28 @ South St Paul
The Warriors struggled with two teams they should not have but they did not get upset like the teams below them and won the games to their credit. They hit the road on Friday night and found themselves trailing 1-0 after two periods. However, they were able to use a big third period to complete the comeback and pick up another win. They followed that up by beating Tartan to end the week with two more wins. This week they have an interesting game with Hastings before an important Section 4A rematch with South St Paul where they will go for the Section sweep.
19- Albert Lea (1A) (12-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 2-4 Luverne, W 5-3 Rochester John Marshall
Upcoming Schedule: 1/26 vs #6 Northfield, 1/28 vs Faribault
Albert Lea suffered an upset when they lost to Luverne at home to start the week ending their 9 game win streak. However, they did rebound to beat Rochester John Marshall to end their week but they struggled vs a team that Two Rivers handeled easily the week before so I put the Tigers here for now. This week is very big as they get their only shot at 1A favorite Northfield and that is followed up by a game with sneaky dangerous Faribault who has played everyone in the section tough. Both games should be good tests for the Tigers as the 1A sections are just around the corner.
20- New Ulm (3A) (13-2-1)
Past Week Results: W 7-2 Minnesota River, W 9-0 Redwood Valley, L 1-3 Southwest Christian
Upcoming Schedule: 1/23 vs Windom, 1/14 @ Fairmont, 1/26 @ Luverne
The Eagles started the week by taking care of Minnesota River with ease on the road to pick up another Section 3A win. New Ulm continued to dominate weaker Big South and 3A opponents when it routed Redwood Valley In the middle of the week. However, they were upset at home by Southwest Christian to end the week, which sounded the alarm bells a bit that the soft schedule may be causing them bad habits. Now the Eagles have two more games they should cruise in before a very important game when they head to Luverne in what could be a dangerous game for New Ulm’s Big South Conference winning streak.
The Next 5 in Class A Week #9-
Litchfield Dassel/Cokato (2A) (11-4-2)- The Dragons' struggles continued when they dropped an overtime game to Section 2A Minneapolis in a game that will most likely cost them home ice in the section quarterfinals. This group is reeling of late and needed a big third period to beat Minnesota River. This week big home games with Delano and rematch with Mound Westonka loom and they need to go .500 to keep any hopes of home ice.
New Prague (1A) (10-5-0)- The Trojans rebounded from the rough loss to 3 win Jefferson last weekend and picked up two wins in games they should win when they took down 1A Waseca and then Hutchinson as well. This week is a big test with a game at top 5 ranked Orono who they took to overtime in a loss earlier this year.
Monticello (5A) (9-6-1)- The Moose picked up two more wins this week as they took care of a struggling Northern Edge program and then swept Cambridge Isanti on the year which should assure them a top 3 seed in 5A. Hard to move this team up with losses to LF, LDC, Providence Academy, Delano and Northield on the resume but they are a dangerous team and will be in the thick of it in Section 5A.
Wadena Deer Creek (6A) (10-4-0)- The Wolverines had a brutal loss in overtime to Park Rapids to start the week. However, they did recover well though as they picked up two more 6A wins as they are still unbeaten in section play and control the 1 seed for now. This week 3 games with a big rematch vs top 10 Detroit Lakes being the big match up.
Cambridge Isanti (5A) (8-7-0)- The Bluejackets blew their opportunity at the #1 seed in Section 5A when they got swept by Monticello this week. They did rebound to beat Sauk Rapids for another section 5a win and if they can knock off 5A Little Falls at home this week they could assure themselves a top 3 seed.