Final Class A Rankings Week #13 (2/19/2023)
The final Class A regular season ranking before the playoffs. Not much movement as teams get ready for now for their playoff push!
1- Warroad (8A) (24-0-1)
Past Week Results: T 1-1 Sartell
Upcoming Schedule: Section 8A Playoffs
The Warriors were unable to complete the perfect (25-0-0) season as they suffered a rare offensive scoring outage as while they heavily outshot Sartell the goals just did not happen. They threw everything they had at Sabres in the overtime session but were unable to find the back of the net and they were forced to settle with a tie. They will now head into the Section 8A Playoffs with the Number 1 seed and will look to defend their Section 8A Title and return to St Paul this March.
2- Hermantown (7A) (22-2-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Grand Rapids
Upcoming Schedule: Section 7A Quarterfinals vs North Shore
The Hawks wrapped up a very successful regular season by taking down 7AA Grand Rapids with relative ease which gave them the Lake Conference Conference title. Now Hermantown will get ready for the playoffs where they were awarded the #1 seed as they start their 7A sectional this coming week. Hermantown has steadily improved throughout the year and has an explosive top two lines and depth throughout the lineup that will be tough for anyone in 7A to match or conquer.
3- Mahtomedi (4A) (17-8-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-1 #10 Delano, W 4-2 Woodbury
Upcoming Schedule: Section 4A Playoffs
The Zephyrs continued their win streak and good play of late as they head into the 4A playoffs having won 6 in row and looked primed for a return trip to St Paul. They got the week rolling with a very good win over a solid Delano team and they made it look rather easy. They then finished up the regular season with a pesky AA Woodbury who has pulled some upsets on the year but Mahotmedi was not going to allow that to happen to them and they now head into the Section 4A Playoffs looking very confident and very likely to defend their section title.
4- Orono (2A) (20-5-0)
Past Week Results: W 11-0 Bloomington Kennedy, W 4-1 Chaska
Upcoming Schedule: Section 2A Playoffs
The Spartans had a very nice final week of the regular season. They started by routing Bloomington Kennedy to finish the regular season unbeaten in 2A and be the favorite heading into a deep sectional tournament with many challengers looming. They wrapped up the regular season with a nice win over Chaska team that has given many of the State’s top AA teams fits in recent weeks and the Spartans showed they deserve the 4th ranking in State for Class A and now will look to win one of the tougher Class A Sectionals and get back to St Paul for the first time since they won State back in 2018.
5- East Grand Forks (8A) (14-11-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-0 Thief River Falls, L 4-7 Roseau
Upcoming Schedule: Section 8A Playoffs
The Greenwave impressively put the Prowlers into run time to start their week which wrapped up the Section 8A #2 seed. East Grand Forks did end the season well though as they got off to a slow start vs Roseau and the Rams made them pay. After digging themselves a hole they did try to work their way out of it but they were never able to make up the three goal deficit and lost the game. Now they head into the Section 8A playoffs and will look to try to get an opportunity to play and knock off top ranked Warroad when it counts the most in the Section Final.
6- Northfield (1A) (20-5-0)
Past Week Results: W 9-0 Austin, W 8-1 Mankato West
Upcoming Schedule: Section 1A Playoffs
The Raiders did exactly what they needed to do in their final week of regular season action as they shutout Section 1A opponent, their 7th in the last 10 games, Austin. Northfield then finished seasons by taking care of Mankato West and winning the Big Nine Conference Title and they head into the playoffs with a very nice 20 win regular season. Now we will see if the Raiders can get their redemption for last year's Section 1A playoff upset as they enter the playoff once again the favorite to win 1A this winter.
7- Little Falls (5A) (16-8-1)
Past Week Results: Idle
Upcoming Schedule: Section 5A Quarterfinal vs Sauk Rapids
The Flyers officially claimed their #1 5A seed this week and they enter the playoffs with all sorts of momentum going (10-1-0) in their last 11 games. However, due to a weird scheduling hiccup, they took the past full week off, and will hope they can be ready to make amends for last year's playoff upset this coming Tuesday when they play Sauk Rapids. This is a team that really built up their schedule this year and unlike last year seems to be getting hot at the end of the year whereas last year they faded late. We will see if they show any signs of rust this week when they open up the Section 5A Playoffs.
8- Rock Ridge (7A) (16-8-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-3 #11 Hibbing, W 6-0 Greenway
Upcoming Schedule: Section 7A Quarterfinals vs International Falls
The Wolverines picked up two good Section 7A wins to end their year and pick up the #2 seed in the process. They started the week by hanging on to a nail biting win over Hibbing in a game that looked like they might let a big 4-1 lead slip away late. They did finish the regular season better by taking care of Greenway with no late game dramatics. The Wolverines again this winter have had a fantastic 2nd half to the season and will look to go further in the playoffs than last year when they were a first round upset in the 7A Playoffs before making the big jump to AA next year.
9- Providence Academy (2A) (14-11-0)
Past Week Results: L 4-5 OT Gentry Academy, L 2-3 OT Chisago Lakes
Upcoming Schedule: Section 2A Playoffs
The Lions were missing their 2nd and 3rd leading scorer in both games this week and still battled tough but dropped both games in overtime. In the first game they took on a potent AA Gentry Academy and to their credit they were able to give the Stars a very good game that they eventually dropped in overtime. The second game was a game they should have won as they let Chisago Lakes back into the game late and dropped one to the second best team in 4A. This is a hard team to judge and cant get too much out of last week’s results due to missing two key players. The Lions will be at full strength this week and an interesting group to watch. I could see them making a run to their 1st ever State Tournament and also see them being a big upset in the 2A Quarterfinal. We will have to see which Providence team shows up.
10- Delano (2A) (13-12-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-6 #3 Mahtomedi, L 0-2 Chanhassen
Upcoming Schedule: Section 2A Playoffs
Delano took their lumps against two very good teams to end their year when they got beat up by both top ranked Class A Mahtomedi and then AA power Chanhassen to end the year. The record is not flashy but they have a resume with Class A losses only to 7 of the top 9 teams in Class A or good AA teams and with wins over Hibbing, Minneapolis, Cathedral & Monticello and still keeps them settled at the 10 spot in the final rankings and they will be a serious threat still in Section 2A. They will be thorn for whoever they face and it won't be surprising to see this team make a deep playoff run.
11- Hibbing (7A) (15-8-1)
Past Week Results: L 3-4 #8 Rock Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: Section 7A Quarterfinals vs Proctor
Hibbing played only one game this past week and fell behind early to Rock Ridge and dug themselves a deep three goal hole. While they did show good character in fighting back they ultimately lost the game and enter the 7A playoffs on a two game losing streak. Despite the impressive year Hibbing suffered another a bigger setback in the Coaches seedings as they got the 4 seed below Denfeld, a team they have a better resume than, and now will have a scary game with a decent Proctor group before having to see the mighty Hawks in the 7A Semis. Really confusing on why they got the 4 seed but that is what it is and now Hibbing will have a mighty challenge on their hands in the 7A playoffs.
12- Duluth Denfeld (7A) (13-11-1)
Past Week Results: L 2-6 Sartell
Upcoming Schedule: Section 7A Quarterfinals vs Greenway
The Hunters started the game well in the first period vs Sartell in their regular season finale as they had a 1-0 and 2-1 lead but after that it was all Sabres as they took it to Denfeld the rest of the way. Again, this highlights the issues they will see with moving into AA with teams with depth next year but for now they will play their last season of Class A Playoffs as they head into the Section 7A Playoffs. They were awarded a nice surprise in the Coaches Seedings as they were given a 3 seed which will help them avoid the Hawks until the Section Final and they will look to make that 7A final for the 4th straight year.
13- Minneapolis (2A) (15-8-2)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Chisago Lakes, W 3-0 Hopkins
Upcoming Schedule: Section 2A Playoffs
The boys from the 612 had a really good final week of the season which started when the hit the road and took care of the #2 seed in Section 4A Chisago Lakes in a game they never trailed. They then continued their roll and took down AA Hopkins to end the regular season on a very good note. Minneapolis is a team that went (14-4-2) in their last 20 games and slowly moved up the Class A rankings and finished at #13 right below Orono, Rock Ridge, Providence, Delano, Hibbing & Denfeld all ahead of them due to beating them head to head in the final ranking. This group will not be an easy out in the Section 2A playoffs and will have a good chance to return the X in a few weeks as they are playing as good of hockey as anyone in Class A.
14- St Cloud Cathedral (5A) (13-12-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-5 Holy Angels, W 3-2 #18 Monticello
Upcoming Schedule: Section 5A Playoffs Quarterfinals vs River Lakes
The Crusaders got their week going by losing a Monday road game to AA Holy Angels which dropped them back to .500 on their year. However, they did rebound and picked up their most important win of the season win when they took down Monticello 3-2 to show they are still going to be a major force in the Section 5A Playoffs. The next day they were awarded the #3 seed despite the win which was fair considering they did lose head to head to the 4 seed in 5A by three goals on home ice this year. Cathedral now has the exact same position they were last year heading into the 5A Playoffs. The Crusaders are still a very good bet to win 5A this winter.
15- Alexandria (6A) (11-12-1)
Past Week Results: W 5-1 Brainerd, W 4-1 St Cloud
Upcoming Schedule: Section 6A Playoffs Quarterfinals vs Breckenridge/Wahpeton
Alexandria was able to get two good wins over AA teams. First was vs AA Brainerd to start their final week when they broke open a tight 2-1 game with three goals with less than 4 minutes to play in the game. They followed that up with another good win over AA St Cloud in a game they jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back. The Cardinals have fully recovered from their early season struggles and went (10-3-1) in their last 14 games and with the #1 seed in Section 6A they have to like their chances to defend their Section 6A crown and get back to St Paul.
16- Detroit Lakes (8A) (16-7-1)
Past Week Results: L 0-1 OT Northern Lakes
Upcoming Schedule: Section 8A Playoffs vs Kittson County Central
The Lakers wrapped up the regular season by dropping probably their worst game of the season when they lost to Northern Lakes in their only action of the week. The game exposed the glaring issue with this club, its goal scoring as they were shut out 1-0 in an overtime loss. Now they need to just put that behind them as they need to get ready for the 8A Playoffs as they will draw a tough Kittson County Central team who took them to overtime in the first meeting between the two clubs. The Lakers will need to be refocused and ready for the Bobcats challenge this coming week.
17- New Prague (1A) (14-10-1)
Past Week Results: W 7-1 Rochester Lourdes, L 2-4 St Louis Park, L 3-13 Benilde St Margrets
Upcoming Schedule: Section 1A Playoffs
The Trojans won the most important game of their final week when they rolled over 1A Rochester Lourdes on the road to show they are going to be a very serious threat to defend their Section 1A title once playoffs get going next week. They did however lose their final two games of the year to AA Metro West Conference schools when they fell to both St Louis Park and Benilde. As they showed last year though, those defeats to Metro AA schools only will have them more battle tested as they head south and look to defend their Section 1A crown.
18- Monticello (5A) (15-9-1)
Past Week Results: W 7-3 Northern Lakes, L 2-3 #14 St. Cloud Cathedral
Upcoming Schedule: Section 5A Playoffs Quarterfinals vs Pine City
The Moose got their week rolling well when they went into a hot Northern Lakes and routed them putting up 7 goals. However, they dropped the most important game of the week to St Cloud Cathedral to end the week. In a very competitive game the Crusaders were able to get the big 3rd period goal to win the game. The Moose will regroup now and hope for a rematch in the Playoffs this coming week in the Section 5A semis where they will have the home ice advantage in the playoff rematch.
19- New Ulm (3A) (21-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 2-1 Hopkins
Upcoming Schedule: Section 3A Playoffs
The Eagles wrapped up their regular season by beating AA Hopkins to finish the year with 21 wins. Now they shift their focus to the Section 3A tournament where as the #1 seed again this winter and they will look to get some revenge from last year. The Eagles have had a fanatic regular season and should be well equipped to make a serious run in Section 3A.
20- Fergus Falls (6A) (12-10-2)
Past Week Results: L 1-4 St Cloud, L 1-2 Hutchinson
Upcoming Schedule: Section 6A Playoffs Quarterfinals vs Prairie Centre
The Otters dropped their opening game of the week to St Cloud Public in a tough game. That was followed by another game where they were only able to score 1 goal again as they dropped the season finale to the Hutchinson to end the regular season on sour note and will need to find goal scoring fast as Semifinal matchup with a red hot Northern Lakes looms and if the Otters want to make their 3rd Section Final in 3 years they will need to dig deep the defense and goaltending is there but can they score those needed goals in the playoffs will be the big question mark.
The Next 5 in Class A Week #13-
Cambridge Isanti (5A) (16-9-0)- The Bluejackets finished the regular season on a strong note going (2-1) in their last 3 games dropping the regular season finale to Holy Angels. They will enter the 5A Playoffs as the 4 seed even though they beat the 3 seed Cathedral by 3 goals head to head. They will be a good darkhorse pick in 5A but also now face long time rival Princeton in the Quarterfinals which should be a great high intensity playoff game.
Luverne (3A) (18-6-1)- The Cardinals ended the regular season going (14-2-0) in their last 16 games which should give them a 2 or 3 seed in 3A again this winter at the worst. All signs point to a likely rematch with Mankato East in the 3A Semis who routed them last year in that game. Luverne will look to carry the momentum of a great year and hopefully take this a step further this year and get to the 3A Final this winter.
Albert Lea (1A) (18-6-1)- Albert Lea ended the year going .500 in the final week beating Mankato East but then dropping the finale to Rochert Mayo. An 18 game regular season is a good accomplishment and this team has many of the same faces that went to the Section 1A Championship a year ago, don't be surprised to see them make another deep playoff run in 1A again this winter.
Northern Lakes (6A) (11-14-0)- The Lighting have an ugly overall record but they are hot going into the 6A Playoffs. They went (6-2-0) in their last 8 games and that includes wins over Top 15 Hibbing & Detroit Lakes. They already own a win over Alexandria this year; don't discount the Lightning in 6A; they could be the surprise Section Champion in a few weeks.
Thief River Falls (8A) (9-15-1)- The Prowlers have had a disappointing year but played a tough schedule. They still have Senior Tysen Loeffler along with Juniors Forwards Max Arlt, Braydin Lund & Defender Junior Jace Erickson who give Coach Bergland enough to pull off a playoff stunner or two although unlikely.
A Rankings for 2/19/23 and Section Preview
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
A Rankings for 2/19/23 and Section Preview
Last edited by ClassAGuy on Sun Feb 19, 2023 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: A Rankings for 2/19/23
Class A Section Previews
Section 1A Seeds
1- Northfield (20-5-0)
2- New Prague (14-10-1)
3- Albert Lea (18-6-1)
4- Dodge County (15-9-0)
5- La Crescent (18-7-0)
6- Winona (9-13-2)
7- Faribault (11-13-0)
8- Rochester Lourdes (9-16-0)
9- Waseca (10-14-0)
10- Austin (4-19-1)
11- Red Wing (1-20-4)
Section 1A Playoff Preview- A year ago at the Rochester Rec Center the then heavy 1A favorite and #1 seed Northfield Raiders led 2–0 after two periods and were outshooting the #4 seed New Prague Trojans 28-15 and seemed on their way to the Section Final. However, with under 7 minutes to play in the game the Trojans made a stunning comeback scoring twice in regulation to tie the game and then carried the momentum into the overtime to pull one of the bigger Class A Section upsets of last winter. Fast forward a year later in the storyline could be presenting itself again in case of deja vu or will we see a group of angry Raiders get their long awaited redemption for last year's section 1A shocker?
The Favorite- Northfield again is the favorite in 1A and since the beginning of season has been on the “Raiders Redemption Tour” having gone unbeaten in the section, including two shutout wins over top contenders New Prague & Albert Lea. Shutouts have been common as Sr. Goaltender Keaton Warlock has been outstanding in the nets. Defensively they are led by Sr. Mike Fossum & Jr. Ty Frank who both have close to 30 points on the year from the back end. Up front they sport one of the best lines in Class A as the top line of Jr.'s Cayden Monson, Jake Geiger & Kamden Kaiser have been outstanding all winter.
The Challengers- The two teams that played in the 1A Section Final last winter appear to be the top contenders as both have been very good again this winter. Starting with the defending Section 1A Champion New Prague who has been steadily improving playing a tough AA filled schedule all winter. Finding a goaltender has been a question mark as the Trojans have rotated starts between three players much of the winter. They do have some good scoring punch through as Sr. John Schmidt leads the way and they have a nice core of Jr.’s Will Seymour, Braeden Woitas, Michael Beckius & Eric Berg who all have double digit goals and are over 20 points on the season to present a lineup with good depth. The Trojans looked primed to make another run through Section 1A and return to State this winter.
Albert Lea, the other section finalist from a year ago, is often overlooked when talking about Section 1A. It would be a mistake to not consider the Tigers contenders as they have a veteran senior lead group. Goaltender Sr. Dakota Jahnke has returned to the net this year and will be looking for his own redemption as he missed last year's playoffs due to injury. Albert Lea features one of the sections’ best overall players in Sr. Joseph Yoon who has over 25 goals and nearly 60 points on the year and is a threat to take over any game he plays in. They have scoring depth also as Sr.'s Jack Ladlie, Tim Chalmers, Max Edwin Jr. Eli Farris & Soph. Connor Pirsig all have double digit goals on the year and Albert Lea will be playing with their own sense of urgency to make up for coming just short of State last year.
The Dark Horses- A few sneaky darkhouses exist in 1A do exist and one is Dodge County, who the last time they were in 1A they went to the Class A Title game. While Bordy Lamb has moved on to the Gophers they do have two elite scores in Jr. Gryffon Funke & Soph. Brett Ludvigsen who both have over 40 points this winter and could take the Wildcats on run in sections. La Crescent is another team having a wonderful year having won 18 games and while the competition may not be the same as the teams above Jr. Wyatt Farrell is a serious talent scoring over 50 goals on the year and Lancers will be looking to get back to the Section Semis like they did in 2021, which was their first ever appearance in school history.
Section Scaries- Section 1A does have a few teams that could produce a section Quarter Final upset. Faribault has been up and down on the year but has shown in two tight one goal losses to top contenders New Prague and Albert Lea that on any given night they could be dangerous. Jr. Oliver Linnemann leads a very young Falcon team with over 40 points on the year. Winona is another team that while the record is not pretty has shown at times they can put a scare into teams as Jr. Teis Larsen is one of the Section best players and has well over 50 points on the year. The other team would be Rochester Lourdes who has been plagued by the injury bug but they do have one of the sections top goaltenders in Jr. Xander Carter-Kleven who can stop 50-60 shots on any given night and create panic for the top seed.
The Rest- Waseca has Sr.’s Griffen Krautkramer & Kyle Ahlschlager who each have 20 goals on the year and if they get hot could put some fear into some of Section 1A’s best. Austin will have optimism for the future as while it's been another rough year Sophomore Gahvin Schaefer has been very productive and has double digit goals for the winter. Red Wing has struggled this winter but does have 4 ties and will look to build with many returners coming back next winter.
Section 2A Seeds
1- Orono (20-5-0)
2- Providence Academy (14-11-0)
3- Delano (13-12-0)
4- Minneapolis (15-8-2)
5- Southwest Christian (12-8-5)
6- Litchfield Dassel-Cokato (15-8-2)
7- Waconia (13-12-0)
8- Hutchinson (11-14-0)
9- Breck (7-17-1)
10- Mound Westonka (4-21-0)
11- Bloomington Kennedy (2-23-0)
Section 2A Playoff Preview- As is the case in most years Section 2A again looks to be the deepest and have a long list of serious contenders who will be looking to punch their ticket to the X. Last year the boys from 612 were one of the best storylines in the state as they swept through the sectional and brought one of the largest crowds we have seen in the Class A Field. They return and appear to be ready to defend their title but traditional 2A powers Orono and Delano both look like strong picks as well and don't forget about the little known private emerging power Providence Academy who has shown in recent weeks they appear to be playing their best hockey right now.
The Favorite- Orono who comes into the Section 2A tournament with an unbeaten record and have had a really good year playing one of the tougher schedules in Class A. New Coach Sean Fish appears to have replicated his success he had with the girls program who he built into a State contender and the Spartans appear to have all pieces in place to make a state tournament run. The Spartans will roll three lines, but they are led by their 3 offensive spark plugs in Sr.’s Bradley Walker & Avery Anderson & Jr.Cayden Effertz, who has really been the catalyst of the Orono attack all winter. Defensively they have two studs in Jr.’s John Engebretson & Joey Mugaas who can contribute offensively while being the top defensive pair. In goal for Orono, Sr. Brock Peyton who missed the early part of the year to injury but since coming back from injury in late December has been outstanding in the net.
The Challengers- The group of challengers appears as deep as ever in the Section 2A field but the biggest threat to the Spartan just maybe their long time rivales Delano. The Tigers play the low scoring defensive structure style that generally leads to the enormous playoff success they have had over recent years in 2A. Led by a group of Seniors Goaltender Drew Dorsey, Defenseman Cole Schmidt and forwards Will Brown & Aaron Lewis and emerging Jr. forward Teague Collings there is definitely enough there for this Delano group to make their normal Playoff Push.
Minneapolis the defending 2A Champs have been playing their best hockey of late as went (14-4-2) in their last 20 games and appear to be fully capable and ready to defend their title. Senior defender Joel Hanson & Jr. Hank Davis are two of the state's better Class A Defensemen to command the Blueline. Up front Sr. Will Pankratz along with Jr.’s Ozzie Snodgrass & John Bebler and emerging Soph. Nick Anderson have all been very productive to replace the scoring lost to graduation last winter. This a blue collar group who I think anyone would be surprised to see back in St Paul respenting Section 2A in a few weeks.
Providence Academy is looking to make a little school history and get to their first ever Section Final and then crash into the big dance in St Paul. The Lions struggled at times keeping the puck out of their own net but they have one of the scariest offensive attacks in Class A. The duo of Sr. Johnny Hendrickson & Jr. Louie Wehmann is the scariest two kids on line south of Warroad you will see and each have over 30 goals and 60 points on the year. Add in Sr. Andrew Owen & Jr. Sammy Lewis who each have 15 plus goals of their own and you definitely don't want to get in a track meet game with this group of Lions.
The Dark Horse- There are few teams that could fit the dark horse label but the one that sticks out the most is Southwest Christian who has played good hockey down the stretch and slowly worked their way up the Section 2A standings. Big 6’6 Goaltender Jr. Jannes Kamp is a threat to steal a game every night as the Stars have been known to give up lots of shots but have great faith in the big man in net. Up front Sr. Caleb Bendell & Jr. Jared Greiner has been very productive, each having double digits goals and nearly 30 points on the year. Don't overlook the Stars in Section 2A who have quietly been bullying a good program in 2A.
Section Scaries- Section 2A has all kinds of Section scary teams who will be looking to knock off the high seeded teams above. Waconia is one of the most improved teams in Class A. They have played a few of the top seeds very tight this winter and Sr.’s Drew Vacek & Brett Siddons have led the charge and 9th grade sensation Luke Puchner has become the leading scorer and gives the Wildcats great hope for the future beyond this year they will not be a fun draw one of the top 2A seeds. Hutchinson is another scary first round match if you don't believe me just ask Providence Academy who they upset earlier this year. The Tigers are led by young guns Sophomores Manny Pearce, Emmett Reiter, Toren Miller along with 9th grader Elliott Ladwig who are teams 4 leading scorers and this will be a team to keep an eye on moving forward in Class A. Litchfield Dassel Cokato was one Class A best teams before a rough batch of injuries took out their lineup midseason. Seniors Braden Olson, Calvin Jones and Caden Besemer have had great years however, whether or not they will get their top player in senior forward Connor Taber back in time for playoffs will be key as if he returns this team could be a nightmare first round matchup for one of the top 2A seeds.
The Rest- Breck while the program is officially long gone from their glory years does have Jr. Nate Miller & Sr. Luke Kern up front who are formidable and they have played a tough schedule and could on a given night pull a big upset in the opening round. Mound Westonka is going through a total rebuild this year with a new coach, new faces and has struggled but they did upset LDC once. Bloomington Kennedy has had their struggles as well this winter but a bright spot has been Senior Clayton Deutsch who has double digit goals on the year.
Section 3A Seeds
1- New Ulm (21-3-1)
2- Luverne (18-6-1)
3- Mankato East (10-15-0)
4- Mankato West (7-15-3)
5- Marshall (11-13-1)
6- Minnesota River (12-13-0)
7- Windom (10-14-0)
8- Fairmont (7-17-0)
9- Worthington (3-19-0)
10- Redwood Valley (0-21-0)
Section 3A Playoff Preview- Section 3A got a face lift two years ago when the MSHSL realigned the maps and added in Minnesota River and the Mankato schools. Last year the Cougars of Mankato East took advantage of their new home as they battled through a tougher regular season schedule then the majority of the 3A teams and came into the playoffs slightly above .500 at (14-10-1) and settled for the #2 seed. They showed the tests of regular season seemed to pay off as they breezed through the Section 3A tournament outscoring their opponents 19-1 winning every game by 6 goals. That included routing the #1 seed New Ulm in the section final getting to play in their backyard at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in downtown Mankato as the lower seed. Will we see that same story this winter? Something feels different as the Cougars are well below .500 and have really struggled filling the void left by their senior goaltender last year. New Ulm seems hungry and has been fantastic vs 3A teams, however they have shown some signs of tripping up vs teams outside the section. The games will be back at Gustavus where the Eagles have had a good history of success. Will we see another Cougars walk through 3A in year number two or is this the New Ulm group ready to punch its first ticket to state since 2019?
The Favorite- New Ulm the Eagles come flying into the 3A playoffs fresh off of a 20 win regular season, the majority of which came at the expense of Section 3A teams. In the nets Jr. Bryer Hoffmann has been very steady and played his best vs the top competition within their schedule. On the blueline Senior Captain Jack Albrecht & Dawson Kraus have been very productive and steady defenders. Meanwhile, up front their top line is centered by Senior Captain Blake Soukup and Junior Snipers Austin Uecker & Kaden Larson both of whom have 20 plus goals on the year. Add in Sr. Nick Zins & Jr. Bryer Lang who each have 30 plus points of their own the Eagles would have what appears to be the top team in Section 3A.
The Challenger- The top contender is the Defending 3A Champions Mankato East but the Cougars have struggled throughout the regular season as finding a starter in net has been a question mark throughout the winter. They do still have a line up filled with talent though as Seniors Shae Gavin & Andrew Bastian have led the charge and are noticeable whenever they are on the ice. They do have depth as on the blueline Sr. Alexander Morgan & 9th grader Luke Lebens have both played well and up front Sr. Zach Lebens & Jr. Christian Theuninck has added to the offensive depth. While the record is not pretty and some games have gotten out of hand this winter, this still appears to be a team ready to make a good run in Section 3A and defend their title.
The Dark Horses- Luverne has rolled off a bunch of late season wins and is having another good year in the deep southwest. Led upfront by Sr. Brock Behrend & Jr’s Pattrick Kroski, Owen Sudenga, Elliot Domagala and up and coming 9th grader Maddux Domagala the scoring is there add in Sophomore blueliner Blaik Bork who has chipped over 30 points from the back end and the Cards can definitely roll with anyone in 3A. They have been hot down the stretch but seem unable to get past the New Ulm mountain could playoff time be their movement to shine as they have beaten everyone else who beat them earlier in the year during their good stretch of hockey heading into the playoffs.
Mankato West could be another dark horse team to make a serious run in Section 3A. The Scarlets record is not pretty but again like the Cougars they play a tougher schedule than most in 3A and coil make a run. 9th grade goalie Mason Schreiber has improved steadily throughout the year and up front Sr. Maddox Langworthy, Soph. Jaeger Zimmerman, Jr. Gage Schmidt give Mankato West some good scoring punch and this team has shown some better results vs good teams down the stretch including a tie with Albert Lea the 2nd time around to be a really good dark horse pick in 3A.
Section Scaries- Windom appears to be a serious section scary team as they have played both New Ulm and Luverne to one goal games in their many contests this year. Senior speedster Brady Espenson is one of the Section best players and Windom could be a scary first round opponent. Marshall is another 3A team that could be a scary opponent as they two have pushed New Ulm and Luverne this winter. The Tigers Junior defenseman Talan Plante and forwards Sr Sean Nwaiga & Soph. Owen Renslow lead the way for a Marshall team that could have an upset or two within them. Minnesota River is another team to keep an eye on as they have had some closer results and played a good non Big South Schedule and you could easily see the Bulldogs pull off a big 1st round upset.
The Rest- Worthington has struggled but gotten a good year from Junior Easton Newman. Fairmont the Cardinals have gotten good years from Seniors Brock Lutterman & Nate Rakness. Redwood Valley has battled every night but unfortunately been unable to get a win in the regular season.
Section 4A Seeds
1- Mahtomedi (17-8-0)
2- Chisago Lakes (14-10-1)
3- Two Rivers (16-8-1)
4- St Paul Academy (13-11-1)
5- St Paul Highland Park (10-13-2)
6- Simley (9-14-2)
7- South St Paul (4-20-1)
8- St Paul Johnson (3-20-0)
Section 4A Playoff Preview- The biggest question in 4A this year might be who has the opportunity to get to the Section 4A Final vs who goes to State. Most would assume this Section seems to almost be a lock that Mahtomedi will be heading to state. The Zephyrs come rolling into the Section tournament having won 4A 4 of the last 5 years, thanks to a brief Class A Championship Run by Gentry Academy, and appear to be well on their way to returning to the Xcel this winter. The challengers are tough to see but it appears that an upcoming Two Rivers and good mid tier Class A program in Chisago Lakes would be your best bet. Gone are the days of South St Paul and St Paul Johnson being proud tough public schools as both now are just trying to keep their programs alive, this one appear to one of the easier brackets to predict, which does open the door for of the biggest Class Sectional upsets ever if one of the other seven school want to shock the state in the next few weeks.
The Favorite- Mahtomedi brings into the playoffs a different group then they had in the Dardis era as this team is deep both up front and on their back end and presents what looks like an AA lineup with waves of depth they can throw your way. They are led up front by a great core of seniors Charlie Drage, David Wolsfeld, Corey Bohmert makes up one line. While another all senior group of Seth Nelson, Jonny Grove, Carter Haycraft make up a very good 2nd line and both are equally dangerous and point producing threats every time they hit the ice. The defensive core is deep as well and led by senior Cav Bruner who runs the powerplay and controls the play when he is on the ice and he is often paired with William Brummel. Smooth skating sophomore Sam Harris is one to watch as he plays mega minutes for a youngster and is very talented. The Zephyrs on paper and so far on the ice and games vs 4A teams appear to be too much for the competition to handle.
The Challenger- The top contender, if there is one, would be Chisago Lakes. The Wildcats had a rough start to the year going (0-4-1) out of the gate but they have played much better as the year has gone on. Starting goalie Senior Jack Hanson has experience and took Chisago Lakes to the Section 4A Final last winter. They have a solid group of forwards in Seniors Nikolas Jinks, Cullen Dorcas & Junior Jack Bakken who provide scoring depth. They also have top defenseman Senior Nathan Bluhm to lead the team's defensive unit in points and minutes played.
The Dark Horses- Two Rivers the Warriors have had a really great year and were ranked in the Top 10 at times in the Official Class A coaches poll but they have been sputtering to the finish of late. They still have enough to make a run to the Section final as they have their do it all star Senior forward Casey Ball who has over 20 goals on the year and upcoming Sophomore Eddie Auran has chipped in over 20 points of his own. The real strength is in the nets as Senior Tyler Ouren is outstanding and on any given night can shut down the opponent and keep the Warriors in the game. They will need him to be on his A game if they want to make a run in 4A.
Section Scaries- Simley improved throughout the year and showed in their late season upsets over Two Rivers and Chisago Lakes they can definitely be a scary first round opponent and the Spartans will roll through their do it all stud Sr. Caden Renslow who plays big minutes and makes plays all over the ice. South St Paul goaltender Sophomore Wyatt Cheney is one to keep an eye on as he has been unheralded but magnificent in net as he regularly stops 40-50 shots a night and can definitely steal a game.
The Rest- Includes St Paul Academy has had a nice year beyond the double digit goals of Sr. Sebastian Hoiland, George Peltier and leading scorer Junior Will Black while St Paul Highland Park’s Sr.Charlie Eischens & Soph. Isaac Johnson lead the way for a Scots team having a nice year. And finally I have to mention St Paul Johnson as I hope the reports are not true that this may be the last game for the Govies, one of the great historical programs in Minnesota High Hockey History.
Section 5A Seeds
1- Little Falls (16-8-1)
2- Monticello (15-9-1)
3- St Cloud Cathedral (13-12-0)
4- Cambridge Isanti (16-8-0)
5- Princeton (13-12-0)
6- River Lakes (10-13-2)
7- Pine City (11-13-1)
8- Sauk Rapids (8-16-1)
9- Becker/Big Lake (10-13-0)
10- Mora (7-17-1)
Section 5A Playoff Preview- One of the better Class A Sectionals appears to be happening in Section 5A this winter where there are 4 to 5 teams that legitimately could have the ability to win this section. As we learned last year when the 3 seed played 4 seed for the Section Title in a classic game the teams at the top are very close. The top four appear to be the same as they were last year and even though the Semis in Section 5A are the only ones in the state that play at the high seed it didn't seem to matter last year when both top seeds were upset at home. Central Minnesota is often overlooked when it comes to hockey but Section 5A should give us some very entertaining and close games over the next two weeks.
The Favorite- Little Falls the Flyers come into the playoffs playing some of their best hockey of the year as they went (10-1-0) in their last 11 games. Two major things happened that could be seen as turning points in the Little Falls season. The first was the emergence of 9th grade Goalie Izaak Kalis who took over the starting gig due to injury and all he has done since is win and be very solid in net. The other was moving Sophomore Joey Welinski back to the top line with Senior Matt Filippi & Junior Carter Oothoudt and that line has been lethal of late. Senior defenders Coltin Johnson & Matthew Copper each play mega minutes on the blue line and Sophomore Luke Avery converting back to defense this year has been huge for this team who is looking to make amends for getting upset as the #1 seed a year ago in Section 5A.
The Challengers- St Cloud Cathedral brought a ton of talent back from last year's Section runner up team but has really struggled late in the year. However, much like last year the Crusaders would be a very good bet to win Section 5A. They have an explosive 1st line led by Sophomores John Hirschfeld & Joey Gillespie who along with Junior Andrew Dwinnell will be tough for any Section 5A team to handle. They have a super silky smooth defender in youngster 9th grader Griffin Sturm who is their top defender. However, the reason Cathedral would be a good beat to win 5A, I believe, is in the net as Junior Nick Hansen has been rock solid in the net and he led his team last year to Section Final before coming up just short.
Monticello, the defending Section 5A champion, much like last year, appears to be being overlooked again this winter and as we found out last year never count out the Moose. Coach Eric Nelson is the Section’s best and he has guided his teams to multiple Section 5A championships and looks to have this current group playing their best hockey right now. Monticello uses plenty of depth as Seniors Tyler Miller, Tyler Bitz, Jake Larsen & Brayden Dunn along with Juniors Roman Thompson & Gunnar Simon give them experience and balance as all have 20 points or more on the year. Add in goaltender Junior Owen Soderholm who has been very good this year in the starting role and the Moose have all the ingredients for another deep playoff run.
The Dark Horse- Cambridge the Bluejackets have put together another quality year and have the talent needed to win 5A. They showed in the upset win over Cathedral earlier in the year that on any given night this is a team to fear in 5A. Their three leading scorers Juniors Finn Overby & Will O'Donovan along with Senior Seth Terhell all have over 30 points on the year and are dangerous whenever they take the ice. In net, Sophomore Jaxon Sibell is capable of leading a State Tournament run. Would not be shocked at all to see the Bluejacket be the team to represent 5A in two weeks at State.
Section Scaries- River Lakes will be a dangerous low seed for any of the top seeds to draw in the first round as Seniors Jacob Philippi & Brady Blaschko and Sophomore Blake Schultz are a potent trio and they are playing their best hockey late in the year. Princeton is another scary team for teams to draw as Seniors Jake Patnode, Jake Baumann, Tim Donnay along with Sophomores Brody Kok & Lane Olson all have double digit goals on the year and could give a first round opponent trouble.
The Rest- Pine City is led by 9th grader McCall Leger & Senior Ryder Youngbauer who could cause teams trouble. Sauk Rapids is a team that had injuries early but is playing their best hockey now and Junior Teagan Dodge is a major threat for the Storm. Becker/Big Lake the Eagles have had one of their best seasons in a long time as Senior Eli Scheideman & Juniors Brayden Graning & Jase Tobako have all had big years. Mora the Mustangs are a young team but Junior Trenton Fore has been excellent again from the blueline as they rebuild around him.
Section 6A Seeds
1- Alexandria (10-12-1)
2- Fergus Falls (12-9-2)
3- Northern Lakes (11-14-0)
4- Wadena Deer Creek (13-9-2)
5- Morris Benson (14-9-0)
6- Willmar (9-16-0)
7- Prairie Centre (7-18-0)
8- Breckenridge/Wahpeton (1-22-0)
Section 6A Playoff Preview- Section 6A has been a wild ride all year as trying to predict who will come out of this very small outstate section has proven to be somewhat of a mystery. Don’t believe me just think, back on December 29th, 2022 Alexandria was finally able to pick up its first win of the season just before the new year after a dreadful (0-7-0) start to the year that looked lost by some accounts. That same night Fergus Falls defeated a good Detroit Lakes team 5-1 to win their holiday tournament and move into the Class A Top 10 rankings. On the same night down in Little Falls, Wadena Deer Creek was pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Class A of the year beating the Flyers for the first time in nearly 20 years and moving into the Top 20 of Class A Rankings. Who would've thought just a few weeks later we would sit with Alexandria being the favorite again to win 6A. However, if the above has taught us anything about 6A it’s that we can’t always trust the results as week to week this Section swings in regards as to who is the favorite and who knows looking at recent play Northern Lakes looks to be playing some of the best hockey and in this WIDE OPEN Section everyone should be considered as this looks to be a great Sectional Playoff.
The Favorite- Alexandria after a very slow start to the year, which has been a trend in their 3 year tenure under Coach Josh Meyers, but the Cardinals have found their footing in the 2nd half of the year rattling off many wins since the start of 2023. The Cards do have a good group of forwards in Seniors Tyler Kludt, Joe Lamski & Nicholas Peterson and Juniors Leo Kompelien & Gavin Olson that have given them some good scoring depth as the winter has gone along. On the Blueline Seniors Henry Ramstorf & Zaven Noetzelman along with Junior Jack Lamski all play good minutes and their overall D-core has improved as well as the year has gone along. The biggest improvement though has been in the net where goaltender Senior Elijah Rasmusen has played much better in the second half of the season and as he has gained confidence the Cardinals started to pick up momentum toward the end of the year.
The Challenger- Fergus Falls the Otters got a gut punch to start the year with the early departure of Issac Johnson which really hurt them as they are a group that has struggled to score at times. However, they have put together a very nice year as Juniors Kellen Stenstrom & Shane Zierden has provided the goals and they have a strong team defense and have three main defenseman in Seniors Colin Becker & Ethan McGuinness and Junior Leighton Buckmeier all who have played big minutes over the last two years. Senior Goaltender Ben Swanson who will enter his 4th postseason as the Otters Starter and he knows exactly what it will take to make a playoff run. Will this finally be the year they can break through after finishing ohh so close in two heartbreaking 6A Section Final losses over the last two years.
Northern Lakes is a team that is playing some of their best hockey right now. The Lightning have good scoring punch in forwards Senior Darby Boelter & Junior Logan Verville along with the addition of Sophomores Easton Anderson & Jerome Martin all who have double digit goals on the year. Defensively Senior Christian Crutcher along with Junior Isaac Peterson have been very good all year both have over 20 points from the blueline. The big question mark to the Lightning challenging for 6A title will be in net as they have rotated three kids trying to find the one who can be the starter to take them on a postseason run.
The Dark Horse- Wadena Deer Creek if you're looking for a surprise contender to win Section 6A Title look no further than the Wolverines. They had a very hot start to the year and up until 2 weeks ago this veteran lineup looked like the #1 seed in 6A. However, a late season swoon now puts them more in the dark horse category but if they are to make a run it will be on the backs of their top line of Seniors Cole Woods, Aron Sutherland & Connor Davis who each have over 20 goals on the year.
Section Scaries- Morris Benson the Storm made their first ever appearance in program history last year in a Section Semifinal and they will be looking to do the same this winter as they have been red hot down the stretch this year. Up front Junior sniper Charlie Goff and Seniors Ryan Tolifson, Trevoir Buss & Cole Blume give them good scoring punch and starting goalie Junior Christopher Danielson has been very good lately and looks to build on last year's postseason success.
The Rest- Willmar the Cardinals do have three good double digit scorers in Junior Cullen Gregory and Seniors Ethan Stark & Elijah Van Burento and have shown improvement throughout the year. Prairie Centre the Northstars are led by high scoring Senior Eli Fletcher who will be looking to create some noise in the playoffs to end his fabulous high school career. Breckenridge/Wahpeton was able to pick up their first win in two years this winter which is a great step forward for the Blades.
Section 7A Seeds
1- Hermantown (22-2-1)
2- Rock Ridge (16-8-1)
3- Duluth Denfeld (13-11-1)
4- Hibbing (15-8-1)
5- Proctor (12-12-0)
6- Greenway (8-17-0)
7- International Falls (12-13-0)
8- North Shore (5-15-1)
9- Ely (8-17-0)
10- Moose Lake (5-20-0)
Section 7A Playoff Preview- Some things are just a given in life they say like death, taxes and the Hawks being hated in 7A. How dominant is Hermantown’s reign over Section 7A, you ask? Well just a few weeks ago we found out ast Duluth Denfeld and Rock Ridge announced they would be opting up to take their chances with AA powerhouse Andover rather than deal with the Hawks another year. This was maybe a year where the other in Section 7A had a chance with the off season news of the early departures of three star Hawk players in the Max & Zam Plante and Ty Hanson and all this current team has done is continue to roll as Hermantown has outscored their 7A opponents 27-2 in their four section 7A games they have played. This Section appears to be again the Hawks to win on paper and if history has taught us anything expect the Hawks to steam roll through the competition in Northeast Minnesota again.
The Favorite- Hermantown the Hawks strength starts in the duo of Senior Garron Opsahl & Junior goaltender Dane Callaway in net has been a source of strength that had been the Achilles heel of past Hermantown teams. Senior George Peterson & Junior Will Esterbrooks anchor the blueline line and lead a very solid defensive core. Up front the Hawks have some really good offensive firepower as Seniors Wyatt Carlson and Matthew & Joshua Kauppinen have been excellent all year for the Hawks. The return to the lineup of Senior Kade Kohanski has really sparked this team as he combined with Junior Dallas Vieau & Sophomore River Freeman, give the Hawks a dangerous group of top 6 forwards. Hermantown looks to be a mighty mountain to conquer again for the rest of 7A and they look primed to head to St Paul to defend their title.
The Challengers- Rock Ridge the Wolverines in the 2nd year of their co-opt again made a good late season push again this winter and appear to be the main contender to try and knock off the 7A kings. Seniors Dylan Hedley & Isaac Flatley along with Juniors Kasey Lamppa & Brant Tiedeman all have been productive and have experience up front. The Blueline is led by Junior Sam Troutwine who is big and aggressive and plays mega minutes. The question mark coming into the year was in the net and the Wolverines have rotated some different faces as they try to find their guy to make a run in Section 7A.
Duluth Denfeld the Hunters are another contender and even though they were hit hard by graduation this year and lost many familiar faces that helped elevate the program to being a top 10 team and the main contender to the Hawks in 7A over the last three winters. But all was not lost this year as Seniors Andy Larson & Kaden Postal have been phenomenal and created a two man wrecking crew that will be looking to make some noise one last time in their career in the Section 7A playoffs
The Dark Horse- Hibbing is a team to keep an eye on in 7A as while they are not flashy and have had their critics this winter but this year’s Bluejackets have had a very good year thanks in large to their large Senior core led by Senior Goaltender Brayden Boyer who is their top player in the net. Up front Seniors Beau Frider, Broden Fawcett, Keeghan Fink, Christian Dickson & Peyton Taylor all have double digit goals and create a veteran group. Defensively, Senior Tristan Babich & Junior Christian Emonds make up a solid group of blueliners and this team is deep and experienced and will be looking to quite Hibbing Hate and make the Section 7A Final for the first time in a long time as this program continues to build its way upward.
Section Scaries- Proctor the Rails are led by Sophomore sniper Tanner Ross and the goaltender combo of Senior Blake Imhoff & Junior AJ Reyelts will allow this team to put a serious scare into a top 4 seed in 7A. Greenway the Raiders top four scorers Seniors Aden Springer, Matthew Hannah, Jacques Villenueve & Carter Cline have all had good years with over 30 points to provide some scoring punch scare. International Falls could be another scary first round team as the Broncos have won five in a row heading into playoffs and Seniors Colin Kostiuk & Max Dremmel along with Sophomore Cooper Crandall all have had good offensive years.
The Rest- North Shore has struggled but the Storm do get the most out of Junior Jake Stadler who leads the way with double digit goals this winter. Moose Lake relies on Senior Everett Gamst to play mega minutes on the blue line for a thin roster of players. Meanwhile, Ely Senior Kole Macho and Junior Deegan Richards & Drew Marolt have had good seasons for the Timberwolves.
Section 8A Seeds
1- Warroad (24-0-0)
2- East Grand Forks (14-10-0)
3- Detroit Lakes (16-6-1)
4- Thief River Falls (9-14-1)
5- Red Lake Falls (16-8-0)
6- Kittson County Central (14-9-1)
7- Bagley/Fosston (16-9-0)
8- Park Rapids (13-10-1)
9- Crookston (5-18-1)
10- Lake of the Woods (5-18-0)
Section 8A Playoff Preview- Circle the calendar date of Thursday March 2nd, 2023 as the Section 8A Final will be taking place at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls and it looks to be one of the more highly anticipated Class A Section Finals we have seen in sometime. The Warroad Warriors have shown all winter they are the top team in the state probably regardless of class and yet I think most would agree if there was a team built to beat them it was their neighbors to the west East Grand Forks. In a delicious preview we got just a week ago we saw that the Greenwave are very capable of knocking off the high powered Warriors before they even are able to reach St Paul. If we do indeed get Warriors vs Greenwave part three in the 8A Final we are in for a treat.
The Favorite- Warroad the Warriors have been Class A’s elite teams all winter long. Warroad's true strength is their elite netminder D1 commit Senior Goaltender Hampton Slukynsky who played nearly every minute in net this season. He has two outstanding defenders in Senior Eric Comstock & Junior Ryan Lund on the blue line to play mega minutes in front of him. On offense they have the state’s top line as Star Senior Jayson Shaugabay & dynamic Juniors Murray Marvin-Cordes & Carson Pilgrim have been unstoppable all winter long. The Warriors appear to be locked and loaded and ready to roll through Section 8A to get back to St Paul and make up for falling just short of a state title a year ago.
The Challenger- East Grand Forks appears to be the one team standing in the way of Warroad’s return to St. Paul. The Greenwave have struggled with scoring this year but when they do it normally comes from their top line of Juniors Brock Schultz & Landon Jamieson and emerging Sophomore Jace Van Eps. Those three have really played well during the Greenwaves late season surge carrying a heavy load of the offense. They have two very good defenders in Junior Grady Magner & Sophomore Cole Bies who the Greenwave separate to try and keep at least one of them on the ice at all times. Junior Chase Mero who has won the starting job and has been solid in net for the Greenwave.
The Dark Horse- Detroit Lakes the Lakers again had a very good season this winter as they try to break through the Big 3’s strangle hold on 8A supremacy. They are led by their top overall player in Senior Defenseman Jacob Thomas who is a do it all 2-way threat from the blue line and he has gotten help from up and coming Sophomore Jace Fields who has had an impressive season of his own. Up front Seniors Cole Larson, Aiden Kennedy, Ben Hines, Carter Bellefeuille along with Juniors Cole Deraney & dynamite Freshman Easton Kennedy give the Lakers good offensive punch. Senior Goaltender Josh Mack has been very solid in net and this team could be one to pull a surprise and end up shaking up the hierarchy order of the traditional 8A Final.
Section Scaries- Thief River Falls the Prowlers have had a disappointing year. However, they still have Senior Tysen Loeffler along with a trio of Juniors Forwards Max Arlt, Braydin Lund & Defender Junior Jace Erickson who give Coach Bergland enough to pull off a playoff stunner or two. Red Lake Falls has shown they are capable of an upset when they took down TRF for the 1st time in school history earlier this year. The Eagles have four dynamic scorers in Senior Evan Girdler & Sophomore brother Gavin Girdler along with Junior Blake Brieland and Sophomore Brock Seeger who have all put up eye popping point totals this winter. Kittson County Central has the state leading goal scorer in standout Senior Tyler Hennen who can take over a game on any given night.
The Rest- Bagley Fosston the Flyers have had one of their best seasons ever and Seniors Markus Olson & Brecken Levin can be dangerous and want to finish their career on a good note. Park Rapids has had a good year as Senior Joey Hillukka & Junior Jeron Pinoniemi each had big years to carry Panthers this winter. Crookston has had another down year but Senior Jack Doda has been very productive all winter. Lake of the Woods is another team that has struggled throughout the winter but Senior Charlie Eck & Junior Randy Wood & Jordan Kvernen all have 30 plus points on the year.
Section 1A Seeds
1- Northfield (20-5-0)
2- New Prague (14-10-1)
3- Albert Lea (18-6-1)
4- Dodge County (15-9-0)
5- La Crescent (18-7-0)
6- Winona (9-13-2)
7- Faribault (11-13-0)
8- Rochester Lourdes (9-16-0)
9- Waseca (10-14-0)
10- Austin (4-19-1)
11- Red Wing (1-20-4)
Section 1A Playoff Preview- A year ago at the Rochester Rec Center the then heavy 1A favorite and #1 seed Northfield Raiders led 2–0 after two periods and were outshooting the #4 seed New Prague Trojans 28-15 and seemed on their way to the Section Final. However, with under 7 minutes to play in the game the Trojans made a stunning comeback scoring twice in regulation to tie the game and then carried the momentum into the overtime to pull one of the bigger Class A Section upsets of last winter. Fast forward a year later in the storyline could be presenting itself again in case of deja vu or will we see a group of angry Raiders get their long awaited redemption for last year's section 1A shocker?
The Favorite- Northfield again is the favorite in 1A and since the beginning of season has been on the “Raiders Redemption Tour” having gone unbeaten in the section, including two shutout wins over top contenders New Prague & Albert Lea. Shutouts have been common as Sr. Goaltender Keaton Warlock has been outstanding in the nets. Defensively they are led by Sr. Mike Fossum & Jr. Ty Frank who both have close to 30 points on the year from the back end. Up front they sport one of the best lines in Class A as the top line of Jr.'s Cayden Monson, Jake Geiger & Kamden Kaiser have been outstanding all winter.
The Challengers- The two teams that played in the 1A Section Final last winter appear to be the top contenders as both have been very good again this winter. Starting with the defending Section 1A Champion New Prague who has been steadily improving playing a tough AA filled schedule all winter. Finding a goaltender has been a question mark as the Trojans have rotated starts between three players much of the winter. They do have some good scoring punch through as Sr. John Schmidt leads the way and they have a nice core of Jr.’s Will Seymour, Braeden Woitas, Michael Beckius & Eric Berg who all have double digit goals and are over 20 points on the season to present a lineup with good depth. The Trojans looked primed to make another run through Section 1A and return to State this winter.
Albert Lea, the other section finalist from a year ago, is often overlooked when talking about Section 1A. It would be a mistake to not consider the Tigers contenders as they have a veteran senior lead group. Goaltender Sr. Dakota Jahnke has returned to the net this year and will be looking for his own redemption as he missed last year's playoffs due to injury. Albert Lea features one of the sections’ best overall players in Sr. Joseph Yoon who has over 25 goals and nearly 60 points on the year and is a threat to take over any game he plays in. They have scoring depth also as Sr.'s Jack Ladlie, Tim Chalmers, Max Edwin Jr. Eli Farris & Soph. Connor Pirsig all have double digit goals on the year and Albert Lea will be playing with their own sense of urgency to make up for coming just short of State last year.
The Dark Horses- A few sneaky darkhouses exist in 1A do exist and one is Dodge County, who the last time they were in 1A they went to the Class A Title game. While Bordy Lamb has moved on to the Gophers they do have two elite scores in Jr. Gryffon Funke & Soph. Brett Ludvigsen who both have over 40 points this winter and could take the Wildcats on run in sections. La Crescent is another team having a wonderful year having won 18 games and while the competition may not be the same as the teams above Jr. Wyatt Farrell is a serious talent scoring over 50 goals on the year and Lancers will be looking to get back to the Section Semis like they did in 2021, which was their first ever appearance in school history.
Section Scaries- Section 1A does have a few teams that could produce a section Quarter Final upset. Faribault has been up and down on the year but has shown in two tight one goal losses to top contenders New Prague and Albert Lea that on any given night they could be dangerous. Jr. Oliver Linnemann leads a very young Falcon team with over 40 points on the year. Winona is another team that while the record is not pretty has shown at times they can put a scare into teams as Jr. Teis Larsen is one of the Section best players and has well over 50 points on the year. The other team would be Rochester Lourdes who has been plagued by the injury bug but they do have one of the sections top goaltenders in Jr. Xander Carter-Kleven who can stop 50-60 shots on any given night and create panic for the top seed.
The Rest- Waseca has Sr.’s Griffen Krautkramer & Kyle Ahlschlager who each have 20 goals on the year and if they get hot could put some fear into some of Section 1A’s best. Austin will have optimism for the future as while it's been another rough year Sophomore Gahvin Schaefer has been very productive and has double digit goals for the winter. Red Wing has struggled this winter but does have 4 ties and will look to build with many returners coming back next winter.
Section 2A Seeds
1- Orono (20-5-0)
2- Providence Academy (14-11-0)
3- Delano (13-12-0)
4- Minneapolis (15-8-2)
5- Southwest Christian (12-8-5)
6- Litchfield Dassel-Cokato (15-8-2)
7- Waconia (13-12-0)
8- Hutchinson (11-14-0)
9- Breck (7-17-1)
10- Mound Westonka (4-21-0)
11- Bloomington Kennedy (2-23-0)
Section 2A Playoff Preview- As is the case in most years Section 2A again looks to be the deepest and have a long list of serious contenders who will be looking to punch their ticket to the X. Last year the boys from 612 were one of the best storylines in the state as they swept through the sectional and brought one of the largest crowds we have seen in the Class A Field. They return and appear to be ready to defend their title but traditional 2A powers Orono and Delano both look like strong picks as well and don't forget about the little known private emerging power Providence Academy who has shown in recent weeks they appear to be playing their best hockey right now.
The Favorite- Orono who comes into the Section 2A tournament with an unbeaten record and have had a really good year playing one of the tougher schedules in Class A. New Coach Sean Fish appears to have replicated his success he had with the girls program who he built into a State contender and the Spartans appear to have all pieces in place to make a state tournament run. The Spartans will roll three lines, but they are led by their 3 offensive spark plugs in Sr.’s Bradley Walker & Avery Anderson & Jr.Cayden Effertz, who has really been the catalyst of the Orono attack all winter. Defensively they have two studs in Jr.’s John Engebretson & Joey Mugaas who can contribute offensively while being the top defensive pair. In goal for Orono, Sr. Brock Peyton who missed the early part of the year to injury but since coming back from injury in late December has been outstanding in the net.
The Challengers- The group of challengers appears as deep as ever in the Section 2A field but the biggest threat to the Spartan just maybe their long time rivales Delano. The Tigers play the low scoring defensive structure style that generally leads to the enormous playoff success they have had over recent years in 2A. Led by a group of Seniors Goaltender Drew Dorsey, Defenseman Cole Schmidt and forwards Will Brown & Aaron Lewis and emerging Jr. forward Teague Collings there is definitely enough there for this Delano group to make their normal Playoff Push.
Minneapolis the defending 2A Champs have been playing their best hockey of late as went (14-4-2) in their last 20 games and appear to be fully capable and ready to defend their title. Senior defender Joel Hanson & Jr. Hank Davis are two of the state's better Class A Defensemen to command the Blueline. Up front Sr. Will Pankratz along with Jr.’s Ozzie Snodgrass & John Bebler and emerging Soph. Nick Anderson have all been very productive to replace the scoring lost to graduation last winter. This a blue collar group who I think anyone would be surprised to see back in St Paul respenting Section 2A in a few weeks.
Providence Academy is looking to make a little school history and get to their first ever Section Final and then crash into the big dance in St Paul. The Lions struggled at times keeping the puck out of their own net but they have one of the scariest offensive attacks in Class A. The duo of Sr. Johnny Hendrickson & Jr. Louie Wehmann is the scariest two kids on line south of Warroad you will see and each have over 30 goals and 60 points on the year. Add in Sr. Andrew Owen & Jr. Sammy Lewis who each have 15 plus goals of their own and you definitely don't want to get in a track meet game with this group of Lions.
The Dark Horse- There are few teams that could fit the dark horse label but the one that sticks out the most is Southwest Christian who has played good hockey down the stretch and slowly worked their way up the Section 2A standings. Big 6’6 Goaltender Jr. Jannes Kamp is a threat to steal a game every night as the Stars have been known to give up lots of shots but have great faith in the big man in net. Up front Sr. Caleb Bendell & Jr. Jared Greiner has been very productive, each having double digits goals and nearly 30 points on the year. Don't overlook the Stars in Section 2A who have quietly been bullying a good program in 2A.
Section Scaries- Section 2A has all kinds of Section scary teams who will be looking to knock off the high seeded teams above. Waconia is one of the most improved teams in Class A. They have played a few of the top seeds very tight this winter and Sr.’s Drew Vacek & Brett Siddons have led the charge and 9th grade sensation Luke Puchner has become the leading scorer and gives the Wildcats great hope for the future beyond this year they will not be a fun draw one of the top 2A seeds. Hutchinson is another scary first round match if you don't believe me just ask Providence Academy who they upset earlier this year. The Tigers are led by young guns Sophomores Manny Pearce, Emmett Reiter, Toren Miller along with 9th grader Elliott Ladwig who are teams 4 leading scorers and this will be a team to keep an eye on moving forward in Class A. Litchfield Dassel Cokato was one Class A best teams before a rough batch of injuries took out their lineup midseason. Seniors Braden Olson, Calvin Jones and Caden Besemer have had great years however, whether or not they will get their top player in senior forward Connor Taber back in time for playoffs will be key as if he returns this team could be a nightmare first round matchup for one of the top 2A seeds.
The Rest- Breck while the program is officially long gone from their glory years does have Jr. Nate Miller & Sr. Luke Kern up front who are formidable and they have played a tough schedule and could on a given night pull a big upset in the opening round. Mound Westonka is going through a total rebuild this year with a new coach, new faces and has struggled but they did upset LDC once. Bloomington Kennedy has had their struggles as well this winter but a bright spot has been Senior Clayton Deutsch who has double digit goals on the year.
Section 3A Seeds
1- New Ulm (21-3-1)
2- Luverne (18-6-1)
3- Mankato East (10-15-0)
4- Mankato West (7-15-3)
5- Marshall (11-13-1)
6- Minnesota River (12-13-0)
7- Windom (10-14-0)
8- Fairmont (7-17-0)
9- Worthington (3-19-0)
10- Redwood Valley (0-21-0)
Section 3A Playoff Preview- Section 3A got a face lift two years ago when the MSHSL realigned the maps and added in Minnesota River and the Mankato schools. Last year the Cougars of Mankato East took advantage of their new home as they battled through a tougher regular season schedule then the majority of the 3A teams and came into the playoffs slightly above .500 at (14-10-1) and settled for the #2 seed. They showed the tests of regular season seemed to pay off as they breezed through the Section 3A tournament outscoring their opponents 19-1 winning every game by 6 goals. That included routing the #1 seed New Ulm in the section final getting to play in their backyard at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in downtown Mankato as the lower seed. Will we see that same story this winter? Something feels different as the Cougars are well below .500 and have really struggled filling the void left by their senior goaltender last year. New Ulm seems hungry and has been fantastic vs 3A teams, however they have shown some signs of tripping up vs teams outside the section. The games will be back at Gustavus where the Eagles have had a good history of success. Will we see another Cougars walk through 3A in year number two or is this the New Ulm group ready to punch its first ticket to state since 2019?
The Favorite- New Ulm the Eagles come flying into the 3A playoffs fresh off of a 20 win regular season, the majority of which came at the expense of Section 3A teams. In the nets Jr. Bryer Hoffmann has been very steady and played his best vs the top competition within their schedule. On the blueline Senior Captain Jack Albrecht & Dawson Kraus have been very productive and steady defenders. Meanwhile, up front their top line is centered by Senior Captain Blake Soukup and Junior Snipers Austin Uecker & Kaden Larson both of whom have 20 plus goals on the year. Add in Sr. Nick Zins & Jr. Bryer Lang who each have 30 plus points of their own the Eagles would have what appears to be the top team in Section 3A.
The Challenger- The top contender is the Defending 3A Champions Mankato East but the Cougars have struggled throughout the regular season as finding a starter in net has been a question mark throughout the winter. They do still have a line up filled with talent though as Seniors Shae Gavin & Andrew Bastian have led the charge and are noticeable whenever they are on the ice. They do have depth as on the blueline Sr. Alexander Morgan & 9th grader Luke Lebens have both played well and up front Sr. Zach Lebens & Jr. Christian Theuninck has added to the offensive depth. While the record is not pretty and some games have gotten out of hand this winter, this still appears to be a team ready to make a good run in Section 3A and defend their title.
The Dark Horses- Luverne has rolled off a bunch of late season wins and is having another good year in the deep southwest. Led upfront by Sr. Brock Behrend & Jr’s Pattrick Kroski, Owen Sudenga, Elliot Domagala and up and coming 9th grader Maddux Domagala the scoring is there add in Sophomore blueliner Blaik Bork who has chipped over 30 points from the back end and the Cards can definitely roll with anyone in 3A. They have been hot down the stretch but seem unable to get past the New Ulm mountain could playoff time be their movement to shine as they have beaten everyone else who beat them earlier in the year during their good stretch of hockey heading into the playoffs.
Mankato West could be another dark horse team to make a serious run in Section 3A. The Scarlets record is not pretty but again like the Cougars they play a tougher schedule than most in 3A and coil make a run. 9th grade goalie Mason Schreiber has improved steadily throughout the year and up front Sr. Maddox Langworthy, Soph. Jaeger Zimmerman, Jr. Gage Schmidt give Mankato West some good scoring punch and this team has shown some better results vs good teams down the stretch including a tie with Albert Lea the 2nd time around to be a really good dark horse pick in 3A.
Section Scaries- Windom appears to be a serious section scary team as they have played both New Ulm and Luverne to one goal games in their many contests this year. Senior speedster Brady Espenson is one of the Section best players and Windom could be a scary first round opponent. Marshall is another 3A team that could be a scary opponent as they two have pushed New Ulm and Luverne this winter. The Tigers Junior defenseman Talan Plante and forwards Sr Sean Nwaiga & Soph. Owen Renslow lead the way for a Marshall team that could have an upset or two within them. Minnesota River is another team to keep an eye on as they have had some closer results and played a good non Big South Schedule and you could easily see the Bulldogs pull off a big 1st round upset.
The Rest- Worthington has struggled but gotten a good year from Junior Easton Newman. Fairmont the Cardinals have gotten good years from Seniors Brock Lutterman & Nate Rakness. Redwood Valley has battled every night but unfortunately been unable to get a win in the regular season.
Section 4A Seeds
1- Mahtomedi (17-8-0)
2- Chisago Lakes (14-10-1)
3- Two Rivers (16-8-1)
4- St Paul Academy (13-11-1)
5- St Paul Highland Park (10-13-2)
6- Simley (9-14-2)
7- South St Paul (4-20-1)
8- St Paul Johnson (3-20-0)
Section 4A Playoff Preview- The biggest question in 4A this year might be who has the opportunity to get to the Section 4A Final vs who goes to State. Most would assume this Section seems to almost be a lock that Mahtomedi will be heading to state. The Zephyrs come rolling into the Section tournament having won 4A 4 of the last 5 years, thanks to a brief Class A Championship Run by Gentry Academy, and appear to be well on their way to returning to the Xcel this winter. The challengers are tough to see but it appears that an upcoming Two Rivers and good mid tier Class A program in Chisago Lakes would be your best bet. Gone are the days of South St Paul and St Paul Johnson being proud tough public schools as both now are just trying to keep their programs alive, this one appear to one of the easier brackets to predict, which does open the door for of the biggest Class Sectional upsets ever if one of the other seven school want to shock the state in the next few weeks.
The Favorite- Mahtomedi brings into the playoffs a different group then they had in the Dardis era as this team is deep both up front and on their back end and presents what looks like an AA lineup with waves of depth they can throw your way. They are led up front by a great core of seniors Charlie Drage, David Wolsfeld, Corey Bohmert makes up one line. While another all senior group of Seth Nelson, Jonny Grove, Carter Haycraft make up a very good 2nd line and both are equally dangerous and point producing threats every time they hit the ice. The defensive core is deep as well and led by senior Cav Bruner who runs the powerplay and controls the play when he is on the ice and he is often paired with William Brummel. Smooth skating sophomore Sam Harris is one to watch as he plays mega minutes for a youngster and is very talented. The Zephyrs on paper and so far on the ice and games vs 4A teams appear to be too much for the competition to handle.
The Challenger- The top contender, if there is one, would be Chisago Lakes. The Wildcats had a rough start to the year going (0-4-1) out of the gate but they have played much better as the year has gone on. Starting goalie Senior Jack Hanson has experience and took Chisago Lakes to the Section 4A Final last winter. They have a solid group of forwards in Seniors Nikolas Jinks, Cullen Dorcas & Junior Jack Bakken who provide scoring depth. They also have top defenseman Senior Nathan Bluhm to lead the team's defensive unit in points and minutes played.
The Dark Horses- Two Rivers the Warriors have had a really great year and were ranked in the Top 10 at times in the Official Class A coaches poll but they have been sputtering to the finish of late. They still have enough to make a run to the Section final as they have their do it all star Senior forward Casey Ball who has over 20 goals on the year and upcoming Sophomore Eddie Auran has chipped in over 20 points of his own. The real strength is in the nets as Senior Tyler Ouren is outstanding and on any given night can shut down the opponent and keep the Warriors in the game. They will need him to be on his A game if they want to make a run in 4A.
Section Scaries- Simley improved throughout the year and showed in their late season upsets over Two Rivers and Chisago Lakes they can definitely be a scary first round opponent and the Spartans will roll through their do it all stud Sr. Caden Renslow who plays big minutes and makes plays all over the ice. South St Paul goaltender Sophomore Wyatt Cheney is one to keep an eye on as he has been unheralded but magnificent in net as he regularly stops 40-50 shots a night and can definitely steal a game.
The Rest- Includes St Paul Academy has had a nice year beyond the double digit goals of Sr. Sebastian Hoiland, George Peltier and leading scorer Junior Will Black while St Paul Highland Park’s Sr.Charlie Eischens & Soph. Isaac Johnson lead the way for a Scots team having a nice year. And finally I have to mention St Paul Johnson as I hope the reports are not true that this may be the last game for the Govies, one of the great historical programs in Minnesota High Hockey History.
Section 5A Seeds
1- Little Falls (16-8-1)
2- Monticello (15-9-1)
3- St Cloud Cathedral (13-12-0)
4- Cambridge Isanti (16-8-0)
5- Princeton (13-12-0)
6- River Lakes (10-13-2)
7- Pine City (11-13-1)
8- Sauk Rapids (8-16-1)
9- Becker/Big Lake (10-13-0)
10- Mora (7-17-1)
Section 5A Playoff Preview- One of the better Class A Sectionals appears to be happening in Section 5A this winter where there are 4 to 5 teams that legitimately could have the ability to win this section. As we learned last year when the 3 seed played 4 seed for the Section Title in a classic game the teams at the top are very close. The top four appear to be the same as they were last year and even though the Semis in Section 5A are the only ones in the state that play at the high seed it didn't seem to matter last year when both top seeds were upset at home. Central Minnesota is often overlooked when it comes to hockey but Section 5A should give us some very entertaining and close games over the next two weeks.
The Favorite- Little Falls the Flyers come into the playoffs playing some of their best hockey of the year as they went (10-1-0) in their last 11 games. Two major things happened that could be seen as turning points in the Little Falls season. The first was the emergence of 9th grade Goalie Izaak Kalis who took over the starting gig due to injury and all he has done since is win and be very solid in net. The other was moving Sophomore Joey Welinski back to the top line with Senior Matt Filippi & Junior Carter Oothoudt and that line has been lethal of late. Senior defenders Coltin Johnson & Matthew Copper each play mega minutes on the blue line and Sophomore Luke Avery converting back to defense this year has been huge for this team who is looking to make amends for getting upset as the #1 seed a year ago in Section 5A.
The Challengers- St Cloud Cathedral brought a ton of talent back from last year's Section runner up team but has really struggled late in the year. However, much like last year the Crusaders would be a very good bet to win Section 5A. They have an explosive 1st line led by Sophomores John Hirschfeld & Joey Gillespie who along with Junior Andrew Dwinnell will be tough for any Section 5A team to handle. They have a super silky smooth defender in youngster 9th grader Griffin Sturm who is their top defender. However, the reason Cathedral would be a good beat to win 5A, I believe, is in the net as Junior Nick Hansen has been rock solid in the net and he led his team last year to Section Final before coming up just short.
Monticello, the defending Section 5A champion, much like last year, appears to be being overlooked again this winter and as we found out last year never count out the Moose. Coach Eric Nelson is the Section’s best and he has guided his teams to multiple Section 5A championships and looks to have this current group playing their best hockey right now. Monticello uses plenty of depth as Seniors Tyler Miller, Tyler Bitz, Jake Larsen & Brayden Dunn along with Juniors Roman Thompson & Gunnar Simon give them experience and balance as all have 20 points or more on the year. Add in goaltender Junior Owen Soderholm who has been very good this year in the starting role and the Moose have all the ingredients for another deep playoff run.
The Dark Horse- Cambridge the Bluejackets have put together another quality year and have the talent needed to win 5A. They showed in the upset win over Cathedral earlier in the year that on any given night this is a team to fear in 5A. Their three leading scorers Juniors Finn Overby & Will O'Donovan along with Senior Seth Terhell all have over 30 points on the year and are dangerous whenever they take the ice. In net, Sophomore Jaxon Sibell is capable of leading a State Tournament run. Would not be shocked at all to see the Bluejacket be the team to represent 5A in two weeks at State.
Section Scaries- River Lakes will be a dangerous low seed for any of the top seeds to draw in the first round as Seniors Jacob Philippi & Brady Blaschko and Sophomore Blake Schultz are a potent trio and they are playing their best hockey late in the year. Princeton is another scary team for teams to draw as Seniors Jake Patnode, Jake Baumann, Tim Donnay along with Sophomores Brody Kok & Lane Olson all have double digit goals on the year and could give a first round opponent trouble.
The Rest- Pine City is led by 9th grader McCall Leger & Senior Ryder Youngbauer who could cause teams trouble. Sauk Rapids is a team that had injuries early but is playing their best hockey now and Junior Teagan Dodge is a major threat for the Storm. Becker/Big Lake the Eagles have had one of their best seasons in a long time as Senior Eli Scheideman & Juniors Brayden Graning & Jase Tobako have all had big years. Mora the Mustangs are a young team but Junior Trenton Fore has been excellent again from the blueline as they rebuild around him.
Section 6A Seeds
1- Alexandria (10-12-1)
2- Fergus Falls (12-9-2)
3- Northern Lakes (11-14-0)
4- Wadena Deer Creek (13-9-2)
5- Morris Benson (14-9-0)
6- Willmar (9-16-0)
7- Prairie Centre (7-18-0)
8- Breckenridge/Wahpeton (1-22-0)
Section 6A Playoff Preview- Section 6A has been a wild ride all year as trying to predict who will come out of this very small outstate section has proven to be somewhat of a mystery. Don’t believe me just think, back on December 29th, 2022 Alexandria was finally able to pick up its first win of the season just before the new year after a dreadful (0-7-0) start to the year that looked lost by some accounts. That same night Fergus Falls defeated a good Detroit Lakes team 5-1 to win their holiday tournament and move into the Class A Top 10 rankings. On the same night down in Little Falls, Wadena Deer Creek was pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Class A of the year beating the Flyers for the first time in nearly 20 years and moving into the Top 20 of Class A Rankings. Who would've thought just a few weeks later we would sit with Alexandria being the favorite again to win 6A. However, if the above has taught us anything about 6A it’s that we can’t always trust the results as week to week this Section swings in regards as to who is the favorite and who knows looking at recent play Northern Lakes looks to be playing some of the best hockey and in this WIDE OPEN Section everyone should be considered as this looks to be a great Sectional Playoff.
The Favorite- Alexandria after a very slow start to the year, which has been a trend in their 3 year tenure under Coach Josh Meyers, but the Cardinals have found their footing in the 2nd half of the year rattling off many wins since the start of 2023. The Cards do have a good group of forwards in Seniors Tyler Kludt, Joe Lamski & Nicholas Peterson and Juniors Leo Kompelien & Gavin Olson that have given them some good scoring depth as the winter has gone along. On the Blueline Seniors Henry Ramstorf & Zaven Noetzelman along with Junior Jack Lamski all play good minutes and their overall D-core has improved as well as the year has gone along. The biggest improvement though has been in the net where goaltender Senior Elijah Rasmusen has played much better in the second half of the season and as he has gained confidence the Cardinals started to pick up momentum toward the end of the year.
The Challenger- Fergus Falls the Otters got a gut punch to start the year with the early departure of Issac Johnson which really hurt them as they are a group that has struggled to score at times. However, they have put together a very nice year as Juniors Kellen Stenstrom & Shane Zierden has provided the goals and they have a strong team defense and have three main defenseman in Seniors Colin Becker & Ethan McGuinness and Junior Leighton Buckmeier all who have played big minutes over the last two years. Senior Goaltender Ben Swanson who will enter his 4th postseason as the Otters Starter and he knows exactly what it will take to make a playoff run. Will this finally be the year they can break through after finishing ohh so close in two heartbreaking 6A Section Final losses over the last two years.
Northern Lakes is a team that is playing some of their best hockey right now. The Lightning have good scoring punch in forwards Senior Darby Boelter & Junior Logan Verville along with the addition of Sophomores Easton Anderson & Jerome Martin all who have double digit goals on the year. Defensively Senior Christian Crutcher along with Junior Isaac Peterson have been very good all year both have over 20 points from the blueline. The big question mark to the Lightning challenging for 6A title will be in net as they have rotated three kids trying to find the one who can be the starter to take them on a postseason run.
The Dark Horse- Wadena Deer Creek if you're looking for a surprise contender to win Section 6A Title look no further than the Wolverines. They had a very hot start to the year and up until 2 weeks ago this veteran lineup looked like the #1 seed in 6A. However, a late season swoon now puts them more in the dark horse category but if they are to make a run it will be on the backs of their top line of Seniors Cole Woods, Aron Sutherland & Connor Davis who each have over 20 goals on the year.
Section Scaries- Morris Benson the Storm made their first ever appearance in program history last year in a Section Semifinal and they will be looking to do the same this winter as they have been red hot down the stretch this year. Up front Junior sniper Charlie Goff and Seniors Ryan Tolifson, Trevoir Buss & Cole Blume give them good scoring punch and starting goalie Junior Christopher Danielson has been very good lately and looks to build on last year's postseason success.
The Rest- Willmar the Cardinals do have three good double digit scorers in Junior Cullen Gregory and Seniors Ethan Stark & Elijah Van Burento and have shown improvement throughout the year. Prairie Centre the Northstars are led by high scoring Senior Eli Fletcher who will be looking to create some noise in the playoffs to end his fabulous high school career. Breckenridge/Wahpeton was able to pick up their first win in two years this winter which is a great step forward for the Blades.
Section 7A Seeds
1- Hermantown (22-2-1)
2- Rock Ridge (16-8-1)
3- Duluth Denfeld (13-11-1)
4- Hibbing (15-8-1)
5- Proctor (12-12-0)
6- Greenway (8-17-0)
7- International Falls (12-13-0)
8- North Shore (5-15-1)
9- Ely (8-17-0)
10- Moose Lake (5-20-0)
Section 7A Playoff Preview- Some things are just a given in life they say like death, taxes and the Hawks being hated in 7A. How dominant is Hermantown’s reign over Section 7A, you ask? Well just a few weeks ago we found out ast Duluth Denfeld and Rock Ridge announced they would be opting up to take their chances with AA powerhouse Andover rather than deal with the Hawks another year. This was maybe a year where the other in Section 7A had a chance with the off season news of the early departures of three star Hawk players in the Max & Zam Plante and Ty Hanson and all this current team has done is continue to roll as Hermantown has outscored their 7A opponents 27-2 in their four section 7A games they have played. This Section appears to be again the Hawks to win on paper and if history has taught us anything expect the Hawks to steam roll through the competition in Northeast Minnesota again.
The Favorite- Hermantown the Hawks strength starts in the duo of Senior Garron Opsahl & Junior goaltender Dane Callaway in net has been a source of strength that had been the Achilles heel of past Hermantown teams. Senior George Peterson & Junior Will Esterbrooks anchor the blueline line and lead a very solid defensive core. Up front the Hawks have some really good offensive firepower as Seniors Wyatt Carlson and Matthew & Joshua Kauppinen have been excellent all year for the Hawks. The return to the lineup of Senior Kade Kohanski has really sparked this team as he combined with Junior Dallas Vieau & Sophomore River Freeman, give the Hawks a dangerous group of top 6 forwards. Hermantown looks to be a mighty mountain to conquer again for the rest of 7A and they look primed to head to St Paul to defend their title.
The Challengers- Rock Ridge the Wolverines in the 2nd year of their co-opt again made a good late season push again this winter and appear to be the main contender to try and knock off the 7A kings. Seniors Dylan Hedley & Isaac Flatley along with Juniors Kasey Lamppa & Brant Tiedeman all have been productive and have experience up front. The Blueline is led by Junior Sam Troutwine who is big and aggressive and plays mega minutes. The question mark coming into the year was in the net and the Wolverines have rotated some different faces as they try to find their guy to make a run in Section 7A.
Duluth Denfeld the Hunters are another contender and even though they were hit hard by graduation this year and lost many familiar faces that helped elevate the program to being a top 10 team and the main contender to the Hawks in 7A over the last three winters. But all was not lost this year as Seniors Andy Larson & Kaden Postal have been phenomenal and created a two man wrecking crew that will be looking to make some noise one last time in their career in the Section 7A playoffs
The Dark Horse- Hibbing is a team to keep an eye on in 7A as while they are not flashy and have had their critics this winter but this year’s Bluejackets have had a very good year thanks in large to their large Senior core led by Senior Goaltender Brayden Boyer who is their top player in the net. Up front Seniors Beau Frider, Broden Fawcett, Keeghan Fink, Christian Dickson & Peyton Taylor all have double digit goals and create a veteran group. Defensively, Senior Tristan Babich & Junior Christian Emonds make up a solid group of blueliners and this team is deep and experienced and will be looking to quite Hibbing Hate and make the Section 7A Final for the first time in a long time as this program continues to build its way upward.
Section Scaries- Proctor the Rails are led by Sophomore sniper Tanner Ross and the goaltender combo of Senior Blake Imhoff & Junior AJ Reyelts will allow this team to put a serious scare into a top 4 seed in 7A. Greenway the Raiders top four scorers Seniors Aden Springer, Matthew Hannah, Jacques Villenueve & Carter Cline have all had good years with over 30 points to provide some scoring punch scare. International Falls could be another scary first round team as the Broncos have won five in a row heading into playoffs and Seniors Colin Kostiuk & Max Dremmel along with Sophomore Cooper Crandall all have had good offensive years.
The Rest- North Shore has struggled but the Storm do get the most out of Junior Jake Stadler who leads the way with double digit goals this winter. Moose Lake relies on Senior Everett Gamst to play mega minutes on the blue line for a thin roster of players. Meanwhile, Ely Senior Kole Macho and Junior Deegan Richards & Drew Marolt have had good seasons for the Timberwolves.
Section 8A Seeds
1- Warroad (24-0-0)
2- East Grand Forks (14-10-0)
3- Detroit Lakes (16-6-1)
4- Thief River Falls (9-14-1)
5- Red Lake Falls (16-8-0)
6- Kittson County Central (14-9-1)
7- Bagley/Fosston (16-9-0)
8- Park Rapids (13-10-1)
9- Crookston (5-18-1)
10- Lake of the Woods (5-18-0)
Section 8A Playoff Preview- Circle the calendar date of Thursday March 2nd, 2023 as the Section 8A Final will be taking place at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls and it looks to be one of the more highly anticipated Class A Section Finals we have seen in sometime. The Warroad Warriors have shown all winter they are the top team in the state probably regardless of class and yet I think most would agree if there was a team built to beat them it was their neighbors to the west East Grand Forks. In a delicious preview we got just a week ago we saw that the Greenwave are very capable of knocking off the high powered Warriors before they even are able to reach St Paul. If we do indeed get Warriors vs Greenwave part three in the 8A Final we are in for a treat.
The Favorite- Warroad the Warriors have been Class A’s elite teams all winter long. Warroad's true strength is their elite netminder D1 commit Senior Goaltender Hampton Slukynsky who played nearly every minute in net this season. He has two outstanding defenders in Senior Eric Comstock & Junior Ryan Lund on the blue line to play mega minutes in front of him. On offense they have the state’s top line as Star Senior Jayson Shaugabay & dynamic Juniors Murray Marvin-Cordes & Carson Pilgrim have been unstoppable all winter long. The Warriors appear to be locked and loaded and ready to roll through Section 8A to get back to St Paul and make up for falling just short of a state title a year ago.
The Challenger- East Grand Forks appears to be the one team standing in the way of Warroad’s return to St. Paul. The Greenwave have struggled with scoring this year but when they do it normally comes from their top line of Juniors Brock Schultz & Landon Jamieson and emerging Sophomore Jace Van Eps. Those three have really played well during the Greenwaves late season surge carrying a heavy load of the offense. They have two very good defenders in Junior Grady Magner & Sophomore Cole Bies who the Greenwave separate to try and keep at least one of them on the ice at all times. Junior Chase Mero who has won the starting job and has been solid in net for the Greenwave.
The Dark Horse- Detroit Lakes the Lakers again had a very good season this winter as they try to break through the Big 3’s strangle hold on 8A supremacy. They are led by their top overall player in Senior Defenseman Jacob Thomas who is a do it all 2-way threat from the blue line and he has gotten help from up and coming Sophomore Jace Fields who has had an impressive season of his own. Up front Seniors Cole Larson, Aiden Kennedy, Ben Hines, Carter Bellefeuille along with Juniors Cole Deraney & dynamite Freshman Easton Kennedy give the Lakers good offensive punch. Senior Goaltender Josh Mack has been very solid in net and this team could be one to pull a surprise and end up shaking up the hierarchy order of the traditional 8A Final.
Section Scaries- Thief River Falls the Prowlers have had a disappointing year. However, they still have Senior Tysen Loeffler along with a trio of Juniors Forwards Max Arlt, Braydin Lund & Defender Junior Jace Erickson who give Coach Bergland enough to pull off a playoff stunner or two. Red Lake Falls has shown they are capable of an upset when they took down TRF for the 1st time in school history earlier this year. The Eagles have four dynamic scorers in Senior Evan Girdler & Sophomore brother Gavin Girdler along with Junior Blake Brieland and Sophomore Brock Seeger who have all put up eye popping point totals this winter. Kittson County Central has the state leading goal scorer in standout Senior Tyler Hennen who can take over a game on any given night.
The Rest- Bagley Fosston the Flyers have had one of their best seasons ever and Seniors Markus Olson & Brecken Levin can be dangerous and want to finish their career on a good note. Park Rapids has had a good year as Senior Joey Hillukka & Junior Jeron Pinoniemi each had big years to carry Panthers this winter. Crookston has had another down year but Senior Jack Doda has been very productive all winter. Lake of the Woods is another team that has struggled throughout the winter but Senior Charlie Eck & Junior Randy Wood & Jordan Kvernen all have 30 plus points on the year.
Re: A Rankings for 2/19/23 and Section Preview
Legacy Class A Rankings (2/20/23)
1. Warroad
2. Hermantown
3. Mahtomedi
4. Orono
5. East Grand Forks
6. Northfield
7. Little Falls
8. Rock Ridge
9. Delano
10. Hibbing/Chisholm
11. Duluth Denfeld
12. Providence Academy
13. Detroit Lakes
14. Minneapolis
15. St. Cloud Cathedral
16. Alexandria
17. New Prague
18. Fergus Falls
19. New Ulm
20. Monticello
1. Warroad
2. Hermantown
3. Mahtomedi
4. Orono
5. East Grand Forks
6. Northfield
7. Little Falls
8. Rock Ridge
9. Delano
10. Hibbing/Chisholm
11. Duluth Denfeld
12. Providence Academy
13. Detroit Lakes
14. Minneapolis
15. St. Cloud Cathedral
16. Alexandria
17. New Prague
18. Fergus Falls
19. New Ulm
20. Monticello
Re: A Rankings for 2/19/23 and Section Preview
PageStat Class A Ranking (2/22/23)
1. Warroad
2. Hermantown
3. Mahtomedi
4. East Grand Forks
5. Orono
6. Northfield
7. Rock Ridge
8. St Cloud Cathedral
9. Delano
10. Minneaplis
11. Hibbing
12. Providence Academy
13. New Prague
14. Alexandria
15. Little Falls
16. Duluth Denfeld
17. Thief River Falls
18. Monticello
19. Detroit Lakes
20. Cambridge
1. Warroad
2. Hermantown
3. Mahtomedi
4. East Grand Forks
5. Orono
6. Northfield
7. Rock Ridge
8. St Cloud Cathedral
9. Delano
10. Minneaplis
11. Hibbing
12. Providence Academy
13. New Prague
14. Alexandria
15. Little Falls
16. Duluth Denfeld
17. Thief River Falls
18. Monticello
19. Detroit Lakes
20. Cambridge