AA Rankings for 1/11/26
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2026 8:10 am
Sometimes it comes quickly, sometimes it comes slowly, but chaos always comes to the AA rankings. The top two teams, after looking nearly untouchable all season, both suffered blemishes this past week. The rankings may not have shifted much, but the overall landscape certainly has. Your rankings:
1. Minnetonka (13-1-1)
-Undefeated no more: while the Skippers are still number one by virtue of the head-to-head win over Moorhead, they have proven beatable. The interesting tests continue to come in Lake play, with suddenly dangerous STMA and stalwart Maple Grove on the schedule.
This week: Thurs vs. St. Michael-Albertville, Sat vs. #9 Maple Grove
2. Moorhead (13-1-1)
-The Spuds did their usual drill against Benilde, but settled for a tie with St. Thomas a week after overpowering the Cadets. St. Thomas is a very good team and the gap between two and three is large enough that it doesn’t affect the Spuds seriously, though the nagging questions about their ability to shut down other powerful offenses aren’t going away. After a run of tough games things lighten up a little for the Spuds now, though both Bemidji and Andover could cause some trouble.
This week: Tues at Bemidji, Sat at Andover
3. Edina (11-4)
-With four losses, the Hornets can’t jump into the top two quite yet. They have, however, closed the gap substantially, showing one of the top two can be beaten, and proving that the Minnetonka Maginot Line can be punctured. There’s no resting on that achievement, though, with two more top ten teams up this week
This week: Tues at #5 St. Thomas Academy, Thurs at #9 Maple Grove, Sat at Buffalo
4. Shakopee (12-3)
-The Sabers remain on a steady track, having now won eight of their last nine, with the lone loss coming to Moorhead; the Farmington win now looks like a quality one as the Tigers surge. One of Class A’s finest comes for a visit this coming weekend.
This week: Thurs at Lakeville North, Sat vs. Hermantown
5. St. Thomas Academy (9-4-2)
-The Cadets poke their way upward with the Moorhead tie and showed that they can trouble one of the top two. They get a chance to avenge a holiday tournament loss to Edina now.
This week: Tues vs. #3 Edina, Thurs at Two Rivers, Sat vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
6. Rogers (11-4-1)
-The Royals’ surge continues, as they obliterated Blaine and Totino-Grace; they drop only because St. Thomas got a quality result against a better team. They’re unbeaten in their last eight, the one blemish being a tie against Rosemount, and are looking the part of a top five team. An outdoor game with Wayzata, which has some 6AA implications, headlines the coming week.
This week: Thurs at Elk River, Sat at #14 Wayzata (outdoors in Hastings)
7. Hill-Murray (9-3-2)
-The Pioneers haven’t been as flashy as the six teams above them, but they are methodically taking care of business. Wayzata headlines the coming week, and they’ve also got a visit to Grand Rapids ahead of them.
This week: Tues vs. #14 Wayzata, Thurs at Simley, Sat at Grand Rapids
8. Rosemount (11-3-1)
-The Irish continue to tick upward after a late surge against Stillwater; when this top line gets rolling, there are few in the state that can match it. Their week ahead features an old rival in Eastview and a Holy Angels team that could stand to prove something against a top ten team, so they’ll have to be on guard to avoid an upset.
This week: Thurs vs. Eastview, Sat vs. #12 Holy Angels
9. Maple Grove (10-3-1)
-The Crimson completed the season sweep of Wayzata by hanging on for a 4-3 win. They get the full Lake Conference meat grinder experience this coming week when they play Edina and Minnetonka.
This week: Thurs vs. #3 Edina, Sat at #1 Minnetonka
10. Stillwater (11-4)
-The Ponies couldn’t hold a lead against Rosemount, which nudges them downward in the rankings. For a second straight week, they face a team right next to them in here as they try to shore up their standing.
This week: Thurs at #11 Cretin-Derham Hall
11. Cretin-Derham Hall (11-5-1)
-Marched steadily through Suburban East opponents, including a Forest Lake team that has done some damage in 7AA, though the Park win was a little close for comfort. The week ahead is a big one featuring their two biggest rivals for Suburban East supremacy.
This week: Tues vs. White Bear Lake, Thurs vs. #10 Stillwater
12. Holy Angels (9-4)
-Rolled past Eastview in their only action this past week, continuing the theme of handling inferior opponents smoothly. The week ahead could tell us a lot more, especially for a team whose schedule only includes the occasional scattered contender down the stretch: what can they make of a stout Mahtomedi team that is surging in Class A, and can they handle Rosemount’s firepower?
This week: Tues vs. Mahtomedi, Sat at #8 Rosemount
13. Farmington (12-1-1)
-Start believing: the Tigers proved they are a legitimate team this past week, as they put together a respectable performance against Shakopee before stunning Lakeville South in overtime to assume frontrunner status in 1AA. A home-and-home with Eastview wraps around a section game with New Prague this coming week.
This week: Tues at Eastview, Thurs vs. New Prague, Sat vs. Eastview
14. Wayzata (6-6-2)
-The Trojans couldn’t complete a comeback against Maple Grove and remain very consistent in these rankings, unable to find momentum upward but avoiding anything that would send them downward. Poor Hopkins is sandwiched in between two contests with top ten powers this coming week.
This week: Tues at #7 Hill-Murray, Thurs at Hopkins, Sat vs. Rogers (outdoors in Hastings)
15. Lakeville South (6-6-1)
-The loss to Farmington disrupts 1AA and relegates the Cougars to 2-seed status. A bunch of decent opponents await them, including an overnight trip up north.
This week: Tues at Prior Lake, Fri at Grand Rapids, Sat at Rock Ridge
The Next Ten
Centennial (8-6)
-Handily beat Champlin Park as they continue with a section of their schedule that is relatively light game-wise. Rival Blaine awaits this coming week in a key 5AA positioning game.
White Bear Lake (6-6-1)
-The Bears had a decent week, handling a Grand Rapids team that is showing some hints of life and shutting out East Ridge. Cretin and Forest Lake highlight a three-game week of conference play.
Chanhassen (8-5-1)
-A loss to Gentry is not a great result for the Storm, though they rebounded to win a section game against Bloomington Jefferson. St. Louis Park is their only opponent this coming week.
Blaine (7-5-1)
-The Bengals had a rough week, as they got roughed up by Rogers and then lost to a Lakeville North team that hasn’t sniffed the top 25 this season. The Centennial rematch will tell us more about their direction, and they’ve got a tough Elk River squad, too.
St. Michael-Albertville (9-5)
-This may be the hardest team to rank in the state: the Knights stunned Edina, their second win over a top six team this season, but turned around and lost to rival Buffalo. The upset potential is intriguing for the likely 2-seed in 8AA, but they also have to avoid losing in a quarterfinal. A tough week looms with Minnetonka on the docket, plus tough Elk River and Eden Prairie. What is this team, really?
Forest Lake (10-5)
-A loss to Cretin is expected and a win over a decent East Ridge team is good, but the loss to Woodbury throws up some red flags over the theoretical favorite in 7AA. A win over Duluth East this week would bring them a step closer to the top seed in the section, and they get crack at White Bear this week, too.
Eden Prairie (6-8-1)
-The Eagles broke a six-game skid with a win over Hopkins, but it’s safe to say they’re plummeting out of contention for a high ranking. Their young stars give them the pieces to do some interesting things, but they’re not showing much right now. They’ll try to get on track against Buffalo and STMA this week, which are not the safe bets they may have been in the past.
Elk River (8-4)
-The Elks had a 3-0 week of convincing wins, so they climb back into the picture. STMA, Rogers, and Blaine make for a tough week ahead.
Grand Rapids (5-10-1)
-Bear with me on this one: despite the record, all of their losses are to higher-ranked teams or top 5 Class A teams, and they’ve got wins over decent Elk River and Andover teams. I’m not sure they deserve a high seed team in 7AA or are the team with the highest ceiling, but they might just be the safest bet in a tumultuous section. Cloquet this week is a good common opponent with Duluth Marshall, a section rival and another contender for this spot, and Lakeville South and Hill-Murray come north for the weekend, too.
Andover (6-8-3)
-The record isn’t great and some of the stuff on the ice was not great either this past week, as the Huskies unraveled in a loss to Grand Rapids. Still, they have done more to give me confidence they are a top 25 team than the likes of Buffalo and Duluth Marshall, who were also in consideration here. We’ll see if they can do anything with Moorhead this week.
And now, sections:
1AA
13 Farmington
15 Lakeville South
Lakeville North
New Prague
-Farmington is in charge here right now after the win over South, though the two do meet again in the season’s final week. Farmington gets North for a second time next week, too, and after North’s win over Blaine, the Panthers ae showing something and getting nudged ahead of New Prague (whom they tied early on this season) in the race for the 3-seed. No one further south is really pushing into the conversation for the top four this season.
2AA
1 Minnetonka
4 Shakopee
18 Chanhassen
21 Eden Prairie
-Tough losses over the past week by Eden Prairie and Chanhassen have the top two separating themselves here further; Chanhassen has the 3-seed in the crosshairs with wins over Eden Prairie, Holy Family, and Bloomington Jefferson. Eden Prairie has an unfortunate tie with Prior Lake but has otherwise done enough for 4-seed position, and Holy Family is in the 5-spot for now.
3AAA
5 St. Thomas Academy
8 Rosemount
11 Cretin-Derham Hall
Park of Cottage Grove
-It’s been a positive past few weeks for 3AA, with both Rosemount and Cretin trending upward; with no games between the private powers and Rosemount, the rankings may dictate where things wind up, and St. Thomas is doing enough to hold valuable 1-seed position. Park remains the safe four-seed pick.
4AA
7 Hill-Murray
10 Stillwater
17 White Bear Lake
East Ridge
-Not much cause for change here over the past two weeks, with Stillwater’s firm win over White Bear firming up the top two. The Hill-Stillwater clash for top seed positioning looms on the 24th. East Ridge remains the best bet for the 4-seed with a win over Roseville and some other decent results; Gentry got a nice win over Chanhassen this past week, but will probably have to do more to move up further.
5AA
9 Maple Grove
19 Blaine
16 Centennial
25 Andover
-The Crimson are the safe pick at the top for now, with a Blaine game at the end of the month being the one remaining hoop to secure #1 seed. Blaine, Andover, and Centennial all have games among each other remaining, and Totino isn’t that far out of the conversation, so a lot still hangs in the balance here. Up next: a Centennial-Blaine rematch after the Bengals cruised in December, plus an Andover-Totino meeting.
6AA
3 Edina
6 Rogers
12 Holy Angels
14 Wayzata
-With no meeting between Edina and Rogers, the top seed will likely come down to how each team finishes, and that Minnetonka win is a nugget of gold for the Hornets in that conversation. Beyond that, the order is pretty straightforward pending the Lake Conference clashes and a Wayzata-Holy Angels game in February. The first Edina-Wayzata meeting awaits us in the next two weeks. Buffalo, with the win over Benilde, is next in line for the 5-seed here.
7AA
21 Forest Lake
Duluth Marshall
Rock Ridge
24 Grand Rapids
-And then there’s this section. Forest Lake, after wins over Rock Ridge and Grand Rapids, is in command of the race for the top seed, and could all but secure it by beating Duluth East this week. Marshall got a big win over Rock Ridge but now has two somewhat sketchy results to local opponents, with games against Rapids and East remaining. I’m slotting Rock Ridge ahead of Rapids for now since they went 1-0 against East while Rapids was 1-0-1, but Rapids has real room to climb with both Rock Ridge and Marshall remaining on the schedule. East is clearly in 5-seed position right now but has at least been competitive, and has Forest Lake and Marshall games remaining to make an impact.
8AA
2 Moorhead
20 St. Michael-Albertville
23 Elk River
Bemidji
-STMA has surged into 2-seed position with its recent performance, and a win over Elk River this coming week would just about lock it up. Despite the Roseau loss I think Bemidji is doing enough to make a claim to the 4-seed now, and they can make a much stronger case if they can beat the Rams in the rematch on Friday.
1. Minnetonka (13-1-1)
-Undefeated no more: while the Skippers are still number one by virtue of the head-to-head win over Moorhead, they have proven beatable. The interesting tests continue to come in Lake play, with suddenly dangerous STMA and stalwart Maple Grove on the schedule.
This week: Thurs vs. St. Michael-Albertville, Sat vs. #9 Maple Grove
2. Moorhead (13-1-1)
-The Spuds did their usual drill against Benilde, but settled for a tie with St. Thomas a week after overpowering the Cadets. St. Thomas is a very good team and the gap between two and three is large enough that it doesn’t affect the Spuds seriously, though the nagging questions about their ability to shut down other powerful offenses aren’t going away. After a run of tough games things lighten up a little for the Spuds now, though both Bemidji and Andover could cause some trouble.
This week: Tues at Bemidji, Sat at Andover
3. Edina (11-4)
-With four losses, the Hornets can’t jump into the top two quite yet. They have, however, closed the gap substantially, showing one of the top two can be beaten, and proving that the Minnetonka Maginot Line can be punctured. There’s no resting on that achievement, though, with two more top ten teams up this week
This week: Tues at #5 St. Thomas Academy, Thurs at #9 Maple Grove, Sat at Buffalo
4. Shakopee (12-3)
-The Sabers remain on a steady track, having now won eight of their last nine, with the lone loss coming to Moorhead; the Farmington win now looks like a quality one as the Tigers surge. One of Class A’s finest comes for a visit this coming weekend.
This week: Thurs at Lakeville North, Sat vs. Hermantown
5. St. Thomas Academy (9-4-2)
-The Cadets poke their way upward with the Moorhead tie and showed that they can trouble one of the top two. They get a chance to avenge a holiday tournament loss to Edina now.
This week: Tues vs. #3 Edina, Thurs at Two Rivers, Sat vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
6. Rogers (11-4-1)
-The Royals’ surge continues, as they obliterated Blaine and Totino-Grace; they drop only because St. Thomas got a quality result against a better team. They’re unbeaten in their last eight, the one blemish being a tie against Rosemount, and are looking the part of a top five team. An outdoor game with Wayzata, which has some 6AA implications, headlines the coming week.
This week: Thurs at Elk River, Sat at #14 Wayzata (outdoors in Hastings)
7. Hill-Murray (9-3-2)
-The Pioneers haven’t been as flashy as the six teams above them, but they are methodically taking care of business. Wayzata headlines the coming week, and they’ve also got a visit to Grand Rapids ahead of them.
This week: Tues vs. #14 Wayzata, Thurs at Simley, Sat at Grand Rapids
8. Rosemount (11-3-1)
-The Irish continue to tick upward after a late surge against Stillwater; when this top line gets rolling, there are few in the state that can match it. Their week ahead features an old rival in Eastview and a Holy Angels team that could stand to prove something against a top ten team, so they’ll have to be on guard to avoid an upset.
This week: Thurs vs. Eastview, Sat vs. #12 Holy Angels
9. Maple Grove (10-3-1)
-The Crimson completed the season sweep of Wayzata by hanging on for a 4-3 win. They get the full Lake Conference meat grinder experience this coming week when they play Edina and Minnetonka.
This week: Thurs vs. #3 Edina, Sat at #1 Minnetonka
10. Stillwater (11-4)
-The Ponies couldn’t hold a lead against Rosemount, which nudges them downward in the rankings. For a second straight week, they face a team right next to them in here as they try to shore up their standing.
This week: Thurs at #11 Cretin-Derham Hall
11. Cretin-Derham Hall (11-5-1)
-Marched steadily through Suburban East opponents, including a Forest Lake team that has done some damage in 7AA, though the Park win was a little close for comfort. The week ahead is a big one featuring their two biggest rivals for Suburban East supremacy.
This week: Tues vs. White Bear Lake, Thurs vs. #10 Stillwater
12. Holy Angels (9-4)
-Rolled past Eastview in their only action this past week, continuing the theme of handling inferior opponents smoothly. The week ahead could tell us a lot more, especially for a team whose schedule only includes the occasional scattered contender down the stretch: what can they make of a stout Mahtomedi team that is surging in Class A, and can they handle Rosemount’s firepower?
This week: Tues vs. Mahtomedi, Sat at #8 Rosemount
13. Farmington (12-1-1)
-Start believing: the Tigers proved they are a legitimate team this past week, as they put together a respectable performance against Shakopee before stunning Lakeville South in overtime to assume frontrunner status in 1AA. A home-and-home with Eastview wraps around a section game with New Prague this coming week.
This week: Tues at Eastview, Thurs vs. New Prague, Sat vs. Eastview
14. Wayzata (6-6-2)
-The Trojans couldn’t complete a comeback against Maple Grove and remain very consistent in these rankings, unable to find momentum upward but avoiding anything that would send them downward. Poor Hopkins is sandwiched in between two contests with top ten powers this coming week.
This week: Tues at #7 Hill-Murray, Thurs at Hopkins, Sat vs. Rogers (outdoors in Hastings)
15. Lakeville South (6-6-1)
-The loss to Farmington disrupts 1AA and relegates the Cougars to 2-seed status. A bunch of decent opponents await them, including an overnight trip up north.
This week: Tues at Prior Lake, Fri at Grand Rapids, Sat at Rock Ridge
The Next Ten
Centennial (8-6)
-Handily beat Champlin Park as they continue with a section of their schedule that is relatively light game-wise. Rival Blaine awaits this coming week in a key 5AA positioning game.
White Bear Lake (6-6-1)
-The Bears had a decent week, handling a Grand Rapids team that is showing some hints of life and shutting out East Ridge. Cretin and Forest Lake highlight a three-game week of conference play.
Chanhassen (8-5-1)
-A loss to Gentry is not a great result for the Storm, though they rebounded to win a section game against Bloomington Jefferson. St. Louis Park is their only opponent this coming week.
Blaine (7-5-1)
-The Bengals had a rough week, as they got roughed up by Rogers and then lost to a Lakeville North team that hasn’t sniffed the top 25 this season. The Centennial rematch will tell us more about their direction, and they’ve got a tough Elk River squad, too.
St. Michael-Albertville (9-5)
-This may be the hardest team to rank in the state: the Knights stunned Edina, their second win over a top six team this season, but turned around and lost to rival Buffalo. The upset potential is intriguing for the likely 2-seed in 8AA, but they also have to avoid losing in a quarterfinal. A tough week looms with Minnetonka on the docket, plus tough Elk River and Eden Prairie. What is this team, really?
Forest Lake (10-5)
-A loss to Cretin is expected and a win over a decent East Ridge team is good, but the loss to Woodbury throws up some red flags over the theoretical favorite in 7AA. A win over Duluth East this week would bring them a step closer to the top seed in the section, and they get crack at White Bear this week, too.
Eden Prairie (6-8-1)
-The Eagles broke a six-game skid with a win over Hopkins, but it’s safe to say they’re plummeting out of contention for a high ranking. Their young stars give them the pieces to do some interesting things, but they’re not showing much right now. They’ll try to get on track against Buffalo and STMA this week, which are not the safe bets they may have been in the past.
Elk River (8-4)
-The Elks had a 3-0 week of convincing wins, so they climb back into the picture. STMA, Rogers, and Blaine make for a tough week ahead.
Grand Rapids (5-10-1)
-Bear with me on this one: despite the record, all of their losses are to higher-ranked teams or top 5 Class A teams, and they’ve got wins over decent Elk River and Andover teams. I’m not sure they deserve a high seed team in 7AA or are the team with the highest ceiling, but they might just be the safest bet in a tumultuous section. Cloquet this week is a good common opponent with Duluth Marshall, a section rival and another contender for this spot, and Lakeville South and Hill-Murray come north for the weekend, too.
Andover (6-8-3)
-The record isn’t great and some of the stuff on the ice was not great either this past week, as the Huskies unraveled in a loss to Grand Rapids. Still, they have done more to give me confidence they are a top 25 team than the likes of Buffalo and Duluth Marshall, who were also in consideration here. We’ll see if they can do anything with Moorhead this week.
And now, sections:
1AA
13 Farmington
15 Lakeville South
Lakeville North
New Prague
-Farmington is in charge here right now after the win over South, though the two do meet again in the season’s final week. Farmington gets North for a second time next week, too, and after North’s win over Blaine, the Panthers ae showing something and getting nudged ahead of New Prague (whom they tied early on this season) in the race for the 3-seed. No one further south is really pushing into the conversation for the top four this season.
2AA
1 Minnetonka
4 Shakopee
18 Chanhassen
21 Eden Prairie
-Tough losses over the past week by Eden Prairie and Chanhassen have the top two separating themselves here further; Chanhassen has the 3-seed in the crosshairs with wins over Eden Prairie, Holy Family, and Bloomington Jefferson. Eden Prairie has an unfortunate tie with Prior Lake but has otherwise done enough for 4-seed position, and Holy Family is in the 5-spot for now.
3AAA
5 St. Thomas Academy
8 Rosemount
11 Cretin-Derham Hall
Park of Cottage Grove
-It’s been a positive past few weeks for 3AA, with both Rosemount and Cretin trending upward; with no games between the private powers and Rosemount, the rankings may dictate where things wind up, and St. Thomas is doing enough to hold valuable 1-seed position. Park remains the safe four-seed pick.
4AA
7 Hill-Murray
10 Stillwater
17 White Bear Lake
East Ridge
-Not much cause for change here over the past two weeks, with Stillwater’s firm win over White Bear firming up the top two. The Hill-Stillwater clash for top seed positioning looms on the 24th. East Ridge remains the best bet for the 4-seed with a win over Roseville and some other decent results; Gentry got a nice win over Chanhassen this past week, but will probably have to do more to move up further.
5AA
9 Maple Grove
19 Blaine
16 Centennial
25 Andover
-The Crimson are the safe pick at the top for now, with a Blaine game at the end of the month being the one remaining hoop to secure #1 seed. Blaine, Andover, and Centennial all have games among each other remaining, and Totino isn’t that far out of the conversation, so a lot still hangs in the balance here. Up next: a Centennial-Blaine rematch after the Bengals cruised in December, plus an Andover-Totino meeting.
6AA
3 Edina
6 Rogers
12 Holy Angels
14 Wayzata
-With no meeting between Edina and Rogers, the top seed will likely come down to how each team finishes, and that Minnetonka win is a nugget of gold for the Hornets in that conversation. Beyond that, the order is pretty straightforward pending the Lake Conference clashes and a Wayzata-Holy Angels game in February. The first Edina-Wayzata meeting awaits us in the next two weeks. Buffalo, with the win over Benilde, is next in line for the 5-seed here.
7AA
21 Forest Lake
Duluth Marshall
Rock Ridge
24 Grand Rapids
-And then there’s this section. Forest Lake, after wins over Rock Ridge and Grand Rapids, is in command of the race for the top seed, and could all but secure it by beating Duluth East this week. Marshall got a big win over Rock Ridge but now has two somewhat sketchy results to local opponents, with games against Rapids and East remaining. I’m slotting Rock Ridge ahead of Rapids for now since they went 1-0 against East while Rapids was 1-0-1, but Rapids has real room to climb with both Rock Ridge and Marshall remaining on the schedule. East is clearly in 5-seed position right now but has at least been competitive, and has Forest Lake and Marshall games remaining to make an impact.
8AA
2 Moorhead
20 St. Michael-Albertville
23 Elk River
Bemidji
-STMA has surged into 2-seed position with its recent performance, and a win over Elk River this coming week would just about lock it up. Despite the Roseau loss I think Bemidji is doing enough to make a claim to the 4-seed now, and they can make a much stronger case if they can beat the Rams in the rematch on Friday.