AA Rankings for 1/24/16

[karl(east)]

Three weeks left in the regular season…

1. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (17-0-1)
-The Red Knights fought off another tough challenge from Farmington before rolling past Bloomington Jefferson. As everyone else behind them tumbles or putters along against weak schedules, they’re at the point where they can lose a game or two and remain the top team in the rankings. Minnetonka, one of their three major obstacles en route to an undefeated regular season, is up next.
This week: Tues vs. #6 Minnetonka, Thurs vs. Bloomington Kennedy, Sat at Chanhassen

2. Eden Prairie (15-3-1)
-The Eagles tied St. Thomas this past week, but I’m not going to whack them too much for a tie in which they didn’t have Michael Graham. Of more concern, I think, is the win over Hopkins in which they had Graham and still didn’t do much until they got to the third period. At times, they run the risk of being overly dependent on their stars, and if they’re not producing, they look pretty ordinary. They’re at #2 because of what that talent can do, and because Holy Family’s wins over Wright County featherweights don’t do much to earn a higher ranking. They head back into the Lake Conference meat grinder this week against two longtime rivals.
This week: Thurs vs. #14 Edina, Sat vs. #10 Wayzata

3. Holy Family (14-3)
-The Fire continue to clean up on Wright County opponents, and we have one more week of this before they finally start playing some relevant games again.
This week: Tues at Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato, Thurs vs. Delano

4. Stillwater (17-1-1)
-The Ponies made their statement this past week, as they flew past Hill-Murray to claim frontrunner status in 4AA. With everyone else in this section of the rankings losing this past week, they climb into the top 5, and at their best, I certainly think they can take down the teams below them. Now they just need to keep building momentum into the playoffs; they do face a Mahtomedi team this week that’s probably better than anything they’re getting in the conference.
This week: Thurs vs. Mahtomedi, Sat vs. Mounds View

5. Blaine (14-4)
-A loss to Hill-Murray raises some more questions about these Bengals, but they rebounded by breaking their hex against stumbling Anoka. Despite the shot edge, it seems like teams are starting to figure out this one-dimensional offense more and more often. They really should win out from here; the Thursday game against Maple Grove is the only that even looks like a real upset threat. We’ll see what they do to build toward the playoffs.
This week: Thurs vs. Maple Grove, Sat vs. Andover

6. Minnetonka (14-5)
-The Skippers saw their recent hot streak come to a close in a shutout loss to resurgent Wayzata, but bounced back to take down Edina and remain at the top of the Lake Conference. It wasn’t the flashiest week, but they could make a bigger impression if they can do something against Benilde on Tuesday.
This week: Tues at #1 Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Sat vs. Hopkins

7. Lakeville North (12-5-1)
-The Panthers’ offense abandoned them this past week, as they were shut out by Farmington and barely scraped by Burnsville. This will likely cost them the top seed in 1AA, and the overall résumé is starting to lean very heavily on the Benilde tie and that early win over Rapids. Still, no one else has done enough to make a move here, and they do clean up against most of their weaker opponents. I’d expect more of that this week.
This week: Thurs vs. Apple Valley, Sat vs. Rosemount

8. Hill-Murray (13-5-1)
-It was a tough week to read for the Pioneers, as they scored a big win over Blaine but got spanked by Stillwater. They’re getting outshot pretty regularly by their top opponents, so tight defense—welcome back, Casey Staum—and goaltending is going to be key to their chances in the coming weeks. They take a long road trip to face relative unknown Bemidji this week, and Mahtomedi isn’t a gimme, either.
This week: Tues at #12 Bemidji, Sat vs. Mahtomedi

9. St. Thomas Academy (11-5-4)
-The Cadets had a very strong week, as they tied Eden Prairie and blew out Duluth Marshall. They’ve had their peaks and valleys this year, but this squad seems to be progressing steadily, and has the talent to run away with 3AA. This week should feature two more wins, though Tartan has done a good job of being pesky so far this season.
This week: Tues at Cretin-Derham Hall, Sat at Tartan

10. Wayzata (12-5-1)
-The Trojans are suddenly on the charge, with a big shutout win over Minnetonka and a road win over Grand Rapids this past week. The defense looks sharp, and the offense is finally doing enough. The potential has always been there, so maybe they’re finally putting it all together. The rematch with Eden Prairie is a winnable game, and will be an excellent test of their recent progress.
This week: Thurs vs. Hopkins, Sat at #2 Eden Prairie

11. Elk River (12-6-1)
-It wasn’t an inspiring week for the Elks, as they barely beat Andover and lost to Maple Grove. They need to get healthy, but they also need to make sure they’re playing their best hockey late in the season. This week is a huge one, as they visit Centennial and face off against Duluth East in a key 7AA clash.
This week: Thurs at Centennial, Sat at Duluth East

12. Bemidji (14-2-2)
-Rolled over Alexandria in their lone game, but are once again subject to getting buffeted about by the movement of other teams. This is a huge week for the Lumberjacks; they play their one game against a Metro-area power, which will give us a much better idea of how well they stack up against the other teams in the top 15. They also face two mid-level 8AA opponents.
This week: Tues vs. #8 Hill-Murray, Thurs at Roseau, Sat vs. St. Michael-Albertville

13. Grand Rapids (14-6-1)
-A narrow win over Duluth Marshall, a narrow loss to Wayzata, and a comfortable win over White Bear Lake: basically, the Thunderhawks are where they belong in this 10-13 range. I still think they have more potential than some teams around them, but we’re still waiting for them to really hit their stride. They have just four games over the season’s last three weeks, though this week’s could be interesting depending on which version of the Thunderhawks shows up.
This week: Sat vs. Moorhead

14. Edina (11-7-2)
-The Hornets’ trend down the stretch seems to involve playing good teams fairly close, but hasn’t been translating into much winning in January. The second of three meetings with Eden Prairie is up this week, followed by their last safe win of the season.
This week: Thurs at #2 Eden Prairie, Sat vs. Holy Angels

15. Farmington (11-6-1)
-The Tigers made a statement this past week as they took Benilde to the brink and beat Lakeville North for a second time this season. While they tend to get outshot in big games, they’re playing smart with good defensive discipline and quality goaltending. They can lock up the top seed in 1AA with a win over Lakeville South this week.
This week: Thurs at Rosemount, Sat vs. Lakeville South

The Next Ten

Centennial (13-5-1)
-The Cougars have won seven straight now; the White Bear Lake and Maple Grove wins weren’t entirely pretty, but an overtime win over Moorhead helps their standing in this part of the rankings. This week features their last real challenges, as they face suddenly stumbling Elk River and a middling Brainerd squad. If they win these, they could close out the regular season on a very long winning streak.

Duluth East (10-7)
-Here come the Hounds? After a quality win over Prior Lake and a whipping of Forest Lake, they’re certainly trending in the right direction. They have a big week ahead of them, as they face reeling but talented Anoka and 7AA frontrunner Elk River.

Prior Lake (13-6)
-The Lakers got two more wins over South Suburban competition, but lost to Duluth East, meaning they remain without a nonconference win of any stature. Nothing but conference games remain, with Burnsville and Eastview up this week.

Moorhead (12-8)
-A win over St. Michael-Albertville beefs up the Spuds’ claim to a top-2 seed in 8AA, but a loss to Centennial cuts off their winning streak and keeps them steady here. Just one game this week, but it’s another big one against Grand Rapids.

Burnsville (8-9-2)
-The Blaze are doing reasonably well recently, with blowouts against the teams they should beat and some very tight contests with good teams, including a one-goal loss to Lakeville North after falling by five in the first meeting. Prior Lake provides an opportunity for a statement win this week.

Lakeville South (10-6-1)
-Lost to Prior Lake but beat Eastview, which holds the Cougars steady. They have a second straight three-game week now, highlighted by a visit to Farmington that has implications in 1AA and on the rankings bubble.

Maple Grove (8-11)
-Give this squad some credit: they’re not setting the world on fire, but they do have wins over Elk River and Anoka in recent weeks, and have had a couple of other quality games against strong teams. They’ve got enough talent to be pesky, and can shore up those credentials in a week that involves road trips to Blaine and Anoka.

St. Michael-Albertville (12-5-2)
-A loss to Moorhead suggests the Knights are still a step behind the cream of the crop in 8AA, though a battle with Bemidji this week will give a much clearer picture.

Eastview (9-8-2)
-I guess? They flipped the script against Rosemount this past week, which has them in stronger position in 3AA; none of their losses are bad, and they did tie St. Thomas sometime back in the mists of history. They gave Burnsville a close game back in December, so if they can pull out the rematch, they’d have as good a claim to the 2-seed as anyone.

Anoka (8-8)
-The Tornadoes are in a total tailspin, but the Rogers loss in the only one to a team that isn’t now ranked ahead of them, so we’ll keep them among the relevant for now.

1AA
15 Farmington
8 Lakeville North
21 Lakeville South
-Farmington’s second win over North has them in command of the race for the 1-seed, but they do need to beat Lakeville South this week to shore that up. If they don’t, the top three could all wind up 2-0 or 0-2 against one another, in which case overall résumés would tip it toward North. North and South have their rematch on February 4.

2AA
2 Eden Prairie
3 Holy Family
6 Minnetonka
18 Prior Lake
-No real reason to move things around here. This section basically comes down to the February 4 game between Eden Prairie and Minnetonka; an Eagles win locks in this order, while a Skipper win would slide Holy Family to the top, stick Tonka at #2, and drop Eden Prairie to #3. Prior Lake remains #4, but if they find some defensive discipline, they could be just as tough a semifinal opponent as anyone.

3AA
9 St. Thomas Academy
20 Burnsville
Rosemount
24 Eastview
-The Cadets’ overall body of work has them locked in as the 1-seed at the moment. After that, well, who knows? No one else here even has 10 wins, or is more than one game over .500. I still think Burnsville is the second-best team, and they’ve been playing better lately, but need wins over Rosemount and Eastview next week to really lock in the 2-seed. Rosemount and Eastview have split, but I’m giving the Irish the bump to #3 based on their win over Burnsville. With a competent finish Jefferson could make a claim to a 3- or 4-seed, but they’re saddled by a loss to plummeting Eagan.

4AA
4 Stillwater
8 Hill-Murray
-Stillwater makes this easy with a big win over Hill. Beyond that, Tartan and White Bear are next in line, but it’s still basically a two-team race.

5AA
5 Blaine
15 Centennial
25 Anoka
22 Maple Grove
-Things are nearly settled here; the only relevant game left is the second Anoka-Maple Grove game, which should decide who’s #3 and who’s #4. There is a big question at the top, though: Centennial and Blaine have split, and Blaine also has a second section loss to Anoka. Is that enough to overcome Blaine’s better overall résumé and give the Cougars the top seed? My answer is no, but Centennial at #1 isn’t out of the question.

6AA
1 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
10 Wayzata
14 Edina
-Wayzata’s second win over Edina guarantees them a top-2 seed, and locks the Hornets in at #3. We now await the Wayzata-Benilde game in the final week of the season to see if there’s any more movement, though Wayzata will likely need to continue its winning ways for that game to matter for seeding.

7AA
11 Elk River
13 Grand Rapids
17 Duluth East
Duluth Marshall
-Things are holding steady here, though East is making enough noise to have a more solid stake on the 3-seed, and the Elks probably need to beat East to hang on to the top seed. An East win over Elk River could really throw things for a loop, as could a second Cloquet win over East. If things go according to rankings, the second Marshall-Cloquet game will decide who gets home ice in the 4-5 game; while Marshall has played well against East and Rapids, their overall body of work makes it hard to justify anything more than #4. It’s looking increasingly unlikely that this section will produce a seeded team at State.

8AA
12 Bemidji
18 Moorhead
23 St. Michael-Albertville
Brainerd
-Moorhead is the big mover here, with wins over Bemidji, Brainerd, Roseau, and STMA in the past two weeks. They are now #2 at the lowest, and could yet claim the top seed if Bemidji falters in one of their three remaining section games against Roseau, STMA, and Brainerd. If the Lumberjacks do win those three, they’ve done enough overall to be #1. Brainerd’s recent drop-off and loss to Roseau drops them behind STMA for the 3-seed.

[BodyShots]

Curious why the large spread between LN at #7 and Farmington at #15. Records are similar with Farmington beating LN twice already!

[elliott70]

My adjustments

1. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (17-0-1)
2. Holy Family (14-3)

3. Eden Prairie (15-3-1)
4. Wayzata

5. Stillwater (17-1-1)
6. Bemidji (14-2-2)

7. Mnnetonka (14-5)
8. Blaine (14-4)

9. St. Thomas Academy (11-5-4)
10. Hill-Murray (13-5-1)

11. Lakeville North (12-5-1)
12. Grand Rapids (14-6-1)

13. Elk River (12-6-1)
14. Farmington (11-6-1)

15. Centennial (13-5-1)
16. Edina (11-7-2)

17. Moorhead (12-8 )
18. Duluth East (10-7)

19. Prior Lake (13-6)
20. St. Michael-Albertville (12-5-2)

[HockeyonFire]

Great take Elliot. And nice take on section 2AA Karl.
Here is the MNHSPuck rankings-

*Hill-Murray up to 5. Bemidji could move into 5 this week.

MNHSPuck Top 20 (Games vs. AA Top-15, Record vs. AA Top-15)

1. BSM 17-0-1, (9, 7-0-0)
W: #3 EP, @#5 Hill-Murray, #6 Blaine, #10 Elk River, @#11 GR, #12 STA, @#15 Farm,
@#20 STMA
T: #16 LN

2. Holy Family 14-3 (7, 3-2)
W: vs. #4 Stillwater, #8 Minnetonka, @#12 STA, vs. #16 Lakeville North, vs. #19 Prior Lake,
Sports Authority Classic
L: #7 Wayzata, vs. #14 Edina, @#2 (A) Breck,

3. EP 15-3-1 (15, 7-3-1)
W: #5 Hill-Murray, @#7 Wayzata, vs. #8 Minnetonka, #10 ER, #11 GR, @#14 Edina, @15 Farm, @#19 PL, Schwan Cup Gold
L: @#1 BSM, @#6 Blaine, #8 Minnetonka,
T: @#12 STA

4. Stillwater 17-1-1 (4, 1-1)
W: #5 Hill-Murray, @#16 LN
L: #2 Holy Family
T: White Bear Lake

5. Hill-Murray 13-5-1 (12, 3-5-1)
W: #6 Blaine, #7 Wayzata, #12 STA
L: #1 BSM, #3 EP, #4 Stillwater, #7 Wayzata, #14 Edina,
T: #14 Edina

6. Blaine 14-4 (9, 6-3)
W: #3 EP, @#8 Minnetonka, #10 Elk River, #10 @Elk River, @#13 Centennial, @#14 Edina,
L: @#1 BSM, @#5 Hill, #13 Centennial, Anoka

7. Wayzata 12-6-1 (14, 6-4-1)
W: @#2 HF, @#5 Hill-Murray, @#8 Tonka, @#11 Grand Rapids, #14 Edina, @#14 Edina,
#2 (A) Breck,
L: @#1 (A) Hermantown, #3 EP, #5 Hill-M, @#12 STA, #15 Farmington, @#17 Duluth east
T: #12 STA

8. Minnetonka 14-5 (11, 5-5)
W: @#3 EP, @#12 STA, #13 Cent, #14 Edina, #14 Edina, #1 (A) Hermantown,
L: @#2 Holy Family, vs. #3 EP, #6 Blaine, #7 Wayzata, @#11 GR

9. Bemidji 14-2-2 (2, 0-0-1)
W: #1 (a) @Hermantown, #18 Moorhead
L: Cloquet, #18 @Moorhead
T: @#11 Grand Rapids, East Grand Forks

10. Elk River 12-6-1 (9, 2-5-1)
W: #11 GR, #16 LN, #19 Prior Lake,
L: @#1 BSM, #3 EP, @#6 Blaine, #6 Blaine, @#14 Edina, Maple Grove
T: #13 Centennial

11. Grand Rapids 14-6-1 (9, 2-4-1)
W: #8 Minnetonka, @#14 Edina, #4 (a) Hibbing
L: #1 BSM, @#3 EP, #7 Wayzata, #10 ER, @#16 LN, #1 (A) Hermantown
T: #9 Bemidji

12. STA 11-5-4 (10, 2-4-3)
W: #7 Wayzata, #13 Centennial
L: @#1 BSM, #2 Holy Family, @#5 Hill-Murray, #8 Minnetonka, Mahtomedi (1a)
T #3 EP, #7 Wayzata, #14 Edina, @Eastview

13. Centennial 13-5-1 (7, 1-4-1)
W: @#6 Blaine, @#18 Moorhead
L: #6 Blaine, #8 Minnetonka, #12 STA, #14 Edina, Burnsville
T: @#10 Elk River

14. Edina 11-7-2 (17, 5-7-2)
W: #2 Holy Family, #5 Hill-Murray, #10 Elk River, @#13 Cent, #15 Farm,
L: #3 EP, #6 Blaine, @#7 Wayzata, #7 Wayzata
#8 Minnetonka, @#8 Minnetonka, #11 Grand Rapids,
T: @#5 Hill-Murray, #12 STA,

15. Farmington 11-6-1 (7, 1-3)
W: @#7 Wayzata, #16 LN, @#16 LN,
L: #1 BSM, @#3 EP, @#14 Edina, @#19 PL, Lakeville South, Burnsville
T: Burnsville

16. Lakeville North 12-5-1 (10, 1-5-1)
W: #11 GR, #19 PL,
L: #2 Holy Family, #4 Stillwater, #10 Elk River, @#15 Farm, #15 Farm
T: #1 BSM

17. Duluth East 10-7 (1-4)
W: #7 Wayzata, #19 Prior Lake
L: @#3 EP, #6 Blaine, @#11 Grand Rapids, #13 Cent, @#20 STMA, Dul M, @Cloquet

18. Moorhead 12-8 (1-5)
W: #9 Bemidji, #19 PL, @#20 STMA,
L: @#1 BSM, #4 Stillwater, #8 Minnetonka, @#9 Bemidji, #13 Centennial, #2 (a) Breck, Maple Grove, @Brainerd

19. Prior Lake 13-6 (5, 1-3)
W: #15 Farm,
L: #2 Holy Family, #3 EP, #10 Elk River, @#16 Lakeville North, @#17 Duluth East,
#18 Moorhead,

20. St. Michael Albertville 12-5-2 (3, 0-1)
W: vs. #2 (A) Breck, #17 Duluth East
L: @#2 (A) Breck, #1 BSM, #18 Moorhead, Mahtomedi, @St. Francis
T: Roseau, @Buffalo

[Sats81]

Great take Elliot. And nice take on section 2AA Karl.
Here is the MNHSPuck rankings-

*Hill-Murray up to 5. Bemidji could move into 5 this week.

MNHSPuck Top 20 (Games vs. AA Top-15, Record vs. AA Top-15)

1. BSM 17-0-1, (9, 7-0-0)
W: #3 EP, @#5 Hill-Murray, #6 Blaine, #10 Elk River, @#11 GR, #12 STA, @#15 Farm,
@#20 STMA
T: #16 LN

2. Holy Family 14-3 (7, 3-2)
W: vs. #4 Stillwater, #8 Minnetonka, @#12 STA, vs. #16 Lakeville North, vs. #19 Prior Lake,
Sports Authority Classic
L: #7 Wayzata, vs. #14 Edina, @#2 (A) Breck,

3. EP 15-3-1 (15, 7-3-1)
W: #5 Hill-Murray, @#7 Wayzata, vs. #8 Minnetonka, #10 ER, #11 GR, @#14 Edina, @15 Farm, @#19 PL, Schwan Cup Gold
L: @#1 BSM, @#6 Blaine, #8 Minnetonka,
T: @#12 STA

4. Stillwater 17-1-1 (4, 1-1)
W: #5 Hill-Murray, @#16 LN
L: #2 Holy Family
T: White Bear Lake

5. Hill-Murray 13-5-1 (12, 3-5-1)
W: #6 Blaine, #7 Wayzata, #12 STA
L: #1 BSM, #3 EP, #4 Stillwater, #7 Wayzata, #14 Edina,
T: #14 Edina

6. Blaine 14-4 (9, 6-3)
W: #3 EP, @#8 Minnetonka, #10 Elk River, #10 @Elk River, @#13 Centennial, @#14 Edina,
L: @#1 BSM, @#5 Hill, #13 Centennial, Anoka

7. Wayzata 12-6-1 (14, 6-4-1)
W: @#2 HF, @#5 Hill-Murray, @#8 Tonka, @#11 Grand Rapids, #14 Edina, @#14 Edina,
#2 (A) Breck,
L: @#1 (A) Hermantown, #3 EP, #5 Hill-M, @#12 STA, #15 Farmington, @#17 Duluth east
T: #12 STA

8. Minnetonka 14-5 (11, 5-5)
W: @#3 EP, @#12 STA, #13 Cent, #14 Edina, #14 Edina, #1 (A) Hermantown,
L: @#2 Holy Family, vs. #3 EP, #6 Blaine, #7 Wayzata, @#11 GR

9. Bemidji 14-2-2 (2, 0-0-1)
W: #1 (a) @Hermantown, #18 Moorhead
L: Cloquet, #18 @Moorhead
T: @#11 Grand Rapids, East Grand Forks

10. Elk River 12-6-1 (9, 2-5-1)
W: #11 GR, #16 LN, #19 Prior Lake,
L: @#1 BSM, #3 EP, @#6 Blaine, #6 Blaine, @#14 Edina, Maple Grove
T: #13 Centennial

11. Grand Rapids 14-6-1 (9, 2-4-1)
W: #8 Minnetonka, @#14 Edina, #4 (a) Hibbing
L: #1 BSM, @#3 EP, #7 Wayzata, #10 ER, @#16 LN, #1 (A) Hermantown
T: #9 Bemidji

12. STA 11-5-4 (10, 2-4-3)
W: #7 Wayzata, #13 Centennial
L: @#1 BSM, #2 Holy Family, @#5 Hill-Murray, #8 Minnetonka, Mahtomedi (1a)
T #3 EP, #7 Wayzata, #14 Edina, @Eastview

13. Centennial 13-5-1 (7, 1-4-1)
W: @#6 Blaine, @#18 Moorhead
L: #6 Blaine, #8 Minnetonka, #12 STA, #14 Edina, Burnsville
T: @#10 Elk River

14. Edina 11-7-2 (17, 5-7-2)
W: #2 Holy Family, #5 Hill-Murray, #10 Elk River, @#13 Cent, #15 Farm,
L: #3 EP, #6 Blaine, @#7 Wayzata, #7 Wayzata
#8 Minnetonka, @#8 Minnetonka, #11 Grand Rapids,
T: @#5 Hill-Murray, #12 STA,

15. Farmington 11-6-1 (7, 1-3)
W: @#7 Wayzata, #16 LN, @#16 LN,
L: #1 BSM, @#3 EP, @#14 Edina, @#19 PL, Lakeville South, Burnsville
T: Burnsville

16. Lakeville North 12-5-1 (10, 1-5-1)
W: #11 GR, #19 PL,
L: #2 Holy Family, #4 Stillwater, #10 Elk River, @#15 Farm, #15 Farm
T: #1 BSM

17. Duluth East 10-7 (1-4)
W: #7 Wayzata, #19 Prior Lake
L: @#3 EP, #6 Blaine, @#11 Grand Rapids, #13 Cent, @#20 STMA, Dul M, @Cloquet

18. Moorhead 12-8 (1-5)
W: #9 Bemidji, #19 PL, @#20 STMA,
L: @#1 BSM, #4 Stillwater, #8 Minnetonka, @#9 Bemidji, #13 Centennial, #2 (a) Breck, Maple Grove, @Brainerd

19. Prior Lake 13-6 (5, 1-3)
W: #15 Farm,
L: #2 Holy Family, #3 EP, #10 Elk River, @#16 Lakeville North, @#17 Duluth East,
#18 Moorhead,

20. St. Michael Albertville 12-5-2 (3, 0-1)
W: vs. #2 (A) Breck, #17 Duluth East
L: @#2 (A) Breck, #1 BSM, #18 Moorhead, Mahtomedi, @St. Francis
T: Roseau, @Buffalo

Stick to your day job Aaron Double A.

[karl(east)]

Curious why the large spread between LN at #7 and Farmington at #15. Records are similar with Farmington beating LN twice already!

Records are similar, but SOS is a bit different (North is #7; Farmington #19). Farmington's got the North wins and a win over Wayzata during their dark period, but beyond that...a tie and a loss to Burnsville (the loss coming a week ago), losses to Prior Lake and Lakeville South, and blowout losses (though early) to Edina and EP.

North, meanwhile, tied the consensus #1, and beat Grand Rapids. They have two close losses to top 5 teams, plus one to a good Elk River team. They have also destroyed nearly everyone else in the South Suburban, excepting Prior Lake and this most recent narrow win over Burnsville. There's a reason the two are pretty far apart in PageStat.

The other issue this year is that everything is just very crowded. I felt bad about bumping Centennial out of the top 15 to accommodate Farmington, since they're on a nice little run right now. Do you drop an Edina team that pounded them? A Bemidji team that's done nothing but win? Do you whack North more than a couple of spots over one loss? It's just hard to move anyone too far based on one win.

[Sats81]

Curious why the large spread between LN at #7 and Farmington at #15. Records are similar with Farmington beating LN twice already!

Records are similar, but SOS is a bit different (North is #7; Farmington #19). Farmington's got the North wins and a win over Wayzata during their dark period, but beyond that...a tie and a loss to Burnsville (the loss coming a week ago), losses to Prior Lake and Lakeville South, and blowout losses (though early) to Edina and EP.

North, meanwhile, tied the consensus #1, and beat Grand Rapids. They have two close losses to top 5 teams, plus one to a good Elk River team. They have also destroyed nearly everyone else in the South Suburban, excepting Prior Lake and this most recent narrow win over Burnsville. There's a reason the two are pretty far apart in PageStat.

The other issue this year is that everything is just very crowded. I felt bad about bumping Centennial out of the top 15 to accommodate Farmington, since they're on a nice little run right now. Do you drop an Edina team that pounded them? A Bemidji team that's done nothing but win? Do you whack North more than a couple of spots over one loss? It's just hard to move anyone too far based on one win.

Makes sense. For the record, Karl, your rankings are the only ones that really matter in my mind. It is quite apparent a great deal of work on your part goes into who is where and why. (Unlike pretenders like LPH)

Thanks

[karl(east)]

Just for comparisons, here's the latest PageStat (AA only):

1. Eden Prairie
2. Benilde
3. Holy Family
4. Lakeville North
5. Stillwater
6. Prior Lake
7. Blaine
8. Bemidji
9. Minnetonka
10. Edina
11. Hill-Murray
12. Wayzata
13. Grand Rapids
14. St. Thomas Academy
15. Elk River
16. Centennial
17. Duluth East
18. Farmington
19. Maple Grove
20. Moorhead

[gitter]

Just for comparisons, here's the latest PageStat (AA only):

1. Eden Prairie
2. Benilde
3. Holy Family
4. Lakeville North
5. Stillwater
6. Prior Lake
7. Blaine
8. Bemidji
9. Minnetonka
10. Edina
11. Hill-Murray
12. Wayzata
13. Grand Rapids
14. St. Thomas Academy
15. Elk River
16. Centennial
17. Duluth East
18. Farmington
19. Maple Grove
20. Moorhead

That Prior Lake is a shocker to me. Losses to ER, East, Moorhead who are considered well 'below' them in these rankings....regardless of how bad you beat sub-par teams...its a head scratcher.

[Sats81]

Just for comparisons, here's the latest PageStat (AA only):

1. Eden Prairie
2. Benilde
3. Holy Family
4. Lakeville North
5. Stillwater
6. Prior Lake
7. Blaine
8. Bemidji
9. Minnetonka
10. Edina
11. Hill-Murray
12. Wayzata
13. Grand Rapids
14. St. Thomas Academy
15. Elk River
16. Centennial
17. Duluth East
18. Farmington
19. Maple Grove
20. Moorhead

That Prior Lake is a shocker to me. Losses to ER, East, Moorhead who are considered well 'below' them in these rankings....regardless of how bad you beat sub-par teams...its a head scratcher.

They are dangerous...and even worse...unpredictable...they will be a thorn in someones side come playoff time, that is for sure.