A Rankings for 12/15/19

[ClassAGuy]

CLASS A RANKINGS 12/15/19
After Week #4 the top 8 stays the same and a complete mess after that.

A ton of great matchups this week in Class A!!

1. Hermantown (4-1-1)
-The Hawks pick up two wins against two AA teams this week. They blew out the Hilltoppers and let TG stick around despite controlling the pace and play of the game. This week they return to Class in a big way. First they take on their main 7A contender in Duluth Denfeld, and then they take on Class A power Mahtomedi to end the week should give us a much better view of how dominate this group of Hawks is in Class A.
This week: Tues vs. Duluth Denfeld, and Sat vs. Mahtomedi

2. East Grand Forks (5-0-2)
-The Green Wave had a solid week first disposing of 8A Crookston and then finding a way to win on the road vs. Alexandria, after trailing by two, heading into the final frame. This is a big week for EGF. They finally play at home. All three will be home with the big one on Friday night as they welcome the much-hyped Warriors to town. It should be a great battle up north.
This week: Tues vs. Bemidji, Friday vs. Warroad, Saturday vs. Greenway

3. Warroad (7-0-0)
-The Warriors have benefited from a very nice home schedule early. They have taken care of business. They showed on Thursday a will to win as TRF pushed them to OT before finding a way to win on their home ice. This week just one game and it's a big one on the road at East Grand Forks. We will see how the Warriors fare away from their home ice. It should be a great hockey game heading into Christmas break.
This week: Fri at East Grand Forks

4. Mahtomedi (5-1-0)
-The Zephyrs provided another win in their lone game last week over the Moose of Monticello. This week they have a busier week with three road games. The last one at Hermantown is a big-time game. It should give us a better feel of where this year's version of Mahtomedi is at heading into the new year.
This week: Tues at South St Paul, Thurs at Northfield, Sat at Hermantown

5. Orono (6-0-1)
-The Spartans had a great week last week taking down Class AA Chaska and then knocking off their main Section 2A Rival Delano at home. Now they hit the road for a very challenging week. They start at Wright County Powerhouse AA Holy Family and then take on the Defending Class A Champs Cathedral. We will see where the Spartans sit after this week.
This week: Tues at Holy Family, Thurs at St Cloud Cathedral

6. St Cloud Cathedral (4-1-0)
-The Crusaders got a big win over AA Brainerd in their lone game of the week. This week we will see how tough the Defending Champs are as they play two good teams. First, the team sits above them in the rankings in Orono and then a young up and coming, Totino Grace.
This week: Thurs vs. Orono, Sat at Totino Grace

7. Alexandria (6-2-0)
-The Cardinals showed they should not be over-looked this winter in 6A. They had EGF on the ropes only to let them slip away with a win. Alexandria seems pretty settled in so far at Seven as they have taken care of the teams below but lost to the two teams ahead.
This week: Tues @ St. Cloud, Thurs vs. Fergus Falls

8. Duluth Denfeld (5-1-1)
-Hunters took a good step forward in claiming the two seed in Section 7A. They had an interesting tie today vs. New Prague, but overall their body of work keeps them at 8 for this week. Now they get a big test before Christmas to see how they match up with the Hawks. It should be a good game on Tuesday night.
This week: Tues at Thurs. vs Superior

9. Gentry Academy (7-1-0)
-This might be a stretch, but after a weird weekend, 9-15 in Class A is anyone's guess. The New Model Hockey School is for real they have won seven in a row since the 1st-period struggles in TRF. They should be a top seed in 4A and will be a threat. This may be too high, but they had the best week and have won seven in a row.
This week: Tues. vs St Louis Park, Thurs @ Albert Lea

10. Mound Westonka (7-3-0)
-The White Hawks seem high here, but they beat two very hot Class A Teams to finish their week with wins over Hutchinson and Little Falls. Not sure how good this team is, but they deserve to be mentioned and had a great effort on the road vs. Little Falls Saturday. They have two more winnable games this week.
This week: Tues @ LDC, Sat vs. Minneapolis

11. Little Falls (7-2-1)
-Flyers had a big win on Friday night over St. Paul Johnson, but they followed it up with a poor performance on Saturday, losing to Mound Westonka. This team is still young, and that showed up this weekend. They showed what they are capable of on Friday but that they still are a work in progress on Saturday. Schedule softens back up again this week.
This week: Tues @ Northern Lakes

12. St Paul Johnson (6-1-0)
-The Governors suffered a tough loss on Friday at Little Falls, but they responded well by winning on Saturday. This week they get a good test with solid AA Holy Angels coming to town should be interesting to see how they do in that one.
This Week: Tues Holy Angels, Sat Spring Lake Park

13. Thief River Falls (4-4-1)
-The Prowlers showed again they should not be overlooked. They went into Warroad and played them tight and showed come playoffs with Section 8A being hosted by TRF the Prowlers might just end up being the Section Rep come Tourney time. Need to find more scoring, though.
This week: Thursday @ Crookston

14. Delano (3-3-0)
-Tough team to rank they have been thoroughly beaten by three goos teams, but they have a nice win over Buffalo. I think right now 14 is a safe spot and see how it goes vs. the Moose on Saturday.
This week: Thurs vs. Waconia, Sat vs. Monticello.

15. Monticello (4-3-0)
-Up and Down Week for the Moose as they played a tough Mahtomedi team close but still failed to get a big win, and then they won some very easy Section 5A Games. This week they another chance to get a good win vs. Delano.
This week: Tues. @ St Francis, Thurs vs. Becker Big Lake, Sat @ Delano

Other Class A Notable Teams (To Watch)
Greenway (1-2-0)- Big week for the Raiders with Eveleth, Moorhead, and EGF on the docket. Tough to see them being above .500 after that, but don't count Coach Clafton out.

Eveleth Gilbert (5-3-0)- Big one vs Greenway for the Bears this week could jump into a top 3 seed with a win there.

Tartan (3-3-0)- Titans drop a tough one to Gentry and fall out of the Top 15, for now, can't seem to find any consistency yet to who this team really is.

North Branch (5-2-0)- Didn't want to drop the Vikings totally out of the rankings but another bizarre loss to a very bad Northern Lakes Team on Saturday. The Vikings are not trending in the right direction.

Hutchinson (8-2-0)- The favorite in 3A. They have gotten off to a very nice start this year and seem to be poised to return to St Paul for the first time in a long time.

[elliott70]

12/15/2019
1 Hermantown
2 East Grand Forks
3 Warroad
4 St Cloud Cathedral
5 Mahtomedi
6 Orono
7 Alexandria
8 Duluth Denfeld
9 Thief River Falls
10 Monticello
11 Delano
12 Little Falls
13 Gentry
14 Tartan
15 Greenway
16 Eveleth
17 St Paul Johnson
18 North Branch
19 Faribault
20 South St. Paul

Consideration:
Kittson Central, Hutchinson, Marshall, Albert Lea, Mankato West, Pine City, Breck, St Paul Academy, Litchfield, Mound Westonka

[Puck8]

CLASS A RANKINGS 12/15/19

9. Gentry Academy (7-1-0)
-This might be a stretch, but after a weird weekend, 9-15 in Class A is anyone's guess. The Online Hockey School is for real they have won seven in a row since the 1st-period struggles in TRF. They should be a top seed in 4A and will be a threat. This may be too high, but they had the best week and have won seven in a row.
This week: Tues. vs St Louis Park, Thurs @ Albert Lea

Gentry made a statement this week and is doing it with a very young roster. Probably too high for now, but definitely a compelling team to watch.
But online hockey school? Gentry has a high school building in Vadnais Heights. Private school, yes. Online, no.

[ClassAGuy]

CLASS A RANKINGS 12/15/19

9. Gentry Academy (7-1-0)
-This might be a stretch, but after a weird weekend, 9-15 in Class A is anyone's guess. The Online Hockey School is for real they have won seven in a row since the 1st-period struggles in TRF. They should be a top seed in 4A and will be a threat. This may be too high, but they had the best week and have won seven in a row.
This week: Tues. vs St Louis Park, Thurs @ Albert Lea

Gentry made a statement this week and is doing it with a very young roster. Probably too high for now, but definitely a compelling team to watch.
But online hockey school? Gentry has a high school building in Vadnais Heights. Private school, yes. Online, no.

Changed it above to new hockey school. This is not your normal Private High School. However, it seems to be going well and they should be good this year but even better next year. This will be interesting to see because they offer a training model that a normal MSHSL High School cannot offer. I knew this ruffled feathers when the MSHSL allowed this school in State High School League. I have no issue but I know if they do win a Section Title and go to State more then a few people will not be happy. I don't see that happening this year but next year they will be a very solid club. This year they should rattle off more wins as the year goes on. I wish them success and sorry for the poor word choice.

[Stang5280]

One would expect that with more data points, the ranking process would become easier as the weeks progress. Yet somehow the results have spun a tangled web that seems to defy logic. How I yearn for the simpler days of last year when I only had to move around a handful of teams each week. At least the top seven teams remain unchanged this week. After that things are a crapshoot, however, and I would buy nearly any order of ranking the teams between about #8 and #16.

1. Hermantown (4-1-1) [LW 1]
W 10-0 vs Duluth Marshall, W 3-2 vs Totino-Grace
The Hawks defeated two AA adversaries, though TG put up more of a fight than anticipated. The Eagles clawed back from a 3-0 deficit and made Hermantown sweat out the win, despite a huge shot disparity. Hermantown finally faces its first Class A opponents since the season opener. The Denfeld game should be telling as to whether there are any worthy challengers in 7A, while Mahtomedi tilt is the Hawks' first test against top-flight competition.
Next: Tue vs Denfeld, Sat vs Mahtomedi

2. Warroad (7-0-0) [LW 2]
W 2-1 (OT) vs TRF, W 8-1 vs Sartell
The Warriors had their first real Class A battle of the season Thursday night. Warroad managed to remain the only unbeaten and untied team by scoring with 12 seconds left in OT and stealing a win from the Prowlers. After a long home stand, Warroad leaves the friendly confines of the Gardens for a huge clash with East Grand Forks, which looks to be one of the games of the year.
Next: Fri @ EGF

3. East Grand Forks (5-0-2) [LW 3]
W 7-0 vs Crookston, W 4-3 @ Alexandria
The Green Wave remain among the ranks of the unbeaten, but just barely after a close call at Alexandria. EGF spotted the Cardinals a 3-0 lead before a furious comeback over the final 17:16 to sneak out of town with the win. The good news is that Jacksen Panzer is back in the lineup and starting to produce. On the other hand, this is the second time the Wave have started slowly against a top team (the other being Orono), and they can't afford to continue living dangerously. A busy week looms ahead, highlighted by EGF's first Warroad showdown, as mentioned above.
Next: Tue vs Bemidji, Fri vs Warroad, Sat vs Greenway

4. St. Cloud Cathedral (4-1-0) [LW 4]
W 9-1 vs Brainerd
Not much to say here, as the Crusaders did unspeakable things to a solid AA opponent in Brainerd. This team has been clicking on all cylinders the past two weeks, and has a chance to make a big statement when Orono visits the MAC.
Next: Thu vs Orono, Sat @ Totino-Grace

5. Orono (6-0-1) [LW 5]
W 3-2 (OT) vs Chaska, W 5-1 vs Delano
The Spartans continue to impress, dismantling Delano and defeating a solid AA opponent. Orono has clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack in 2A. The schedule ahead is tough sledding, with conference nemesis Holy Family (whom they last defeated in 2012) on deck before a matchup with the defending champions.
Next: Tue @ Holy Family, Thu @ SCC

6. Mahtomedi (5-1-0) [LW 6]
W 3-0 @ Monticello
The Zephyrs picked up their best Class A win so far in their only action of the week. Mahtomedi has not been blowing teams away, but has been solid and well-balanced. The Zephyrs continue their road warrior stretch, with two winnable midweek games against sectional foes followed by a big contest up in Hermantown that should tell us quite a bit about both squads.
Next: Tue @ South St. Paul, Thu @ Northfield, Sat @ Hermantown

7. Alexandria (6-2-0) [LW 7]
W 11-0 @ Sauk Rapids, L 3-4 vs EGF
After stomping Sauk Rapids, the Cardinals came oh so close to making a big statement against East Grand Forks, only to see victory snatched from their grasp in the third period. Alex remains in place at #7 mainly due to that performance and their win over Little Falls. The Cardinals should pick up two wins this week in their final games before a lengthy break.
Next: Tue @ St. Cloud, Thu vs Fergus Falls

8. Duluth Denfeld (5-1-1) [LW 9]
W 7-2 @ Virginia, W 4-1 vs Greenway, T 2-2 vs New Prague
The Hunters are here mainly here due to a lack of major stumbles. Denfeld scores their best win of the year so far over Greenway, thereby putting them in the driver's seat for the second seed in 7A. Unfortunately, Denfeld then let their foot off the gas and allowed a mediocre New Prague team to scrape out a tie. The Hunters have their only regular season shot at Hermantown coming up next, which should be revealing as to their legitimacy.
Next: Tue @ Hermantown, Thu vs Superior

9. Mound Westonka (7-3-0) [LW NR]
L 3-7 vs Holy Family, W 4-2 vs Hutchinson, W 5-2 @ Little Falls
The White Hawks scored two nice wins over ranked opponents, and accordingly make a big splash into the rankings. Normally I don't like to overreact to a single result, but Mound Westonka thrashed LF pretty soundly on Saturday, and had previously been lurking just outside of my rankings. Two winnable games are on tap before MW takes a siesta until 2020 arrives.
Next: Tue @ LDC, Sat vs Minneapolis

10. Little Falls (7-2-1) [LW 8]
W 13-1 vs Prairie Centre, 5-0 vs SP Johnson, L 2-5 vs Mound Westonka
The Flyers pounded poor Prairie Centre, and then turned one of the most anticipated games of the week into a laugher by blanking Johnson. But then Mound Westonka rolled into town and stole their lunch money. Still, I won't ding them too much, as it was their first poor performance of the season. Little Falls should pick up an easy victory (unless they pull a North Branch) prior to hosting their holiday tournament next week.
Next: Tue @ Northern Lakes

11. Thief River Falls (4-4-1) [LW 16]
W 4-0 vs Bemidji, L 1-2 (OT) @ Warroad
"Good Thief" showed up this week, shutting out Bemidji before pushing Warroad to the brink. This is a difficult team to decipher, and has been over the past few years, in part because their style of play leaves such little margin for error. But the Prowlers can play with anyone when they are on, which is more than can be said for other teams in this zone. TRF should cruise in their final action until after Christmas.
Next: Thu @ Crookston

12. Gentry Academy (7-1-0) [LW 18]
W 5-0 @ Chisago, W 5-4 (OT) @ Tartan, W 3-2 (OT) vs SPA
Another fast riser in the rankings, the Stars have now rattled off seven straight wins since dropping their season opener at TRF. This is a very young team, loaded with freshman and sophomores, and it was hard to know what to expect from them coming into the season. Gentry seems to be rounding into form, though unfortunately the schedule won't provide us with a great gauge of their progress. St. Louis Park will provide one of the few remaining challenges.
Next: Tue vs SLP, Thu vs Albert Lea

13. Monticello (4-3-0) [LW 13]
L 0-3 vs Mahtomedi, W 10-0 @ Cambridge, W 5-2 @ Sauk Rapids
The Moose have yet to bag any big prey, but have now made two of the elite teams, Orono and Mahtomedi, sweat out wins against them. The Zephyrs added an empty-netter to add to the final margin, but were unable to pull away prior to that. Monticello has a full week, but the first two should be cakewalks. Delano will be a nice test to see whether they can actually beat a quality opponent.
Next: Tue @ St. Francis, Thu vs Becker, Sat @ Delano

14. St. Paul Johnson (6-1-0) [LW 10]
W 7-0 @ River Falls, L 0-5 @ Little Falls, W 6-3 @ Detroit Lakes
The Governors were flying high going into Little Falls, but crashed and burned. They were unable to generate any offense and generally looked overmatched. The win over TRF is now starting to fade into the rear view mirror. A difficult game against Holy Angels is up next.
Next: Thu vs Holy Angels, Sat @ Spring Lake Park

15. Tartan (3-3-0) [LW 15]
L 4-5 (OT) vs Gentry
The Titans tread water after a close loss to a Gentry team that is playing very well. The schedule this week is manageable, but it seems that we won't learn much more about Tartan until January.
Next: Thu vs Owatonna, vs Sibley

16. Hutchinson (7-2-0) [LW 20]
W 5-2 @ Chanhassen, L 2-4 @ Mound Westonka, W 2-1 vs LDC

17. Delano (3-3-0) [LW 11]
L 1-5 @ Orono

18. Greenway (1-3-0) [LW 12]
L 1-4 @ Denfeld

19. Eveleth-Gilbert (5-3-0) [LW NR]
W 12-0 vs Ely, W 4-1 @ Virginia

20. North Branch (5-2-0) [LW 15]
W 5-3 @ St. Francis, L 3-4 @ Northern Lakes

Out: Mankato West (2-3-0) [LW 19]

Notes:
- I feel lazy keeping North Branch ranked, but that speaks more to the lack of alternatives than anything they have done.
- Will someone, anyone, please step up as a worthy contender in Section 1A?
- Mound Westonka was the bane of my existence last season, bouncing in and out of the rankings. Go figure that they return with a vengeance after graduating nearly everyone and me writing them off.
- Unfortunately there hasn't seemed to be as many Class A games streamed so far this year, so I would be grateful for input or game summaries in the game day threads.

[elliott70]

QRF 12/16/19 TOP 20
1 Mahtomedi (5-1) 59.6
2 Hermantown (4-1-1) 58.7
3 Warroad (7-0) 57.1
4 Orono (6-0-1) 56.7
5 Gentry Academy (7-1) 54.9
6 St. Cloud Cathedral (4-1) 50.9
7 St. Paul Johnson (6-1) 48.0
8 Mound Westonka/Watertown-Mayer (7-3)47.0
9 Alexandria (6-2) 45.9
10 East Grand Forks (5-0-2) 44.6
11 Thief River Falls (4-4-1) 43.5
12 Hutchinson (8-2) 42.9
13 Faribault (5-1) 42.5
14 Marshall (6-3) 41.9
15 Providence Academy (4-2) 41.7
16 Pine City Area (7-2) 41.6
17 River Lakes (3-1) 40.8
18 Duluth Denfeld (5-1-1) 39.2
19 Little Falls (7-2-1) 38.5
20 Minneapolis (4-3) 38.1

[Stang5280]

PageStat Top 20
Through 12/14/19
(Overall rankings in parentheses)

1. (10) ST CLOUD CATHEDRAL 6A
2. (13) WARROAD 8A
3. (15) HERMANTOWN 7A
4. (19) MAHTOMEDI 4A
5. (20) ORONO 2A
6. (26) EAST GRAND FORKS 8A
7. (35) THIEF RIVER FALLS 8A
8. (43) GENTRY ACADEMY 4A
9. (44) ALEXANDRIA 6A
10. (45) LITTLE FALLS 6A
11. (47) DULUTH DENFELD 7A
12. (48) EVELETH GILBERT 7A
13. (52) GREENWAY 7A
14. (54) TARTAN 4A
15. (56) DELANO 2A
16. (60) MOUND WESTONKA 2A
17. (64) BRECK 2A
18. (66) ST PAUL JOHNSON 4A
19. (68) ST PAUL ACADEMY 4A
20. (70) MONTICELLO 5A