2025-26 Section 5A

[ClassAGuy]

2025-26 Section 5A Preseason Preview

Section 5A has been dominated by St Cloud Cathedral of late, as they have won the last three straight Section Titles and played for the State Championship the last two straight seasons. However, they lost a huge chunk of their scoring to graduation this offseason, leaving 5A feeling more wide open this winter. On paper, the favorite would be Monticello, who has won 20-plus games the last two years, only to have their season ended by the Crusaders in the Section Final and they will be looking for redemption as they return a ton of talent on their roster. Also, don't forget about Sauk Rapids-Rice, who were a surprise team last year, and they return most of their top-end scoring, and don’t count out Pine City Area & River Lakes, who are both tough, gritty teams that bring back good pieces and will be hard to play against. Section 5A appears to be strong again this winter, and with the Section Power looking like it may have to rebuild a bit, it feels like there is an opportunity to potentially have a new face representing 5A come March.

BHS 2025-26 Section 5A Preseason Ranking
1- Monticello Moose
2- St Cloud Cathedral Crusaders
3- Sauk Rapids-Rice Storm
4- Pine City Area Dragons
5- River Lakes Stars
6- Litchfield Dassel Cokato Dragons
7- Princeton Tigers
8- Becker/Big Lake Eagles
9- Mora/Milaca Mustangs

1- Monticello Moose
Head Coach- Eric Nelson 11th year, (178-92-11)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (23-4-1) Lost in Section 5A Championship Game
Moose Outlook- Monticello is a program on the rise as they are coming off a very good 20 plus win season again and while they did graduate 3 of their top 5 scorers and their goalie who played nearly every minute the last season this group of Seniors and Juniors took 3rd place in A Bantam State and they have plenty of pieces looking at the lineup to be a serious contender in Class A this winter. Up front, they return Seniors Ashton Stoll, Liam O'Donnell & Carter Lemke, who should be the core nucleus of their big line this year. They also return Seniors Easton Mack & Jack Seager, along with Juniors Collin Barta & Cohen Kass, who all have varying varsity experience and will be looked upon to have bigger seasons this year to offer offensive depth. Sophomore Clyde Middleton will also be pushing for time, coming up from the Bantams. Defense will be their strength as they return loads of talent and experience with Seniors Levi Welle, Brady McGriff & Sawyer Mich, and stud Junior Nicklas Nelson all back and add to them Juniors Wyatt Wold & Logan Dorion from the JV and Sophomores Luke Dunn & Max Mattson from the Bantams to build a great defensive core around to break in a new goalie this year. As noted, they will need a new goalie but Junior Nolan Wurm, who is an elite goalie from the youth ranks, should gain the starting spot and with the structure and experience they return on the backend they should again be one of the best defensive teams in Class A. Look for this year’s team to be deeper than last year's group and under the guidance of Coach Nelson they will grow and improve throughout the season and they will be a contender to get to state out of 5A and should be around the Top 10 all year long and the Moose will be right in the thick of it all year in Class A as always.

2- St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders
Head Coach- Robbie Stocker 5th year, (78-40-3)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (20-9-2) Section 5A Champion and were the Class A Runner Up
Crusaders Outlook- Cathedral came oh so close to Back-to-Back State Titles last season, but they were then hit hard by the graduation of a large and productive senior class. However, they do return some good pieces, and they have talent coming in, making keeping them in the Top 15 feel like a safe bet. They are a Class A Blueblood program, and Coach Stocker has shown he can guide his alma mater on deep playoff runs, and while it may take some time early on in the season to develop, don't count this program out come playoff time. Up front, they have a new young, talented core of underclassmen to build around as they will be led by Sophomores Bo Schmidt & Talen Ruprecht, and they have incoming transfers Junior Bradon Zieglmeier & 9th grader Brandon White, along with Sophomore Trevor Bye from the youth program to build the offense around. After that, they will look for depth scoring and leadership from their core of Seniors Caleb Trant, Noah Klein, Brady Andvik, Garrett Loch, Camden Kroll & Ryan Jacobson, who have all gotten some varsity minutes. On the blueline, they return elite defender Senior Griffin Sturm, who will be the top defenseman in Class A, and he will control the game from the backend. They will have to build a new defensive core around him, but look for Seniors Carter Bakeberg, Jack Kosiba & Nolan Bigaouette, along with Junior Eli Van Heel and Sophomore Trevor Hall to be the main candidates as the pieces to help build a new core. In net, they did lose Keaton LeGrande, who left the program, but look for transfer Senior Hunter Moreland & Senior Blake Kayser, who both have some varsity experience, to battle for the starting role. While this does appear to have some signs of a rebuild, we have learned that Cathedral generally reloads instead, and there are still some pieces of championship experience here in key areas, making it hard to go against the Crusaders, who will be looking to go back to State for the 4th straight year, which would be a first in program history.

3- Sauk Rapids-Rice Storm
Head Coach- Brady DeGagne 6th year, (46-68-7)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (16-9-1) Lost in Section 5A Quarterfinals
Storm Outlook- Sauk Rapids-Rice could be one of the surprise contenders in Class A this season, looking at the elite talent they return from last year's team. Last season, they were able to win 16 games and really shock many as they ended the year as a Top 25 team, and now this year, the nucleus of that group is back as upperclassmen, and they could do some serious damage. Up front, they return one of the top duos in Class A as Seniors Elijah Fitch & Bryden Prelvitz are back after putting up massive numbers last year. Adding to them is the return of Seniors Dominic Stucke & Austin Kubasek, who have good varsity experience and double-digit points last year. Also, look for Senior Sam Kulus and Juniors Cullen Rock & Reed Krogstad to get more expanded roles this winter, and Sophomores Mason Ascher & Devin Dietman coming up from the youth should help the Storm build offensive depth. On defense, they return Senior Chase Hiltner, who is extremely talented to complete the Storm's Big Three, and they also have Seniors Brandon Goebel, Oliver Orth & Owen Massmann, and Junior Payten Remer are all back with varsity experience for depth on the blueline. In net, Senior Landon Jennings is returning as their main starter from a year ago, to have varsity experience there as well. Looking at what is returning, the Storm should have plenty of excitement around this team as they look to build off last year's big year. The top-end talent is there to compete with anybody in Class A. The question marks will be how well they can fill in key areas of depth, but if they do, watch out for the Storm this year!

4- Pine City Dragons
Head Coach: Seth Sauter, 6th year (57-67-2)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (14-11-1) Lost in Section 5A Semifinals
Dragons Outlook - Pine City Area had a strong finish to their season last year as they played their best hockey down the stretch and were able to earn a home playoff game in a Quarterfinal round, as they trounced Sauk Rapids-Rice before they came up just short in the semifinal game, losing a double overtime heartbreaker to the #1 seed Monticello Moose. While they did graduate some key pieces over the offseason, they still bring back a very nice core of veterans to try and build a hard-nosed team around. The Dragons are always a tough team to play against, especially down the stretch, and this group appears to be no different. At forward, Senior Captain McCall Leger, who missed time last season due to injury but still had double-digit goals, is back to lead the attack. He should be one of the top players in Section 5A this year. Adding to him are Seniors Ethan Aagaard, Milo Rydberg, Westen Clementson & Bohdan Valvoda, along with Juniors Oskar Rydberg, Carson Anderson & Jericho Jerry, who round out the experienced forward core. Look for second-year Sophomore Jaxon Smith to round out the forwards for the Dragons. Defensively, they return Seniors Brady Berglund, Luciano Schisano, Evan Doenz & Cooper Danielson, who all have experience on the blueline. In net, they return Senior Milo Babolik, who has gotten some limited experience in each of the past two seasons to build off for this season. Looking at the Pine City Area roster and all the upperclassmen they bring back, should have a very competitive team as they will look to break through and get back to the section final for the fifth time in their program history and the first time since 2020 as they continue to aim to make their first-ever state tournament in program history.

5- River Lakes Stars
Head Coach- Nicholas Keppler 1st year, (0-0-0)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (15-9-2) Lost in Section 5A Quarterfinals
Stars Outlook- River Lakes is another 5A program that is coming off a very good season, where they were again able to win 15 games, and they spent most of the season in the Top 25 Ranking of Class A. However, the season did come to a disappointing end that saw them get knocked out in the Quarterfinal Round. This season, they should be strong again, as while they did graduate some key pieces and they lost their head coach this offseason, they still return a good core of their high-end scorers from last year's 15-win team and are bringing up some good talent as well. Offensively, Seniors Parker Welz & Jaiken Mackedanz, who both had double-digit goals last season, are back to lead the offense again this winter. They also have Seniors Griffin Mayhew, Eric Paulson & Noah Olmscheid, and Juniors Lucas Bayer & Eli Engebretson, who are all back after getting good varsity experience and being productive last year. They will also bring in Sophomore Dane Zeiher, and 9th graders Logan Jones & Breck Schultz should make an impact and add to the offense. On defense, Seniors Isaac Blaschko, Gabe Hoekstra, Brock Bruntlett & Gavin Bulthuis, along with Junior Evan Jones, are all back with experience and look for Sophomore Henry Eckerman to push for minutes on the blueline. In net, they return their main starter in Senior William Robinson, who had a very good year for the Stars last season and will be able to keep them in every game. River Lakes returns a veteran lineup, which should allow them to be contenders in 5A and have a good year this winter as they aim to make their programs first first-ever Section Final appearance.

6- Litchfield Dassel Cokato Dragons
Head Coach: Steve Haataja/Brian Moe 2nd year, (8-18-0)
Last Year’s Record and Finish: (8-18-1) Lost in Section 2A Quarterfinals
Dragons Outlook- It was another tough season last year for Litchfield Dassel Cokato, who have been in a bit of a rebuild over the past few seasons as they were again only able to win single-digit games for the second straight year and were knocked out of the playoffs quickly by the #1 seed. There is renewed hope, though this season as in the offseason, they were moved from a very deep Section 2A to a more open 5A, giving them more programs they face in the youth ranks. They also bring back a roster that is full of varsity experience, and the hope is that it will allow them to be more competitive this winter. Up front, the Dragons return Seniors Anton Haataja, Tripp McCann, Isaac Salmen, Jaeden McKinley & Mason Karnik, along with Juniors Bjorn Anderson & Samuel Guyan, who all return with varsity experience and look for Sophomores Landon Corbin & Brody Berggren to contribute from the youth program to hopefully add to the offensive depth. On defense, Seniors Jordan Abbott & Keeran Niska and Juniors Cole Palmer & Mika Lasanen are all back with good experience and should help them build toughness in their own end with nice core blueline veterans. In net is the big question for Litchfield Dassel Cokato as they lost both of their starting goaltenders from last season to graduation, so that question mark does loom large. However, with all that the Dragons return and a new section to compete within, they should look to put the last two years of rebuilding behind them and be more competitive this upcoming year.

7- Princeton Tigers
Head Coach- Andy Fondrick 4th Year, (33-43-3)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (8-17-1) Lost in Section 5A Quarterfinals
Tigers Outlook- Princeton is coming off a disappointing year as last season they seemed like a team primed for a huge year with the big senior class and all the scoring they brought back, but instead, they never really found their groove and earned a low seed, where they were knocked out on the road in the 5A Quarterfinals. Moving into this season, it looks like a rebuilding year on paper, as over 85% of their scoring graduated or left the program, and they lost their main goaltenders from last winter as well, which does make this season look like the Tigers will be a work in progress as they try to replace all those roster spots. At forward, they do return Junior Brayden Seppala for some returning scoring, and they have Seniors Lukas Bratulich & Brayden Reese back with some varsity experience as well to try to build a new offense around. They also have Sophomores Mason Clark, Joshua Christopher & Camden De Fouw coming up from the youth program to try and add to the scoring depth. On defense, it looks like even a bigger rebuild as they only really return Senior Luka Miller & Junior Carter Nelson as defenders with varsity experience, and they will look to build a new core around them. In net, they graduated their two main goaltenders, so there will be question marks there as well, but Junior Zachary Ennis did get some very limited varsity experience last winter and would appear to be a main contender for the starting role this season. Everything on paper with what the Tigers return seems to indicate that this will be a transition year for Princeton as they will look to improve daily with a younger lineup and be competitive by the end of the season within Section 5A with a bunch of new faces.

8- Becker/Big Lake Eagles
Head Coach- Zach Barzee 7th year, (45-101-3)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (9-16-2) Lost in Section 5A Quarterfinals
Eagles Outlook- Becker/Big Lake was able to again end their year on a good note as they were able to win a playoff, only their 2nd playoff win in program history, and they were able to continue to build upon the positive momentum they have had recently. This year looks like it should be another good one for them to build on that, as on paper, they should be very experienced, and they bring back most of their top-end pieces from last winter to hopefully have another competitive year. On offense, they return Senior Tate Spilde & Sophomore Owen Zahler, who both are coming off good years, and the Eagles will be able to build their team around them. Add to them Seniors Raymond Clark, Carter Tatge, Tanner Felton & Gavin Jacobson, and Juniors Brant Rusin & Titus Borkoski, who all return with varying varsity experience and should allow them to add scoring depth. Sophomores Haven Karls & Will Emerson will also be looking to push for minutes offensively. Defensively, they do return Senior Ethan Grafnitz, who had good point production, and Seniors Hayden Kipka & Jack Schwartz return with experience on the blueline, and Senior Tucker Tatge is converting to defense this year to help this team be strong in their own end. In net, they return experience as Juniors Elliott Grafnitz & Max Klassen both got some time last year, and they will compete for more time this year. Overall, it looks like there are more than enough pieces returning for Becker/Big Lake to have another competitive year as they look to win a playoff game for the 3rd straight year and grow their program.

9- Mora/Milaca Mustangs
Head Coach- Cam Wilken 2nd year, (10-16-0)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (10-16-0) Lost in Section 5A Play In Round
Mustangs Outlook- Mora/Milaca had an up-and-down season last winter that saw them win 10 games and stay competitive for most of the year as they adjusted to their new coach, but they were again unable to get that elusive playoff win that has been just out of reach the last few seasons. Looking into this season, the Mustangs should be optimistic as they will return some good scoring and have some experience in net to build what they hope will be a competitive squad this season. Up front, they did lose Mitchell Haase to an early departure, but they do return Junior Jacob Szucs & 9th grader Ty Stanchfield, who both had double-digit goals, and they will be able to build the offense around them. They also bring back Senior Blake Karnik and Juniors Ethan Stromberg, Jaxson McGrath & Ethan Abel with experience and look for 9th grader Noah Donaghue from the youth to help build scoring depth. Defensively, they bring back Juniors Dakota Dickson & James Gravning, along with Sophomore Jeremiah Fuller, who all have some experience, and they will look to build the defensive unit around them this winter. They do return experience in net as Junior Dane Price returns after playing good minutes as a freshman and Sophomore the last two years, and he should be better for it this year, and he should be bigger and stronger and very accustomed to varsity shots by now. Mora/Milaca will also join the Iron Range Conference this winter, which should be a good competitive fit for them, and they will look to build around a good core of returners to have another good year this upcoming season.