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We have a definitive top team, a top tier below Hermantown that includes 4 teams, a group of about 7 teams below them that could go in almost any order and the last group that has quality teams but are definitely a notch below. With quite a few quality games left, some of these groups will be more solidified over the next couple weeks and the playoff picture will be much clearer.

Enjoy!

1. [1] Hermantown (15-2)
The Hawks beat Marshall again and followed that up with a road win in Bemidji the next day. They are the clear favorite to win 3 games at the X. If they can win on Friday, they will likely carry a 20 game winning streak into sections, with their last Class A loss being to East Grand Forks in the state final last year.
This week: Tues @ Proctor, Fri @ White Bear Lake

2. [3] Mahtomedi (15-2-1)
The Zephyrs slide up a spot as Marshall ties a Hibbing team this week who they previously beat. They still haven't lost a Class A game this year and likely won't so it'll be interesting to see how the coaches seed them if they make it to state.
This week: Thurs vs Hastings, Sat vs Hill-Murray

3. [2] Duluth Marshall (12-2-2)
The Hilltoppers lost to Hermantown again and tied a surging Hibbing team last week. They have a little break before traveling north for two good weekend games.
This week: Fri @ Warroad, Sat @ Thief River Falls

4. [6] East Grand Forks (13-3)
The Green Wave avenged their earlier 1 goal loss to Bemidji with a 3 goal win. Tuesday they host the Prowlers in their first of 2 meetings and Thursday they travel to play a team who shut them out much earlier in the season.
This week: Tues vs Thief River Falls, Thurs @ Grand Forks Red River

5. [4] Alexandria (13-0-1)
The Cardinals keep on winning, but who they are playing isn't as impressive as those above them. The Moorhead win was a good start, but they will have to both start this week well with a game on the road against Apollo and then end it well hosting a Bemidji team who will be looking to get back to their winning ways.
This week: Mon @ Wilmar, Tues @ Apollo, Thurs vs Fergus Falls, Sat vs Bemidji

6. [7] Delano (13-3)
The Tigers look like the best team in Wright County and will likely keep winning. They have a handful more good games on the schedule and Cathedral rounds off a good week of home games this week.
This week: Tues Mound Westonka, Fri Litchfield, Sat vs Cathedral

7. [9] Duluth Denfeld (13-5)
The Hunters are atop a group of 5 teams that find themselves in an A beat B beat C situation, with no great games to distinguish themselves and losses to the team ahead of them. They have a road trip this weekend they should win if this ranking is right, or will pick up a distinguishable loss this week.
This week: Fri @ Thief River Falls, Sat @ Warroad

8. [10] St. Paul Academy (14-2)
The Spartans pick up 3 more easy wins before hosting Breck this week. Their only losses this season are to Mahtomedi and the Denfeld team that sits right above them. They are a team we will likely be seeing playing in their section final and making a push for state; can they beat Mahtomedi on neutral ice for all the marbles?
This week: Tues vs Minneapolis, Thurs vs Breck

9. [11] Breck (12-6)
The Mustangs picked up 3 more wins this week. 3 of their losses are to teams 2, 3 and 4 (regardless of your opinion of their ranking) but another is to the team conveniently above them right now. Breck is a team that can play with the best of them and will be in all of their post season games until the end.
This week: Tues @ Blake, Thurs @ St Paul Academy, Sat @ Rochester Lourdes

10. [5] St. Cloud Cathedral (10-6)
The Crusaders had one game and they lost in OT to Breck. I was likely wrong about them being a Top 5 team, although a Breck loss doesn't really confirm that. Before worrying about the rest of their schedule, they have two quality teams this week on their schedule.
This week: Mon vs Orono, Sat @ Delano

11. [8] St Cloud Apollo (12-2-2)
The Eagles are on an 11 game winning streak in which they have allowed 9 goals, but that streak started after losing to Cathedral then Fergus Falls. Picking up a home win on Tuesday over Alexandria would likely confuse section seedings quite a bit, but if they can win the game going into sections with a 20 game winning streak isn't out of the question and would be worth quite a bit for seeding.
This week: Tues Alexandria, Thurs @ Sartell

12. [13] Thief River Falls (9-6)
The Prowlers are on a 5 game winning streak following their 1 goal loss to Alexandria. This week they have their first of 2 games with East Grand Forks, where winning would put them in the driver's seat for the top seed in the section. After that, they host two quality Duluth programs.
This week: Tues @ East Grand Forks, Fri vs Denfeld, Sat vs Marshall

13. [15] Detroit Lakes (9-5-2)
The Lakers just beat a Crookston team by 3 who beat Warroad this week. Saturday they host one of their two remaining opponents with a winning record, Kittson Central, in what will be a huge game for section seeding.
This week: Fri @ Prairie Center, Sat vs Kittson Central

14. [12] Warroad (9-9-1)
The Warriors are battling injuries and are on a 5 game losing streak. They are likely not one of the top 2 seeds in the section and they will possibly even be the 4 seed if Crookston can finish the year well. With only 2 games remaining where they are favored, all will depend on the health of their players. Healthy they can play with anyone, but hurt they could have an early exit in sections.
This week: Tues vs Park Rapids, Fri vs Marshall, Sat vs Denfeld

15. [-] Hibbing (9-7-3)
The Bluejackets put together a strong week with ties against Grand Rapids and Duluth Marshall. They, however, do not have any defining wins on their schedule, an early shut out loss to Mound Westonka and recently lost to Denfeld by 4. They have a chance to pick up 5 wins before closing out the season against Hermantown. Having tied Marshall, they could get a top 3 seed in the section if they manage to continue to win.
This week: Idle

16. [16] Sartell-St. Stephen (10-4-1)
The Sabres pick up two wins this week, beating a Brainerd team who recently tied Fergus Falls. With close losses to but Cathedral and Apollo and many section games remaining, the 2 seed in the section is still up for grabs. Winning 2 games this week would help them a lot.
This week: Tues vs St Cloud Tech, Thurs vs St Cloud Apollo

17. [14] Fergus Falls (11-4-3)
The Otters pick up a bad loss to Tech this week, but it is their only loss of the season. They still have very close games with some good teams and ties with others so they shouldn't be counted out of any games. Barring any upsets, like this week with Alexandria, they are likely looking at either the 4 or 5 seed in 6A and their game in two weeks with Sartell will decide that.
This week: Tues vs River Lakes, Thurs @ Alexandria, Sat vs Little Falls

18. [17] Orono (8-7-1)
The Spartans picked up a loss to Delano this week, but still only have one bad loss on their schedule. They have 2 games this week, can they pick up a road win in St Cloud?
This week: Mon @ Cathedral, Tues @ Litchfield

19. [18] New Prague (11-5)
The Trojans also lost to Delano this week. With only Wright County games left, barring any upsets, how far they rise or fall will be dependent on how the teams around them do.
This week: Tues @ Hutchinson, Thurs @ Waconia

20. [19] Bloomington Kennedy (10-6)
The Eagles have won their last 7 in a row, including wins over Blake and Luverne. They have one more section opponent this week and only 3 more teams on their schedule with winning records. Their early losses to Orono and Delano, along with not playing Breck, probably lands them in the 4 spot if they can win the rest of their section games.
This week: Thurs vs Chaska, Sat vs Chanhassen


Teams to watch

Crookston (8-8-1)
The Pirates deserve to be mentioned after their win over Warroad, but have not done enough to be ranked. They still have a handful of section games left, so they will be playing to decide where this will be seeded in the 3-6 range.
This week: Tues vs Grafton/Park River, Thurs vs Park Rapids

St Paul Johnson (11-5-1)
The Governors have won their last 4 in a row including a 1 goal win over Luverne. They are likely the 4 or 5 seed in section 4A, with a South St Paul team they are 1-1 against this season getting the other spot. Of their 8 remaining games, St Paul Academy is the only one that will likely give them any trouble.
This week: Thurs vs Somerset, Sat @ Minnehaha Academy

[20] Luverne (16-3)
The Cardinals have lost to some less than stellar opponents and clearly defense is an issue. It would be a great story to see them in the winner's bracket at state, but if they are going to do that they'll have to get better on defense.
This week: Sat vs Morris/Benson

Spring Lake Park (12-5)
The Panthers are the likely top seed of section 5A.
This week: Sat vs Armstrong/Cooper

HS Watcher.....Do you actually watch these teams or do you by what you see in box scores?

BP wrote:HS Watcher.....Do you actually watch these teams or do you by what you see in box scores?

There is nothing wrong with these rankings, if that's what you are implying...

TheInsider wrote:

BP wrote:HS Watcher.....Do you actually watch these teams or do you by what you see in box scores?

There is nothing wrong with these rankings, if that's what you are implying...

Yes, there is.
Every ranking has bias, errors.
I am sure you and everyone else would change something.
And that is the point of posting it. So we can discuss 'what is wrong with it'.
And in so doing, we all get a better idea of what different teams are about.

Good stuff, as always.

Looking ahead toward State, it's hard to see any way in which the section 1A, 3A, and 5A winners get seeded. Even with upsets, their top-ranked teams are pretty far out right now, and should be the random draws.

Unless there are big upsets or Alexandria goes undefeated--and even then, possibly--I'd guess the 4/5 game will be the 6A winner vs. the 2A winner.

elliott70 wrote:

TheInsider wrote:

BP wrote:HS Watcher.....Do you actually watch these teams or do you by what you see in box scores?

There is nothing wrong with these rankings, if that's what you are implying...

Yes, there is.
Every ranking has bias, errors.
I am sure you and everyone else would change something.
And that is the point of posting it. So we can discuss 'what is wrong with it'.
And in so doing, we all get a better idea of what different teams are about.

Well, I think you took my comment a little too literally. Of course everyone can put their 2 cents in and make a case for their team to be higher. Agreed, there is never going to be a ranking that everyone is satisfied with. But, I was trying to say there are no blaring mistakes. I think these rankings are well thought out and are solid.

Section Strength in Regards to State Seeds
7A- #1 Hermantown or DM
4A- #2 Mahtomedi or SPA
8A- #3 EGF or TRF

#4 and #5
Will be 6A and 2A depending on who wins. Breck lost all above as has Delano which are the top two contenders. Alex undefeated gets a #4 seed if not Alex most likely a #5 seed.

The Rest (Unseeded)
1A- #6 no team is top 5 caliber but better then 3A and 5A
3A- #7
5A- #8

My Fearless Prediction here are State Seeds.

#1 Section 7A Champion- Hermantown
#2 Section 4A Champion- Mahtomedi
#3 Section 8A Champion- EGF
#4 Section 2A Champion- Breck
#5 Section 6A Champion- St Cloud Cathedral
Un Seeded
Section 1A Champion- New Prague
Section 3A Champion- Hutchinson
Section 5A Champion- Spring Lake Park

Just a guess lots of upsets happen but there is my call today come back in march and see how I did.

HShockeywatcher wrote:

5. [4] Alexandria (13-0-1)
The Cardinals keep on winning, but who they are playing isn't as impressive as those above them. The Moorhead win was a good start, but they will have to both start this week well with a game on the road against Apollo and then end it well hosting a Bemidji team who will be looking to get back to their winning ways.
This week: Mon @ Wilmar, Tues @ Apollo, Thurs vs Fergus Falls, Sat vs Bemidji

Alexandria with 14 games played. 7 games against A opponents who you mention in your rankings. 5 games against AA teams. Only 2 unranked A teams were Sauk Rapids and Little Falls. Both of whom are still ok teams at worst. Not saying they should be ranked any higher, but I think they have played a solid schedule. This week will say a lot about this undefeated team.

8. [10] St. Paul Academy (14-2)
The Spartans pick up 3 more easy wins before hosting Breck this week. Their only losses this season are to Mahtomedi and the Denfeld team that sits right above them. They are a team we will likely be seeing playing in their section final and making a push for state; can they beat Mahtomedi on neutral ice for all the marbles?
This week: Tues vs Minnehaha, Thurs @ Providence Academy, Sat @ Lourdes

Just a correction
*Tue vs. Minneapolis (9-8-1)
*Thu vs. Breck (12-6-0)

BP wrote:HS Watcher.....Do you actually watch these teams or do you by what you see in box scores?

If you are asking because you think there is something wrong with the rankings, please let me know what you think is wrong with it. Literally every week I ask for input on the rankings and teams and very few actually give it. If you have some, I'd love to read it.

If you're wondering about my personal life; I don't get to as many games as I used to, but I try to watch as many as I can. I, however, have always used mainly box scores for rankings as to introduce as little personal bias as possible.

I look forward to your input.

HShockeywatcher wrote:

BP wrote:HS Watcher.....Do you actually watch these teams or do you by what you see in box scores?

If you are asking because you think there is something wrong with the rankings, please let me know what you think is wrong with it. Literally every week I ask for input on the rankings and teams and very few actually give it. If you have some, I'd love to read it.

If you're wondering about my personal life; I don't get to as many games as I used to, but I try to watch as many as I can. I, however, have always used mainly box scores for rankings as to introduce as little personal bias as possible.

I look forward to your input.

Pump the brakes buddy. No harm meant. I was just curious if you went to games and evaluated. That is all.

Nice work, HSHW!

Minor corrections:

1) Hibbing does not play at all this week, their games against Proctor and I-Falls are on the 26th and 29th. They've had a wonky schedule this season, with stretches of 6 games in 9 days and 7 games in 11 days with 13 day and 9 day gameless breaks in between. AD needs to get their stuff together and balance that schedule out for next season.

2) Their record is 9-7-3. The Hub had it incorrectly listed as 2 ties when you wrote this on Sunday.

The Bluejackets are playing some of their best hockey right now and its fun to watch some of the younger kids start to "get it" and play faster with more aggression. (81% of their scoring has come from 9-11th graders.)

Hibbing's Scott Perunovich is currently tied for 3rd in the state in assists with 32, trailing only two Luverne kids who play a ridiculously easy schedule. Not bad for a sophomore defenseman!

They have some impressive performances this season-
Tied #3 Duluth Marshall
Tied Grand Rapids (who would be top 5 in A)
Took #2 Mahtomedi to OT
Kept it respectable against Hill-Murray (4-1)

But given they have face planted a few times also (Mound, Brainerd, Cloquet, Denfeld), I can't really argue for them being ranked higher.

It's looking like they are all but locked into the #4 seed in 7A, as even if Denfeld beat Marshall, Marshall's overall resume is superior to Hibbing's. Only a gargantuan upset of Hermantown would give Hibbing a chance to move into the top 3.

From where I sit....
1. Hermantown (15-2)
2. East Grand Forks
Tied for 3. Mahtomedi (15-2-1)
Tied for 3. Duluth Marshall (12-2-2)
5. Alexandria (13-0-1)
6. Delano (13-3)
7. St. Cloud Apollo (9-2-2)
8. St Cloud Cathedral (10-6)
9. Duluth Denfeld (13-5)
10. St. Paul Academy (14-2)
11. Breck (12-6)
12. Hibbing (9-7-2)
13. Thief River Falls (9-6)
14. Warroad (9-9-1)
15. Sartell (10-4-1)
16. Fergus Falls (11-4-3)
17. Detroit Lakes (9-5-2)
18. Orono (8-7-1)
19. Bloomington Kennedy (10-6)
20. New Prague (11-5)

zooomx wrote:

HShockeywatcher wrote: 5. [4] Alexandria (13-0-1)
The Cardinals keep on winning, but who they are playing isn't as impressive as those above them. The Moorhead win was a good start, but they will have to both start this week well with a game on the road against Apollo and then end it well hosting a Bemidji team who will be looking to get back to their winning ways.
This week: Mon @ Wilmar, Tues @ Apollo, Thurs vs Fergus Falls, Sat vs Bemidji

Alexandria with 14 games played. 7 games against A opponents who you mention in your rankings. 5 games against AA teams. Only 2 unranked A teams were Sauk Rapids and Little Falls. Both of whom are still ok teams at worst. Not saying they should be ranked any higher, but I think they have played a solid schedule. This week will say a lot about this undefeated team.

Yes, 7 games against teams that are mentioned, but how highly ranked is the top one? They beat #10 Cathedral by 1 and #12 Thief River Falls by 1, granted they were both on the road, and have played no one else in the Top 9.

BP wrote:

HShockeywatcher wrote:

BP wrote:HS Watcher.....Do you actually watch these teams or do you by what you see in box scores?

If you are asking because you think there is something wrong with the rankings, please let me know what you think is wrong with it. Literally every week I ask for input on the rankings and teams and very few actually give it. If you have some, I'd love to read it.

If you're wondering about my personal life; I don't get to as many games as I used to, but I try to watch as many as I can. I, however, have always used mainly box scores for rankings as to introduce as little personal bias as possible.

I look forward to your input.

Pump the brakes buddy. No harm meant. I was just curious if you went to games and evaluated. That is all.

Like I said, I don't get to as many as I used to, but I watch games online when I can. But, ultimately, it really isn't fair for me to use what I've seen in games when I can't see all of them. So, the box scores it is, with what I've seen and others have provided me to break ties.
Ultimately, the whole point is to win games by scoring goals.

Which leads me to my other comment; if you think there is something wrong, tell me. Last week over a handful of people came on and told me they disagreed with my rankings. Even after my posting and asking literally 3 times for some sort of an explanation, literally 1 person gave one. I'm but one person with a limited amount of time and can't see everything. If I'm missing something; let me know.

I think these are well done and thoughtful. No one can see all of these games and frankly if you have seen a lot of Alexandria and Thief River Falls games you should get a life. It is easy to just look at the wins and losses, if we want that go to the coaches polls.

I too thought Cathedral was to high and think Alexandria is this year's Luverne, but those are minor squabbles. I think EGF and Hermantown will meet in the finals again this year because they are the two best teams. I guess that is why they play the games and things sort themselves out. Personally, I'd rather play Marshall or Mahtomedi than Breck in an elimination game. But with seeding now a given, rankings are meaningful, but they are subjective. I think the ratings are wonderful and many times all you have is comparative scoring. Hermantown has earned the #1 ranking, but how do you decide between Duluth Marshall, Mahtomedi, and EGF for #2. You could flip a coin, but that wouldn't make very interesting conversation, would it?

My top 10 for anyone that cares:
The teams that can win a State Championship:
1. Hermantown: They have been the best team through Jaunary.
2. EGF: Still defending champions and can beat anyone on a given date.
3. Duluth Marshall: Lots of good wins, but it doesn't matter if they can't beat Hermantown.
4. Mahtomedi: A very good team, but have they paid their dues yet?
5. Breck: Always a tough game, but can they put enough wins together?

The rest: I'm sorry, but these teams make nice stories and can beat a top team on a given night but have no chance of putting 3 in a row together at the X.

6. Alexandria: Lots of nice wins, but no real competition, talk to me when the games really mean something.
7. Delano: Lots of wins, played EGF to two goals, too many close games against poor to average teams.
8. Thief River Falls: Tough Schedule, barely .500 team. Two games against EGF will tell everyone what they need to know.
9. St. Cloud Apollo: Should be on the radar, I can't say I've seen enough of them to have a vibe, but they look like a 1st round out at the X.
10. St. Cloud Cathedral: I've seen enough of them to wonder why a mid-season win streak makes anyone think they can hang consistently with the top teams.

Hey, its all for fun

Moorhead versus:
vs. Wayzata W 6-5 F/OT
vs. Prior Lake L 2-1 F
vs. Bloomington Jefferson W 3-2 F
at Alexandria L 3-1 F
at Centennial W 2-1 F/OT
at Breck W 3-2 F/OT
at Bemidji L 3-0 F
vs. Warroad W 5-1

Quoting Ted2u
"The teams that can win a State Championship:
1. Hermantown: They have been the best team through January.
2. EGF: Still defending champions and can beat anyone on a given date.
3. Duluth Marshall: Lots of good wins, but it doesn't matter if they can't beat Hermantown.
4. Mahtomedi: A very good team, but have they paid their dues yet?
5. Breck: Always a tough game, but can they put enough wins together?
6. Alexandria: Lots of nice wins, but no real competition, talk to me when the games really mean something."

Not a big Alex fan but they did something Breck was not capable of doing.

elliott70 wrote:Moorhead versus:
vs. Wayzata W 6-5 F/OT
vs. Prior Lake L 2-1 F
vs. Bloomington Jefferson W 3-2 F
at Alexandria L 3-1 F
at Centennial W 2-1 F/OT
at Breck W 3-2 F/OT
at Bemidji L 3-0 F
vs. Warroad W 5-1

Quoting Ted2u
"The teams that can win a State Championship:
1. Hermantown: They have been the best team through January.
2. EGF: Still defending champions and can beat anyone on a given date.
3. Duluth Marshall: Lots of good wins, but it doesn't matter if they can't beat Hermantown.
4. Mahtomedi: A very good team, but have they paid their dues yet?
5. Breck: Always a tough game, but can they put enough wins together?
6. Alexandria: Lots of nice wins, but no real competition, talk to me when the games really mean something."

Not a big Alex fan but they did something Breck was not capable of doing.

and on a side note... Alexandria was missing their best player during their Moorhead win as well

hockey9011 wrote:

elliott70 wrote:Moorhead versus:
vs. Wayzata W 6-5 F/OT
vs. Prior Lake L 2-1 F
vs. Bloomington Jefferson W 3-2 F
at Alexandria L 3-1 F
at Centennial W 2-1 F/OT
at Breck W 3-2 F/OT
at Bemidji L 3-0 F
vs. Warroad W 5-1

Quoting Ted2u
"The teams that can win a State Championship:
1. Hermantown: They have been the best team through January.
2. EGF: Still defending champions and can beat anyone on a given date.
3. Duluth Marshall: Lots of good wins, but it doesn't matter if they can't beat Hermantown.
4. Mahtomedi: A very good team, but have they paid their dues yet?
5. Breck: Always a tough game, but can they put enough wins together?
6. Alexandria: Lots of nice wins, but no real competition, talk to me when the games really mean something."

Not a big Alex fan but they did something Breck was not capable of doing.

and on a side note... Alexandria was missing their best player during their Moorhead win as well

Just to warn you prior to this Saturday's tilt; Bemidji was missing a first line and second line winger against Moorhead.

But point will taken, unless you are close to the team; no one knows who is at full strength for any of these games.
I am not sure how Alex fits in to the whole scheme of things with Hermantown, East Grand Forks and Maht but until we see them face off at the X, I would not count anyone out (except Luverne of course).

elliott70 wrote:

hockey9011 wrote:

elliott70 wrote:Moorhead versus:
vs. Wayzata W 6-5 F/OT
vs. Prior Lake L 2-1 F
vs. Bloomington Jefferson W 3-2 F
at Alexandria L 3-1 F
at Centennial W 2-1 F/OT
at Breck W 3-2 F/OT
at Bemidji L 3-0 F
vs. Warroad W 5-1

Quoting Ted2u
"The teams that can win a State Championship:
1. Hermantown: They have been the best team through January.
2. EGF: Still defending champions and can beat anyone on a given date.
3. Duluth Marshall: Lots of good wins, but it doesn't matter if they can't beat Hermantown.
4. Mahtomedi: A very good team, but have they paid their dues yet?
5. Breck: Always a tough game, but can they put enough wins together?
6. Alexandria: Lots of nice wins, but no real competition, talk to me when the games really mean something."

Not a big Alex fan but they did something Breck was not capable of doing.

and on a side note... Alexandria was missing their best player during their Moorhead win as well

Just to warn you prior to this Saturday's tilt; Bemidji was missing a first line and second line winger against Moorhead.

But point will taken, unless you are close to the team; no one knows who is at full strength for any of these games.
I am not sure how Alex fits in to the whole scheme of things with Hermantown, East Grand Forks and Maht but until we see them face off at the X, I would not count anyone out (except Luverne of course).

After watching them play 3-4 times this year, I don't think they are at the level of the teams you have mentioned. They have pretty good depth and they consistently outwork teams but in an unusually deep 6A, they might not even get out of sections. Then again, i wouldn't be surprised to see them in the winners bracket at state before losing to Hermantown in the semis.

4 Orono
2 Cathedral

HShockeywatcher wrote:4 Orono
2 Cathedral

Not surprised. This SCC team doesn't play with much heart. Seems like a group of guys that think they're good because the teams before them were. Replaced solid leaders from last year's team with selfish play. Team doesn't block shots, best players take undisciplined penalties late in close games, etc.

Their goalie is the best in the section, probably one of the better goalies in the state. Without him this team might have 5 or fewer wins.

BobSaget wrote:

HShockeywatcher wrote:4 Orono
2 Cathedral

Not surprised. This SCC team doesn't play with much heart. Seems like a group of guys that think they're good because the teams before them were. Replaced solid leaders from last year's team with selfish play. Team doesn't block shots, best players take undisciplined penalties late in close games, etc.

Their goalie is the best in the section, probably one of the better goalies in the state. Without him this team might have 5 or fewer wins.

Very nice take on them. I feel like sometimes they just coast in games which will hurt them in playoffs against workhorse teams like Alex and Apollo. They have some nice players (Neu, M Fritz, goalie Z Fritz) but are missing leadership. Lasts years captains were D-1 caliber players-Bailey committed to air force and wouldn't be surprised if Hammer made it somewhere as well-that led on and off the ice.. Hope they can figure it out before sections

hockey9011 wrote:

BobSaget wrote:

HShockeywatcher wrote:4 Orono
2 Cathedral

Not surprised. This SCC team doesn't play with much heart. Seems like a group of guys that think they're good because the teams before them were. Replaced solid leaders from last year's team with selfish play. Team doesn't block shots, best players take undisciplined penalties late in close games, etc.

Their goalie is the best in the section, probably one of the better goalies in the state. Without him this team might have 5 or fewer wins.

Very nice take on them. I feel like sometimes they just coast in games which will hurt them in playoffs against workhorse teams like Alex and Apollo. They have some nice players (Neu, M Fritz, goalie Z Fritz) but are missing leadership. Lasts years captains were D-1 caliber players-Bailey committed to air force and wouldn't be surprised if Hammer made it somewhere as well-that led on and off the ice.. Hope they can figure it out before sections

I've seen this team play a few times this year and many times in the years past. They seem to have the write idea a lot of the time, but can't always make the play or combination of plays that they need. Every time I've seen them this year, they have had different lines. I think that they're the most talented team in the section( Z. Fritz, M. Fritz, Cornelius, Neu, Hirschfeld, Gadbois) but just need to find the drive and right set of lines to get to it. And knowing their coach, I bet they'll be ready come sections. I'm still picking them to go to the X, especially if Fritz is hot. Not many better in the state, A and AA, than him when he's on.

The Otters top Alexandria in a tight game 4-3 despite being outshot at roughly a 2:1 clip.

RRubberbeeskit wrote:The Otters top Alexandria in a tight game 4-3 despite being outshot at roughly a 2:1 clip.

Not sure if you were at the game....I was not. However, I have witnessed how they count shots up in Alex...... I don't trust their numbers.