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Figured we could start a "preseason top" lists thread. Fun to read and discuss now. Or read, reference, and discuss later. Those that post their own predictions can feel really smart or really stupid 5 days/weeks/months/years later.

The first list was courtesy of FollowThePuck GIRLS:

FTP Girls preseason Top 20 AA & A:

AA:
1. Edina
2. Hill-Murray
3. Blake
4. Brainerd/LF
5. FLAKE
6. Centennial
7. Blaine
8. CDH
9. Rogers
10. Maple Grove
11. WBL
12. Moundsview
13. Eastridge
14. Elk River
15. Roseau
16. Princeton
17. Farmington
18. Eagan
19. Lakeville North
20. Lakeville South

A:

1. Breck
2. EGF
3. Warroad
4. Delano/Rockford
5. TRF
6. SPU
7. New Ulm
8. Red Wing
9. Proctor/Hermantown
10. Hutchinson
11. Fergus
12. Alexandria
13. Northern Lakes
14. Moose Lake
15. SSP
16. Faribault
17. Intl Falls
18. Duluth Marshall
19. Mound/Westonka
20. Mankato East

youthhockeyhub.com with the first of their 3-4 posts of the season about MN girls HS hockey (yes, sort of a passive aggressive shot):

http://www.youthhockeyhub.com/news_arti ... _id=967184

1. Edina
2. Blake
3. Hill-Murray
4. Blaine
5. Cretin-Derham Hall
6. Centennial
7. Eden Prairie
8. Maple Grove
9. Andover
10. Elk River/Zimmerman

massalsa wrote:The first list was courtesy of FollowThePuck GIRLS:

FTP Girls preseason Top 20 AA & A:

AA:
1. Edina
2. Hill-Murray
3. Blake
4. Brainerd/LF

Wow, big jump from last season. What makes them deserve such a lofty ranking going into this season?

MNHockeyFan wrote:

massalsa wrote:The first list was courtesy of FollowThePuck GIRLS:

FTP Girls preseason Top 20 AA & A:

AA:
1. Edina
2. Hill-Murray
3. Blake
4. Brainerd/LF

Wow, big jump from last season. What makes them deserve such a lofty ranking going into this season?

They were a very good and young team last year and did not lose much. They lost a tough multiple OT section final heartbreaker to Roseau last year. They are aggressive, fast and skilled, with a very solid goalie. They will be in the mix.

I think that it is interesting that #4 Brainerd, #5 FLAKE, & #9 Rogers from FTP did not make the YHH top 10.

Also that YHH #8 Eden Prairie and YHH #9 Andover did NOT MAKE the FTP top 20.

MNHockeyFan wrote:

massalsa wrote:The first list was courtesy of FollowThePuck GIRLS:

FTP Girls preseason Top 20 AA & A:

AA:
1. Edina
2. Hill-Murray
3. Blake
4. Brainerd/LF

Wow, big jump from last season. What makes them deserve such a lofty ranking going into this season?

The thing with B/LF is that they won a basket-full of games last year against an extremely WEAK schedule. Only 14 class AA schools played a weaker schedule...with their section, B/LF probably plays Roseau again in section finals,but, top 5 pre-season ?

LPH preseason rankings:

AA

1. EDINA
2. BLAKE
3. HM
4. EP
5. BLAINE
6. MG
7. FL
8. ER/Z
9. TONKA
10.CENT
11.CDH
12.WBL
13.B/LF
14.FARM
15.ROSEAU
16.GR/G
17.LVL S
18.ROGERS
19.WAYZATA
20.MV


A

1. BRECK
2. SPU
3. WARROAD
4. DELANO/ROCK
5. EGF
6. RW
7. ALEX
8. P/H
9. HUTCH
10.TRF

nu2hockey wrote:LPH preseason rankings:

AA

1. EDINA
2. BLAKE
3. HM
4. EP

BIG difference between LPH and FollowThePuck, which doesn't have EP ranked in the Top 20.

MNHockeyFan wrote:

nu2hockey wrote:LPH preseason rankings:

AA

1. EDINA
2. BLAKE
3. HM
4. EP

BIG difference between LPH and FollowThePuck, which doesn't have EP ranked in the Top 20.

EP (like B/LF) shouldn't be top 5 ....Centennial returns basically everyone, where Blaine and MG lost a lot of players...Cent at 10 feels too low...

can someone explain why a few people think Andover will be that much better...they had absolutely ZERO (0) quality wins in their 10 total wins last year...an influx of youngsters may help, but?

nu2hockey wrote:can someone explain why a few people think Andover will be that much better...they had absolutely ZERO (0) quality wins in their 10 total wins last year...an influx of youngsters may help, but?

Can't help you there but I did just see that one of those youngsters just committed to play for the U of M:

https://twitter.com/andovergirlshoc/sta ... 9893812225

I believe that LPH rankings are always VERY backward looking (or they do not do hardly ANY research) at the beginning of every season.

Neither LPH or FTP have Andover in the top 20. If I had to rank the lists from whom I think has it "the most right" I would rank them:

YHH
FTP
LPH

Does the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press have preseason rankings or is this it? I guess the Star Trib is mngirlshockeyhub and I think they do something at some point.

Lets see some of us poster type prognosticators put our own Top 10 AA & Top 5 A lists...lets face it 11-20 and 6-10 are very difficult to rank...feel free to include 10 in no particular order.

It would be fun to see some before the games start tonight. I will try to put something together after a couple of meetings...

Maybe could do a section final predictions if that is easier...as in Edina vs Blake...Brainerd vs Roseau...etc...

massalsa wrote:I believe that LPH rankings are always VERY backward looking (or they do not do hardly ANY research) at the beginning of every season.

Neither LPH or FTP have Andover in the top 20. If I had to rank the lists from whom I think has it "the most right" I would rank them:

YHH
FTP
LPH

LPH does tend to have a "legacy" component in their pre-season rankings each year. That probably affects their rankings for EP,BLAINE & TONKA.

YHH is out of wack with BLAINE,EP,ANDOVER & ER/Z

FTP having B/LF,FLAKE & ROGERS in top10....FLAKE lower but in top 10 probably, B/LF & ROGERS not now..

top 10+ AA
BLAKE

EDINA

HM
CENT
MG

CDH
FLAKE
BLAINE

FARM
ROSEAU
WBL
LVL S

massalsa's top 10 AA & top 5 A:

AA:

1. Edina (Defending AA champ, lost 123/309 total points from 4 seniors who were 2, 4, 5, & 6th leading points including 1 D. What is left is elite and also backfilling with most likely at least 4 future D1 players)

2. Blake (Defending A champ, only team to beat Edina last year and lost 48/265 total points from last year including leading scorer. Backfilling with 2 freshman)

3. Hill-Murray (Always a force, lost 85/285 points from last year from 3 seniors. Rock solid goaltending and a great group of younger players.)

----------

4. Centennial (Hughes, Linser, and a couple of other really nice complimentary players. Couple of goalies...this is their year with H & L graduating.)

----------

5. FLAKE (A year older, may have the best Soph goalie in state, great D core. Will they score enough goals?)

5. Blaine (Graduated a ton of points and players but returning their 2 biggest guns and a solid goalie.)

5. Maple Grove (Also graduated a lot including 2 great goalies. Lots of questions but a deep, deep youth program.)

--------
8. Breck (just kidding...they would be in the category above if they were not A)

8. Eden Prairie (They are going to really miss Rogge and her 50 shots a game...and usually at least 2 goals. But Iron woman Hengler and Dobchuck are rock solid in the back end. Langseth and a couple of others will have an opportunity to shoot more and they should be 2nd in the Lake).

8. White Bear Lake (Ooohs and ahhs I know! Shearon and Verkerke scoring goals along with *DeLaRosa and transfer MacLean from CDH in the back are solid. Most likely the best goalie in the state of hockey according to USA hockey will be ROCK solid for them.)

---------

10. Brainerd (lots of really good skaters who play a schedule that does not allow them to see many of the metro powers. Lots of girls that can score and a WAY above average goalie.)

10. Roseau (always good...seem to play the metro teams well and are well...Roseau! Slight nod goes to Brainerd but they are close).

Hon Mention:
Minnetonka (always better than you think. Nicholson & Langfels are a top 3 pairing in the state)
Elk River
Lakeville's (probably South with Flaherty then North but close)


A:

1. Breck (relatively easy choice)

2. SPU (dependent on how many goals Burke scores in big games and also development of their young, sometimes inconsistent goalie)

3. Warroad (always tough and can shut down a top player a lot of the time if they stay out of the box)

4. Red Wing (Tayor Heise...so freaking good!)

4. EGF (if they can get by Warroad in sections you will see them in the semi's)

Very excited for this season!!! Good luck to all players and fans!

*edit fixed mistaken name

massalsa wrote:massalsa's top 10 AA & top 5 A:
4. Red Wing (Tayor Heise...so freaking good!)

She's off to a pretty good start - hat trick in her first game - all unassisted - with 3:54 still to go.

http://www.stateofhockey.com/news_artic ... id=1949540

Looks like only 1 of the top 51 players in the state are uncommitted...

I would put Hengler of EP in the top 25 list or at least the top 51.