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Happy New Year! Well we are at the official mid way point of the regular season as we are 7 weeks in since the start of practices and starting Monday we have 7 weeks to go before the Sectional Playoffs begins. I thought with no Class A games on the docket it would be good to get the mid-season Class A Rankings posted!

Mid-Season Class A Ranking Week #6 (1/1/2022)
1- Hermantown (7A) (8-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-0 Orono, W 6-2 Delano
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 vs. Duluth Denfeld, 1/8 vs. Eden Prairie
The Hawks showed their muscle this week as they cruised over two of Section 2A’s best at home this week. Wyatt Carlson’s two goals were more than enough vs. Ornon and Ty Hanson led the way with two goals of his own against Delano. Hermantown is the Alabama of Class A Hockey and again are CLEAR #1 team as we head into 2022 and with Zam on his way back sometime this month can anyone else on this list really stop them from claiming their 4th Class A title? Big game this week as they host rising Duluth Denfeld on Tuesday for the #1 seed in 7A.

2- Warroad (8A) (11-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 12-0. Grafton, 11-0 Osseo, W 8-1 International Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 @ Roseau, 1/7 @ Fergus Falls, 1/8 @ Detroit Lakes
The Warriors took care of business at their Hockey Town Holiday Classic blowing out 3 below average teams. It was good to see the emergence of some of their younger stars on the stat sheet like Sophomore's Carson Pilgrim and Murray Marvin-Cordes to provide what will be a critical line of secondary scoring. This team has top end talent and great D and a very good Goaltender. Now they face what will surely be their toughest week of the year 3 road games first it's “The Game” vs. the Rams. Then a tough back to back against Fergus Falls and Detroit Lakes both who are looking for that marquee win to solidify their spot in the Class A Top Ten.

3- Mahtomedi (4A) (5-5-1)
Past Week Results: W 10-2 Minot, L 1-5 Roseau, T 2-2 St Louis Park
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 vs St Paul Highland Park, 1/8 @ St Thomas Academy
The Zephyrs had a very sour adventure up north. They dominated an average North Dakota Squad as expected but then things went south from there. They were blitzed in the 2nd period by the Roseau Rams and they struggled to tie an average AA St Louis Park team. I was tempted to drop them but I still have faith in Dardis come playoffs and no one in Section 4A will push them so they are a lock for State. This week they have a Section 4A foe and then a rematch with STA. The goal for the Zephyrs in 2022 is to find that scoring needed to win the close games against good teams before the X in March.

4- Little Falls (5A) (12-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 12-2 Northern Lakes, W 8-2 Wadena Deer Creek, W 8-0 Windom
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 vs Bemidji, 1/7 vs Hutchinson
The Flyers continued their torrid hot start as they went 3-0 in their holiday classic and outscored their opponents a eye opening 28-4 in three games. The top line of Filippi, Johnson, and Oothoudt is as good as you will find in Class A. They are starting to get scoring from their freshman duo of Avery and Welinski on the 2nd line and their Defense led by Moore and Johnson has been good. The key will be goaltending moving forward; they are the clear and heavy favorite in Section 5A. However, they will be pushed in that sectional but for now they look to continue perfection as one of the state’s last unbeaten teams and they will get a very good test vs. Bemidji to open 2022.

5- Duluth Denfeld (7A) (9-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-1 Spring Lake Park, W 7-0 Owatonna, W 8-0 Anoka
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 @ Hermantown, 1/6 @ Superior, 1/7 vs. North Shore
The Hunters appeared healthy and well rested after their week layoff due to COVID issues with their program. They raced past three AA teams en route to winning their Holiday Classic with ease. Connor McClure tallied his 100th career point along the way and suddenly the Hunters have won 8 straight. Now they will see how they fare as they hit the road against the mighty Hawks and the roadblock to this very good group’s last true shot at a trip to state for a while.

6- Delano (2A) (7-3-0)
Past Week Results: W2-1 Hibbing, L 6-2 Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 @ Rosemount, 1/8 vs St Cloud Cathedral
The Tigers continued their up and down play of late on their trip up north. They barely got by a Hibbing squad missing 3 of its top guns in a tight 2-1 game. Then they showed some life vs the Hawks in a competitive push against the states best team in the second period until the third period where they were outshot 17-1. Delano is a hard team to read but this week they have two good tests highlighted by a good matchup vs rising Cathedral on Saturday.

7- Minneapolis (2A) (8-3-0)
Past Week Results: W 3-2 Southwest Christian, W 3-0 Mankato East, L 3-4 OT Holy Angels
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 @ Litchfield Dassel Cokato, 1/8 vs Rock Ridge
Minneapolis had a solid showing in the Herb Brooks Gold Division; they won a tight game 3-2 over SWC in a critical Section 2A seeding game. They were fast and dominant in their shutout win over Mankato East and they took AA Holy Angels to OT before losing in the title game. Jack Hanson’s 5 points over the tournament led the way for a group that continues to put out impressive performances.. Two games this week with the big one being the Section 2A game vs LDC who have been playing much better of late.

8- Providence Academy (2A) (9-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 9-2 Sauk Rapids, W 3-2 St Cloud, W 5-4 OT Sartell
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 @ St Paul Academy, 1/6 vs Monticello, 1/8 @ Duluth Marshall
The Lions continued to roll as they won all three games at the Granite City Classic to move into this week’s Class A Top 10. Behind Louie Wehmann’s 10 point effort Providence continued its impressive roll since getting demolished by Minneaplis earlier in the year. This week they have 3 more games that they should win on their schedule with Monticello being the only significant challenge to them.

9- Alexandria (6A) (3-4-1)
Past Week Results: L 2-3 Gentry Academy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 vs Monticello, 1/6 vs Fergus Falls, 1/8 @ Bemidji
The Cards like the Greenwave below them are below .500 however, they only have losses to AA teams and teams above them in the Class A rankings. They should have beaten the Flyers however, they loss to Sartell and tie to St Cloud both who Providence beat to move ahead them. Right now I am leaving them at 9 but a critical week with the Moose, then a key Section 6A game vs the Otters, and a tough Bemidji team await. They will prove me right or move down after this week.

10- East Grand Forks (8A) (4-5-0)
Past Week Results: Idle
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 @ Grand Forks Red River, 1/6 vs Thief River Falls, 1/8 vs Gentry Academy
The Greenwave were allowed to take the week to regroup due to a weather postponement with the Hawks. EGF I know some will argue don’t deserve to be #10 but they own a win over #11 Detroit Lakes and they destroyed #13 SCC on the road earlier this year. They only have losses to teams above them. This week there are more tough games for the Greenwave all 3 games will present challenges for this team's Defense and goaltending. I am sticking with this group because I do think they are top 10 just based on no one below them could or has beat them head to head yet.

11- Detroit Lakes (8A) (9-3-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-3 Kittson Central, W 4-1 New Ulm, W 6-3 Fergus Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 @ Wadena Deer Creek, 1/8 vs Warroad
The Lakers started off the Otter Holiday Classic slowly finding themselves tied to an inferior Kittson Central team in the 3rd period however, after that they turned on the jets and pulled away and then defeated New Ulm and finished by winning a key rematch vs Fergus Falls to move up in the rankings. Senior Beau Boehne was the tournament MVP with 10 points in 3 games. Now the Lakers have games vs an improved WDC squad before the big test with Warroad on Saturday.

12- Fergus Falls (6A) (9-3-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-2 New Ulm, W 8-4 Kittson Central, L 3-6 Detroit Lakes
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 @ Alexandria, 1/7 vs. Warroad
Fergus Falls had a nice start to their holiday tournament as they buzzed by both New Ulm and Kittson Central Central with ease. They jumped out early on the Lakers as well but a defining third period for Detroit Lakes gave the Otters their third loss of the year. I still believe in this group but they need scoring behind Johnson and DeBrito and their D has to improve. They have their biggest week of the year to make a move in the ranking with back to back games against rival Alexandria and high touted Warroad. For a team in search of a marquee win you could ask for a better week ahead to start 2022.

13- St. Cloud Cathedral (5A) (8-3-0)
Past week: W 2-1 River Lakes, W 4-0 Sauk Rapids, W 3-0 St. Cloud
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 vs. Orono, 1/8 @ Delano
The Crusaders had a good week in their holiday classic as they picked up two key Section 5A wins although it was much closer then I think anyone was expecting and they came away with the big cross town rivalry win to finish at 3-0 and have bragging rights in the city. They again were led by their youth as Freshman John Hirschfeld led the way with at least a goal and all 3 games (5 pts total) and Sophomore goalie Nick Hansen only gave up 1 goal over the three games. Now we will find out what Cathedral really is as they play many ranked teams the rest of the way in 2022.. Two stiff 2A tests await this young improving rising team to start their new year off this week.

14- Northfield (1A) (5-3-0)
Past Week Results: L 0-8 Holy Angels, L 2-5 Park Cottage Grove,
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 vs. Rochester Mayo, 1/6 vs. Rochester John Marshall, 1/8 vs. Hastings
Northfield showed some serious flaws during the Herb Brooks Gold Division Invitational over the holiday break. They were blown out by Holy Angels and then were beaten soundly again by Park Cottage Grove. Luckily they were able to salvage a win to not finish in last place. This week it does not get any easier as they host 3 home games with Mayo and Hastings serving as tough tests.

15- Mankato East (3A) (8-4-0)
Past Week: L 0-3 Minneapolis, W 4-3 Breck
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 @ Hutchinson
The Cougars had a weird week at the Gold division of the Herb Brooks Classic. They had their first game canceled due to COVID on the Roseville team then they were shut out by top 10 Minneapolis but they rebounded with a solid win over Breck to finish 3rd. This week they head to Hutch which will be another good test for them as they look to keep improving as the favorite in Section 3A. Also a critical comparative head to head for 3A seeds as Hutch has beaten New Ulm and the Cougars don't play hardly anyone in the section so they could use this comparative win.

16- Cambridge- Isanti (5A) (7-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Greenway, W 5-2 Hibbing
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 @ Sauk Rapids, 1/6 vs Chisago Lakes
Cambridge has now rattled off seven wins in a row since inserting 9th grader Jaxon Sibell as their starting goalie. It’s amazing his impact on this team as the worst game they played during their 7 game game was a 2-1 squeaker against a bad North Shore team the only game Sibell has not started during the current win streak. This week they have a key 5A game at Sauk Rapids followed by a good matchup vs the team right below them in the ranking Chisago Lakes. Can the Blue Jackets stretch their run to 9 games?

17- Chisago Lakes (4A) (7-2-1)
Past Week Results: L 2-3 Forest Lake
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 @ Cambridge
The Wildcats lost a tough one to AA Forest Lake over the break. They enter the 2nd half with a nice record but they are in search of their own quality wins to hang their hat on. With Simley hard charging right behind them in these rankings and in Section 4A for the number 2 seed they could use a big win. They get a great test this coming week as they take on red hot Cambridge who sits just above them in the rankings. Should be a good game between two teams battling for a top seed and respect in their own respective sections.

18- Simley (4A) (9-3-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-1 Northern Edge, L 1-3 Eau Claire North, W 3-1 St Paul Academy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 vs Two Rivers, 1/8 @ St Paul Johnson
Simley had an ok week as they took 3rd place in the Herb Brooks Silver with their only loss coming to a decent Wisconsin team. They were able to pick up another Section 4A win and they are currently (5-0) in Section 4A play and will most likely get the 2 seed on a coaches vote. This week they have two more winnable Section 4A games against Two Rivers and St Paul Johnson.

19- Albert Lea (1A) (7-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-1 Bloomington Kennedy, W 3-2 OT Luverne, W 3-0 Rochester Lourdes
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 @ Windom, 1/6 @ Winona
Albert Lea enters the rankings after winning the Kwannis Tourney in Rochester. They finished the tournament with a sound 3-0 win over Lourdes. Their schedule is full of Section 1A teams the rest of the way they can put together a nice record and will have claim at the #1 seed. Two games this week at Windom and Winona should only add to their win total for now.

20- Orono (2A) (4-6-1)
Past Week Results: L 0-6 Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/4 vs. Mankato West, 1/6 @ St. Cloud Cathedral
Yes, Orono got throttled by the Hawks but I’m leaving the Spartans here for now. They have a tie vs. New Prague the team right below them and they own the most significant win of the 5 in the nortable bunch with their big win over Top 10 Delano. They need to start winning games like they have this week. They can easily go 2-0 but as we have seen with this team you never know who will show up. The game against Cathedral on Thursday will be very telling for both teams.

The Next Five Notable Class A Teams-
New Prague (1A) (4-3-1)- TheTrojans have a tie against Orono as their most impressive result on their resume so far. They play mainly middle tier Metro AA teams all year so it will be tough to judge but they don't have anything that screams Top 20 right now.

Southwest Christian (2A) (4-4-1)- The Stars just continue to not impress. They held tough this week but again did not produce a win. Nothing on their resume says they are a top 20 team.

Thief River Falls (8A)- (3-6-0)- Yes they have lost 6 games but like EGF and Alex they are to (AA Roseau, Warroad, Delano, Northfeild, SCC, North Fargo) all who are ranked respectively. They beat Rock Ridge handily who beat Mound the night before. The Prowlers are better than their record shows.

New Ulm (3A) (7-3-0)- They were beaten by Fergus and DL pretty handily they did win over Kittson and they should have a great record and be the 2 seed in 3A with a good chance at state the rest of the way.

Mound Westonka (2A) (6-6-0)- The White Hawks are the most confusing team in Class A. They get routed by Rock Ridge then look impressive over Hibbing and Greenway. Too inconsistent to be top 20 but they will be a thorne to all they play.

Out of the Rankings- Nothern Lakes & Rochester Lourdes

My take for the week.......

1- Hermantown
2- Warroad
3- Little Falls
4- Duluth Denfeld
5- Mahtomedi
6- Minneapolis
7- Providence Academy
8- Delano
9- Alexandria
10- St. Cloud Cathedral
11- Detroit Lakes
12- East Grand Forks
13- Fergus Falls
14- Mankato East
15- Northfield
16- New Prague
17- Chisago Lakes
18- Cambridge-Isanti
19- Simley
20- Mound Westonka

1.2.22 Rankings

The holiday events were actually helpful in many cases in terms of separating the wheat from the chaff. (Except for ones like Warroad and Little Falls that didn't challenge hosts whatsoever.) I was really plumbing the depths for the final three, and would have liked to give #17 the boot as well. On a more positive note, there are some unfamiliar faces rising up into the top 15 and playing some nice hockey. Note that the "last week" rankings refer to my rankings that I didn't bother publishing after the site finally was back online.

1. Hermantown (8-1-0) [LW 1]
W 6-0 vs Orono, 6-2 vs Delano
After the EGF game was postponed due to weather, the Hawks bounced back from their first setback of the season by dispatching two Section 2A foes in comfortable fashion. Defense and goaltending have carried Hermantown with Zam Plante out of the lineup. Brother Zam has masterfully distributed the puck, while Ty Hanson and Kade Kohanski have picked up much of the scoring slack. Sophomore Dane Callaway has been stellar in net. The upcoming week features two more home contests, with the Hawks facing off against their only likely challenger from 7A before hosting a mercurial Eden Prairie squad.
Tue vs Denfeld, Sat vs Eden Prairie

2. Warroad (11-0-0) [LW 2]
W 12-0 vs Grafton, W 11-0 vs Osseo, W 8-1 vs Int'l Falls
Yikes. Not much to expound on here as the Warriors walked over, around, and right through three overmatched opponents. Daimon Gardner and Jayson Shaugabay continue to pace the offense, but there's been plenty of balanced scoring behind them. Things get real in a hurry with a midweek trip to renew one of the fiercest rivalries in the state, with both teams near the top of their respective rankings.
Tue @ Roseau, Fri @ Fergus Falls, Sat @ DL

3. Little Falls (12-0-0) [LW 4]
W 12-2 vs Northern Lakes, W 8-2 vs Wadena, W 8-0 vs Windom
The Little Falls Holiday Classic was not, uh, exactly a classic. The Flyers were not welcoming hosts as they rudely dismissed their three visitors. The anticipated opener with Northern Lakes turned into a laugher and may have broken the Lightning's psyche given their subsequent play. Matt Filippi and Hayden Johnson respectively sit at first and third in the state in scoring after posting bushels of points in the three games. Little Falls finishes off a seven-game home stand this week; the Tuesday tussle will be a step up in competition, as the Jacks have played quite well in stretches.
Tue vs Bemidji, Thu vs Hutchinson

4. Mahtomedi (5-5-1) [LW 3]
W 10-2 vs Minot, L 1-5 @ Roseau, T 2-2 vs St. Louis Park
The Zephyrs certainly did not enjoy their their trip to one of the state's hockey meccas. After mauling Minot in the opener and scoring the game's first goal against the hosts, the Rams ripped off the next five for a rather easy triumph. Mahtomedi certainly didn't do themselves any favors by surrendering three power play tallies. The hangover continued into the following day as the Zephyrs scuffled to a tie against the mediocre Orioles. Even Ben Dardis can only up so much when the offense is so anemic. Mahtomedi will need to solve their problems prior to a rematch with a rejuvenated Cadets squad.
Thu vs Lakeville North, Thu vs Highland Park, Sat @ STA

5. Duluth Denfeld (9-2-0) [LW 6]
W 7-1 vs Spring Lake Park, W 7-0 vs Owatonna, W 8-0 vs Anoka
Returning to the theme of top teams making a mockery of their own holiday events, the Hunters pummeled three weaker AA programs in the Heritage Classic. Denfeld jumps ahead of Delano this week, mainly based on the fact that they boast a prolific offense, led by Connor McClure and Simon Davidson, which prevents them from having to grind out games with little margin for error. That theory will be tested right away as they drive up the hill to face their nemesis Hawks in what will likely be a preview of the section final.
Tue @ Hermantown, Thu @ Superior, Fri vs North Shore

6. Delano (8-3-0) [LW 5]
W 2-1 @ Hibbing, L 2-6 @ Hermantown
The Tigers' offense was flat in their trip to the north country, mustering only two goals in each game. That was sufficient to squeak out a win over Hibbing, but not nearly so versus the top-ranked Hawks. Delano played well in the second stanza, but didn't get on the board until they were already in a 3-0 hole, and couldn't hold up down the stretch. The upcoming schedule is a bit strange, with a lengthy midweek trip to a decent AA foe prior to hosting reinvigorated SCC.
Thu @ Rosemount, Sat vs Cathedral

7. Minneapolis (8-3-0) [LW 7]
W 3-2 vs Southwest Christian, W 3-0 vs Mankato East, L 3-4 (OT) vs Holy Angels
Minneapolis acquitted themselves well in Blaine, collecting two victories and building a 3-1 lead on a good Holy Angels team before losing a heartbreaker in the final. They are a fast group and like to push the pace, and Jack Hanson is a force on offense. They always have a bit of a patchwork schedule as an independent and this week is a prime example, with new section mate Litchfield on the docket prior to a visit from Rock Ridge. Both have played well in stretches but shouldn't pose too much of a challenge.
Thu @ LDC, Sat vs Rock Ridge

8. Providence Academy (9-2-0) [LW 10]
W 9-2 vs Sauk Rapids, W 3-2 @ St. Cloud, W 5-4 (OT) vs Sartell
The Lions extended their winning streak to seven with a sweep at the Granite City Classic. The Sartell victory was particularly impressive, as the Sabres came in undefeated against Class A competition, including a win over Alexandria. Louie Wehmann and Jack Anderson were particularly impressive, and the offense continues to hum despite last season's leading scorer, Johnny Hendrickson. being limited to five games so far. Providence has three very winnible games coming up, with only Monticello posing much of a challenge.
Tue @ SPA, Thu vs Monticello, Sat @ Duluth Marshall

9. Alexandria (3-4-1) [LW 8]
L 2-3 @ Gentry
The Cardinals put a scare into Gentry, though that doesn't mean as much lately given the Stars' struggles (they were subsequently blasted 5-0 by Hudson). Alex is another one of those teams that needs to actually start winning games; they are basically stuck in this space based on close losses to Little Falls and Minneapolis, and a win over EGF. This week is an important one with three games of at least moderate difficulty, including the first of two contests with Fergus that will most likely decide the top seed in 6A.
Tue vs Monticello, Thu vs Fergus, Sat @ Bemidji

10. East Grand Forks (4-5-0) [LW 13]
Idle
Cui bono is a Latin phrase that means “who benefits"? In this case the Green Wave, who were ice cold going into the holidays, somehow managed to climb three spots while sitting on the bench, thanks to carnage unfolding around them. For now they still remain ahead of Detroit Lakes thanks to the head-to-head win. There's a difficult three-game week ahead, including the #2 North Dakota team and a critical section matchup. Hopefully EGF has worked on some of their problem areas during the extended time off.
Tue @.GF Red River, Thu vs TRF, Sat vs Gentry

11. Detroit Lakes (9-3-0) [LW 14]
W 5-3 vs Kittson, W 3-2 vs New Ulm, W 6-3 @ Fergus Falls
The Lakers were one of the big winners coming out of the holiday events. DL needed some late magic from Beau Boehne and Jordan Fields to escape their first two contests without a blemish, but laid the wood to host Fergus in avenging a season-opening setback to the Otters. This is a high-scoring group with a balanced attack led by Boehne and Spencer Bergman. The Lakers have challenging week ahead, visiting a frisky Wadena crew ahead of a section showdown with the #2 Warriors.
Tue @ Wadena, Sat vs Warroad

12. St. Cloud Cathedral (8-3-0) [LW 15]
W 2-1 vs River Lakes, W 4-0 vs Sauk Rapids, W 3-0 @ St. Cloud
The Crusaders swept through their home tournament, allowing only a single goal in three games, and extended their winning streak to seven in the process. It feels odd having Cathedral ranked this high, as the St. Cloud game is their closest thing to a signature win, but such is the state of Class A hockey this season. This team doesn't do any one thing particularly well, but keeps games close and has been plugging along. They have a chance to make more of a statement this week against two teams from 2A, including the #6 Tigers.
Thu vs Orono, Sat @ Delano

13. Fergus Falls (9-3-0) [LW 11]
W 7-2 vs New Ulm, W 8-4 vs Kittson, L 3-6 vs DL
The Otters continue tumbling down the rankings after dropping their rematch with Detroit Lakes. Fergus opened up their holiday event with two comfortable victories, making it seem as if they had righted the ship following last weeks baffling lost to River Lakes. That was not to be, however, as DL blew open a tie game with three third-period tallies. This team is baffling; for all of their talent and propensity to blow out lesser teams, the Otters can't seem to put things together this season against decent competition. We'll find out soon enough if Fergus sinks or swims as they kick off a brutal three-game stretch with a critical section game.
Thu @ Alex, Fri vs Warroad

14. Mankato East (8-4-0) [LW 12]
Mon vs Roseville, L 0-3 vs Minneapolis, W 4-3 vs Breck
After their quarterfinal matchup with Roseville was canceled, the Cougars were semi-competitive against Minneapolis and white-knuckled a win over my Mustangs. East looked at times like they were skating in mud against more skilled Minneapolis. Their only victory of note is over Mound Westonka, and are basically ranked this high due to a lack of egregious losses. Hutch provides another good data point, and a loss will certainly boot the Cougars out of the realm of the ranked.
Tue @ Hutchinson

15. Cambridge-Isanti (7-2-0) [LW 18]
W 4-1 @ Greenway, W 5-2 @ Hibbing
After an impressive run over the past few weeks, the Bluejackets are emerging as the likely #2 in 5A. C-I collected a pair of three-goal wins on their trip to the Iron Range. In both cases they broke open close games with torrid third period performances. There is a nice mix of youth and experience on the roster, and the scoring is exceptionally balanced. Freshman goalie Jaxon Sibell continues his magical run, and has yet to allow more than two goals in any of his five starts. Even though it is no longer a section game, the Chisago contest will be a nice litmus test.
Tue @ Sauk Rapids, Thu vs Chisago Lakes

16. Chisago Lakes (7-2-1) [LW 19]
L 2-3 @ Forest Lake
In their only action of the week, the Wildcats dropped a close decision to their large-school neighbors to the south. FLake is decent enough, so there's no shame in that result. Another single-game week is ahead, with only the aforementioned midweek challenge against the Bluejackets.
Thu @ Cambridge-Isanti

17. Northfield (5-3-0) [LW 9]
L 0-8 vs Holy Angels, L 2-5 vs Park
The Raiders barely bothered to show up in Blaine, and that is about the level of write up they will receive. I really would have liked to bounce them from the rankings, but the pickings are very slim in this range and the potential is there for Northfield, if nothing else. They face three 1AA teams this week, and will get drilled by Hastings if their level of play doesn't improve significantly.
Tue vs Mayo, Thu vs John Marshall, Sat vs Hastings

18. Orono (4-6-1) [LW NR]
L 0-6 @ Hermantown
The fact that I am putting the Spartans into the rankings after a non-competitive loss to Hermantown speaks volumes. At least Orono has a victory over Delano to their credit, and other teams in this area of the rankings would likely put up even less of a fight. This team is very volatile, but at least has a decent ceiling when they are on. The Spartans get a chance to prove they belong against Cathedral later in the week.
Tue vs Mankato West, Thu @ Cathedral

19. Mound Westonka (6-6-0) [LW NR]
L 1-6 @ Rock Ridge, W 4-1 @ Hibbing, W 5-0 @ Greenway
Like Jason or Freddy Krueger, the White Hawks are back from the brink of death and haunting my rankings. The trip up to the Iron Range was emblematic of their season, bouncing back with two nice wins after being blasted in the opener. Mound Westonka has one significant victory - Providence back in their opener - and a bunch of close losses to ranked teams. Rock Ridge was their first loss by more than two goals, and they have single-goal setbacks to Delano and Chisago. There are some nice scoring pieces in place (Kresbach, Doshan, and Kantola), but the defense and goaltending are extremely inconsistent. They next have a shot at a down Fire team that feasted on them for years.
Thu vs Holy Family

20. New Prague (4-3-1) [LW NR]
W 5-2 vs Hutchinson
I mean, I guess the Trojans have a tie with Orono and bounced back to hammer Hutch after dropping a pair of five-goal decisions to Chaska and Chan last week. New Prague is extremely young, and the top of the scoring list is littered with sophomores and even a freshman. The sample size is small with only eight games in the books, and this is another single-game week with a shot to avenge a 1-0 loss from their second game of the season.
Thu vs Shakopee

Out: Northern Lakes (5-4-0) [LW 16], Greenway (3-3-0) [LW 17], Rochester Lourdes (7-3-0) [LW 20]

Warroad also plays at Detroit Lakes on Saturday 1/8.

Mid-Season Class A Section by Section Breakdown-

Did more of a deep dive into how Sectionals are looking at the midway point below. Also predicted section final matchup and sleeper and champion see how I do in about 8 weeks.

Section 1A (11 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Northfield (14)- (5-3-0)
2- Albert Lea (19)- (7-2-0)
3- New Prague (4-3-1)
4- Rochester Lourdes- (7-3-0)
5- La Crescent (5-4-0)
6- Red Wing (3-5-0)
7- Waseca (1-7-0)
8- Faribault- (3-7-0)
9- Winona (1-6-0)
10- Austin (0-4-0)
11- Cotter (0-6-0)

Section 1A Overview-
Seeds 1-4 (Contenders)-Northfield’s stock took a serious hit after their venture to the Herb Books Gold Division did not go well at all. Albert Lea and New Prague look to be the top contenders. The Tigers have the leg up in seeding because they play all of the 1A teams unlike the Trojans who will not have a flashy record but will be a tough out. Going to keep Rochester Lourdes in the top 4 but they showed this week they still have a ways to go if they want to win this section.

Seeds 5 & 6(Best of the Rest) - La Crescent looks like the middle for now and Red Wing would be right by them as the best of the rest in the action for now. The Lancers are above .500 and the Wingers have a win over Ranked Simley.

Seeds 7-11 (The Bottom End)- Waseca has just one win but it's over Faribault. The Falcons have wins over AA Century and Owatonna to come in next. Winona owns a win, something Austin and Cotter have yet to get.

Section 1A Final Prediction- Northfield vs. New Prague- The two biggest schools in the section and closest to the Metro appear to be heading for a section final match up.

Section 1A Sleeper- Albert Lea looks to be pesky but not sure they have to the top end of Northfield or the depth of New Prague to knock either off.

Section 1A Champion Prediction- Northfield the top end of Klotz, Kaiser and Monson should be enough to get the Raiders back to St Paul for the first time since 2017.

Section 2A (11 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Delano (6)- (7-3-0)
2- Minneapolis (7)- (8-3-0)
3- Providence Academy (8)- (9-2-0)
4- Orono (20)- (4-6-1)
5- Mound Westonka (6-6-0)
6- Southwest Christian- (4-4-1)
7- Hutchinson (6-4-0)
8- Breck- (2-7-0)
9- Waconia- (3-6-0)
10- Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (6-5-0)
11- Bloomington Kennedy- (2-5-1)

Section 2A Overview-
Seeds 1-5 (Contenders)- Delano appears to be the number 1 seed for now but still some good matchups to come. Minneapolis is hard charging right behind them and Providence Academy is red hot. Orono has a win over the Tigers and Mound Westonka beat the Lions for a very toud top five seed.

Seeds 6 -10 (Best of the Rest)- Southwest Christian appears to be sitting at 6 for now but plenty of big games left to change that. Hutchinson has been solid while Breck has been disappointing so far this year. Waconia won a key win over LDC. Litchfield Dassel Cokato has won 3 of 4 and is a 10 seed.

Seed 11 (The Bottom)- Bloomington Kennedy may be the bottom but it does have a tie over SWC and a blow out win over Lourdes of late this is going to be a crazy tough section 1-11.

Section 2A Final Prediction- Delano vs. Minneapolis- This would be a battle but honestly I could see bot these teams getting upset early on with how tough this section is top to bottom.

Section 2A Sleeper- Providence Academy is red hot and is looking to make some school history this winter by reaching the school’s first ever section final and maybe first ever State Tournament.

Section 2A Champion Prediction- Delano going with experience of knowing how to win this as Delano is looking for the 4 peat in Section 2A.

Section 3A (10 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Mankato East (15)- (8-4-0)
2- New Ulm- (7-3-0)
3- Luverne- (5-5-0)
4- Marshall- (5-6-0)
5- Worthington- (6-3-0)
6- Windom (5-7-0)
7- Minnesota River- (3-5-0)
8- Mankato West- (3-7-0)
9- Fairmont- (2-5-0)
10- Redwood Valley-(2-8-0)

Section 3A Overview-
Seeds 1-3 (Contenders)- Mankato East appears to be the favorite followed by New Ulm are the clear cut #1 and #2 in this section and then maybe Luverne who has really fallen off of late but has not lost to anyone below them in 3A as of yet this winter.

Seeds 4 -8 (Best of the Rest)- Marshall still holds a slight grip on the 4 seed however, watch out for Worthington having its best season in school history. Windom is struggling of late but did beat the Tigers earlier this year and Minnesota River holds the head to head win over Mankato West. The Scarlets play only 1 more Section 3A team and its East in the HDMN rematch they have poor overall record and little head to head could cost them greatly come seeding time.

Seed 9 & 10 (The Bottom)- Fairmont does own wins over the Bulldogs & Eagles ahead of them to show they can play with the group above. Redwood Valley continues to struggle but did get their 2nd win of the season over the holidays.

Section 3A Final Prediction- Mankato West vs New Ulm- This could be a good match up as Section 3A is always unpredictable.

Section 3A Sleeper- Mankato West they could be as low as a 8 seed which I doubt I am guessing they end up around 6 and they will definitely cause chaos if that's the case they are getting better as the season moves along. If they are in the opposite bracket of Mankato East watch out.

Section 3A Champion Prediction- Mankato East- This appears to be the Cougars section to lose to make up for the COVID scratches of their star players last year that robbed their great team the chance at State last spring.

Section 4A (8 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Mahtomedi (3)- (5-5-0)
2- Chisago Lakes (17)- (7-2-1)
3- Simley (18)- (9-3-0)
4- St Paul Highland Park (4-4-1)
5- Two Rivers- (6-4-0)
6- St Paul Academy (4-5-0)
7- South St. Paul - (3-7-0)
8- St Paul Johnson- (2-5-0)

Section 4A Overview-
Seeds 1-3 (Contenders)- Mahtomedi is the heavy clear favorite in 4A. There is going to be a fun battle between Chisago Lakes and Simley for the Number 2 seed. They both will finish with great record but the Spartan’s dominance in Section 4A (5-0-0) to date will most likely get them the #2 seed.

Seeds 4 & 5 (Best of the Rest)- St Paul Highland Park is 1 second away from taking Simley to OT and maybe having a say for the number three seed. Two Rivers is getting better every outing and has separated from the bottom three to be the clear number five seed.

Seed 6, 7, & 8 (The Bottom)- St Paul Academy gets the nod at 6 for now but has not played the other two below them. South St Paul and St Paul Johnson have split. I gave the Packers the nod due to they won the most recent result.

Section 4A Final Prediction- Mahtomedi vs. Simley- The Zephyrs and Spartans will meet once in conference play to give us an idea how this will go. Simley is a senior laden team, a section final appearance would be a nice way to end their career.

Section 4A Sleeper- Chisago Lakes they will have a great record but their schedule is mainly Section 5A. We have no idea how the Wildcats will match up in 4A until the sectional could make them dangerous or hurt them.

Section 4A Champion Prediction- Mahtomedi- Not much drama here after a one year hiatus due to the Gentry crew the Zephyrs will win Section 4A for the 5th time in the last 6 years.

Section 5A (10 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Little Falls (4)- (12-0-0)
2- St. Cloud Cathedral (13)- (8-3-0)
3- Cambridge Isanti (16)- (7-2-0)
4- Princeton (4-4-0)
5- Sauk Rapids (3-8-0)
6- Monticello- (4-8-0)
7- Mora- (6-3-2)
8- River Lakes- (4-7-0)
9- Pine City (4-8-0)
10- Becker/Big Lake- (1-7-0)

Section 5A Overview-
Seeds 1-3 (Contenders)- Little Falls has raced out to a nice (12-0-0) record and have beaten 6 of the 9 other Section 5A teams in the process. St Cloud Cathedral looks to be back to normal standards and has a firm grip on the number 2 seed. Cambridge Isanti is red hot and has won seven in a row and still have matchups with both the Flyers and Crusaders ahead.

Seeds 4 -9 (Best of the Rest)- Right now its messy but I think in the end that Monticello and River Lakes will emerge as the four and five seeds. Sauk Rapids win over the Moose will give them an edge on the number 6 seed. Princeton has games with the Storm and Moose still ahead. Mora has a six game unbeaten streak of its own and still has games to play against many in 5A. Pine City is going to give everyone a physical game but they don't own a big win yet in 5A

Seed 10 (The Bottom)- Becker Big Lake has not beaten anyone in 5A and appears to be the lock for the tn seed.

Section 5A Final Prediction- Little Falls vs St Cloud Cathedral- The two new teams from 6A reunite for an epic battle in the 5A Final in at all places the MAC the Crusaders home ice. This one will be a classic between these two long time rivals.

Section 5A Sleeper- Cambridge Isanti has won seven in a row since Jaxon Sibell took over. Can he continue his magical run, are the Blue Jackets for real? It will be a fun story to follow the rest of the year.

Section 5A Champion Prediction- Little Falls needs to capitalize on this year as after that it looks like a young SCC group will run this section for a while. The Flyers have all the pieces to make a good run and maybe even secure a top 3 seed at state depending how the second half of their schedule plays out.

Section 6A (8 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Alexandria (9)- (3-4-1)
2- Fergus Falls (12)- (9-3-0)
3- Wadena Deer Creek- (8-4-0)
4- Northern Lakes- (5-4-0)
5- Morris Benson- (4-5-1)
6- Prairie Centre- (3-8-0)
7- Willmar- (2-5-0)
8- Breckenridge/Wahpeton- (0-7-0)

Section 6A Overview-
Seeds 1& 2 (Contenders)- This Section looks like a two team race between Alexandria and Fergus Falls. These long time rivals have had great battles over the years and this year looks to be no different the second of their two meeting will determine the #1 seed.

Seeds 3 & 4 (Best of the Rest)- Wadena Deer Creek looks like the three seed and what a nice resurgent year they are having. Northern Lakes on the other hand has been very disappointing and looks to be heading for the four seed.

Seed 5-8(The Bottom)- Morris Benson has beaten the other three teams for the five seed. Prairie Centre beat Willmar and Breckenridge/Wahpeton is still in search for its first win.

Section 6A Final Prediction- Fergus Falls vs Alexandria- Going to be a great game we will get the first preview of the match up this week and they look to be on a collision course for the title game in 6A.

Section 6A Sleeper- Northern Lakes yes they had a terrible holiday break but they did beat teams like Brainerd showing they are capable but man are they a mess right now.

Section 6A Champion Prediction- Fergus Falls- This needs to be the Otters year as after this they will not be nearly as strong. Counting on seniors like Zierden and DeBrito to make a strong push at the end and get the Otters back to St Paul for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Section 7A (10 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Hermantown (1)- (8-1-0)
2- Duluth Denfeld (5)- (9-2-0)
3- Greenway- (3-3-0)
4- Hibbing- (3-6-0)
5- Rock Ridge- (4-5-0)
6- Proctor- (6-5-0)\
7- North Shore- (3-6-0)
8- International Falls- (2-7-0)
9- Ely- (2-8-0)
10- Moose Lake- (1-11-0)

Section 7A Overview-.
Seeds 1& 2 (Contenders)- Hermantown is again the heavy favorite up north as always of late. Duluth Denfeld has a great team but we will see this Tuesday how close they really are to the Hawks

Seeds 3- 6 (Best of the Rest)- Greenway is sticking around at 3 for now but has a big head to head meeting with Hibbing this week. Rock Ridge is improving but lost to both the Raiders and Blue Jackets. Proctor has a nice record but doesn't yet own a major 7A win.

Seed 7-10(The Bottom)- North Shore has wins over Ely and Moose Lake the 2nd time. International Falls beat the Timberwolves. Ely beat the Rebels. Moose Lake did beat North Shore for its only win this year.

Section 7A Final Prediction- Hermantown vs Duluth Denfeld. This is the Hunters last shot for a while but they don't appear to have the depth or back end necessary to pull off the colossal upset.

Section 7A Sleeper- Hibbing showed this week they can play with the middle tier Class A team just need to put it all together as we get closer to the end of the year.

Section 7A Champion Prediction- Hermantown the Hawks domination of the Northeast continues and they look to be the heavy favorite as always here.

Section 8A (10 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Warroad (2)- (11-0-0)
2- East Grand Forks (10)- (4-5-0)
3- Detroit Lakes (11)- (9-3-0)
4- Thief River Falls- (3-6-0)
5- Red Lake Falls- (8-5-0)
6- Lake of the Woods (4-3-0)
7- Bagley/Fosston- (3-7-1)
8- Park Rapids- (4-7-0)
9- Kittson Central- (3-6-1)
10- Crookston- (0-8-1)

Section 8A Overview-
Seeds 1-4 (Contenders)- Warroad looks solid as the number one team. East Grand Forks and Detroit Lakes have battled with the Greenwave prevailing in OT for the 2 seed so far. The Lakers still have back to back games upcoming vs the Warriors and Prowlers to improve their seed. Thief River Falls can never be counted out.

Seeds 5 (Best of the Rest) - Red Lake Falls is the clear 5 seed they are nowhere close to the top four teams but clearly above the 5 teams

Seeds 6-11 (The Bottom End)- this is where it’s messy as Park Rapids beat LOW, Lake of the Woods beat B/F, Bagley/Fosston beat PR. Kittson Central and Crooskton have tied. Not sure how it will all play out.

Section 8A Final Prediction- Warroad vs East Grand Forks going with the match up we are accustomed to here as the Warriors and Greenwave are due to battle for the 4th straight year.

Section 8A Sleeper- Detroit Lakes can the Lakers shock the power order in 8A no team besides Warroad, EGF or TRF has ever represented 8A. Could the Lakers make their first appearance at state in over 25 years?

Section 8A Champion Prediction- Warroad they seem to have all the pieces: the great top end at forward, the great d-core and the goaltender who can steal a game. This Warriors team may be the best group to have a shot at knocking off the Hawks.

Northern Lakes top 2 defenseman have left the team in the past couple of weeks for tier 3 junior teams.

ROSEVILLEHOCKEYDAD wrote: ↑Sun Jan 02, 2022 12:21 pm Northern Lakes top 2 defenseman have left the team in the past couple of weeks for tier 3 junior teams.

Thanks for the info. That explains some of their struggles of late. Kind of a weird situation, but to each their own path, I guess.

I also added the Detroit Lakes game to Warroad’s schedule. The Warriors have a tough stretch coming up over the next two or three weeks.

ROSEVILLEHOCKEYDAD wrote: ↑Sun Jan 02, 2022 12:21 pm Northern Lakes top 2 defenseman have left the team in the past couple of weeks for tier 3 junior teams.

That's too bad. It was nice to see NL improve as a team last year and I was hoping the program would continue to get better. I watched all of the LF hockey tournament games and was not at all surprised NL struggled. I thought Wadena was better against LF than NL was and thought Wadena might beat them.

QRF RANKINGS 1-4-22
1 Hermantown (8-1) 81.6
2 Warroad (10-0) 75.3
3 Duluth Denfeld (9-2) 67.9
4 Providence Academy (9-2) 61.6
5 Little Falls (11-0) 61.0

6 Minneapolis (8-3) 60.3
7 Fergus Falls (9-3) 52.0
8 Simley (9-2) 51.0
9 St. Cloud Cathedral (8-3) 50.5
10 Delano (7-3) 47.9

11 Detroit Lakes (9-3) 47.8
12 Albert Lea (8-2) 47.6
13 Cambridge-Isanti (7-2) 47.5
14 Rochester Lourdes/Dover-Eyota (7-3) 46.2
15 Chisago Lakes Area (7-2-1) 45.4

16 Southwest Christian/Richfield (4-4-1) 44.3
17 New Ulm (7-3) 43.9
18 Wadena-Deer Creek (7-4) 42.8
19 St. Paul Highland Park/Central (4-3-1) 42.7
20 Mankato East/Loyola (8-4) 41.7

21 Mahtomedi (4-5-1) 41.3
22 Mound Westonka/Watertown-Mayer (6-6) 40.9
22 Proctor (5-5) 40.9
24 New Prague (4-3-1) 40.6
25 Hutchinson (6-4) 39.8

26 Northfield (5-3) 39.7
27 Northern Lakes (4-3) 39.2
28 Greenway/Nash-Kee (3-3) 37.3
29 Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (6-5) 36.5
30 Princeton (5-5) 36.4

Tuesday Night (1/4/22) Class A Recap-

Games of the Night-
# 1 Hermantown 6 #5 Duluth Denfeld 1
The Hawks showed they are still the giant in Section 7A as they dismantled the Hunters minus Zam 6-1. The other Plante, Max, continued his strong play of late in absence of his brother as he led the way with 4 points. The Hunters did score first but that just seemed to wake the Hawks up and they dominated the rest of the way.

#2 Warroad 5 Roseau 0
The Warriors got their week off to an outstanding start winning “The Game” of the #1 AA Rams by a wide 5-0 margin. The game was tight until halfway through when star sophomore defenseman Ryan Lund found himself on a shorthanded breakaway he buried the puck and Warriors buried their long rivals from there.

#4 Little Falls 5 Bemidji 1
The Flyers picked up one of their most impressive wins of the year over a tough Bemidji bunch. While the scoring has been great this game showed they appear to have solved the goaltender question as Junior Richie Varriano stopped 44 of 45 shots to continue his recent strong play since taking over the starting role over the holidays.

Other Notable Class A Games
#8 Providence Academy 8 St Paul Academy 3- The Lions got their week off to a good beginning as they scored 8 goals to go along with their 8 game win streak in their rout over SPA.

#9 Alexandria 8 Monticello 2- The Cards started their challenging week in style as they blew out the Moose 8-2 behind Joe Lamski’s 4 goal night.

Grand Forks Red River 5 #10 East Grand Forks 3- The Greenwave’s disastrous 3rd period cost them a big rivalry game to start the week. They allowed 5 third period goals and watched a two goal lead evaporate into another disappointing loss.

#14 Northfield 3 Rochester Mayo 3- Northfield had a back and forth game with Rochester Mayo which ended up tied. The Raiders are searching for the secondary scoring Spencer Koltz’s 3 points were not enough to secure a win.

#15 Mankato East 6 Hutchinson 4- The Cougars won their only game of the week. In a weird game of momentum pushes it was Mankato East’s 5 straight unanswered goals that proved to be too much to overcome for Hutch. Junior Brayden Borgmeier’s 2 goal night led the way as the Cougars secured their 9th win of the year.

#16 Cambridge 5 Sauk Rapids 2- Cambridge won an important 5A road game over the Storm. In a game where they were surprisingly tied 2-2 after two periods of play, a big third period allowed the Blue Jackets to continue their string of strong performances of late.

#20 Orono 7 Mankato West 0- Orono throttled a struggling Scarlet team 7-0 in a nice win to start 2022. Ryan Schultz and Easton Sankey each had two goal nights in the Spartans blowout win.

Bemidji put up a lot of shots, but honestly, their scoring chances were few and far between. Lots of long range shots from the perimeter. Not a lot of quality shots. But good for Richie. He stopped all but one.

Mite-dad wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 1:00 pm Bemidji put up a lot of shots, but honestly, their scoring chances were few and far between. Lots of long range shots from the perimeter. Not a lot of quality shots. But good for Richie. He stopped all but one.

Interesting observation. I didn’t get a chance to catch the game, but that strategy is what smart opponents did to Little Falls the past few years. Also, holding Mattfield in check kills the Bemidji offense, though that is easier said than done.

Stang5280 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 4:06 pm

Mite-dad wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 1:00 pm Bemidji put up a lot of shots, but honestly, their scoring chances were few and far between. Lots of long range shots from the perimeter. Not a lot of quality shots. But good for Richie. He stopped all but one.

Interesting observation. I didn’t get a chance to catch the game, but that strategy is what smart opponents did to Little Falls the past few years. Also, holding Mattfield in check kills the Bemidji offense, though that is easier said than done.

It probably would have been a good strategy, but if they were going to do that, they should have had guys in front of the goalie screening. Didn't see a lot of that, and Richy was able to see the puck pretty well I think. Maybe the D did a good job of clearing the front.

Mite-dad wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 10:16 am

Stang5280 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 4:06 pm

Mite-dad wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 1:00 pm Bemidji put up a lot of shots, but honestly, their scoring chances were few and far between. Lots of long range shots from the perimeter. Not a lot of quality shots. But good for Richie. He stopped all but one.

Interesting observation. I didn’t get a chance to catch the game, but that strategy is what smart opponents did to Little Falls the past few years. Also, holding Mattfield in check kills the Bemidji offense, though that is easier said than done.

It probably would have been a good strategy, but if they were going to do that, they should have had guys in front of the goalie screening. Didn't see a lot of that, and Richy was able to see the puck pretty well I think. Maybe the D did a good job of clearing the front.

Little Falls is a good team and showed why they are a top 5 A team. Bemidji had switched their line-up from what had been successful earlier in the season, which definitely showed in the game -- too many break downs from a couple groups and resulting goals. Not getting much ice time over the break showed as well. The Flyers looked very much in sync and the top line was especially able to take advantage of the Jacks inconsistencies.

State of Hockey/LPH Rankings for 1/5

1. Hermantown
2. Warroad
3. Little Falls
4. Delano
5. Mahtomedi
6. Duluth Denfeld
7. Minneapolis
8. St. Cloud Cathedral
9. Providence Academy
10. Detroit Lakes
11. Fergus Falls
12. Southwest Christian/Richfield
13. East Grand Forks
14. Greenway
15. Simley
16. Chisago Lakes
17. Albert Lea
18. Mankato East/Loyola
19. Park Cottage Grove
20. Northfield

Who wants to play "Find the incorrectly placed team this week?"

bardown27 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 3:44 pm State of Hockey/LPH Rankings for 1/5

1. Hermantown
2. Warroad
3. Little Falls
4. Delano
5. Mahtomedi
6. Duluth Denfeld
7. Minneapolis
8. St. Cloud Cathedral
9. Providence Academy
10. Detroit Lakes
11. Fergus Falls
12. Southwest Christian/Richfield
13. East Grand Forks
14. Greenway
15. Simley
16. Chisago Lakes
17. Albert Lea
18. Mankato East/Loyola
19. Park Cottage Grove
20. Northfield

Who wants to play "Find the incorrectly placed team this week?"

Darn, I completely forgot to consider Park when doing my rankings this week That one is completely bewildering given that they have never played at the Class A level.

Also, Southwest Christian and Greenway are completely over-ranked given their limited accomplishments.

Stang5280 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 4:19 pm

bardown27 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 06, 2022 3:44 pm State of Hockey/LPH Rankings for 1/5

1. Hermantown
2. Warroad
3. Little Falls
4. Delano
5. Mahtomedi
6. Duluth Denfeld
7. Minneapolis
8. St. Cloud Cathedral
9. Providence Academy
10. Detroit Lakes
11. Fergus Falls
12. Southwest Christian/Richfield
13. East Grand Forks
14. Greenway
15. Simley
16. Chisago Lakes
17. Albert Lea
18. Mankato East/Loyola
19. Park Cottage Grove
20. Northfield

Who wants to play "Find the incorrectly placed team this week?"

Darn, I completely forgot to consider Park when doing my rankings this week That one is completely bewildering given that they have never played at the Class A level.

Also, Southwest Christian and Greenway are completely over-ranked given their limited accomplishments.

LPH Poll which is used as the official poll of Class A hockey is just so sad. Adding Park Cottage Grove how?!?! They have never been a Class A team at least with Sartell and TG they were Class A once upon a time. Add in not even including Alexandria yet still sticking high on SWC at 12 who has beatne no one all year yuck Class A is rough this year one could argue many many teams after the top 8. The SCC at 8 seems crazy seeing as EGF at 13 pumped the Crusaders 6-2 on the road earlier this year. Again, those issues are minor compared to the Park Cottage Grove inclusion this week.

I will say as much as I love the YHH staff and podcast they even seemed to do little research on Class A Poll this past week. They had Chisago Lakes at 9 ?!?! yes the Wildcats who had to battle to tie Osseo and got beat up by Princeton at home just a few weeks ago. I get EGF has a bunch of losses but they do own wins over DL and SCC who seem to be a solid 11-14 in most ranking so not having them above those two seems odd. Alexandria is .500 but with losses to Gentry, Minneapolis, Little Falls and Sartell. I think they are a top 12 team and will find out tonight vs the Otters if they are top 10. Again, I love the YHH and everything they do just was put off by the Chisago Lakes inclusion and we can argue about the very questionable Fergus at 10 even though literally 3 days early they were beat by 3 goals on their home ice by DL. Again, rankings are fun and good to see different opinions.

I tend to trust Stang & Elliott over others and I always enjoy Cobb's flavor. Plenty of good games over the next 3 days should be fun to see how it looks on Sunday!

Thursday Night (1/6/22) Class A Recap-

Games of the Night-
#6 Delano 2 Rosemount 1
The Tigers picked up one of their most impressive wins of the season on the roast at AA Rosemount. Gunnar Paulson scored the game winning goal and the Tigers did what they do best once they captured the lead they played structured and defended and Junior Drew Dorsey stopped 31 of 32 for the nice road win.

#9 Alexandria 5 #12 Fergus Falls 2
Junior Nicholas Petersn had 2 goals to lead the way as the Cardinals dominated their 6A Rival Fergus Falls to show they are clearly rounding into form as a legitimate Class A Top 10 Team. Alex outshot the Otters 38-22 and controlled the pace of play throughout a major statement win from them in 6A.

#16 Cambridge 3 #17 Chisago Lakes 2 OT
The Bluejackets picked maybe their most impressive win of their 9 game win streak when they knocked off Chisago Lakes at home. They have found a formula of timely scoring, Will O'Donovan played the hero with GW OT goal, and then riding the State’s top SV% and GAA leader in Freshman Phenom Sibell.

#20 Orono 2 #13 St Cloud Cathedral 0
The Sparatans were able to pick up another quality Class A win of late as Bradley Walker’s 2 point night and Brock Peyton’s shut out allowed Orono to secure a good win over SCC. The game came down to special teams as Orono not only converted on one of their PP’s but they scored a shorthanded goal to seal the win. Orono still has a good shot at the #1 seed in 2A and is now back to .500 and will be moving into the Top 15 next week.

Other Notable Class Games
#3 Mahtomedi 9 St Paul Highland Park 1- The Zephyrs figured out one way to solve their scoring issues of late play an actual Section 4A team. They dominated from start to finish against St Paul Highland Park and they were led by the other Dardis as Grant had a solid 3 point night.

#5 Duluth Denfeld 3 Superior 2 OT- Sophomore Brady McGinn’s overtime power play goal allowed the Hunters to escape the upset bid posed by Superior.

#8 Providence Academy 4 Monticello 1- Sophomore Sammy Lewis’s 2 goal night kept the Lions win streak going in a nice 3 goal victory over the Moose.

#10 East Grand Forks 6 Thief River Falls 5- Sophomore Brock Schultz’s big 3 point night help carry the Greenwave to a much needed wild 6-5 win over TRF to help them keep their firm grip on the #2 seed in Section 8A.

#18 Simley 8 Two Rivers 0- Simley continued its domination of Section 4A teams as they blew out Two Rivers 8-0 behind senior Jayar Luedke’s hat trick.

#19 Albert Lea 6 Winona 2- Junior Tim Chalmers big four point night helped Albert Lea win its 7th game in a row as they dominated Winona.

Shocker of the Night
#7 Minneapolis 3 LDC 3
Minneapolis got all they could handle from the Section 2A Dragons of LDC on the road. In a game that was very even and back and forth it ended up not tied only on the scoreboard at 3-3 but in the shot category as well as each team had 31 very surprising outcoming.