AA Rankings for 1/12/25

[karl(east)]

The order at the top has been solidifying, with very little movement among the top six yet again, but there is a muddle of Suburban East teams after that, and with some new South Suburban intrigue and Lake Conference play getting going in earnest, there are still plenty of moving parts. Here’s where we stand on the second weekend in January:

1. Moorhead (15-1)
-The Spuds learned it’s not easy being number one this past week, as they got two spirited efforts against them: first, Bemidji stuck around all game in a preview of a potential 8AA final, and they had to fight to get past Benilde on Saturday, too. They got the wins they needed, and things sort of relax for the next few weeks; an opponent such as Wayzata, which is a step below the Spuds but still a tough defensive test, is another of the sort of game that could be tough for a team that now wears the target.
This week: Tues at Sartell, Sat vs. #13 Wayzata

2. St. Thomas Academy (13-2)
-The Cadets staked a firm claim to the 2-spot in AA with wins over Hill-Murray and Edina, including a more convincing effort over the Hornets than in the first meeting; they are undefeated against anything that is not a potato. They get a bit of a respite this week with some conference play.
This week: Thurs vs. Mahtomedi, Sat at South St. Paul

3. Hill-Murray (12-1-1)
-The Pioneers gave St. Thomas a good fight but lost their first meeting with another team in the top tier. After one more easier conference game, they head into tough run to finish the season, beginning with a stout Grand Rapids outfit on Saturday.
This week: Thurs vs. Simley, Sat vs. #9 Grand Rapids

4. Edina (11-4)
-The Hornets fell to St. Thomas, but with all four losses coming to the top two teams in the state, they will hang on to the 4-spot ahead of a Rogers team that has been playing lesser competition. If they slip up in a Lake Conference where they are a step ahead of everyone else, though, I won’t be as forgiving. That run begins this week when they visit Wayzata.
This week: Wed at #13 Wayzata, Thurs vs. Buffalo

5. Rogers (13-1-1)
-The Royals blasted past Osseo and Elk River as they cruise through their January. While the teams above them continue to collect some losses, they are all to each other, and their schedule right now doesn’t give any real opportunities to make a move.
This week: Sat at Anoka

6. Cretin-Derham Hall (12-2-1)
-The Raiders hold steady after taking care of Stillwater and a convincing win over a Park team that just tied White Bear. They have this #6 spot on lockdown, but with nothing but conference play left the rest of the way, they will need some help to climb at all here. The aforementioned Bears, one of their competitors for Suburban East supremacy, headline the coming week.
This week: Thurs vs. Woodbury, Sat at #8 White Bear Lake

7. Stillwater (10-3)
-The Ponies gave Cretin a decent fight but remain on the outside looking into the top six; with so many teams in this 7-10 range last week struggling I still like their body of work better than the options, but I don’t trust anyone to stick in this spot these days. The upcoming week is not a remarkable one on paper.
This week: Tues vs. Centennial, Sat at Mounds View

8. White Bear Lake (9-2-2)
-The Bears had a rather pedestrian week, tying Park of Cottage Grove and working their way past Woodbury 4-2. Even though they beat Stillwater, I can’t justify pushing them upward after that, so the Ponies pop back ahead on overall effort. The week ahead is a big one, as they have improving Roseville, a tough opponent in Grand Rapids, and then a battle with a conference leader that gives them a chance to make a move in the rankings.
This week: Mon at Roseville, Fri vs. #9 Grand Rapids, Sat vs. #6 Cretin-Derham Hall

9. Grand Rapids (11-3)
-The Thunderhawks keep logging workmanlike efforts, and they are now on a six-game winning streak in which they’ve given up seven goals. The challenges grow stiffer this coming week, including a Class A frontrunner and a swing south to visit two 4AA powers. It should provide a timely test for a team trying to shore up its top ten credentials, which still feel a little thin even though I like the way this team plays.
This week: Tues vs. Cloquet, Fri at #8 White Bear Lake, Sat at #3 Hill-Murray

10. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (9-4)
-The loss to Moorhead snapped a five-game winning streak for the Red Knights, but they had a strong showing in that effort. With recent momentum including wins over Shakopee and Eden Prairie, I’m going to ride them up the rankings here to see if they can stick. The week ahead should allow them to do that.
This week: Thurs vs. Chaska, Sat at Chanhassen

11. Shakopee (12-4-1)
-The Sabers had a big week, knocking off Rosemount, taking care of Prior Lake, and flattening Lakeville North. Is this the turn of the tide, or just a blip? Hermantown this week could be telling.
This week: Tues vs. Eastview, Sat at Hermantown

12. Rosemount (15-2)
-The Irish suffered a second loss of the season to Shakopee, a tight contest with a good team but a defeat that nevertheless suggest that they don’t quite fit into the clear top tier. With their strength of schedule (or lack thereof), they drop further than others would as a result of that loss. They should be able to cruise this week.
This week: Tues at Eagan, Thurs at Apple Valley/Burnsville

13. Wayzata (9-5-2)
-The Trojans’ tie with Eden Prairie continues a backward ranking drift for the Trojans, who have a few quality wins but have not done enough to really separate themselves in any way. The week ahead gives them a chance to do something, as they face the section rival Hornets for the first time and then go on a road trip north that includes the top team in the state.
This week: Wed vs. #4 Edina, Fri at East Grand Forks, Sat at #1 Moorhead

14. Minnetonka (8-6)
-As the Skippers’ schedule goes, methodical wins over Mahtomedi and Buffalo passes for smooth sailing. They’ll aim to keep tacking in that direction this week before Lake play ramps up again.
This week: Thurs vs. Duluth East, Sat vs. St. Michael-Albertville

15. Holy Angels (12-2-1)
-The Stars’ tie with Elk River was another questionable recent result; while they’ve had some injury issues, they don’t have the quality wins of other contenders here, and now they’re not finishing off the teams a top 15 squad should beat, either. This week should help them restore some order.
This week: Tues at Minneapolis, Wed at St. Paul Highland Park

The Next Ten

Bemidji (10-3-1)
-The Lumberjacks didn’t win, but they did make a statement, hanging right in there to the end with Moorhead after giving up two early goals. Another important section opponent, Roseau, is up next.

Eden Prairie (6-7-2)
-The Eagles had another come-from-behind tie against a quality opponent but are nonetheless winless in their last eight. While all of those games have come against top AA and Hermantown, there’s a limit to how much one can sugarcoat that sort of streak. The schedule this week does give some chance to recover, with the Prior Lake game having some section implications.

Rock Ridge (13-3-1)
-The Wolverines are undefeated in their past ten, finishing off a couple of middling opponents and slipping past a quietly tough Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids. They aren’t overwhelming these opponents, but they do have the most dynamic top line in 7AA and enough pieces to make a run in a thin section. Proctor and Duluth East are up next in games they should win if they are a serious 2-seed in the section.

Maple Grove (8-6-1)
-The Crimson regrouped after a tough stretch of games to beat two decent conference rivals, Blaine and Andover. This week they’ll aim to turn stabilization into momentum when they host two more teams in a similar tier, Champlin Park and Elk River.

Roseville (10-5)
-The Raiders took care of Woodbury and Forest Lake, winning games they need to win to keep edging their way upward here. White Bear headlines a three-game week ahead of them.

Champlin Park (9-6)
-Building some steam with a 20-goal eruption in their first two games of the week and a 4-1 win over Centennial. They’ve got the offensive tools to be dangerous, and we’ll see if that gets them anywhere against Maple Grove this coming week.

Blaine (9-4)
-Gave Maple Grove a decent battle in a 2-0 loss, which would suggest they do indeed belong in this neighborhood of the rankings. They’ve got at three-game week ahead of them that includes a decent section rival in Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids.

Lakeville South (6-8)
-Marched past Delano, continuing their tenuous cling to a ranking. They can get back to .500 this week by taking care of section opponents Farmington and Lakeville North.

Park of Cottage Grove (8-5-1)
-The Wolfpack picked up a quality tie with White Bear Lake, though they got running timed by Cretin; they did beat Holy Family, so on the whole this feels appropriate. East Ridge and Forest Lake provide two shots at wins this week.

Holy Family (8-6)
-A loss to Rochester Century/John Marshall is a clunker for the Fire, who drop out of the top 20. There have been flashes here, but not quite enough consistency. Gentry and St. Cloud Cathedral offer interesting competition this coming week.

And now, a tour through sections:

1AA
23 Lakeville South
Lakeville North
Rochester Century/John Marshall
New Prague
-The most interesting recent result here is Rochester Century/John Marshall picking off Holy Family, a team whose results this season have been on par with anyone else in the section. Is a repeat back in play? Of course this team has also lost to Farmington, but it provides a little intrigue, and if they can do anything in later games with Blake and Gentry Academy, that will say something on the statewide stage. New Prague has beaten Owatonna who has beaten Farmington, so I’m sticking with them as the 4-seed for now.

2AA
14 Minnetonka
17 Eden Prairie
11 Shakopee
25 Holy Family
-Up and down they go. Eden Prairie has the early win over Shakopee, while Minnetonka has avoided a section loss to date; those two have their first meeting next week. The Skippers and Shakopee would seem to have the momentum right now, though those Eden Prairie and Holy Family losses are killer for the Sabers’ seeding. With Holy Family losing to Rochester Century/John Marshall, though, it’s hard to argue they’re in the same conversation as the top three, so I’m putting Shakopee on the line for the 3-seed at the moment. Lots still to come here.

3AA
2 St. Thomas Academy
6 Cretin-Derham Hall
12 Rosemount
24 Park of Cottage Grove
-This order seems to be settling in even further, with Cretin collecting a nice conference win over Stillwater while Rosemount slips up. Park’s tie with White Bear Lake is another hint of potential danger for the 1-seed in a potential semifinal if they can play that way with any consistency.

4AA
3 Hill-Murray
8 White Bear Lake
7 Stillwater
Gentry Academy
20 Roseville
-The Bears jump ahead of Stillwater for now based on the first meeting of those two. Round two and the Stillwater-Hill meeting are both in the next two weeks, so we’ll probably know where this one stands after that. That early win over Roseville is still paying dividends for Gentry in the race for the 4-seed.

5AA
5 Rogers
19 Maple Grove
22 Blaine
21 Champlin Park
-The top two aren’t moving until someone beats them here, and Blaine is in 3-seed position at the moment, as Champlin has a loss to Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids. Lots of games remain among contenders, though, including Champlin-Maple Grove this coming week.

6AA
4 Edina
13 Wayzata
10 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
15 Holy Angels
-Despite Benilde’s nice run recently, they will need help to go higher than the 3-seed with those early losses to Edina and Wayzata. Other than that, just about anything else is still in play among these top four. Wayzata will be the focal point over the next two games, with games against Edina and Holy Angels.

7AA
9 Grand Rapids
18 Rock Ridge
Forest Lake
Andover
-No changes at the top, and it would take a real upset to change it, though Grand Rapids does have four section games left. Forest Lake is quietly doing okay and has one-goal losses to the top two here, plus White Bear Lake, and deserves some credit for that. Given the mediocrity beyond, I think Andover should be at least the 4-seed, despite the Duluth East loss, and will have a chance to make that record respectable again in conference play these next few weeks.

8AA
1 Moorhead
16 Bemidji
Elk River
St. Michael-Albertville
-The top two are clear enough; after that, good luck making sense of things. St. Michael-Albertville was positioning itself well for the 3-seed but then lost to Elk River; the Elks showed some promise with the Holy Angels tie but have a loss to Sartell, so they’re hardly secure in their positioning here. Roseau and Sartell are next in line, and there are plenty of games to shake this up yet to come.

Enjoy the week of hockey!

[ClassAGuy]

Great Stuff Karl!

[Sparlimb]

East-Side Rankings for 01/12/2025

1. Moorhead (15-1)
2. Saint Thomas Academy (13-2)
3. Hill-Murray (12-1-1)
4. Cretin-Derham Hall (12-2-1)
5. Rogers (13-1-1)
6. Edina (11-4)
7. Rosemount (15-2)
8. Holy Angels (12-2-1)
9. White Bear Lake (9-2-2)
10. Grand Rapids (11-3)
11. Stillwater (10-3)
12. Bemidji (10-3-1)
13. Benilde-St. Margaret (9-4)
14. Shakopee (12-4-1)
15. Wayzata (9-5-2)
16. Minnetonka (8-6-1)
17. Rock Ridge (13-3-1)
18. Maple Grove (8-6-1)
19. Blaine (9-4)
20. Roseville (10-5)

Also Receiving Votes: Two Rivers (11-3-1), Champlin Park (9-6), Park of Cottage Grove (8-5-1), Holy Family (8-6), Eden Prairie (6-7-2)

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

I'm beginning to like the idea of Spar's guerilla ranking. I detect a maybe not so latent Central Catholic Conference bias to it. I guess Benilde is not quite good enough to crack the top ten, so Spar is maintaining a fig leaf of respectability. I'm good with Spar doping this, but I'd cast a jaundiced eye at anyone else doing the same thing.

More importantly, in Common Man Dan Cole like fashion, I am calling for the abolishment of the use of body of work here on the forum.

I am also calling on the hockey gods to move Rosemount to section 1AA.

[Sparlimb]

I just figured Edina has 4 losses, at some point that tells us they aren't as good as other teams. Its not sacrilege to wonder if CDH is better. I still think CDH will give STA a heck of a section final. HM v Grand Rapids this week will be an interesting test. Rapids has fantastic goaltending, so we'll see if our squad can over come that.

[Smooth]

Should be an interesting week for the privates

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

There's really not much drama of any consequence in section seedings this year, which feels like that doesn't happen often. By example, I'd point out that it makes absolutely no difference if WB and Stillwater are 2-3 or 3-2. Stillwater could scramble that by beating Hill on 1/25. But most of the seeding are largely academic.

[ryguyMN]

Wayzata feels kind of high at #13 but there isn’t much separation 11-20.

[O-townClown]

Impressed by Rochester when they beat Holy Family. Shakopee will likely be a factor at the end. Edina needs good goaltending to beat the other top teams.