AA Rankings for 1/4/26

[karl(east)]

We’re at the approximate halfway point of the season, and the rankings are starting to take firmer shape after much early blurriness.

1. Minnetonka (12-0-1)
-The shutout train continued for the Skippers as they shut out two more respectable opponents, Blaine and Mahtomedi. The numbers are eye-popping: they have allowed 11 goals in 13 games, with 5 of those coming in the first two. Since then, it’s been 7 shoutouts in 11 games. The Lake Conference contests now begin in earnest as they face an enigmatic Eden Prairie team and visit Braemar to take on the rival Hornets.
This week: Thurs at Eden Prairie, Sat at #3 Edina

2. Moorhead (12-1)
-The Spuds seemed to build steam throughout the Tradition tournament, with a tight win (by their lofty standards) against Cretin before handling Shakopee and employing some shock and awe against St. Thomas. Even without Joey Cullen, who is hurt for a spell, this offense is a sight to behold. They’re back in the Metro this coming weekend, including a rematch with the Cadets.
This week: Fri at Benilde, Sat at #6 St. Thomas Academy

3. Edina (10-3)
-The Hornets had a very solid 3-0 Tradition showing, and while they didn’t get the style points Moorhead did, they keep solidifying their hold on this spot. STMA isn’t a pushover, but the highlight of the coming week is the home game against Minnetonka. Can the Hornet mystique puncture that ironclad defense?
This week: Thurs at St. Michael-Albertville, Sat vs. #1 Minnetonka

4. Shakopee (10-3)
-The Sabers lost to Moorhead but otherwise had a strong showing in Prior Lake as they handled the host Lakers and put Holy Angels in running time. As time goes on, I’m feeling better about this tip five ranking. They’re back into conference play this coming week, and they give Farmington its first serious test of the season.
This week: Thurs at Farmington, Sat vs. Apple Valley/Burnsville

5. Rogers (9-4-1)
-The Royals continue to head in the right general direction after a solid win over Stillwater; one could argue that St. Thomas and Hill’s overall resumes are better, but I feel better about the Royals’ performance at this moment in time. A respectable Blaine team is up next, and Totino is quietly getting toward the edge of the top 25 conversation, too.
This week: Thurs at Blaine, Sat at Totino-Grace

6. St. Thomas Academy (9-4-1)
-Two losses to top three teams isn’t a bad showing for the Cadets, but they had their shot at Edina and saw things crumble against Moorhead, so they’ll likely be frustrated with that effort. They get a shot to avenge the Spuds loss on Saturday.
This week: Sat vs. #2 Moorhead

7. Hill-Murray (6-3-2)
-Rested while others beat each other up and don’t move in the rankings. A couple of long shot upset threats are on the schedule this week.
This week: Tues vs. Prior Lake, Thurs vs. Two Rivers, Sat at Benilde-St. Margaret’s

8. Stillwater (10-3)
-The Ponies got a valuable section win with a 4-0 shutout of White Bear Lake, but they struggled to keep pace with Rogers and suffered their third loss of the season. They’ll be seeing roses this week, with the Rosemount game offering a good fight.
This week: Tues vs. #9 Rosemount, Sat at Roseville

9. Rosemount (10-3-1)
-The Irish were idle this past week, and Maple Grove’s tie with Andover lets them nudge upward. Stillwater this week is an interesting ranking test.
This week: Tues at #8 Stillwater

10. Maple Grove (9-3-1)
-The Crimson had a 3-0-1 week, including a solid section win over Centennial. The tie, however, was against Andover, and for all the bumps in the road for the Huskies this season, they have now given the Crimson a one-goal game and a tie, meaning a playoff meeting would be very much up for grabs. The deep dive into Lake Conference life now begins.
This week: Sat vs. #13 Wayzata

11. Cretin-Derham Hall (8-5)
-The Raiders were competitive in losses to Moorhead in Edina, but they still lack a top ten win. This team feels like it has the talent to push back into the top ten, but they need to show it on the ice. Surging Forest Lake highlights a three-game week.
This week: Tues at Forest Lake, Thurs at Mounds View, Sat vs. Park of Cottage Grove

12. Holy Angels (8-4)
-The Stars did not have a great week in Prior Lake, as they lost a section game to Edina, slipped past Lakeville North, and struggled with Shakopee. They’re one of the easier teams to rank right now, ahead of everyone they have beaten and behind everyone they’ve lost to. There are quality parts here, but they have yet to show they can really run with the state’s elite.
This week: Tues at Eastview

13. Wayzata (5-5-2)
-The Trojans split a weekend up north by 4-3 scores, falling to Hibbing but edging Grand Rapids. They seem to have found their level here, hovering consistently right at the back end of the top 15. They’ll aim to avenge a November loss to Maple Grove this coming week.
This week: Thurs vs. Buffalo, Sat at #10 Maple Grove

14. Lakeville South (5-5-1)
-Handled Apple Valley/Burnsville to get back to .500 after a slow start, and I’m revising them upward on the strength of the Wayzata tie and no bad losses. This battle-tested group now takes on section upstart Farmington in a battle for the top seed in 1AA.
This week: Thurs vs. Eagan, Sat vs. Farmington

15. Chanhassen (6-4-1)
-The Storm had a pretty good week, slipping past Holy Family and Blake and thumping a Champlin team that beat Benilde. Looking at their schedule, they may be favored in every game they play the rest of the way, so we’ll see just how good of a record they can build up. A three-game week includes two section games, plus a Gentry team that could cause some problems if they aren’t careful.
This week: Tues at Chaska, Thurs vs. Gentry Academy

The Next Ten

Eden Prairie (5-6-1)
-The Eagles fell to Hermantown, which isn’t a bad result, but it was a fourth straight loss, making it hard to justify a top 15 ranking. They’ve got a three-game week ahead, beginning with a beatable but potentially troublesome Benilde team, and they get a stab at Minnetonka, too.

Blaine (7-3-1)
-The Bengals got blanked 5-0 Minnetonka. They’ve got plenty of company in that sort of result, and it doesn’t change much for them in the rankings. A big test against Rogers is up next.

Forest Lake (9-3)
-Meet the new 7AA frontrunner: after thrilling overtime wins over Grand Rapids and Rock Ridge, the Rangers from Forest Lake have the inside track for the top seed. The games were very tight and it’s still a wide-open four- or five-team race, but it’s a big step forward for this program. This week they’ve got Cretin, whom they gave a one goal game the first time around, plus a decent East Ridge team and Woodbury.

Farmington (11-0-1)
-All they do is win, albeit not against anyone sniffing the top 25, and the Prior Lake tie is dimming a bit after the Lakers’ rough recent stretch. It’s reality check time this coming week, with Shakopee and 1AA foe Lakeville South on the schedule. Are the Tigers a real contender?

Centennial (7-6)
-The Cougars’ roller coaster ride continues as they lost 6-2 to Maple Grove. A big section game with Blaine looms.

St. Michael-Albertville (8-4)
-Time to fish this team back out after a strong week in 8AA, as they beat Roseau and Bemidji by convincing margins and are climbing toward 2-seed position in the section. Of course this happens right before they head into Lake play, so we’ll see how well this nice record holds up. Edina is up first, followed by rival Buffalo.

Andover (4-7-3)
-Despite a loss to an otherwise scuffling Benilde team and a rough record, I can’t quite quit this team: the Maple Grove tie shows they’re still very much a factor in the 5AA race. A home-and-home with Champlin Park and a visit to Grand Rapids give them some opportunities to improve the record this week.

White Bear Lake (4-6-1)
-Like Andover, the record is ugly, and two November results are doing a lot of the work here. The Stillwater loss this past week was not great, but they have been competitive enough in other losses that they hang on here.

East Ridge (6-7)
-This isn’t an exciting pick, but none of the losses are bad, and they’re beating the other teams in their way. Forest Lake and White Bear this week will tell us more.

Rock Ridge (6-7)
-Apparently this is the 6-7 portion of the rankings (insert joke here); the Wolverines are another team whose losses are all understandable and, unlike some other teams in this neighborhood, are at least winning games somewhat regularly. For my money, their raw talent is the best in 7AA. They get Duluth Marshall and Duluth East in section ply this week.

[Rich Clarke]

It appears that Edina was short two of their better forwards, Nash Paine and Randy Dann for the tournament. Does anyone know their status?

[raidergrad72]

Last year Andover started 0-9. I'm not dismissing them.

[ryguyMN]

I can buy Shakopee being a top 5 team. In their loss to EP, they largely outplayed EP. Wilmer in net for EP played out of his mind and withstood the offensive barrage from Shakopee. EP scored on a fluky goal that even surprised the team, which ended up being the GWG.

Kicking EP out of the top 15 is warranted. Kind of thought they were overrated and didn’t belong there. If their top line doesn’t produce, they get into trouble against top teams.