Class A Rankings Week #8 (1/15/2023). Warroad is the new king of class A after they defeated Hermantown 3-1 on Saturday. Things are heating up as we have entered the second half of the season. Follow on Twitter @ClassAHockeyGuy for more Minnesota High School Class A News and Notes……..enjoy the rankings!
1. Warroad (8A) (14-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-4 Roseau, W 7-0 Crookston, W 3-1 #2 Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/20 vs Wayzata, 1/21 @ #11 Duluth Denfeld
The Warriors got their excellent week started in great fashion when they used their offensive flair to take down Roseau at home in the first game of the annual rivalry with the Rams. The Warriors then routed Section 8A Crookston in the middle of the week and they then finished the week by being the first team in Class A to beat Hermantown in over 10 years in the regular season. The Warriors move into the number 1 spot and now immediately shift from Roseau and Hermantown week to have chance for the regular season battle between the Class A #1 vs Class AA #1 when they host Wayzata this weekend,
2. Hermantown (7A) (10-1-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 #18 St Cloud Cathedral, L1-3, #1 Warroad
Upcoming Schedule: 1/17 @ #9 Hibbing, 1/20 vs Moorhead, 1/21 @ St Thomas Academy
The Hawks survived a serious scare from St Cloud Cathedral to open the week as they found themselves trailing with 1 minute left in the 2nd period however, a late period goal to tie the game gave them momentum as they dominated the third period to put the game away. However, the pattern of slipping past teams for wins came to an end as the Hawks fell to a Class A team for the first time in the regular season in 10 years when they lost to Warroad. Hermantown now will hope for a 2nd chance come March but until then they have plenty of tests left to improve starting with this week taking on the Section 7A #2 seed and then finishing up with AA Moorhead and St Thomas Academy.
3. Mahtomedi (4A) (9-3-0)
Past Week Results: L 2-6 Cretin Derham Hall, W 7-1 Tartan, W 7-1 Hastings
Upcoming Schedule: 1/16 @ Benilde, 1/18 @ Eden Prairie, 1/21 vs East Ridge
The Zephyrs ran into a talented Top 10 AA Cretin Derham Hall team that they were unable to keep them off the scoreboard and dropped a tough one to tough one to the Raiders. Mahtomedi did respond by routing struggling AA Tatan before routing AA Hastings as well by similar 7-1 scores on back to back nights to end the week on a good note. This week Mahtomedi will take on more AA teams with stiff tests from Benilde and Eden Prairie to start their week before wrapping up with East Ridge.
4. Orono (2A) (11-2-0)
Past Week Results: 1-3 Chanhassen, W 5-1 #7 Delano
Upcoming Schedule: 1/17 @ #19 Providence, 1/19 vs #16 St Cloud Cathedral, 1/21 @ Bloomington Jefferson
The Spartans hung around for a very good AA Chanhassen team to show they should be able to stay in every game they play this year. Ultimately though they just were not able to overcome the depth and speed of the top 10 AA Storm team. The Spartans did follow up the loss by picking up a critical and important Section 2A win over their long time rival Delano when they broke open a 1-1 game with four unanswered goals in the last two periods. Orono has a busy week upcoming vs two good ranked Class A teams before finishing the week with AA Jefferson.
5. East Grand Forks (8A) (8-6-0)
Past Week Results: W 4-2 Fargo Davies
Upcoming Schedule: 1/17 @ Roseau, 1/20 @ #11 Duluth Denfeld, 1/21 @ Bemidji
The Greenwave found themselves down 2-1 after 2 periods of play in their only game of the week. They showed some character and dominated the third period and scored three unanswered goals on their way to a good win over a solid North Dakota team. Every week this team has gotten better now a big test is coming up as three games loom and two are vs teams who beat them earlier in the year curious to see how they do against those teams now and they look to keep up their good play of late.
6. Northfield (1A) (10-3-0)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Owatonna, L 2-3 OT Rochester Century
Upcoming Schedule: 1/19 @ Mankato West, 1/21 vs Winona
The Raiders had an up and down week vs two AA teams in the Big Nine Conference. They started the week by taking down a decent Owatonna team to keep up their good play of late. However, they then finished the week losing a game in overtime to AA Rochester Century, not a good result but not enough to move them down either. This week the Raiders have two more Big Nine games they should win, the more important one being the Section game vs Winona.
7. Delano (2A) (8-6-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-0 Breck, L 1-5 #4 Orono, W 5-2 Monticello
Upcoming Schedule: 1/17 vs Mound Westonka, 1/21 @ Lakeville South
Delano started their busy week by breezing past Breck with ease to pick up the Section 2A shutout win. However, they followed that up by getting blasted in the last two periods of their game with rival Orono to lose any hope of Section top seed. The Tigers did rebound to beat a solid Monticello team at home. This week they have a Section 2A game vs Mound Westonka before they head to Lakeville South to take on a ranked AA squad.
8. Fergus Falls (6A) (8-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-2 Little Falls, W 4-3 Red Lake Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/17 vs Sartell, 1/20 @ Alexandria
The Otters went on the road again this week and picked up two more wins. The first was against a tough Little Falls team in a game where they were outshot but Senior goalie Ben Swanson was the difference stopping 36 of 38 shots and the Otters prevailed over the Flyers. They followed that up with a win over Red Lake Falls to end the week. This coming week will be challenging for Fergus Falls as they take on a Sartell team who they lost to earlier in the year before the big match up with Alexandria.
9. Hibbing (7A) (10-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 15-2 Moose Lake
Upcoming Schedule: 1/17 vs #2 Hermantown, 1/19 vs North Shore
Hibbing blasted fellow Section 7A Moose Lake on the road in their only game of the week. They put up 15 goals and stayed unbeaten on the year in Section 7A and remain in good position for the #2 seed in the section. Now this week they will turn their attention to the Hawks to see if they are anywhere close to the Section 7A king and they also have a game they should win vs 7A North Shore to end the week.
10. Detroit Lakes (8A) (9-4-1)
Past Week Results: L 0-3 Bemidji
Upcoming Schedule: 1/19 @ Prairie Centre, 1/20 vs Red Lake Falls
The Lakers were shutout in their only game of the week against a hot AA Bemidji team that has beaten most in the Class A Rankings. The Lakers were unable to mount much offensively and that is the achilles heel of their group once they do fall behind they struggle to comeback. This week two more winnable games to get back on track vs Prairie Centre and Red Lake Falls the Lakers have a very good chance to win all of the remaining games on their schedule this winter.