Class A Rankings Week #4 (12/17/2023)
Hermantown soars up to a familiar spot at the top of the Class A rankings. Cathedral falters, while Warroad stays hot, Orono adds to their resume and EGF rebounds this week. Also, young Hibbing & Delano continue their march back up the poll along with a look at Section standings below:
1. Hermantown (7A) (4-0-1)
Past Week Results: W 3-0 Duluth Marshall, W 5-1 #6 Mahtomedi
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ Duluth Denfeld, 12/22 vs Rosemount
The Hawks had a very good week at home which started with a shutout win over a much-improved Duluth Marshall team. After that they took on a very tough Mahtomedi team and after a buzzer beater to end the first period that saw them give up their first goal of the year at home Hermantown took over the game from there. The Hawks top line buzzed the Zephyrs in the second period, and they ended up scoring five unanswered goals for a very convincing win over the defending Class A Champs. This week it’s back to the AA ranks with the game vs Rosemount at the end of the week looking like a great test for Hermantown.
2. St. Cloud Cathedral (5A) (6-1-1)
Past Week Results: W 2-0 #15 Alexandria, L 3-5 Rock Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs #4 Orono, 12/21 vs #7 Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, 12/23 @ #12 Delano
The Crusaders got their week started with a very nice shutout win on the road vs longtime rival Alexandria. In the game where they heavily outshot the Cards they showed they are capable of shutting down an opponent when their top line is limited. However, the Crusaders were upset in the weekend finale by AA Rock Ridge and lost their starting goalie to injury in the process which is very concerning for this team. The loss drops them out of the top-Class A spot by they still stay at #2 for now due to their head-to-head win over Warroad. However, they have a very tough week coming up as they take on ranked Orono, Cloquet and Delano and with their main starting goalie injured they will need to really bardown or things could unravel quickly.
3. Warroad (8A) (6-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-1 Totino Grace
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs #9 Thief River Falls, 12/22 vs #5 East Grand Forks
The Warriors had yet another sleepy start to their weekend and this week as they only led Totino Grace 1-0 after 2 periods to start their only game of the week. However, as they have done the past two weeks, they exploded for four third period goals and blew open a close game to cruise to a win at home. Now the Warriors head into their biggest week of the season as they take on their two main 8A competitors when they host Thief River Falls to start the week before finishing it with a big showdown vs rival East Grand Forks under the Youth Hockey Hub “Friday Night Ice” spotlight.
4. Orono (2A) (6-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-0 Waconia, W 4-1 #15 Alexandria
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ #2 St Cloud Cathedral, 12/22 @ Hopkins
The Spartans had another very good week that they started by doing what they needed to do as they went on the road and shutout Waconia in a complete game victory. They followed that up with another resume building win over a Top 20 Alexandria team in a game that they scored 4 unanswered goals and just wore down a good Cards team and outshot them by wide margin to earn their sixth win of the year. The Spartans now have five quality wins over ranked Northfield, Monticello, Little Falls, Alexandria and Minneapolis to hold onto their 4th spot in these rankings firmly. This week a chance to shake things up as they will take on second ranked St Cloud Cathedral at the MAC in St. Cloud with a great opportunity to move up even further in the rankings.
5. East Grand Forks (8A) (5-3-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-5 Grand Forks Red River
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ Bemidji, 12/21 vs Fargo Davies, 12/22 vs #3 Warroad
The Greenwave responded in a big way this week breaking their three game losing streak on the road over border rival Grand Forks Red River to pick up a win in their Gambucci Cup series. In the game the EGF came out fast only to see GF Red River tie the game but the response after that was a good one vs a good North Dakota team. Now they move back into the 6 spot as they beat Mahtomedi handily on road just two weeks ago and while the Cloquet loss is still a black eye for now they appear to be the best of the round robin between those three in recent weeks. Very busy week ahead for the Greenwave with the prime time match up with rival Warroad on Youth Hockey Hub’s “Friday Night Ice” being the highlight.
6. Mahtomedi (4A) (3-6-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-3 Hill Murray, W 4-1 #7 Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, L 1-5 #1 Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 12/21 @ #12 Delano
The Zephyrs started the week by playing with Hill Murray but ultimately falling to a superior team which again is only preparing them better for March. Mahtomedi then made a northern swing and picked up their first real quality win of the year when they took down CEC to open the weekend in a very good workmanlike performance that we are accustomed to seeing from them. They then took on the Hawks less than 24 hours later and while they had a great start, getting out to a 1-0 lead, after the 1st period it was all Hermantown from there to show Mahtomedi is still not quite at that top level just yet. They have only one game on schedule this week and it’s a good one vs ranked Delano as they desperately need more quality Class A wins.
7. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (7A) (5-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 4-3 #19 Proctor, L 1-4 #6 Mahtomedi, W 5-4 OT Blaine
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ St Micheal Albertville, 12/21 @ #2 St Cloud Cathedral
The Lumberjacks started the week getting a huge head to head win over Proctor which combined with the head to head win over Hibbing earlier this year, and that fact they only play those teams once this year, should have wrapped up the #2 seed for them when it is 7A Section time. However, in their next game vs the Zephyrs, while they did compete well, they also showed that they are not quite at their level yet, and they took the loss to the defending Class A Champs. CEC did respond well the next day as they pulled out a dramatic overtime win over AA Blaine to finish a still solid week. Now they have games with AA St. Micheal Albertville and Top 5 St Cathedral to provide more tests this week.
8. Northfield (1A) (6-1-2)
Past Week Results: W 6-3 #11 Monticello, T 3-3 Spring Lake Park, T 4-4 Osseo
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs New Prague, 12/21 @ Mankato East
The Raiders got one of their most impressive victories on the season when they took down a good Monticello at home to start their week. In a game they never trailed, a critical 5 minute major penalty kill was the springboard to a big win. However, after the big win Northfield played two lesser quality AA teams and the ties vs Spring Lake Park and Osseo were eye opening and disappointing as those are teams that Top 10 Class A teams should be beating and those results do raise some red flags. However, a big game with former 1A rival New Prague followed by a decent 3A Mankato East team this upcoming week should provide the Raiders an opportunity to rebound.
9. Thief River Falls (8A) (3-2-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-2 Totino Grace
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ #3 Warroad, 12/21 @ Crookston
The Prowlers picked up their most impressive win of the season in their only action of the week. Thief River Falls welcomed in a solid AA Totino Grace to town on Friday night and they were able to break up a 2-2 game late to pick up a very nice victory. The goals are still tough to come by for this group but this win shows they are right in this lower 10ish part of the rankings in Class A. This week they can make a big statement as they have two 8A games with the matchup vs Warroad to start the week being a big one for this Prowlers team.
10. Northern Lakes (6A) (5-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-3 Southwest Christian
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ #15 Alexandria, 12/21 vs Wadena Deer Creek
The Lightning had another one game week but in that game they showed another good sign that this team is a very serious contender this year. They took a long bus ride on a Thursday night all the way to Richfield and found themselves in a 0-3 hole early in the 2nd period. However, the Lightning responded and took over the game from there and scored 5 unanswered goals to come away with a very impressive road win over good Southwest Christian Squad. Now they have a massive week as they take on the two time defending 6A Champs on the road in Alexandria before finishing up with 6A Wadena Deer Creek at home both having very important seeding implications.
11. Monticello (5A) (4-2-0)
Past Week Results: L 3-6 #8 Northfield
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs Princeton, 12/22 @ Northern Edge
The Moose dropped their only game of the week in a tough contest down south at Northfield. In a game that was much more even than the final score indicated Monticiello’s inability to convert on the powerplay in the 2nd period proved to be the difference and the Raiders pulled away in the third period. Not a bad loss and Monticello only has two losses vs Top 10 Class A teams in Orono & Northfield on the overall resume. They look to get back to their winning ways this week when they host 5A Princeton before wrapping up at Northern Edge before the Christmas break.
12. Delano (2A) (4-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 4-3 OT Southwest Christian, W 5-4 OT #16 Minneapolis
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ Providence Academy, 12/21 vs #6 Mahtomedi, 12/23 vs #2 St. Cloud Cathedral
The Tigers started their week with a little deja vu as they again were able to comeback on a solid Class A team at home to pick up a nice overtime home win over Southwest Christian to start the week. They followed that OT win up with another one when they hit the road to take on top 2A contender Minneapolis. In a back and forth game the Tigers again found a way to win in overtime for the third consecutive time and they suddenly have racked up 4 straight wins with 3 those against Top 25 Class A teams. Another challenging week awaits as they will take on three more very good opponents this week in Providence Academy, Mahtomedi and St Cloud Cathedral to see where this team is at in the overall Class A picture.
13. Hibbing/Chisholm (7A) (6-4-0)
Past Week Result: W 5-0 Greenway, W 4-1 #19 Proctor
Upcoming Schedule: 12/21 @ Cambridge/Isanti
Hibbing had a big week within the Section 7A seeding standings as they worked to avoid the 4 seed and avoid the mighty Hawks until the 7A Final. They were able to lock into the 3 seed with two important wins as they took down Greenway to open the week with a very nice shutout win on the road. They then continued the road show and went and beat a good Proctor club who had their star goalie back to finish the week on a very high note and show this young team is really starting to grow up. They also may have decided to go with the Sophomore in net who started both games this week and is now (4-0-0) on the year. This week they have just one game as they hit the road to take on 7AA Cambridge Isanti.
14. Little Falls (5A) (4-3-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-2 Rock Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: 12/21 vs #15 Alexandria
The Flyers finally opened their season on home ice this week after six straight road games to open the year. However, after taking a one goal lead over AA Rock Ridge it was all Wolverines from there. Little Falls just wasn’t able to muster much of an offensive attack and their 1st line got worn down and they were outshot and beat on their home ice in a tough game for their only game of the week. While it’s not a terrible loss it does expose some of the questions many had about their depth coming into the year and now they have another one game week upcoming and its a tough one in a rematch with ranked Alexandria team who they beat earlier this year.
15. Alexandria (6A) (2-4-1)
Past Week Results: L 0-2 #2 St Cloud Cathedral, L 1-4 #4 Orono
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs #10 Northern Lakes, 12/21 @ #14 Little Falls
The Cards had a tough week taking on two Top 5 teams which opened with hosting their old rivals in St Cloud Cathedral and while they were competitive with the top ranked Crusaders the issue of goal scoring showed itself again. They were shutout and for a team only averaging around 2.50 goals a game it really makes it tough for them to pull off a big upset win. The lack of goals continued when they were just worn down by a good Orono team to end the week. While they did take a brief 1-0 lead the Cards were just unable to match up with deeper Spartans to fall to (0-2) on the week. They will have to shake it off quickly as they have a huge Section 6A game with Northern Lakes this week followed by a trip to ranked Little Falls as it wont get any easier for the Alexandria team.
16. Minneapolis (2A) (4-4-0)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Providence Academy, L 4-5 OT #12 Delano, L 3-4 OT Armstrong/Cooper
Upcoming Schedule: 12/22 vs Rock Ridge
The 612 crew got the week going by picking up an important head to head win over 2A Providence Academy, a team that has been causing issues for many of late in Class A. They then took on 2A perennial power Delano and showed that they are right there with the Sections best as they went toe to toe with the Tigers before falling in a heartbreaker in OT. They followed that up with another OT loss to AA Armstrong/Cooper to cap what was a week of missed opportunities for the 612 crew to keep them down in the lower 20. Now they have a tough game with AA Rock Ridge to try to rebound before the Holiday Break.
17. Luverne (3A) (6-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 9-4 Windom, W 9-0 Rochester Lourdes
Upcoming Schedule: 12/121vs Worthington, 12/22 vs Dodge County
Roll Cards Roll continued their good momentum early in the year this week as they picked up two more wins and remain perfect on the season. They took care of business vs Windom to start the week scoring five quick first period goals to distance themselves from any potential upset bid. They then blew out Rochester Lourdes on Saturday and picked up the big shutout win impressively. Now they have a week where they continue to stay home and take on 3A Worthington before facing probably their toughest test to date when Dodge County comes to visit at the end of the week.
18. Breck (2A) (3-3-1)
Past Week Results: L 1-4 Holy Angels
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato, 12/21 @ Faribault
The Mustangs dropped a tough contest to a good AA Holy Angels team in their only game of the week. Breck actually jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead but was unable to get much down offensively after that and the Stars scored four unanswered goals to come away with the win. They still have had a good start to their year and the win over Proctor head to head keeps them at 18 this week. They have two winnable games upcoming with the 2A game vs Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato being the one they must win.
19. Proctor (7A) (5-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 3-4 #7 Cloquet/Carlton/Esko, L 1-4 #13 Hibbing
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs Greenway
The Rails had a tough week results wise on the ice as they dropped two close games to two Top 15 Class A teams within Section 7A but showed they can compete with some of Class A’s best teams. They started the week by dropping a tough contest to Cloquet on the road in a game they came roaring back to tie only to lose it late in the 3rd period. They then played Hibbing and dropped another tough hard fought contest. However, the news was not all bad as star senior goalie AJ Reyelts did return for his first start of the year in a tough loss vs the Bluejackets. Proctor will hope to get on a roll with him in net which will start with a game against 7A Greenway this week.
20. New Ulm (3A) (7-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-1 Waseca, W 3-2 Minnesota River, W 4-3 Southwest Chrisitan
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs Hutchinson, 12/22 @ Windom
The Eagles had an excellent three win week which they started by defeating a good young and upcoming Waseca team on the road. They followed that up by beating an improved Minnesota River team at home and in the weekend finale New Ulm picked up a huge win as they went up to Richfield and knocked off a previously ranked Southwest Christian team to move back into the Top 20 this week. Now they have two winnable games this week when they take on Hutchinson before heading 3A Windom before heading into the holiday break.
Next Five Notable Teams-
• Southwest Christian/Richfield (4A) (2-3-0)- The Stars had a tough week losing three heartbreakers during their busy week vs three Class A ranked teams. They were beaten in overtime on the road by a good Delano team in a game they had multiple chances to win to start the week. The Stars then returned home and built an early 3-0 lead over a Top 10 ranked Northern Lakes team that they ultimately let slip away. They finished the week dropping a one goal game to New Ulm which drops them out of the Top 20 for now. They have a must win 4A game vs Simley this week.
• Dodge County (1A) (5-3-0)- The Wildcats lost a tough opening game to an unbeaten Owatonna team but they rebounded nicely to finish the week as they pummeled 1A Faribault 13-2 to stay in good position for a top seed in Section 1A. The scoring duo of Junior Brett Ludvigsen and Senior Gryffon Funke have combined for a ridiculous 56 points through just 8 games. They stay just one spot below Southwest Christian this week due to the recent head to head loss but they will have a chance to move up this week with a big game vs ranked Luverne on the horizon.
• Providence Academy (2A) (3-5-0)- The Lions continue to be a mystery team as they were handled with ease by Minneapolis this week and the loss really shows that they are not quite a top 20 team yet as they dont have a real quality win. However, they are still dangerous and will be a team to keep an eye on against ranked Delano this week as they upset the Tigers last year.
• Detroit Lakes (8A) (3-4-0)- The Lakers got off to a very slow (0-3-0) start but this young team is starting to grow and have gone (3-1-0) since then and their win over Crookston this week should go a long way in helping them be a top four seed in a very tough Section 8A. This week they should get back (.500) with only one game vs a young Breckenridge/Wahpeton team.
• La Crescent-Hokah (1A) (7-1-0)- The Lancers are off to a very good start through their first 8 games of the season as their scoring duo of Seniors Wyatt Farrell and Noah Gillette have been as good as advertised and have combined for 34 goals already this season. Huge stretch of games for them upcoming as they play 1A Winona, Waseca, Albert Lea, Austin and Lourdes in the next 2 weeks. If they win those games they pretty much will have locked up a top 3 seed their highest ever in School history.
BHS Class A 2023-24 Section Break Downs Week #2 (12/17/23)
Section 1A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Northfield (6-1-2)
2- Dodge County (5-3-0)
3- La Crescent-Hokah (7-1-0)
4- Albert Lea (2-4-1)
5- Waseca (6-3-0)
6- Rochester Lourdes (2-5-0)
7- Winona (3-3-0)
8- Austin (3-4-0)
9- Faribault (2-5-0)
10- Red Wing (2-7-0)
Section 1A Outlook- Northfield had an adventure outside the section and went (1-0-2) on the week. Dodge County picked up a head to head 1A win over Faribault. La Crescent-Hokah won three games including a head to head win over Rochester Lourdes. Waseca got a head to head 1A win over Red Wing. Winona won their only game of the week in Wisconsin. Both Albert Lea & Austin went winless outside the section this week.
Section 2A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Orono (6-2-0)
2- Delano (4-2-0)
3- Minneapolis (4-4-0)
4- Breck (3-3-1)
5- Providence Academy (3-5-0)
6- Mound Westonka (4-4-0)
7- Hutchinson (1-5-0)
8- Litchfield Dassel-Cokato (1-6-0)
Section 2A Outlook- Orono won both their games outside the section on the week. Delano extended their win streak to four games with two more OF victories including a massive head to head 2A win over Minneapolis but the 612 boys did also pick up a head to head win over Providence Academy. Breck lost its only game of the week to a good AA opponent. Mound Westonka had an up and down week and went (1-2-0) outside the section. Hutchinson & Litchfield Dassel-Cokato both had tough weeks and were winless outside of the section.
Section 3A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Luverne (6-0-0)
2- New Ulm (7-1-0)
3- Mankato West (4-2-1)
4- Mankato East (4-3-0)
5- Minnesota River (4-2-0)
6- Marshall (4-5-0)
7- Windom (1-5-0)
8- Fairmont (1-7-0)
9- Worthington (0-6-0)
10- Redwood Valley (0-7-0)
Section 3A Outlook- Luverne won both their games this week including a head-to-head 3A win over Windom. New Ulm won all three of their games including a big 3A head-to-head win over Minnesota River but the Bulldogs picked up a head to head win over Marshall. Mankato West had a good (2-0-0) week vs AA teams and Mankato East went .500 in Big 9 Conference Action. Fairmont got their first win of the year in a 3A game vs Worthington while Redwood Valley and the Trojans still remain winless on the year.
Section 4A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Mahtomedi (3-6-0)
2- Southwest Christian (2-3-0)
3- Chisago Lakes (3-5-0)
4- St Paul Highland Park (5-3-0)
5- Simley (2-5-1)
6- South St Paul (3-3-0)
7- St Paul Academy (1-5-0)
8- Bloomington Kennedy (2-6-0)
Section 4A Outlook- Mahtomedi went (1-2-0) outside the section. Southwest Christian went (0-3-0) vs three ranked Class A teams outside the section. Chisago Lakes won their only game of the week outside the section. St Paul Highland Park got a good 4A win over Simley. South St Paul had a very nice two win week. St Paul Academy & Bloomington Kennedy both went winless on the week outside the section.
Section 5A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- St Cloud Cathedral (6-1-1)
2- Monticello (4-2-0)
3- Little Falls (4-3-0)
4- Princeton (3-2-0)
5- Sauk Rapids (4-2-1)
6- River Lakes (2-4-1)
7- Becker/Big Lake (5-2-0)
8- Pine City (2-6-0)
9- Mora/Milaca (6-2-0)
Section 5A Outlook- St Cloud Cathedral went (.500) in two good games outside the section. Monticello lost their only game of the week to a Top 10 Class A team outside the section. Little Falls lost their only game of the week to a AA team. Princeton picked up a big head to head 5A win over Becker/Big Lake. River Lakes got an important head to head 5A win over Pine City. Sauk Rapids picked up two wins outside the section and Mora/Milaca picked up two wins over Wisconsin teams.
Section 6A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Northern Lakes (5-0-0)
2- Alexandria (2-4-1)
3- Fergus Falls (1-4-0)
4- Wadena Deer Creek (3-5-0)
5- Morris Benson (2-6-0)
6- Willmar (3-4-0)
7- Prairie Centre (2-5-0)
8- Breckenridge/Wahpeton (1-5-0)
Section 6A Outlook- Northern Lakes won their only game of the week and moved to (5-0-0) with a win outside the section. Alexandria lost to two good Top 10 Class A teams outside the section. Fergus Falls extended their losing streak to four games with two more losses on the week. Wadena Deer Creek lost both of their games outside the section this week. Morris Benson won their only game of the week outside the section. Willmar picked up an important head to head 6A win over Prairie Centre. Breckenridge/Wahpeton picked up their first win of the season outside the section.
Section 7A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Hermantown (4-0-1)
2- Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (5-2-0)
3- Hibbing (6-4-0)
4- Proctor (5-4-0)
5- Greenway (1-5-0)
6- North Shore (3-2-0)
7- Ely (7-2-0)
8- International Falls (2-3-0)
9- Moose Lake (2-4-0)
Section 7A Outlook- Hermantown had another good week as they went (2-0) outside of the section. Cloquet picked up big head to head 7A wins over Proctor this week. Hibbing picked up two big 7A wins as they defeated the Rails also and Greenway on the week. Ely picked up a historic 1st ever win over 7A International Falls but the Broncos did get an OT win over 7A Moose Lake on the week. North Shore lost their only game outside the section this week.
Section 8A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Warroad (6-1-0)
2- East Grand Forks (5-3-0)
3- Thief River Falls (3-2-1)
4- Detroit Lakes (3-4-0)
5- Crookston (4-1-0)
6- Red Lake Falls (5-1-0)
7- Lake of the Woods (5-1-0)
8- Park Rapids (3-3-1)
9- Kittson County Central (1-6-0)
10- Bagley/Fosston (2-5-0)
Section 8A Outlook- Warroad & Thief River Falls won their only game of the week in a game outside the section vs AA Totino Grace. East Grand Forks ended its recent skid with a big Gambucci Cup win. Detroit Lakes won a very important win in their head to head 8A match up with Crookston. Park Rapids got a head to head 8A win over Bagley/Fosston. Red Lake Falls picked up a head to head 8A win over Kittson County Central but the Bearcats picked up their first win of the year with a big upset over previously 8A unbeaten Lake of the Woods. The Bears though still own head to head wins over the Panthers and Flyers to stay at the seven spot for now.
On Sun, Dec 17, 2023 at 12:06 AM Eric Bruce <classahockeyguy@gmail.com> wrote:
Class A Rankings Week #4 (12/17/2023)
1. Hermantown (7A) (4-0-1)
Past Week Results: W 3-0 Duluth Marshall, W 5-1 #6 Mahtomedi
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ Duluth Denfeld, 12/22 vs Rosemount
The Hawks had a very good week at home which started with a shutout win over a much improved Duluth Marshall team. After that they took on a very tough Mahtomedi team and after a buzzer beater to end the first period that saw them give up their first goal of the year at home they took over the game from there. The Hawks top line buzzed the Zephyrs in the second period and they ended up scoring five unanswered goals for a very convincing win over the defending Class A Champs. This week it’s back to the AA ranks with the game vs Rosemount at the end of the week looking like a great test for Hermantown.
2. St. Cloud Cathedral (5A) (6-1-1)
Past Week Results: W 2-0 #15 Alexandria, L 3-5 Rock Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs #4 Orono, 12/21 vs #7 Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, 12/23 @ #12 Delano
The Crusaders got their week started with a very nice shutout win on the road vs long time rival Alexandria. In the game where they heavily outshot the Cards they showed they are capable of shutting down an opponent when their top line is limited. However, the Crusaders were upset in the weekend finale by AA Rock Ridge and lost their starting goalie to injury in the process which is very concerning for this team. The loss drops them out of the top Class A spot by they still stay at #2 for now due to their head to head win over Warroad. However, they have a very tough week coming up as they take on ranked Orono, Cloquet and Delano and with their main starting goalie injured they will need to really bardown or things could unravel quickly.
3. Warroad (8A) (6-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-1 Totino Grace
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs #9 Thief River Falls, 12/22 vs #5 East Grand Forks
The Warriors had yet another sleepy start to their weekend and this week as they only led Totino Grace 1-0 after 2 periods to start their only game of the week. However, as they have done the past two weeks they exploded for four third period goals and blew open a close game to cruise to a win at home. Now the Warriors head into their biggest week of the season as they take on their two main 8A competitors when they host Thief River Falls to start the week before finishing it with a big showdown vs rival East Grand Forks under the Youth Hockey Hub “Friday Night Ice” spotlight.
4. Orono (2A) (6-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-0 Waconia, W 4-1 #15 Alexandria
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ #2 St Cloud Cathedral, 12/22 @ Hopkins
The Spartans had another very good week that they started by doing what they needed to do as they went on the road and shutout Waconia in a complete game victory. They followed that up with another resume building win over a Top 20 Alexandria team in a game that they scored 4 unanswered goals and just wore down a good Cards team and outshot them by wide margin to earn their sixth win of the year. The Spartans now have five quality wins over ranked Northfield, Monticello, Little Falls, Alexandria and Minneapolis to hold onto their 4th spot in these rankings firmly. This week a chance to shake things up as they will take on second ranked St Cloud Cathedral at the MAC in St. Cloud with a great opportunity to move up even further in the rankings.
5. East Grand Forks (8A) (5-3-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-5 Grand Forks Red River
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ Bemidji, 12/21 vs Fargo Davies, 12/22 vs #3 Warroad
The Greenwave responded in a big way this week breaking their three game losing streak on the road over border rival Grand Forks Red River to pick up a win in their Gambucci Cup series. In the game the EGF came out fast only to see GF Red River tie the game but the response after that was a good one vs a good North Dakota team. Now they move back into the 6 spot as they beat Mahtomedi handily on road just two weeks ago and while the Cloquet loss is still a black eye for now they appear to be the best of the round robin between those three in recent weeks. Very busy week ahead for the Greenwave with the prime time match up with rival Warroad on Youth Hockey Hub’s “Friday Night Ice” being the highlight.
6. Mahtomedi (4A) (3-6-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-3 Hill Murray, W 4-1 #7 Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, L 1-5 #1 Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 12/21 @ #12 Delano
The Zephyrs started the week by playing with Hill Murray but ultimately falling to a superior team which again is only preparing them better for March. Mahtomedi then made a northern swing and picked up their first real quality win of the year when they took down CEC to open the weekend in a very good workmanlike performance that we are accustomed to seeing from them. They then took on the Hawks less than 24 hours later and while they had a great start, getting out to a 1-0 lead, after the 1st period it was all Hermantown from there to show Mahtomedi is still not quite at that top level just yet. They have only one game on schedule this week and it’s a good one vs ranked Delano as they desperately need more quality Class A wins.
7. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (7A) (5-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 4-3 #19 Proctor, L 1-4 #6 Mahtomedi, W 5-4 OT Blaine
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ St Micheal Albertville, 12/21 @ #2 St Cloud Cathedral
The Lumberjacks started the week getting a huge head to head win over Proctor which combined with the head to head win over Hibbing earlier this year, and that fact they only play those teams once this year, should have wrapped up the #2 seed for them when it is 7A Section time. However, in their next game vs the Zephyrs, while they did compete well, they also showed that they are not quite at their level yet, and they took the loss to the defending Class A Champs. CEC did respond well the next day as they pulled out a dramatic overtime win over AA Blaine to finish a still solid week. Now they have games with AA St. Micheal Albertville and Top 5 St Cathedral to provide more tests this week.
8. Northfield (1A) (6-1-2)
Past Week Results: W 6-3 #11 Monticello, T 3-3 Spring Lake Park, T 4-4 Osseo
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs New Prague, 12/21 @ Mankato East
The Raiders got one of their most impressive victories on the season when they took down a good Monticello at home to start their week. In a game they never trailed, a critical 5 minute major penalty kill was the springboard to a big win. However, after the big win Northfield played two lesser quality AA teams and the ties vs Spring Lake Park and Osseo were eye opening and disappointing as those are teams that Top 10 Class A teams should be beating and those results do raise some red flags. However, a big game with former 1A rival New Prague followed by a decent 3A Mankato East team this upcoming week should provide the Raiders an opportunity to rebound.
9. Thief River Falls (8A) (3-2-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-2 Totino Grace
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ #3 Warroad, 12/21 @ Crookston
The Prowlers picked up their most impressive win of the season in their only action of the week. Thief River Falls welcomed in a solid AA Totino Grace to town on Friday night and they were able to break up a 2-2 game late to pick up a very nice victory. The goals are still tough to come by for this group but this win shows they are right in this lower 10ish part of the rankings in Class A. This week they can make a big statement as they have two 8A games with the matchup vs Warroad to start the week being a big one for this Prowlers team.
10. Northern Lakes (6A) (5-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-3 Southwest Christian
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ #15 Alexandria, 12/21 vs Wadena Deer Creek
The Lightning had another one game week but in that game they showed another good sign that this team is a very serious contender this year. They took a long bus ride on a Thursday night all the way to Richfield and found themselves in a 0-3 hole early in the 2nd period. However, the Lightning responded and took over the game from there and scored 5 unanswered goals to come away with a very impressive road win over good Southwest Christian Squad. Now they have a massive week as they take on the two time defending 6A Champs on the road in Alexandria before finishing up with 6A Wadena Deer Creek at home both having very important seeding implications.
11. Monticello (5A) (4-2-0)
Past Week Results: L 3-6 #8 Northfield
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs Princeton, 12/22 @ Northern Edge
The Moose dropped their only game of the week in a tough contest down south at Northfield. In a game that was much more even than the final score indicated Monticiello’s inability to convert on the powerplay in the 2nd period proved to be the difference and the Raiders pulled away in the third period. Not a bad loss and Monticello only has two losses vs Top 10 Class A teams in Orono & Northfield on the overall resume. They look to get back to their winning ways this week when they host 5A Princeton before wrapping up at Northern Edge before the Christmas break.
12. Delano (2A) (4-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 4-3 OT Southwest Christian, W 5-4 OT #16 Minneapolis
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 @ Providence Academy, 12/21 vs #6 Mahtomedi, 12/23 vs #2 St. Cloud Cathedral
The Tigers started their week with a little deja vu as they again were able to comeback on a solid Class A team at home to pick up a nice overtime home win over Southwest Christian to start the week. They followed that OT win up with another one when they hit the road to take on top 2A contender Minneapolis. In a back and forth game the Tigers again found a way to win in overtime for the third consecutive time and they suddenly have racked up 4 straight wins with 3 those against Top 25 Class A teams. Another challenging week awaits as they will take on three more very good opponents this week in Providence Academy, Mahtomedi and St Cloud Cathedral to see where this team is at in the overall Class A picture.
13. Hibbing/Chisholm (7A) (6-4-0)
Past Week Result: W 5-0 Greenway, W 4-1 #19 Proctor
Upcoming Schedule: 12/21 @ Cambridge/Isanti
Hibbing had a big week within the Section 7A seeding standings as they worked to avoid the 4 seed and avoid the mighty Hawks until the 7A Final. They were able to lock into the 3 seed with two important wins as they took down Greenway to open the week with a very nice shutout win on the road. They then continued the road show and went and beat a good Proctor club who had their star goalie back to finish the week on a very high note and show this young team is really starting to grow up. They also may have decided to go with the Sophomore in net who started both games this week and is now (4-0-0) on the year. This week they have just one game as they hit the road to take on 7AA Cambridge Isanti.
14. Little Falls (5A) (4-3-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-2 Rock Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: 12/21 vs #15 Alexandria
The Flyers finally opened their season on home ice this week after six straight road games to open the year. However, taking a one goal lead over AA Rock Ridge it was all Wolverines from there. Little Falls just wasn’t able to muster much of an offensive attack and their 1st line got worn down and they were outshot and beat on their home ice in a tough game for their only game of the week. While it’s not a terrible loss it does expose some of the questions many had about their depth coming into the year and now they have another one game week upcoming and its a tough one in a rematch with ranked Alexandria team who they beat earlier this year.
15. Alexandria (6A) (2-4-1)
Past Week Results: L 0-2 #2 St Cloud Cathedral, L 1-4 #4 Orono
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs #10 Northern Lakes, 12/21 @ #14 Little Falls
The Cards opened the week by hosting their old rivals in St Cloud Cathedral and while they were competitive with the top ranked Crusaders the issue of goal scoring showed itself again. They were shutout and for a team only averaging around 2.50 goals a game it really makes it tough for them to pull off a big upset win. The lack of goals continued when they were just worn down by a good Orono team to end the week. While they did take a brief 1-0 lead the Cards were just unable to match up with deeper Spartans to fall to (0-2) on the week. They will have to shake it off quickly as they have a huge Section 6A game with Northern Lakes this week followed by a trip to ranked Little Falls as it wont get any easier for the Alexandria team.
16. Minneapolis (2A) (4-4-0)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Providence Academy, L 4-5 OT #12 Delano, L 3-4 OT Armstrong/Cooper
Upcoming Schedule: 12/22 vs Rock Ridge
The 612 crew got the week going by picking up an important head to head win over 2A Providence Academy, a team that has been causing issues for many of late in Class A. They then took on 2A perennial power Delano and showed that they are right there with the Sections best as they went toe to toe with the Tigers before falling in a heartbreaker in OT. They followed that up with another OT loss to AA Armstrong/Cooper to cap what was a week of missed opportunities for the 612 crew to keep them down in the lower 20. Now they have a tough game with AA Rock Ridge to try to rebound before the Holiday Break.
17. Luverne (3A) (6-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 9-4 Windom, W 9-0 Rochester Lourdes
Upcoming Schedule: 12/121vs Worthington, 12/22 vs Dodge County
Roll Cards Roll continued their good momentum early in the year this week as they picked up two more wins and remain perfect on the season. They took care of business vs Windom to start the week scoring five quick first period goals to distance themselves from any potential upset bid. They then blew out Rochester Lourdes on Saturday and picked up the big shutout win impressively. Now they have a week where they continue to stay home and take on 3A Worthington before facing probably their toughest test to date when Dodge County comes to visit at the end of the week.
18. Breck (2A) (3-3-1)
Past Week Results: L 1-4 Holy Angels
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato, 12/21 @ Faribault
The Mustangs dropped a tough contest to a good AA Holy Angels team in their only game of the week. Breck actually jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead but was unable to get much down offensively after that and the Stars scored four unanswered goals to come away with the win. They still have had a good start to their year and the win over Proctor head to head keeps them at 18 this week. They have two winnable games upcoming with the 2A game vs Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato being the one they must win.
19. Proctor (7A) (5-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 3-4 #7 Cloquet/Carlton/Esko, L 1-4 #13 Hibbing
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs Greenway
The Rails had a tough week on the ice as they dropped two close games to two Top 15 Class A teams within Section 7A. They started the week by dropping a tough contest to Cloquet on the road in a game they came roaring back to tie only to lose it late in the 3rd period. They then played Hibbing and dropped another tough hard fought contest. However, the news was not all bad as star senior goalie AJ Reyelts did return for his first start of the year in a tough loss vs the Bluejackets. Proctor will hope to get on a roll with him in net which will start with a game against 7A Greenway this week.
20. New Ulm (3A) (7-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 6-1 Waseca, W 3-2 Minnesota River, W 4-3 Southwest Chrisitan
Upcoming Schedule: 12/19 vs Hutchinson, 12/22 @ Windom
The Eagles had an excellent three win week which they started by defeating a good young and upcoming Waseca team on the road. They followed that up by beating an improved Minnesota River team at home and in the weekend finale New Ulm picked up a huge win as they went up to Richfeild and knocked off a previously ranked Southwest Christian team to move back into the Top 20 this week. Now they have two winnable games this week when they take on Hutchinson before heading 3A Windom before heading into the holiday break.
Next Five Notable Teams-
• Southwest Christian/Richfield (4A) (2-3-0)- The Stars had a tough week losing three heartbreakers during their busy week vs three Class A ranked teams. They were beaten on the road by a good Delano team in a game they had multiple chances to win to start the week. The Stars then returned home and built an early 3-0 lead over a top ranked Northern Lakes team that they ultimately let slip away. They finished the week dropping a one goal game to New Ulm which drops them out of the Top 20 for now. They have a must win 4A game vs Simley this week.
• Dodge County (1A) (5-3-0)- The Wildcats lost a tough opening game to an unbeaten Owatonna team but they rebounded nicely to finish the week as they pummeled 1A Faribault 13-2 to stay in good position for a top seed in Section 1A. The scoring duo of Junior Brett Ludvigsen and Senior Gryffon Funke have combined for a ridiculous 56 points through just 8 games. They stay just one spot below Southwest Christian this week due to the recent head to head loss but they will have a chance to move up this week with a big game vs ranked Luverne on the horizon.
• Providence Academy (2A) (3-5-0)- The Lions continue to be a mystery team as they were handled with ease by Minneapolis this week and the loss really shows that they are not quite a top 20 team yet as they dont have a real quilty win. However, they are still dangerous and will be a team to keep an eye on against ranked Delnao this week as they upset the Tigers last year.
• Detroit Lakes (8A) (3-4-0)- The Lakers got off to a very slow (0-3-0) start but this young team is starting to grow and have gone (3-1-0) since then and their win over Crookston this week should go a long way in helping them be a top four seed in a very tough Section 8A. This week they should get back (.500) with only one game vs a young Breckenridge/Wahpeton team.
• La Crescent (1A) (7-1-0)- The Lancers are off to a very good start through their first 8 games of the season as their scoring duo of Seniors Wyatt Farrell and Noah Gillette have been as good as advertised and have combined for 34 goals already this season. Huge stretch of games for them upcoming as they play 1A Winona, Waseca, Albert Lea, Austin and Lourdes in the next 2 weeks. If they win those games they pretty much will have locked up a top 3 seed their highest ever in School history.
BHS Class A 2023-24 Section Break Downs Week #2 (12/17/23)
Section 1A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Northfield (6-1-2)
2- Dodge County (5-3-0)
3- La Crescent (7-1-0)
4- Albert Lea (2-4-1)
5- Waseca (6-3-0)
6- Rochester Lourdes (2-5-0)
7- Winona (3-3-0)
8- Austin (3-4-0)
9- Faribault (2-5-0)
10- Red Wing (2-7-0)
Section 1A Outlook- Northfield had an adventure outside the section and went (1-0-2) on the week. Dodge County picked up a head to head 1A win over Faribault. La Crescent won three games including a head to head win over Rochester Lourdes. Waseca got a head to head 1A win over Red Wing. Winona won their only game of the week in Wisconsin. Both Albert Lea & Austin went winless outside the section this week.
Section 2A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Orono (6-2-0)
2- Delano (4-2-0)
3- Minneapolis (4-4-0)
4- Breck (3-3-1)
5- Providence Academy (3-5-0)
6- Mound Westonka (4-4-0)
7- Hutchinson (1-5-0)
8- Litchfield Dassel-Cokato (1-6-0)
Section 2A Outlook- Orono won both their games outside the section on the week. Delano extended their win streak to four games with two more OF victories including a massive head to head 2A win over Minneapolis but the 612 boys did also pick up a head to head win over Providence Academy. Breck lost its only game of the week to a good AA opponent. Mound Westonka had an up and down week and went (1-2-0) outside the section. Hutchinson & Litchfield Dassel-Cokato both had tough weeks and were winless outside of the section.
Section 3A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Luverne (6-0-0)
2- New Ulm (7-1-0)
3- Mankato West (4-2-1)
4- Mankato East (4-3-0)
5- Minnesota River (4-2-0)
6- Marshall (4-5-0)
7- Windom (1-5-0)
8- Fairmont (1-7-0)
9- Worthington (0-6-0)
10- Redwood Valley (0-7-0)
Section 3A Outlook- Luverne won both their games this week including a head to head 3A win over Windom. New Ulm won all three of their games including a big 3A head to head win over Minnesota River but the Bulldogs picked up a head to head win over Marshall. Mankato West had a good (2-0-0) week vs AA teams and Mankato East went .500 in Big 9 Conference Action. Fairmont got their first win of the year in a 3A game vs Worthington while Redwood Valley and the Trojans still remain winless on the year.
Section 4A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Mahtomedi (3-6-0)
2- Southwest Christian (2-3-0)
3- Chisago Lakes (3-5-0)
4- St Paul Highland Park (5-3-0)
5- Simley (2-5-1)
6- South St Paul (3-3-0)
7- St Paul Academy (1-5-0)
8- Bloomington Kennedy (2-6-0)
Section 4A Outlook- Mahtomedi went (1-2-0) outside the section. Southwest Christian went (0-3-0) vs three ranked Class A teams outside the section. Chisago Lakes won their only game of the week outside the section. St Paul Highland Park got a good 4A win over Simley. South St Paul had a very nice two win week. St Paul Academy & Bloomington Kennedy both went winless on the week outside the section.
Section 5A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- St Cloud Cathedral (6-1-1)
2- Monticello (4-2-0)
3- Little Falls (4-3-0)
4- Princeton (3-2-0)
5- Sauk Rapids (4-2-1)
6- River Lakes (2-4-1)
7- Becker/Big Lake (5-2-0)
8- Pine City (2-6-0)
9- Mora/Milaca (6-2-0)
Section 5A Outlook- St Cloud Cathedral won two good games outside the section to move to (7-0-1) on the year. Monticello lost their only game of the week to a Top 10 Class A team outside the section. Little Falls lost their only game of the week to a AA team. Princeton picked up a big head to head 5A win over Becker/Big Lake. River Lakes got an important head to head 5A win over Pine City. Sauk Rapids picked up two wins outside the section and Mora/Milaca picked up two wins over Wisconsin teams.
Section 6A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Northern Lakes (5-0-0)
2- Alexandria (2-4-1)
3- Fergus Falls (1-4-0)
4- Wadena Deer Creek (3-5-0)
5- Morris Benson (2-6-0)
6- Willmar (3-4-0)
7- Prairie Centre (2-5-0)
8- Breckenridge/Wahpeton (1-5-0)
Section 6A Outlook- Northern Lakes won their only game of the week and moved to (5-0-0) with a win outside the section. Alexandria lost to two good Top 10 Class A teams outside the section. Fergus Falls extended their losing streak to four games with two more losses on the week. Wadena Deer Creek lost both of their games outside the section this week. Morris Benson won their only game of the week outside the section. Willmar picked up an important head to head 6A win over Prairie Centre. Breckenridge/Wahpeton picked up their first win of the season outside the section.
Section 7A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Hermantown (4-0-1)
2- Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (5-2-0)
3- Hibbing (6-4-0)
4- Proctor (5-4-0)
5- Greenway (1-5-0)
6- North Shore (3-2-0)
7- Ely (7-2-0)
8- International Falls (2-3-0)
9- Moose Lake (2-4-0)
Section 7A Outlook- Hermantown had another good week as they went (2-0) outside of the section. Cloquet picked up big head to head 7A wins over Proctor this week. Hibbing picked up two big 7A wins as they defeated the Rails also and Greenway on the week. Ely picked up a historic 1st ever win over 7A International Falls but the Broncos did get an OT win over 7A Moose Lake on the week. North Shore lost their only game outside the section this week.
Section 8A Rankings (12/17/23)
1- Warroad (6-1-0)
2- East Grand Forks (5-3-0)
3- Thief River Falls (3-2-1)
4- Detroit Lakes (3-4-0)
5- Crookston (4-1-0)
6- Red Lake Falls (5-1-0)
7- Lake of the Woods (5-1-0)
8- Park Rapids (3-3-1)
9- Kittson County Central (1-6-0)
10- Bagley/Fosston (2-5-0)
Section 8A Outlook- Warroad & Thief River Falls won their only game of the week in a game outside the section vs AA Totino Grace. East Grand Forks continued its recent rough patch and extended their losing streak to four games all outside the section though. Detroit Lakes won a very important win in their head to head 8A match up with Crookston. Park Rapids got a head to head 8A win over Bagley/Fosston. Red Lake Falls picked up a head-to-head 8A win over Kittson County Central but the Bearcats picked up their first win of the year with a big upset over previously 8A unbeaten Lake of the Woods. The Bears though still own head-to-head wins over the Panthers and Flyers to stay at the seven spot for now.