YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): January 29

Youth Hockey Hub staff rankings:

Class AA 

1. Minnetonka (20-2-1)

No place to stay but No. 1 for the Skippers after collecting a 9-0 win over Wayzata, then a pair of 2-1 victories over last week’s No. 3-2A Hill-Murray and unranked Eden Prairie in overtime. The Skippers are favored in their final two regular-season games against Woodbury and Blaine.

2. Edina (18-5-1)

Edina’s 3-0 win over previously second-ranked Andover pushes them ahead of Moorhead, which won both games last week. Impressively, the Hornets allowed just 16 shots on goal against the Huskies.

3. Hill-Murray (19-3)

The Pioneers fell one goal short in a 2-1 loss at home against top-ranked Minnetonka, then rebounded with a resounding 6-0 win over Hastings. Hill-Murray should be the No. 1 seed in the Section 4AA playoffs but have three tough matchups to close the regular season against No. 1-1A Holy Angels, Maple Grove, and top-10 Class AA program Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

4. Andover (15-4-3)

With a tie as the only head-to-head contest between Andover and Moorhead, the Huskies stay in the top four on a mix of a recent 6-2 win over Hill-Murray and gut feeling about this team.

Andover will conclude the regular season with games against Champlin Park/Coon Rapids, Eden Prairie, and Stillwater.

5. Moorhead (20-2-1)

Moorhead will have two regular-season chances to improve on last year’s 20-win season, with Brainerd/Little Falls and Gentry Academy on deck for Jan. 30 and Feb. 3. With one point, Sydney Martinson would give the Spuds 14 players with 10 or more points this season.

6. Centennial/Spring Lake Park (20-1-2)

Trap game against conference foe Champlin Park/Coon Rapids averted, the Cougars are in prime position for a one-loss regular season, provided they play the way they can against No. 10-2A Lakeville South on Feb. 3.

The Cougars have won 15 consecutive games and have shutouts in seven of their last eight games.

7. Northfield (23-0)

The Raiders beat Chisago Lakes and Albert Lea by a combined score of 11-3 last week and will close the regular season against No. 4-1A Dodge County on Jan. 30 and Mankato West On Feb. 1.

All eyes will be on senior forward Ayla Puppe in these next two games, as she is all but guaranteed a 100-point season. She currently has 180 goals and 311 career points in six high school seasons.

8. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (17-3-1)

The Red Knights are favored on paper in their next three games, and if they can earn wins against Chaska/Chanhassen, Cretin-Derham Hall, and Waconia, they’ll have 20 wins for the season. A regular-season finale against No. 3-2A Hill-Murray will be played on Feb. 6.

9. Lakeville North (18-2-1)

Lakeville North survived a hat trick from Warroad’s Taylor Reese on Hockey Day Minnesota, skating to a 4-3 win over the Warriors after goals from Addie Bowlby, Gracie Hanson, Ashley Wagenbach, and Anna Tomas.

The Panthers will host No. 10-2A Lakeville South this Tuesday before closing the regular season with road games against Apple Valley and Prior Lake.

10. Lakeville South (18-1-3)

All the Cougars seem to do is win, considering the 19-game unbeaten streak they’re currently on. Last week featured a 5-2 victory over Prior Lake and a 2-1 thriller over Apple Valley. The previous three games of the regular season will be a challenging test for the Cougars, who face No. 9-2A Lakeville North on Jan. 30 and No. 6-2A Centennial/Spring Lake Park on Feb. 3. 

Class A

1. Holy Angels (17-2-3)

The Stars’ only action of the week was a 3-1 win over Chaska/Chanhassen. Unbeaten in their last 10 games, the Stars will face Waconia on Jan. 29 and No. 3-2A Hill-Murray on Feb. 1, followed by the final game of the regular season against Metro West Conference rival Minneapolis on Feb. 3.

2. Proctor/Hermantown (13-8-1)

The Mirage picked the perfect week to earn a win over a higher-ranked team. With Orono losing to 7-14-1 Gentry Academy, Proctor/Hermantown’s win over previous No. 3-1A Duluth Marshall, and Warroad’s loss to Lakeville North on Saturday, the Mirage ranks No. 2.

3. Warroad (15-7)

The Warriors suffered their seventh loss of the season by fewer than two goals, but watching a single Warrior take over a game like Taylor Reese did against Lakeville North was encouraging. With Reese finding a late-season scoring touch (four goals in the last three games), the Warriors are once again primed for a deep run in St. Paul.

4. Duluth Marshall (18-2-1)

Pump the breaks on the possible Hilltoppers takeover of Section 7A. Proctor/Hermantown pumped 47 shots on goal and edged Duluth Marshall 4-3 in overtime last week in a game that featured game-tying and game-winning goals by Mirage forward Jane Eckstrom.

The Hilltoppers have four games this week, starting with a rematch of last Thursday’s tilt with Moose Lake Area this Monday. Gentry Academy, Breck, and Thief River Falls close out the regular season for the Hilltoppers.

5. Orono (15-6-1)

For the second time this season, the Spartans fall to an unranked team by a score of 2-1. First, it was Simley. Now, it’s Gentry Academy and goaltender Isabell Deutz. Deutz’s 46 saves led the Stars to victory over the Spartans in Orono’s lone game of the week.

New Prague, No. 2-2A Edina, and Bloomington Jefferson are the final games on the schedule for the Spartans.

6. Dodge County (17-3)

The Wildcats picked up wins over Waconia and Moose Lake Area last week, giving them a chance at 20 wins this season with a guaranteed four games left. To start the regular season’s final week, Dodge County will host No. 7-2A Northfield, travel to Simley, and then host Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper.

7. Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian (17-5-1)

The good times continue to roll for the White Hawks, with wins over Hutchinson, Delano/Rockford, and Willmar added to the tally last week. Sophomore goaltender Emma Covell took the crease for the win over Willmar, indicating that the White Hawks have a pair of quality netminders they can rotate between Covell and starter Ashlyn Roth.

8. Breck (17-6)

Don’t look now, but the Mustangs have won five straight games and have a chance at a top-10 win when they travel to Duluth Marshall on Feb. 2. The Mustangs shut out Waconia and Luverne last week, giving the team its 6th shutout of the season.

9. Crookston (14-8)

The Pirates came within a pair of goals of a win over Bemidji, falling 2-1 to the Lumberjacks on the road. That marks three straight losses for Crookston, which has a chance to get back on track with games against Detroit Lakes and Thief River Falls to end the regular-season slate.

10. Albert Lea (17-5)

The best way to recover from back-to-back losses is to score a bunch of goals, and the Tigers did just that last week, tacking on nine in a 9-0 win over Winona.

Owatonna, New Ulm, and Rochester Century/John Marshall are the last three games on the Tigers’ schedule for the regular season, and the Tigers have already secured earlier wins over Owatonna (3-1) and Rochester Century/JM (6-2).

15A
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week-Rank Jan. 22)

1. Edina Green 6 TW 1
2. Alexandria 15 LWWWW 2
3. Rochester 9 T 3
4. Andover 9 WWWW 5
5. Minnetonka Black 6 WTTT 4
6. Duluth 11 L 6
7. Wayzata Blue 3 T 8
8. Stillwater Red 2 L 7
9. Woodbury Black 8 WWT 9
10. Apple Valley-Burnsville 8 T 10

A few teams are moving around this week. Andover wins four games last week and have only lost one game in 2024, they are #4. Alexandria takes a Northern swing and goes 4-1 on their trip. Their lone loss to North Wright County. The Riverhawks avenge a Danglefest loss on New Year’s eve.

15B
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week)

1. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 W
2. Wayzata (Gold) 3 WWW
3. Armstrong Cooper 3 LWW
4. North Shore 11 DNP
5. Alexandria 15 WLW
6. Osseo/Maple Grove (Black) 3 LWW
7. Central MN Riverblades 5 WWLWL
8. Brainerd/Little Falls 15 L
9. Owatonna 9 W
10. Bemidji 16 DNP

Wayzata Gold moves up one spot closer to the top, as the Trojans defeated previously ranked No. 2 Armstrong Cooper, No. 6 Osseo/Maple Grove Black, and No. 7 Central MN Riverblades this past week. Owatonna is a new team this week in the T10, as the Huskies are No. 8 in our NOW rankings and have won four of their last six games. Bemidji is also new this week as they are No. 10 in this week’s top ten. The Lumberjacks defeated No. 2 Wayzata Gold just a couple of weeks ago.

12A
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week-Rank Jan. 15)

1. Centennial/Spring Lake Park 10 WW 1
2. Minnetonka 6 WW 2
3. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WW 4
4. Edina 6 WWLW 3
5. Woodbury 8 WW 5
6. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 WWWW 6
7. Osseo Maple Grove 3 T 7
8. East Grand Forks 16 WW 8
9. Anoka-Rogers 10 LL 9
10. Orono-Westonka 3 W 10

A few slight moves this week in 12A. Chaska-Chan nips Edina 1-0, they flip-flop with the Hornets in the 3-4 slot. Grand Rapids has won 10 straight games, the Lightning has not lost since December 17.

12B
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week)

1. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 WWWW
2. Eagan (Blue) 8 WWW
3. Bemidji 16 DNP
4. Elk River 10 LWWWW
5. Cannon River 9 WWWLL
6. Eagan (White) 8 LWWWL
7. Woodbury (Royal) 8 WLT
8. Northern Lakes 15 WLLW
9. Marshall 4 DNP
10. Minnetonka (Black) 6 WW

Minnetonka Blue is the new No. 1 team in U12B, the Skippers are on a nine-game win streak and defeated the previous No. 1 Cannon River this week. Bemidji makes a nice leap from No. 6 to No. 3 this week, as the Lumberjacks are on a ten-game win streak. Marshall is new this week to the staff rankings, as the Tigers are 19-5-1 on the year with a goal F/A of 130-49.

10A
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week-Rank Jan. 22)

1. Osseo-Maple Grove 3 W 1
2. Moorhead 15 LWW 2
3. White Bear Lake 2 WWW 3
4. Blaine 10 W 4
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WW 5
6. Hastings 8 W 6
7. Minnetonka 6 T 7
8. Edina Green 6 WW 8
9. Stillwater 2 WT 10
10. Sartell-Sauk Rapids 5 L 9

Only two losses in the whole top-10 this week.

Both involve Moorhead.

The #2 Spuds fall to Grand Forks on Friday and hand #10 Sartell a 3-0 defeat on Sunday. The Spuds cling to the #2 spot in Minnesota.

The top eight stay the same. Stillwater and Sartell flip-flip spots at #9 and #10.

10B
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week)

1. Waseca 9 W
2. Marshall 4 WWWW
3. New Prague 6 W
4. North Shore 11 WWWWW
5. Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview 8 W
6. Central MN Riverblades 5 WW
7. White Bear Lake (Black) 2 W
8. Osseo/Maple Grove (White) 3 TW
9. Anoka Rogers (White) 10 WW
10. Duluth (Black) 11 DNP

No changes at all this week in U10B. The top ten go a combined 18-0 this week and prove they are ranked where they should be- for now. No. 4 North Shore had a huge weekend, winning the Silver Bay tournament.

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