BOXSCORE | GAME LIVE

SAINT PAUL—It’s hard to win any game when your team is only allowed nine shots on goal, let alone a game in the state tournament. That was the case for Chisago Lakes in their 5-2 Class A quarterfinal loss to New Prague as it was outshot 24-9.

“I think we attempted more shots, but we just couldn’t get them by – they were blocking a lot of shots” Chisago Lakes coach Paul Gibson said. “Our possession in their end was mostly behind their net and they contained us well there.”

New Prague’s Alex Gregor led the Trojans offensively with a game-high five points (2-3–5) in registering his 21st and 22nd goals of the season.

The Wildcats scored the first goal of the game but they were only able to muster up one shot on goal in the second period and three shots in the third. Blake Lizotte scored on one of those third-period shots, but the game was mostly out of reach by that time.

“It was a great effort by all of our players, we used our depth and sometimes when you use your depth it can limit the energy of the other team,” New Prague coach Chris Lonke said. “Before sections I said ‘if we can be the best defense team than we’d have the best chance to win the section’ which we did and now we’re carrying that over into the state tournament.”

Seth Kriha scored for the Trojans and tied the game at one apiece just minutes after William Knaak gave New Prague an early lead. The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period but New Prague ran away with the game when they scored three goals in a 2:38 span to start the second frame.

“I thought we responded well to their power-play goal by getting one back,” Lonke said. “Keep doing the things we need to do and shoot the puck. We didn’t shoot the puck and we came out and did that and got the results.”

Alex Gregor scored his first of two just 46 seconds into the second period. Austin Issacson scored the eventual game winner just 18 seconds later on a breakaway. Gregor pretty much sealed the game up with his second goal at 3:24 of the period giving the Trojans a 4-1 lead. Kriha scored his second goal of the game just 90 seconds into the third period to really damper any intentions of a Wildcat comeback.

“We’ve been able to battle back a lot this year and we’ve been used to it” Kriha said. “In my opinion we didn’t feel any panic at all.”

New Prague, in their first state tourney appearance, will face somewhat familiar foe Hermantown on Friday in the semifinals at 11:00 a.m. The two teams have faced each other once per year for the past few seasons, including this year when the Hawks took it to the Trojans 7-3.

“We were really excited; when the draw came out we liked that we were playing Hermantown,” Lonke said, “If you’re going to be the best you’ve got to beat the best and we were questioning if we even belonged on the same sheet of ice; but come Friday I don’t think that a question anymore.”

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The big questions to come out of the week revolved around the Hilltoppers. How high to rank them? And how far to knock Breck?

The answers follow.

Class A rankings

Featured Image:
Scott Wasbotten, seen here in last year’s state tournament game against Breck, and the Hawks have supplanted the Mustangs atop our Class A rankings.
(Photo/Tim Kolehmainen, Breakdown Sports USA)

1. Hermantown (13-2-0)

Last week: vs. Bemidji (6-2 W)

This week: vs. Proctor (1/21), vs. White Bear Lake (1/24), at New Prague (1/25)

The four-time Class 1A runners up jump over two teams to get to the top of the rankings for the first time this season. Hermantown won its only game of the week, beating a tough Class 2A team (Bemidji) by a 6-2 margin with six different goal scorers and 24 saves from goaltender Adam Smith (5-2-0, 3.09, .882). That’s the Hawks’ depth on display and a big reason they vault to the front. Coach Bruce Plante’s team has only lost to a pair of Class 2A powers (6-1 to Wayzata on opening night and 4-1 to Eagan in the final of the South St. Paul Premier tournament) and have beaten all nine Class 1A teams they’ve faced by a combined 64-14 score. Ten different players have scored at least three goals, led by Nate Pionk (13-15-28) and 15 have at least five points, paced by Ryan Kero (12-16-28) and Pionk.

2. East Grand Forks (13-2-1)

Last week: at Roseau (8-3 W), at Bemidji (postponed), at Lake of the Woods (4-0 W)

This week: at Thief River Falls (1/21), vs. Grand Forks Red River (1/23), vs. Moorhead (1/25)

Class 1A’s best defensive team certainly had a strong case to move up into the No. 1 slot, but remained at No. 2 for now. The Green Wave actually allowed a handful of goals against Class 2A Roseau, but still easily beat the Rams by a larger margin than rival Warroad (8-3 vs. 6-4). It was just the second time the Green Wave have allowed more than two goals all season, as they average just 1.38 goals against. Junior Josh Weber (9-1-1, 1.48. ,907) seems to have taken hold of the starting job in goal, as he’s started the past six games. Coach Tyler Palmiscno is happy to have Dixon Bowen (6-2-8) back from injury, as well, as he’s scored five goals in the last three games. If the Green Wave’s offense begins to surge, they’ll be tough to beat.

3. Warroad (14-2-1)

Last week: at Thief River Falls (postponed), vs. Moorhead (4-3 W)

This week: at Crookston (1/21), at Duluth Marshall (1/24), at Duluth Denfeld (1/25)

Due to more weather cancellations, Warroad had just one game last week but it was a big victory, 4-3 over Class 2A Moorhead. The top line of Kobe Roth (32-31-63), Jared Bethune (24-39-63) and Kyle Sylvester (22-36-58) again led the charge as it has all season, scoring three times and adding nine total points. Roth scored the game-winner from Bethune and Sylvester midway through the third period and goaltender Adam Burke (14-2-1, 1.75, .911) had 29 saves to make the lead stand up. Hard-hitting defenseman Blayke Nelson (3-11-14) got into the fun, as well, scoring a goal and adding two assists. The Warriors have a big trip to Duluth coming this weekend.

4. Breck (11-4-1)

Last week: vs. St. Cloud Cathedral (6-1 W), vs. Duluth Marshall (3-2 L), vs. Minneapolis (10-2 W)

This week: vs. Totino-Grace (1/21), vs. Blake (1/23), vs. St. Thomas Academy (1/25)

The Mustangs’ recent trend of losing one, winning one finally caught up to them in the rankings this week with a 3-2 defeat to Duluth Marshall. Over its past eight games, Breck is 4-4-0 and has neither a winning nor losing streak greater than one game. With the other “big three” winning convincingly last week, coach Les Larson’s club falls all the way to No. 4 in the rankings, just ahead of the team it lost to. Sandwiched on either side of the loss to Marshall, though, were big wins over St. Cloud Cathedral and Minneapolis by a combined 16-3 score, showing Breck’s power. Mark Sharp (13-11-24) had three goals and three assists in the two games and leads the team in goals. Breck has a big week coming up with games against Class 1A rivals Totino-Grace and Blake and a showdown with former rival St. Thomas Academy.

5. Duluth Marshall (10-6-1)

Last week:  at Breck (3-2 W), at Roseville (3-2 L)

This week: vs. Hibbing/Chisholm (1/21), vs. Warroad (1/24), vs. Thief River Falls (1/25)

So, the question is whether Duluth Marshall is the potential state championship contender that just beat Breck or the middling team that has lost to St. Cloud Apollo and struggled over the holidays in its own tournament. The answer? Both. The Hilltoppers are certainly a state title caliber team, but one that had been searching for consistency in the wake of injuries. Now with the team mostly healthy, coach Brendan Flaherty is looking to plug all the pieces in the right places. It’s a big week coming for the Hilltoppers, who will be tested by Hibbing/Chisholm and visits from two of the northwest’s best in Warroad and Thief River Falls. They’ll need an effort like the second period at Breck, when Lane Eliason (6-6-12), Anthony Miller (6-4-10) and leading scorer Luke Pavelich (13-12-25) all scored to stake them to a 3-0 lead.

6. New Prague (12-2-2)

Last week: at Red Wing (10-1 W), vs. Northfield (6-3 W)

This week: at Albert Lea (1/21), vs. Chanhassen (1/24), vs. Hermantown (1/25)

Two more games, two more victories for a surging New Prague team last week. The Trojans have now won eight straight games since a 2-1 loss to Eagan in the semifinals of the South St. Paul Premier tournament. But last week, coach Chris Lonke’s team powered up its offense. The 10-spot against Red Wing on Tuesday was the team’s highest output of the season and its 16 goals was the most over a two-game span. Most encouraging, the goals came from multiple sources. Lucas Binger (7-4-11), Alex Gregor (13-11-24) and Augie Isaacson (14-20-34) scored two goals each against Northfield and Gregor and Seth Kriha (7-24-31) followed with a pair of goals against the Wingers. In all, eight different Trojans scored in the two games.

7. Mankato West (14-2-0)

Last week: vs. Northfield (8-2 W)

This week: at Mankato East (1/21), at Austin (1/23), vs. Owatonna (1/25)

Northfield had a week to forget, as the Raiders fell big to both No. 6 New Prague and in an 8-2 loss at No. 7 Mankato West last Saturday. The Scarlets finally got their offense on track as Nick Campbell (15-15-30), Zach Erickson (5-2-7) and Max Mettler (9-20-29) each had two goals while leading scorer Derek Frentz (15-26-41) added three assists. It was the first time since the holidays that the Scarlets had exploded for a big offensive night. In the previous four games, they’d had just nine goals and went 2-2-0.

8. Luverne (17-0-1)

Last week: vs. Redwood Valley (16-0 W)

This week: at Morris/Benson Area (1/25)

Ouch. Luverne returned to Southwest Conference play last week and drilled Redwood Valley, 16-0. The “youngster line” with eighth-grader Jaxon Nelson (24-23-47) and freshman Chaz Smedsrud (27-33-60) came up big as both players scored four goals each, while crafty defenseman Toby Sengvongxay (10-19-29) and senior Gunnar Olson (18-18-36) had two each. Luverne has built a powerhouse in the southwest corner of the state that seems a step above its conference this winter. We may see similar scores in the coming weeks until the playoffs begin.

9. Orono (12-5-0)

Last week: vs. Holy Family Catholic (8-2 L), vs. Delano (3-2 W), vs. Hopkins (5-4 W)

This week: vs. Mound-Westonka (1/21), at Hutchinson (1/25)

Despite a loss to Class 2A Holy Family Catholic to start last week, Orono retains its No. 9 spot in the rankings. The Spartans responded to that loss — their first since a 5-3 loss to Rogers on Dec. 26 — with a pair of impressive one-goal victories over Delano (3-2) and Class 2A Hopkins (5-4). Joey Luedtke (7-15-22) scored with 20 seconds left to give Orono the tight win over Section 2A rival Delano, then Sam Challgren (5-12-17) scored twice against Hopkins and Luedtke had four points. Orono isn’t a high-scoring team, but the Spartans play tight defense in front of goaltender Jonathon Flakne (11-4-0, 1.94, .917).

10. Alexandria (11-3-2)

Last week: at St. Cloud Apollo (3-1 W), vs. River Lakes (4-1 W), at Brainerd (2-2 T)

This week: vs. Sartell-St. Stephen (1/21), at Bemidji (1/25)

Alexandria returns to the rankings this week with a nice 2-0-1 showing, beating St. Cloud Apollo and River Lakes and tying a tough Class 2A Brainerd team. Defense led the way, as the Cardinals allowed just four goals in the three games and are averaging just 2.06 goals per game. Senior goaltender Sam Goetsch (10-3-2, 2.06, .912) has been stellar, stopping 67 of 71 shots in the three games, while Ryan Marciniak (9-6-15) scored twice to improve his team-leading totals.

Others receiving votes:

DelanoTotino-Grace, Thief River Falls, Mahtomedi, St. Paul Academy, Chisago Lakes, Virginia/Mt. Iron-Buhl, St. Cloud Cathedral

The post MHM Class A Top Ten 1/21/14 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

It was a big stretch of victories for the top 10 teams, as the programs combined to go 15-2-0 in 17 games (those that weren’t postponed due to the arctic blast early last week, of course). One of those losses, however, was handed to our No. 1 team, Breck, in a 4-3 overtime decision at Class 2A Moorhead. So was that enough to knock the Mustangs from the top spot?

Not quite.

Comparing results, losses and other factors, coach Les Larson’s club hangs onto the top spot by the narrowest of margins.

Class A rankings

1. Breck (9-3-1)

Last week: vs. Minneapolis (postponed), at St. Paul Academy (3-2 W), at Moorhead (4-3 L)

This week: vs. St. Cloud Cathedral (1/14), vs. Duluth Marshall (1/17)

One of the few losses suffered by our top 10 teams last week was by Breck, which fell in a 4-3 overtime game at Moorhead Saturday night. But looking at the body of the Mustangs’ work helps them retain the top spot in the rankings. All three of their losses have come to perennially strong Class 2A programs (4-1 to Edina, 2-1 to Duluth East and 4-3 at Moorhead), whereas they are a perfect 7-0-0 against Class 1A teams, outscoring them by a combined 46-9. That said, Breck is just 2-3-0 in its last five games and edged St. Paul Academy by a single goal in its other game last week — the same team Duluth Marshall beat 9-1 later in the week. It’s up to the top scorers such as Michael Orke (11-13-24), Chase Ellingson (6-18-24) and Mark Sharp (10-8-18) to power the offense after a slow week.

2. East Grand Forks (11-2-1)

Last week: at Grand Forks Central (3-1 W)

This week: at Roseau (1/14), at Bemidji (1/16), at Lake of the Woods (1/18)

East Grand Forks is another team that is being pressured for its No. 2 ranking by the two teams immediately below it. The Green Wave are winning and doing it with a dominant defensive effort. They’ve allowed more than two goals just once this year, already have 10 games in which they’ve allowed one or none, and average only 1.36 allowed per game. It’s a tribute to the fine veteran defensive corps led by Colton Poolman (2-7-9), Eddie Eades (2-2-4), Taylor Brierley (2-5-7) and Tye Ausmus (2-1-3). But the East Siders just aren’t getting much offense, either. They average 3.14 goals per game and no one has more than Tanner Tweten’s eight goals. A game this Tuesday night at Roseau will be an interesting measuring stick, as rival Warroad just beat the Rams 6-4.

3. Hermantown (11-2-0)

Last week: at Grand Rapids (postponed), vs. St. Cloud Cathedral (6-0 W)

This week: vs. Bemidji (1/18)

Since losing to Eagan in the South St. Paul Premier Tournament final over the holidays, the Hawks have been on a roll. Three straight victories by a combined 22-2 score over three perennially strong programs (Duluth Marshall, International Falls and St. Cloud Cathedral) have shown that Hermantown may deserve to jump into the top spot in the rankings. Like top-ranked Breck, the Hawks only losses have been to Class 2A powers (6-1 to Wayzata and 4-1 to Eagan). Scott Wasbotten (10-11-21) has also gotten hot, with four goals and five assists in the three blowout victories. Another thing to keep an eye on is the goaltending battle, senior Jace Thomas (6-0-0, 1.12, .953) got the nod in all three victories over All-State Adam Smith (5-2-0, 2.79, .875) and he’s responded well.

Featured Image:
In a pair of victories last week, Warroad’s Kobe Roth scored a combined seven goals and leads the entire state in both goal-scoring and points.
(Photo by Tim Kolehmainen)

4. Warroad (13-2-1)

Last week: at Roseau (6-4 W), vs. Crookston (10-3 W)

This week: at Thief River Falls (1/16), vs. Moorhead (1/18)

It was a good week to be a Warroad fan. It was a better week to be Kobe Roth (31-30-61). After giving his verbal commitment to Minnesota-Duluth along with teammate Jared Bethune (24-35-59), the shifty junior rocked the northwest with seven goals in two victories over Roseau and Crookston last week. He started with four goals against Roseau, scoring at least once in each period, then had a hat trick against Crookston, as did Bethune. Meanwhile, all linemate Kyle Sylvester (20-35-55) did was pick up a goal and six assists in the two games. Fire wagon hockey reigns supreme with that top Warroad line, which features the top three point-getters in the entire state.

5. New Prague (10-2-2)

Last week: vs. Holy Angels (3-2 W), at Chaska (2-1 W)

This week: at Red Wing (1/14), vs. Northfield (1/16)

We said last week that New Prague wasn’t going to blow any teams out, but that the tough Trojans just know how to grind out victories this year. They proved it again last week, beating both opponents by a single goal. That’s actually four straight one-goal wins for New Prague, which is 6-2-2 in games decided by one goal or fewer. Augie Isaacson (11-15-26) scored twice in the win over Holy Angels, including the game-winner with just under four minutes remaining and had one of the team’s two goals against Chaska. He’s tied for the team lead in goals with Austin Kilian (11-8-19) and in points with Seth Kriha (5-21-26).

6. Mankato West (13-2-0)

Last week: vs. Rochester Lourdes (postponed), at Rochester Mayo (2-1 W), at Rochester Century (4-1 W)

This week: vs. Northfield (1/18)

West continued its unbeaten run through the Big 9 Conference last week, but it wasn’t easy as both Rochester Mayo and Century slowed down the Scarlets’ potent offense. In beating Mayo 2-1, West needed a goal from leading scorer Derek Frentz (15-23-38) with 27 seconds left to earn the win, despite outshooting the Spartans 35-17. They also outshot Century 46-15 but held a slim lead until Frentz again scored late in the third period to stretch it out comfortably. But as good teams do when snakebitten, coach Curtis Doell’s squad tightened up defensively. Jake Spiess (7-1-0, 1.36, .902) stopped 16 of 17 shots against Mayo and Conor Wollenzien (6-1-0, 1.29, .936) made 14 saves on 15 shots against Century.

7. Duluth Marshall (9-5-1)

Last week: at Superior, WI (4-2 W), vs. St. Paul Academy (9-1 W)

This week:  at Breck (1/17), at Roseville (1/18)

Duluth Marshall avenged a loss in its holiday tournament to Superior (WI), beating the Spartans 4-2 to open last week, then posted an impressive 9-1 rout of St. Paul Academy, which had just played a one-goal game with top-ranked Breck. The Hilltoppers hope the transitive property works in their favor, as they travel to Breck this Thursday. Against Superior, Lane Krenzen (4-6-10), Jack Dodd (6-9-15) and Peter Lenz (6-4-10) scored to erase a 2-1 deficit as Marshall outshot the Spartans, 33-21. That scoring punch continued against SPA, as Lenz scored twice more and Luke Dow (6-12-18) had two goals and two assists. That kind of scoring balance is key, as the ‘Toppers have a strong overall lineup led by Luke Pavelich (12-11-23), but no true superstars.

8. Luverne (16-0-1)

Last week: at Fairmont (13-2 W), vs. Willmar (4-0 W)

This week: vs. Redwood Valley (1/17)

All right, it’s fair to admit that Luverne doesn’t have as strong a schedule as the teams above it in the rankings. That said, there’s something to be said for passing every test along the way. The Cardinals remained the lone unbeaten team in the state last week, including winning 4-0 against Willmar, a game many pointed at as a possible stumbling block for Luverne. But Logan Norman (14-27-41) scored twice and Kendall Meyer (11-0-1, 1.27, .954) stopped all 31 shots for the shutout as the Cardinals kept on rolling. While the offense of youngsters Chaz Smedsrud (23-30-53) and Jaxon Nelson (20-22-42) and seniors Norman and Gunnar Olson (16-17-33) gets most of the attention, Meyer has been outstanding in goal as a calm veteran presence.

9. Orono (10-4-0)

Last week: vs. Delano (postponed), at Bloomington Kennedy (3-1 W), at Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (5-2 W)

This week: vs. Holy Family Catholic (1/14), vs. Delano (1/16), vs. Hopkins (1/18)

Orono hit the road last week and managed a pair of victories to keep pace with the rest of the top 10. Joey Luedtke (5-10-15) more than doubled his goal total on the season with three in the two victories. Getting offensive contributions from both top lines is key for the Spartans, as Jake Flemmer (9-7-16) leads the team in both goals and points. Goaltender Jonathon Flakne (9-3-0, 1.25, .941) continued to stymie opponents, as he made 13 saves on 14 shots against Kennedy and 27 of 25 against the Dragons. Much like New Prague, Orono doesn’t jump out at you with big point totals, but the Spartans know how to win.

10. St. Cloud Cathedral (9-5-0)

Last week: at Hermantown (6-0 L)

This week: at Breck (1/14), at Becker/Big Lake (1/16), vs. Mora/Hinckley-Finlayson (1/16)

That’s three straight losses and five in six games for St. Cloud Cathedral after being shut out at Hermantown last Friday. So whey are the Crusaders still ranked in the top 10? Look at the competition. The last three games have been on the road against the No. 2 (East Grand Forks), No. 4 (Warroad) and No. 3 (Hermantown) teams in Class 1A. The losing streak very well might hit four Tuesday night, as Cathedral travels to No. 1 Breck. The recent win-loss record doesn’t show it, but Cathedral is a good team hitting a very tough stretch of its schedule. Getting its offense going is key to a resurgence, as in those three losses, Cathedral has just one total goal — from Brady Johnston (7-2-9).

Others receiving votes:

Delano, Alexandria, Totino-Grace, Thief River Falls, Mahtomedi, St. Paul Academy, Chisago Lakes, Virginia/Mt. Iron-Buhl

The post MHM Class A Top Ten 1/15/2014 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Featured Image:
New Prague’s Austin Kilian celebrates a Trojan goal.
(Photo/Tim Kolehmainen)

The deeper we go into the high school hockey season, the more stable the top 10 in Class 1A has become. As they have much of the winter, the top four remained frozen in those spots, led by top-ranked Breck. The Mustangs were idle last week, but the three squads immediately behind (East Grand Forks, Hermantown and Warroad) went a combined 5-0-0 in relatively easy fashion.

Coming out of the holiday season, the biggest gift was received by New Prague, which moved all the way up to the No. 5 spot after defeating Section 1A rival Mankato West.

Class A rankings

1. Breck (8-2-1)

Last week: idle

This week: vs. Minneapolis (1/7), at St. Paul Academy (1/9), at Moorhead (1/11)

Breck remained atop the rankings while idle last week. The Mustangs will be happy to get back to a busy week of three games after nothing but practices under coach Les Larson since the holidays. As if Breck needed much fine-tuning. The last three Class 1A opponents on its schedule (East Grand Forks, Thief River Falls and Rochester Lourdes) have lost by a combined 27-0 score.  Breck’s only two losses came over the holidays against Class 2A powers Edina and Duluth East. It will be tough to knock off the Mustangs, as they are disciplined and tough under Larson — as is usually the case. Senior Henry Johnson (7-2-1, 2.25, .914) is strong in goal and gives the team plenty of confidence.

2. East Grand Forks (10-2-1)

Last week: vs. St. Cloud Cathedral (3-1 W)

This week: at Grand Forks Central (1/11)

At just 1.38 goals per game against, East Grand Forks remains one of the stingiest Class 1A teams. That form held last week in a single game against St. Cloud Cathedral, as the Green Wave held the top-10 ranked Crusaders to just 13 shots on goal and a single goal. The defensive corps is experienced and talented from top to bottom, something no other Class 1A team can boast. It starts with the all-around game of Colton Poolman, the fleet skating of Tye Ausmus, the ruggedness of Eddie Eades and on down the line. There are no weak spots in the Green Wave’s defensive zone. If coach Tyler Palmiscno gets offensive contributions from his forwards, East Grand Forks will be tough to beat.

3. Hermantown (10-2-0)

Last week: at Duluth Marshall (6-2 W), at International Falls (10-0 W)

This week: at Grand Rapids (1/7), vs. St. Cloud Cathedral (1/10)

Hermantown picked up a couple of big victories for section seeding, easily defeating chief rival Duluth Marshall and perennial contender International Falls by a combined 16-2 score. The Hawks are new to Section 7A, but they have stamped themselves as the early favorite. Marshall is the defending section champion. Nate Pionk (11-13-24) and Ryan Kero (11-12-23) continue to lead the way offensively, although senior Scott Wasbotten (8-11-19) had seven points in the two victories last week and is coming on. Hermantown coach Bruce Plante and his Hawks could easily find themselves in a fifth straight Class 1A state championship game at season’s end.

4. Warroad (11-2-1)

Last week: vs. St. Cloud Tech (8-1 W), vs. St. Cloud Cathedral (3-0 W)

This week: at Roseau (1/9), vs. Crookston (1/11)

The best line in Class 1A — and potentially the entire state — continues to roll along for Warroad. Juniors Jared Bethune (21-32-53) and Kobe Roth (24-28-52) and senior Kyle Sylvester (18-30-48) are the top three scorers in the state entering the week. Yes, among ALL players. They’ve led the Warriors on an eight-game unbeaten streak (7-0-1) and will be counted to continue that prowess. Because beyond the big three, there isn’t much scoring going on in Warroad. They’ve combined for 63 of the team’s 82 goals this season. So far that top-heavy nature hasn’t hurt the Warriors, but it could. The biannual Roseau-Warroad rivalry kicks off this week, a game that doesn’t matter in the section seeding anymore, but features plenty of bragging rights.

5. New Prague (8-2-2)

Last week: at Shakopee (4-3 W), at Mankato West (2-1 W)

This week: vs. Holy Angels (1/7), at Chaska (1/11)

The Trojans made the biggest jump in the rankings this week after defeating the previously fifth-ranked Mankato West Scarlets, 2-1. Last week, New Prague was hovering on the edge of the rankings in the No. 9 spot. Now, it’s settled in quite nicely behind the big four — and in the driver’s seat in the Section 1A seeding race for now. Trailing 1-0 midway through the second period against West, Austin Kilian (11-7-18) tied the score and Casey Busch (4-7-11) netted the game winner with just 30 seconds remaining. The Trojans won’t put up big goal totals (Kilian is the only player with more than eight), but they are a tight-checking and tough team.

6. Mankato West (11-2-0)

Last week: vs. New Prague (2-1 L)

This week: vs. Rochester Lourdes (1/7), at Rochester Mayo (1/9), at Rochester Century (1/11)

West dropped a spot in the rankings after losing its only game of the week to Section 1A rival New Prague, 2-1 on a goal with 30 seconds remaining. The Scarlets’ vaunted offense fell short against the Trojans, but on average scores 6.15 goals per game. A dozen players have at least three goals already, paced by Derek Frentz (13-21-34) and Nick Campbell (12-13-25). But there are questions about the power of West’s schedule, which could hurt them in the rankings. This week, coach Curtis Doell leads his team against a gauntlet of Rochester programs: Lourdes on Tuesday, Mayo on Thursday and Century on Saturday.

7. Duluth Marshall (7-5-1)

Last week: vs. Hermantown (6-2 L), at Totino-Grace (3-2 W)

This week: at Superior, WI (1/9), vs. St. Paul Academy (1/11)

No doubts exist about the Hilltoppers’ schedule, although they’ve been up-and-down while trying to get everyone back from injuries. The five losses are all forgivable, as they’ve come against the likes of St. Thomas Academy, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Hermantown, Superior (WI) and a bit of a head-scratcher to St. Cloud Apollo way back in November. A 6-2 loss to Hermantown last week leaves little doubt that the Hawks are the current favorite in Section 7A, but Marshall won’t give up the crown easily. Luke Pavelich (11-8-19) leads the young team in scoring.

8. Luverne (14-0-1)

Last week: vs. Marshall (3-0 W), vs. Dodge County (4-3 W)

This week: at Fairmont (1/7), vs. Willmar (1/11)

All they do is win. And yet the Cardinals still are looking for respect in most state rankings. We’ve bumped them up one more spot to No. 8 on the heels of another two close victories last week, beating rival Marshall in a shutout and then edging Dodge County by a single goal. Not impressive necessarily, but still wins to keep Luverne is the only undefeated team in the state. It likely will be tough to compare Luverne to the other ranked teams the rest of the way, as they get into the meat of their weaker conference schedule. Freshman Chaz Smedsrud (21-26-47) and eighth-grader Jaxon Nelson (18-21-39) continue to pace the offense, but Luverne is at least two lines deep.

9. Orono (8-4-0)

Last week: idle

This week: vs. Delano (1/7), at Bloomington Kennedy (1/9), at Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (1/11)

Orono was also idle last week, which could be the reason for a one-spot drop in the rankings. Out of sight, out of mind? That shouldn’t be the case for the Spartans, who posted two shutouts in their previous two games and have a good one-goal loss to Hermantown already on their resume. Orono doesn’t have the offensive firepower of some of the other top teams — Jacob Flemmer (8-5-13) leads the Spartans in both goals and points — but they are tight defensively. Goaltender Jonathan Flakne (7-3-0, 1.20, .944) also has some of the best numbers on the state and will be recognized should he keep up his pace.

10. St. Cloud Cathedral (9-4-0)

Last week: at East Grand Forks (3-1 L), at Warroad (3-0 L)

This week: at Hermantown (1/10)

Back to back losses up north to East Grand Forks and Warroad nearly knocked the Crusaders from the rankings. But then again, Cathedral was not favored in either one, so a pair of tight losses certainly is respectable. Coach Eric Johnson continues to have his young team play it close to the vest, scoring just 3.46 goals per game but allowing only 1.92. Veteran Will Hammer (7-14-21) leads the team in points, while Brady Johnston (7-2-9) is the top goal scorer. As the young Crusaders figure out the varsity game — and if they aren’t intimidated by the January schedule — they could be very dangerous come playoff time.

Others receiving votes:

Delano, Alexandria, Totino-Grace, Thief River Falls, Mahtomedi, St. Paul Academy, Chisago Lakes

The post MHM Boys A Top Ten 1/6/2014 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.