Class AA (final)
(Rank-Team-Section)

1. Minnetonka 2AA
2. Hill-Murray 4AA
3. Andover 7AA
4. Edina 6AA
5. Moorhead 8AA
6. Centennial-SLP 5AA
7. Benilde-St. Margaret’s 6AA
8. Northfield 1AA
9. Lakeville North 3AA
10. Lakeville South 1AA

Class A (final)
(Rank-Team-Section)

1. Orono 5A
2. Proctor-Hermantown 7A
3. Academy of Holy Angels 4A
4. Warroad 8A
5. Dodge County 1A
6. Duluth Marshall 7A
7. Mound Westonka-SWC 5A
8. Breck 5A
9. Crookston 8A
10. Simley 1A

15A (Final)
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week-Rank Feb. 5)

1. Edina Green 6 WWW 1
2. Alexandria 15 LTW 2
3. Andover 9 WWW 5
4. Rochester 9 LWWL 3
5. Wayzata Blue 3 DNP 4
6. Stillwater Red 2 WWW 8
7. Duluth 11 LLW 7
8. Minnetonka Black 6 LW 6
9. Woodbury Black 8 TW 9
10. North Wright County 5 WWW 10

15B (Final)
(Rank-Team-District-Rank Feb. 5)

1. Wayzata (Gold) 3 1
2. North Shore 11 2
3. Fairmont 4 3
4. Armstrong Cooper 3 4
5. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 5
6. Owatonna 9 6
7. Alexandria 15 7
8. Central MN Riverblades 5 8
9. Osseo/Maple Grove (Black) 3 9
10. Brainerd/Little Falls 15 NR

12A (Final)
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week-Rank Feb. 5)

1. Centennial/Spring Lake Park 10 W 1
2. Minnetonka 6 WWW 2
3. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 L 3
4. Edina 6 LL 4
5. Woodbury 8 WW 5
6. Orono-Westonka 3 WW 9
7. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 WWW 6
8. Anoka-Rogers 10 LWW 7
9. Osseo Maple Grove 3 TL 8
10. Warroad 16 WW 10

12B (Final)
(Rank-Team-District-Rank Feb. 5)

1. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 4
2. Eagan (Blue) 8 1
3. Cannon River 9 5
4. Elk River 10 3
5. Bemidji 16 2
6. Woodbury Royal 8 6
7. Marshall 4 8
8. Minnetonka (Black) 6 9
9. Orono Westonka 3 NR
10. Osseo/Maple Grove (White) 3 NR

10A 
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week-Rank Feb. 5)

1. Osseo-Maple Grove 3 WW 1
2. Blaine 10 WWWW 4
3. Moorhead 15 WWWL 2
4. White Bear Lake 2 WL 3
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 W 5
6. Minnetonka 6 WWWL 6
7. Edina Green 6 WWLW 7
8. Stillwater 2 WW 8
9. Edina White 6 WW 9
10. Hastings 8 LW 10
10. Sartell-Sauk Rapids 5 DNP 10

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

1. Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview 8 WW
2. New Prague 6 W
3. Waseca 9 L
4. North Shore 11 W
5. Marshall 4 LW
6. Osseo/Maple Grove (White) 3 W
7. Anoka Rogers (White) 10 W
8. White Bear Lake (Black) 2 WWL
9. Fergus Falls 15 DNP
10. Mankato 9 W

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Final Staff Rankings (GIRLS): 2023-24 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Class AA

1. Minnetonka (22-2-1)

The Skippers concluded their regular season with two more wins last week, beating Woodbury 5-1 and Blaine 9-0. Since a Jan. 6 loss to Edina by a score of 1-0, the Skippers have won eight straight, with three one-goal victories among those eight.

2. Hill-Murray (21-3)

To the bitter end, Hill-Murray will play the most challenging schedule possible. Already locked in in Section 4AA’s top seed, the Pioneers will face fellow top-10 team Benilde-St. Margaret’s in the regular-season finale on Feb. 6 at the St. Louis Park Rec Center.

3. Andover (18-4-3)

The Huskies won three straight games to finish the regular season with 18 wins, defeating Champlin Park/Coon Rapids 4-1, Eden Prairie 5-0 and Stillwater 4-3. Three of the Huskies’ four losses this season have been by two goals or fewer, with the one outlier being the Jan. 25, 3-0 defeat at the hands of Edina.

4. Edina (18-6-1)

Edina drops two spots after losing 3-1 to Orono last week but stays in the top five partly because the Hornets are the rare squad that owns wins over two teams ranked ahead of them. The Hornets are the No. 2 seed in Section 6AA behind Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

5. Moorhead (22-2-1)

Wins over Section 8AA rival Brainerd/Little Falls and Gentry Academy give the Spuds 22 victories for the regular season, which could be a program record. The top seed in Section 8AA, the Spuds have scored five or more goals in their last four contests.

6. Centennial/Spring Lake Park (22-1-2)

The Cougars gutted out a 4-2 win over Blaine and then Kaitlin Groess won the Goaltenders’ Duel against Claire Bronson in a 2-1 victory over Lakeville South to close out the regular season. The Cougars will be the top seed in a crowded Section 5AA, but appear primed for a second straight run to the Class 2A State Tournament.

7. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (20-3-1)

In retrospect, I could have been too harsh on the Red Knights when they dropped precipitously in the rankings. As a result of my own rush to judgment, BSM now sits at No. 7 with no real chance to move up, given the fact that Moorhead and Centennial/Spring Lake Park concluded their seasons. Thankfully, these rankings bear no weight in section meetings as the Red Knights take up the sword of the top-seeded team in Section 6AA.

8. Northfield (24-1)

All is well in the town that captured the Jesse James Gang after an 8-0 win over Mankato West to close the regular season. Ms. Hockey candidate (not officially, but come on) Ayla Puppe surpassed the 100-point threshold in the win over the Scarlets, and the Raiders are the No. 1 seed in Section 1AA.

INTERLUDE: What do we even do here? Lakeville North lost to an unranked Prior Lake team. Lakeville South lost twice. Do we start playing the “who had the best loss” game between Maple Grove, Stillwater, and Woodbury? Do we look outside the box for a newcomer to the rankings? Honestly, I may just let my dogs pick the last two teams.

9. Lakeville North (20-3-1)

Don’t worry; the dogs had zero interest in ranking teams.

The Panthers stay at No. 9 despite the loss to Prior Lake. We’ll chalk it up to something weird in the airplane hangar next to a casino in a game played at 1:00 in the afternoon.

10. Lakeville South (19-3-3)

After careful consideration, the Cougars stay at No. 10 despite losing twice last week. Both losses were close and came against higher-ranked teams. The Cougars enter section play as the No. 2 seed in Section 1AA.

Class A

1. Orono (18-6-1)

A 3-1 win over then-No. 2-2A Edina lifts the Spartans back to the top spot among Class 1A programs. The Spartans are the No. 1 seed in Section 5AA, and five of the team’s six losses have been by a single goal this season. I’m sure I’ve made that point before, but it bears repeating, given the schedule the Spartans have played.

2. Proctor/Hermantown (15-8-2)

The Mirage scored nine times in a win over Superior, tied Section 8AA contender Brainerd/Little Falls, and then edged Class A top 10 team Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian 3-2 in overtime to cap the regular season with a five-game unbeaten streak.

Despite a 4-3 win over Duluth Marshall on Jan. 23, the Mirage are the No. 2 seed in Section 7A.

3. Holy Angels (19-3-3)

The Stars won two of three games last week, beating Waconia 7-2 and Minneapolis 7-1 with a 5-3 loss to No. 2-2A Hill-Murray sandwiched between the victories. The loss to the Pioneers interrupted an 11-game unbeaten streak for the Stars, the No. 1 seed in Section 4A.

4. Warroad (17-8)

Splitting hairs a bit at this point, Warroad slips behind Holy Angels based on strength-of-loss. Both teams went 2-1 last week, but Holy Angels’ loss to Hill-Murray outweighs Warroad’s loss to unranked Roseau. The Warriors are the top seed in Section 8A ahead of Crookston and will look to make their ninth consecutive trip to St. Paul.

5. Dodge County (19-4)

The penultimate win of the regular season over Northfield was followed by a 3-1 loss to unranked Simley, which could be attributed to a ridiculous 47-save performance by the Spartans’ Sydney Ries. The Wildcats had two games canceled this season, against Thief River Falls and Crookston, so 23 contests are the final number for the regular season slate.

6. Duluth Marshall (21-3-1)

Last week was busy for the Hilltoppers, with four games against Class A opponents in five days. The Hilltoppers emerged with four victories in those five games, including a win over last week’s No. 8-1A team, Breck. The Hilltoppers are the top seed in Section 7A.

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

Two losses go down sour, but the fact that they came against Class AA Holy Family and No. 2-1A Proctor/Hermantown in overtime, the White Hawks remain at No. 7.

8. Breck (18-7)

I don’t know how many people had Breck winning 18 games on their bingo card, but if that describes you, congrats. The Mustangs concluded the regular season with a 6-4 loss against Duluth Marshall. They will be the No. 3 seed in the Section 5A playoffs behind Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian and top-seeded Orono.

9. Crookston (16-8-1)

The power play continues to be an issue for the Pirates (11.1% success rate), but wins are wins, and Crookston finished the regular season with a 7-1 win over Detroit Lakes and a 4-0 blanking of Thief River Falls. Like last season, it should come down to the Pirates or Warroad in the Section 8A final.

10. Simley (11-13-1)

The Spartans topped Dodge County 3-1 last week, and at some point, upset wins have to count for something. The Spartans’ regular season resume is odd, with wins against top programs like Dodge County and Orono and an overtime win over Class 2A Apple Valley.

There’s something about this team, man. I just can’t tell what it is yet.

15A
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week-Rank Jan. 29)

1. Edina Green 6 WW 1
2. Alexandria 15 WWWWW 2
3. Rochester 9 TWW 3
4. Wayzata Blue 3 WWWW 7
5. Andover 9 LW 4
6. Minnetonka Black 6 WL 5
7. Duluth 11 DNP 6
8. Stillwater Red 2 WW 8
9. Woodbury Black 8 LW 9
10. North Wright County 5 LWWWW NR

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

1. Wayzata (Gold) 3 WW
2. North Shore 11 DNP
3. Fairmont 4 WWW
4. Armstrong Cooper 3 WWLWW
5. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 L
6. Owatonna 9 WW
7. Alexandria 15 LLL
8. Central MN Riverblades 5 LLWW
9. Osseo/Maple Grove (Black) 3 LWLW
10. Rosemount 8 W

The one loss Wayzata Gold is the new No. 1 ranked team in U15 B. North Shore keeps climbing and is at No. 2 this week after a 20-4-1 record to date. Fairmont goes from unranked to ranked No. 3 in one week. The Cardinals are on a seven-game win streak. Rosemount is on a six-game win streak, that propels the Irish into the top 10 at No. 10.

12A
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week-Rank Jan. 29)

1. Centennial/Spring Lake Park 10 WLWW 1
2. Minnetonka 6 WW 2
3. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WWWT 3
4. Edina 6 W 4
5. Woodbury 8 W 5
6. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 LLWW 6
7. Anoka-Rogers 10 WW 9
8. Osseo Maple Grove 3 L 7
9. Orono-Westonka 3 WWW 10
10. Warroad 16 WWWT NR

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

1. Eagan (Blue) 8 WT
2. Bemidji 16 W
3. Elk River 10 WWW
4. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 WL
5. Cannon River 9 WL
6. Woodbury (Royal) 8 WT
7. Eagan (White) 8 LW
8. Marshall 4 WWW
9. Minnetonka (Black) 6 WT
10. Northern Lakes 15 WL

Eagan Blue reclaims the top spot in U12B this week- their last loss was December 10th. Bemidji inches closer to the No. 1 spot. The Lumberjacks are on a current heater with win 11-game win streak.

10A
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week-Rank Jan. 29)

1. Osseo-Maple Grove 3 WWWW 1
2. Moorhead 15 W 2
3. White Bear Lake 2 WLWWW 3
4. Blaine 10 W 4
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WWWT 5
6. Minnetonka 6 DNP 7
7. Edina Green 6 WWLWW 8
8. Stillwater 2 TWWW 9
9. Edina White 6 TWWW NR
10. Hastings 8 LWWL 6
10. Sartell-Sauk Rapids 5 DNP 10

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

1. Waseca 9 WWW
2. Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview 8 W
3. New Prague 6 WWWWW
4. North Shore 11 WWWWW
5. Marshall 4 WWWL
6. Central MN Riverblades 5 W
7. White Bear Lake (Black) 2 WWTTWW
8. Osseo/Maple Grove (White) 3 WWLWWT
9. Anoka-Rogers (White) 10 W
10. Fergus Falls 15 W

No. 2 Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview got a key win this week, as they defeated previous No. 2 Marshall. Fergus Falls getting added to the rankings at No. 10 is our only other change this week. The Otters are ranked No. 6 on the YHH Now Rankings.

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): February 5 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

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.

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): January 29 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Class AA

1. Minnetonka (17-2-1)

To properly illustrate Minnetonka’s 3-2 overtime win over Edina, I searched for “books about nautical revenge” and came up empty. So, if anyone has any recommendations along those same lines (not “The Wager”), then hit me up.

The Skippers blanked North Wright County and avenged Jan. 6’s 1-0 loss to Edina with the aforementioned overtime win over the Hornets, scoring twice in the third period to force OT and then getting the game-winner from Senja Leeper.

2. Andover (14-3-3)

The Huskies ran roughshod over Osseo/Park Center 11-1 and then thumped Section 7AA rival Grand Rapids/Greenway 8-1 for a 19-goal week. Elk River and Edina are on deck this week as the Huskies fire up the bus for a pair of road games.

The Huskies also currently have 11 players who have recorded 10 or more points, with Julia Gerdes (9 points) and Samantha Angellotti (8 points) on the brink of joining that group.

3. Hill-Murray (18-2)

The Pioneers scored twice in the third period to earn a 2-0 shutout of Holy Family at Polar Arena, giving Hill-Murray a small amount of comfort after Andover ended the team’s five-game winning streak on Jan. 13.

The Pioneers will host top-ranked Minnetonka on Thursday, then Metro East foe Hastings comes to town on Saturday.

4. Moorhead (18-2-1)

At this point in the season, Moorhead is on the brink of a 22-win regular season, with Alexandria and North Wright County on tap for this week. The Spuds should be favored from here on out, and should they run the table, they’ll enter the Section 8AA playoffs on a 12-game winning streak.

The Spuds are 8-1 in games decided by two goals or fewer.

5. Edina (16-5-1)

The Hornets came achingly close to a second regular-season victory over Minnetonka, taking a 2-0 lead all the way until the 11:10 mark of the third period before allowing two Skipper goals in less than two minutes.

Break out the ice packs and gauze pads because the Hornets have three challenging tests ahead to close out the regular season, with No. 2-2A Andover, North Wright County, and No. 2-1A Orono on deck.

6. Centennial/Spring Lake Park (18-1-2)

There is a very real chance Centennial/Spring Lake Park concludes the regular season with a record of 22-1-2. Even the most optimistic of Cougar fans would have thought that getting through a regular season with one loss would be next to impossible at the start of the year, but the Cougars have met every challenge.

Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper and Champlin Park/Coon Rapids (TRAP GAME ALERT) are on the schedule for Jan. 23 and Jan. 27.

7. Northfield (21-0)

Three games to go. Three games to eternal glory. Three games until the rest of your lives. Northfield is on the fast track to an undefeated regular season. Albert Lea is the only game on the schedule this week for the Raiders, with Dodger County and Mankato West on the docket for next week.

8. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (14-3-1)

The Red Knights have shut out their last three opponents, most recently recording a blank sheet in a 3-0 win over top-10 Class A squad Proctor/Hermantown. BSM still has seven games to go in the regular season and begin that stretch with away games against Bloomington Jefferson and Eden Prairie this week, then a home duel with Holy Family this weekend.

9. Lakeville North (16-2-1)

The Panthers thumped Farmington 7-0 in their lone game last week and postponed Saturday’s tilt with Shakopee. For now, a roadie against Rosemount and this weekend’s Hockey Day Minnesota game against Warroad are the two hurdles in front of the Panthers.

10. Lakeville South (17-1-3)

The biggest headline of the Cougars’ week could be that they didn’t have to go to overtime. The Cougars topped Prior Lake 5-2 in the second game of a six-game stretch in Lakeville, and will host Apple Valley on Thursday in their lone game of the week.

Class A

1. Holy Angels (16-2-3)

If I could speak a cooler language than English, I’d find a more creative way to say that Holy Angels has posted shutouts in all three games this week, topping New Prague 3-0, Thief River Falls 7-0, and Bloomington Jefferson 10-0.

A date with Hill-Murray looms on Feb. 1, but this week, the Stars are favored against Metro West rivals Chaska/Chanhassen and Waconia.

2. Orono (15-5-1)

The Spartans beat Chaska/Chanhassen 4-1 and then edged No. 4-1A Dodge County 5-4 in overtime (more on that later) to go 2-0 for the week. Like Holy Angels above, the Spartans have four regular-season games left and have the edge in three of them.

3. Duluth Marshall (17-1-1)

The Hilltoppers enjoyed a two-week break between games and appear ready to roll for the back stretch of the season after scoring five times in a 5-1 win over top-10 Class A team Crookston. Ilsa Lindaman is rapidly approaching ICON STATUS this season and added to her resume with a hat trick against the Pirates. The St. Thomas commit has 44 goals and 68 points on the season.

4. Warroad (15-6)

At this point, we’re splitting hairs here with the Warriors and Dodge County, trying to quantify which loss looks better. The Warriors blanked Thief River Falls 8-0 and fell to No. 5-2A Moorhead 3-1, while the Wildcats took No. 2-1A Orono to overtime.

My ulcer is back trying to slot these teams. My shingles may make a comeback. My asthma is still lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce as soon as I give a definitive answer. For now, the Warriors maintain the edge over the Wildcats, but the only way to settle this is not an unsanctioned game played off the books in a remote location.

5. Dodge County (15-3)

By going toe-to-toe with Orono and coming within a goal of pulling off the upset, the Wildcats have announced to the world that they’ve got a darn good hockey team, and I’m deliriously happy to see how strong Class A is this season.

The Wildcats will face Waconia and Moose Lake Area on Friday and Saturday this week.

6. Proctor/Hermantown (11-8-1)

I applaud the Mirage for playing the schedule it does. It will pay dividends during the postseason. Mildly alarmed that Proctor/Hermantown couldn’t muster a goal against the Red Knights and only put 15 shots on net according to MN Girls Hockey Hub.

Section 7A is up for grabs this season, and the battle for the No. 1 overall seed will be played on Jan. 23 as the Mirage heads to Duluth Marshall.

7. Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian (14-5-1)

A 3-0 win over Thief River Falls gives the White Hawks back-to-back shutouts heading into the home stretch of the regular season. The White Hawks have Hutchinson, Delano/Rockford, and Willmar this week before finishing against Holy Family and Proctor/Hermantown.

MWSWC is also preparing for a future without program stalwart Ashlyn Roth in goal, handing over two of the last three starts to sophomore Emma Covell. Covell has acquitted herself well in limited action, stopping 33 of 36 shots and earning a shutout over Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato.

8. Crookston (14-7-1)

Losses to Roseau and No. 4-1A Duluth Marshall drop the Pirates one spot this week, but Crookston has a good shot at a 17-win season ahead of Section 8A playoffs. The two-horse race between the Pirates and Warroad for section supremacy will be one of the hottest stories of the postseason.

9. Delano/Rockford (13-7)

The Tigers squeaked past Pine City Area 1-0 and Hutchinson 4-3 last week, giving the Tigers an impressive record of 5-1 in one-goal games.

Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato and No. 7-1A Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian are up next on Tuesday and Friday.

10. Albert Lea (16-3)

Wins over Luverne, Austin, and Rochester Mayo bring Albert Lea’s win total to 16, but the Tigers will ramp up for the postseason with Mankato East and Northfield this week, plus Owatonna and New Ulm next week.

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

1. Edina Green 6 WWWW 1
2. Alexandria 15 WWW 4
3. Rochester 9 WWWW 3
4. Minnetonka Black 6 WWWLL 2
5. Andover 9 W 6
6. Duluth 11 WWWL 7
7. Stillwater Red 2 WTWW 8
8. Wayzata Blue 3 W 10
9. Woodbury Black 8 WLWLW 5
10. Apple Valley-Burnsville 8 WWTWL NR

Both 1 and 2 win tournaments this past weekend. Edina wins the Skate for the Roses (>Apple Valley-BV) and Alex wins their home tourney the Big Ole (>Minnetonka). Apple Valley-BV enters after a good weekend in Stillwater.

Speaking of Stillwater, No. 7 Stillwater Red is 7-1-2 in their last 10 games with their lone loss in OT to No. 6 Duluth.

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

1. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 WWWWWW
2. Armstrong Cooper 3 WWWW
3. Wayzata (Gold) 3 WW
4. North Shore 11 LLWWW
5. Alexandria 15 WWWL
6. Osseo/Maple Grove (Black) 3 WLWWL
7. Central MN Riverblades 5 WW
8. Brainerd/Little Falls 15 L
9. Rosemount 8 WW
10. Bloomington 6 WWLL

Grand Rapids/Greenway gets a bump up to No. 1, after a big weekend winning the Alexandria tournament. GR/G deafted the previous No. 1 team North Shore in a close 3-1 battle. No. 2 Armstrong Cooper also gets a bump this week, as the Wings go over the border and take home some hardware from Hudson. Rosemount has joined the top ten this week, as the Irish are 16-9-1 and have won 7 of their last 9 games.

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

1. Centennial/Spring Lake Park 10 TW 1
2. Minnetonka 6 WW 2
3. Edina 6 TWWWWWW 3
4. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 W 5
5. Woodbury 8 WLWW 4
6. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 WWWWW 7
7. Osseo Maple Grove 3 LWWWL 6
8. East Grand Forks 16 WWW 10
9. Anoka-Rogers 10 WWWLWW NR
10. Orono-Westonka 3 WWLW NR

Edina takes the Cabin Fever tourney in Maple Grove and Wayzata knocks off Orono-Westonka in the Skate for the Roses in Stillwater.

Orono-Westonka and Rogers jump into the top-10 this week, not due to wins and losses. Both teams have a good winning percentage, but more important they’ve both fared well against tough compeitition the last 30 days.

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

1. Cannon RIver 9 DNP
2. Eagan (Blue) 8 WW
3. Elk River 10 WWTWW
4. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 W
5. Northern Lakes 15 WWWW
6. Bemidji 16 W
7. Eagan (White) 8 L
8. Forest Lake 2 W
9. Woodbury (Royal) 8 WLW
10. Mounds View/Irondale (Gold) 2 W

The top five remain the same this week for U12B, as the group combines for no losses. No. 2 Eagan Blue has a notable result, as they shut out intracity rival No. 7 Eagan White 3-0. Bemidji is knocking on the door of the top 5, as the Lumberjacks are at No. 6 and on an eight-game win streak. Previously unranked Forest Lake upset No. 9 Mounds View/Irondale Gold this past week. The Rangers are up to No. 8 this week after that huge win. One team just outside the rankings is Orono Westonka- which defeated last week’s No. 6 Woodbury Royal.

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

1. Osseo-Maple Grove 3 WWW 1
2. Moorhead 15 W 2
3. White Bear Lake 2 WW 3
4. Blaine 10 WWWW 4
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 T 5
6. Hastings 8 LWWW 6
7. Minnetonka 6 TTW 10
8. Edina Green 6 TWLW 8
9. Sartell-Sauk Rapids 5 WLWW NR
10. Stillwater 3 WWLW NR

Not a lot of movement this week at the top. No teams lost inside the top-6. Blaine wins the Skate for the Roses, they Bengals stay put at #4.

Some fresh new teams at the bottom of the T10 including Sartell-Sauk Rapids, they’ve won five of their last six.

Duluth champion Minnetonks gets a good win over Edina Green, the Skippers move up to #7.

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

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

The top four stay the same this week in U10B. Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview is recognized for their undefeated season as they move up to No. 5 this week. No. 2 Marshall had an impressive 9-0 win over No. 7 Central MN Riverblades this week. Osseo/Maple Grove-White is now ranked No. 8, after winning a tourney in Inver Grove Heights this weekend.

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): January 23 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Class AA

1. Minnetonka (15-2-1)

Thanks in part to the war of attrition at the top, the Skippers find themselves ranked No. 1 again after a 6-2 win over Lake Conference rival Wayzata. Gold-medal winners Layla Hemp, Lauren Goldsworthy and Kendra Distad return from their stint with Team USA for the remainder of the season.

2. Andover (12-3-3)

Typically, falling to a Class A program would drop a team like Andover further than one spot in the rankings, but with a 6-2 win over Hill-Murray and Edina’s loss to unranked Lakeville South, the cushion keeps the Huskies from sinking.

In addition to the resounding win over the Pioneers, the Huskies topped Maple Grove 2-1 in overtime before being edged 4-3 on the road by the Spartans.

3. Hill-Murray (17-2)

The Pioneers were within a goal at one point during Saturday’s loss to Andover before the Huskies scored goals seven seconds apart to end the second frame. Those goals didn’t just take the wind out of Hill-Murray’s sails – they punched a hole in the bottom of the ship and set fire to the cannon room. Promise, that’s the last nautical warfare metaphor I’ll use.

The Pioneers will play five of their next six games on home ice to close out the regular season, with Holy Family on tap for this coming Friday.

4. Edina (15-4-1)

I am well aware that the Hornets lost to an unranked Lakeville South team last week.

Well aware.

But the Hornets have built up so much equity with wins over teams like Stillwater and top-ranked Minnetonka that we can look past an overtime loss against arguably the best statistical goalie in the state in Claire Bronson.

Lake Conference rivals Eden Prairie and No. 1-2A Minnetonka are on deck for this week.

5. Moorhead (16-2-1)

The Spuds have won six straight games since a 2-1 loss to Minnetonka during the Walser Tourney. Among those were back-to-back shutouts of Buffalo and Bemidji last week, giving the Spuds a remarkable run of 16 games in which they allowed two or fewer goals.

The Spuds will face Roseau and No. 3-1A Warroad this Thursday and Saturday.

6. Centennial/Spring Lake Park (16-1-2)

The streak continues!

Last week, two games and two shutouts for the Cougars, topping Elk River 2-0 and Prior Lake 6-0. The blank sheets give Kaitlin Groess six total shutouts on the season, with six games to go in the regular season.

This week features Champlin Park/Coon Rapids and St. Cloud.

7. Northfield (18-0)

The Raiders followed a 4-3 upset of previously fifth-ranked Benilde-St. Thanks to a five-goal third period, Margaret’s with a 7-3 win over Owatonna. The Raiders are favored on paper against its next seven opponents, and an undefeated regular season is on the horizon.

8. Lakeville North (15-2-1)

The Panthers scored 14 goals in their two games last week, topping South Suburban Conference foes Eastview 7-0 and Eagan 7-1. The wins give the Panthers five straight since losing to Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Dec. 28.

The Panthers will face dangerous Farmington on Thursday and Shakopee on Saturday.

9. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (12-3-1)

The Red Knights pounded New Prague 10-0 in response to the 4-3 loss against Northfield, getting a hat trick and two assists from Lizzy Hamel and scoring six times in the second period. BSM will face Minneapolis on Tuesday and then head to No. 6-1A Proctor/Hermantown for a Saturday afternoon tilt.

10. Lakeville South (16-1-3)

One of the few teams in the state allowing fewer than one goal per game, the Cougars join the top 10 after a 3-2 overtime win over Edina, a 4-0 shutout of Farmington, and yet another overtime victory by a score of 1-0 over Rosemount.

Claire Bronson has been outstanding for the Cougars this season, going 6-1 in games decided by one goal and posting a goals-against-average of 0.86, a save percentage of .963, and 10 shutouts.

Class A

1. Holy Angels (13-2-3)

Bella LaMere’s power-play goal with 28 seconds left in regulation lifted the Stars to a 5-4 win over previously top-ranked Orono and by osmosis to the No. 1 slot this week.

The Stars have three games his week, traveling to New Prague and Bloomington Jefferson and hosting Thief River Falls.

2. Orono (13-5-1)

The Spartans swung to both extremes on the pendulum last week, topping (then) No. 1-2A Andover 4-3 and then falling by a single goal against Holy Angels 5-4. The schedule doesn’t exactly get easier going forward, with No. 5-1A Dodge County on tap for Saturday, but the Spartans should be battle-tested for the postseason.

3. Warroad (14-5)

The Warriors picked up three wins last week, downing rival Roseau 5-3, blanking Alexandria 3-0, and slipping past Fergus Falls 2-1 on the road. Warroad has now won four of its last five, with the lone loss coming against Brainerd/Little Falls by 1-0.

The team bus can now be idle for a few weeks, as the Warriors will host their next six opponents to close the regular season.

4. Duluth Marshall (16-1-1)

The Hilltoppers did not play last week and are in the thick of the 19-day sabbatical. No. 6-1A Proctor/Hermantown is on tap for Jan. 23, with Moose Lake Area and International Falls scheduled for the following Thursday and Friday.

5. Proctor/Hermantown (11-7-1)

The Mirage staff is clearly more invested in postseason wins than regular-season ones, and I respect that. A schedule that ranks among the state’s most challenging continues on Saturday with No. 8-2A Benilde-St. Margaret’s before the highly anticipated Jan. 23 tilt with Section 7A rival Duluth Marshall.

6. Dodge County (15-2)

The Wildcats made quick work of Red Wing last week, scoring six times in the first period en route to a 12-0 win over the Wingers. Mollie Koch led all Wildcats in scoring with two goals and six points in the win. The toughest test of the season awaits on Saturday as the Wildcats travel to No. 2-1A Orono.

7. Crookston (14-5-1)

Wins over Thief River Falls and East Grand Forks only add to the Pirates’ Section 8A resume. Saturday’s game with No. 6-1A Dodge County was canceled, which is unfortunate because that would have been an excellent barometer game for both the Wildcats and Pirates.

If the schedule doesn’t change, the Pirates will play 23 regular-season games instead of the usual 25.

8. Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian (13-5-1)

The White Hawks picked up a top-10 win last week with a 4-2 victory at home against Delano/Rockford, then shut out Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 6-0 for their third straight win since a 5-2 loss against Blaine.

The White Hawks have just one game this week, with Thief River Falls coming to town on Saturday afternoon.

9. Delano/Rockford (11-7)

A 4-2 loss to MWSWC doesn’t do much to change the landscape for the last two spots in Class A, and the Tigers hung 10 on Visitation in a 10-0 win on Saturday. Pine City and Hutchinson are up next this week.

10. Albert Lea (12-3)

I’m not a fan of playing “who had the best loss” when finding a team for the No. 10 slot in the rankings. So, we’re going outside the box with Albert Lea after previous No. 10 South St. Paul was thumped 6-1 by unranked North St. Paul/Tartan.

The Tigers have won three straight after a 6-2 win over Rochester Century/John Marshall last Thursday, plus own an earlier victory over Rosemount in regulation. Rosemount took Lakeville South to overtime. Lakeville South beat Edina. Edina beat Minnetonka. Fun with theories!

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

1. Edina Green 6 WWWL
2. Minnetonka Black 6 WWLWW
3. Rochester 9 L
4. Alexandria 15 DNP
5. Woodbury Black 8 TWWLWW
6. Andover 9 WWWW
7. Duluth 11 WWWW
8. Stillwater Red 2 LWL
9. NWC Riverhawks 5 LL
10. Wayzata Blue 3 TL

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

1. North Shore 11 WWW
2. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 WWWW
3. Armstrong Cooper 3 WT
4. Wayzata (Gold) 3 WL
5. Alexandria 15 WWW
6. Osseo/Maple Grove (Black) 3 WTW
7. Central MN Riverblades 12 WWWW
8. Brainerd/Little Falls 15 WWW
9. Bloomington 6 WW
10. Owatonna 9 DNP

Congrats to North Shore, as they are our new No. 1 team at the U15B level. The Storm are 17-2-1 on the season and haven’t lost since the beginning of December, and went 4-0-1 at last weekend’s Duluth Icebreaker tourney. The Storm topped Metropolitan 7-0 in the Icebreaker finals, led by Hallie Komarek’s two goals and three assists and Callie Ernest’s hat trick.

Alexandria is on an impressive eight-game win streak, which helps propel them into the top five this week.

Newly ranked Bloomington is 4-0-1 in their last five games. Bloomington took second place in the Danglefest a couple of weekends ago.

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

1. Centennial/Spring Lake Park 10 WWWW
2. Minnetonka 6 WWWL
3. Edina 6 LWWW
4. Woodbury 8 WWLW
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WW
6. Osseo Maple Grove 3 LW
7. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 DNP
8. Lakeville 8 W
9. Rosemount 8 W
10. East Grand Forks 16 W

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

1. Cannon River 9 DNP
2. Eagan (Blue) 8 WWWW
3. Elk River 10 WWW
4. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 WWWW
5. Northern Lakes 15 TW
6. Woodbury (Royal) 8 W
7. Bemidji 16 DNP
8. Eagan (White) 6 WWWW
9. Mounds View/Irondale (Gold) 2 WL
10. Moorhead (Black) 15 WWWW

There is no movement within the top eight this week, with Cannon River spared a slip from No. 1 despite Eagan-IGH winning it all at Duluth’s Icebreaker tournament. The SpartaCats did not allow a goal in four goals en route to the Icebreaker title.

Mounds View/Irondale Gold is back in the rankings at No. 9 this week. MVI Gold is 19-4-2 on the season, with their few losses being against ranked teams.

Moorhead Black is back on a hot streak, after a bit of a rough stretch around the holiday season. The Spuds are back in the rankings at No. 10 and winners of four straight games.

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

1. Osseo-Maple Grove 3 W 1
2. Moorhead 15 WWW 2
3. White Bear Lake 2 TWWL 3
4. Blaine 10 W 4
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WT 5
6. Hastings 8 WW 6
7. Bloomington 6 W 9
8. Edina Green 6 LWWL 8
9. Owatonna 9 W 10
10. Minnetonka 6 WWWW NR

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

1. Waseca 9 WWW
2. Marshall 4 WWW
3. New Prague 6 WW
4. North Shore 11 W
5. Mankato 9 TL
6. Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview 8 WTL
7. Central MN Riverblades 5 W
8. White Bear Lake (Black) 2 WWWW
9. Wayzata (Gold) 3 WW
10. Duluth (Black) 11 LW

Waseca is our new No. 1 team at U10B – the Bluejays only have one loss all year and are outscoring opponents 130-39 in 18 games.

Marshall makes a huge leap this week, going from No. 7 to No. 2 in our rankings, taking home top honors at this weekend’s New Hope tournament. White Bear Lake also emerged as a tournament champion this weekend, edging St. Paul 2-1 in overtime of the Duluth Icebreaker 10B finale.

New Prague continues its upward trend. The No. 3 Trojans are 18-1-0, with their only loss coming against Thunder Bay during the Danglefest.

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): January 15 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Class AA 

1. Andover (10-2-3)

Anoka provided little challenge for the Huskies last week, as Courtney Little’s two goals and a single score from Maya Engler led to a 3-0 win. Even more impressively, the Huskies allowed just five shots on goal to the Tornadoes, and the shutout marks the fourth consecutive game in which Andover has not allowed a goal in regulation.

2. Hill-Murray (16-1)

Games on back-to-back days didn’t phase the Pioneers, as the class of the East Metro racked up 19 combined goals against Grand Rapids/Greenway on Friday night and Proctor/Hermantown on Saturday.

The Pioneers now have four straight wins since the 4-2 loss to Lakeville North on Dec. 27. Interesting note about the Hill-Murray schedule – the Pioneers have not played on a Tuesday evening since Dec. 12. They won’t do so again until the regular-season finale against Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Feb. 6.

3. Edina (13-3-1)

A Cate McCoy power-play goal in the first four minutes of the opening period proved to be the difference in Saturday’s game, as the Hornets handed Lake Conference rival Minnetonka its first loss since Dec. 9.

Junior Reese McConnell has stepped in for Nora Hannan (who is currently playing for Team USA for the Under-18 Women’s World ) and has performed admirably. McConnell has stopped 31 of 32 shots in three victories since Jan. 2.

4. Minnetonka (14-2-1)

The Skippers began a stretch of their schedule last week that will include seven of their previous 10 games consisting of Lake Conference opponents, and anything is possible in a conference that features two top-five teams and some dangerous wildcards.

A 4-1 win over Eden Prairie was followed by a 1-0 loss against last week’s No. 5-2A Edina. Uncharacteristically, Minnetonka was held to just 16 shots on goal, and the Skippers went 0-6 on the power play.

5. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (11-2-1)

The Red Knights tied Orono 1-1 in their only game since the last batch of rankings. Against the Spartans, BSM held a 1-0 lead until nearly the middle of the third period and got 30 saves on 31 shots on goal from netminder Elie Hancock.

6. Moorhead (14-2-1)

The Spuds ran their winning streak to four last week, thumping nearby rival Fargo Davies 11-1 and scoring three times in the third period to earn a 5-3 win over Maple Grove in Moorhead. The Spuds will play three of their next four games on the road, with trips to Buffalo and a sneaky Bemidji team on tap for this week.

7. Centennial/Spring Lake Park (14-1-2)

If the Cougars pull off the Jan. 9 win over Elk River in just a few days, it will have been two months since Centennial/Spring Lake Park tasted bitter defeat.

The Cougars shut out Owatonna 8-0 on Jan. 2 and then blanked Osseo/Park Center on Saturday, giving C/SLP its third shutout in four games. In addition to the Elk River contest, the Cougars will face Prior Lake on Jan. 13.

8. Lakeville North (13-2-1)

The Panthers eked out a 3-2 win over South Suburban Conference rival Prior Lake last Thursday and followed that win with another by a score of 3-0 over Metro-South. Three seems to be the magic number for Lakeville North, given that was the Panthers’ total in the last three victories.

The Panthers should be favored on paper for the rest of the season, and 20 wins is well within reach.

9. Northfield (16-0)

Northfield may have only played one game over the last week, but the Raiders made it count with a 3-1 win over Section 8A hopeful Crookston at home. Ayla Puppe scored in the first period for the Raiders in the win, and Grace McCoshen scored the team’s second and third tallies, with Puppe assisting on both.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Owatonna are on this week’s docket for the Raiders.

10. Stillwater (11-5)

The Ponies outshot White Bear Lake 41-26 in their lone game last week, cruising to a 4-0 win behind two goals from Josie Lang and one goal apiece from Audrey Hackler and Riley Robinson. Surprisingly, none of Stillwater’s goals came on the power play, given that the Bears took six penalties in the loss.

Class A

1. Orono (12-4-1)

The Spartans took highly rated Benilde-St. Margaret’s to overtime last week, eventually tying the Red Knights 1-1 on the road. The tie marks the second consecutive game in which the Spartans have gone into extra innings with a top-10 Class AA squad, having lost to Centennial/Spring Lake Park.

The gauntlet continues for the Spartans this week, with No. 1-2A Andover and No. 2-1A Holy Angels making their way to the Orono Ice Arena. The games will kick off a seven-game homestead for Orono before the season finale at Bloomington Jefferson.

2. Holy Angels (11-2-3)

One game, one win for the Stars last week, topping another team of Stars (Gentry Academy) 3-1. This coming Saturday has been circled on Holy Angels’ calendar all season, as the Stars travel to top-ranked Orono in one of the week’s best high school hockey matchups.

3. Warroad (11-5)

The Warriors suffered 1-0 losses last week during a three-game stretch, losing to Bemidji and Brainerd/Little Falls with an 8-3 win over St. Cloud sandwiched between the two. Four of Warroad’s five losses this season have been by two goals or less, including three 1-0 defeats.

4. Duluth Marshall (16-1-1)

Ilsa Lindaman scored her 40th and 41st goals of the season and dished out three assists to lead all skaters with five points as the Hilltoppers blanked Rock Ridge 6-0. Nina Thorson recorded a hat trick for the ‘Toppers in the win and has 16 goals and 25 points in her junior season.

The Hilltoppers have a wild 19 days between games, which should be ample time to heal bumps and bruises.

5. Proctor/Hermantown (9-6-1)

Proctor/Hermantown gutted out a 3-1 win over Moose Lake Area last Tuesday, then hosted Hill-Murray on Saturday. The Mirage may rethink inviting top-three Class AA teams to the St. Luke’s Sports and Event Center after watching the Pioneers hang seven goals on the board in a 7-1 loss.

Up next this week for the Mirage are Holy Family, Chisago Lakes, and Breck.

6. Dodge County (14-2)

Someday, the world will get to the bottom of the Dodge County penalty kill.

But last Friday was not that day, as the Wildcats killed four more penalties to run their perfection to 55 straight penalty kills in an 8-2 win over Chisago Lakes.

A four-game road stint begins on Tuesday at Red Wing, and then the Wildcats will trek to Thief River Falls for a date with the Prowlers.

7. Crookston (12-5-1)

The Pirates snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-0 shutout of Gentry Academy, offering a small amount of comfort after a 3-1 loss to No. 9-2A Northfield. The Pirates are at home for their next three games, hosting Thief River Falls on Monday, East Grand Forks on Thursday, and No. 5-1A Dodge County on Saturday.

8. Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian (11-5-1)

The White Hawks came out of the holiday break flying, tagging New Prague for six goals in the first period of an 11-1 victory last Thursday. Greer Hardacre, Elizabeth Callahan, and Camryn Hargreaves registered two goals in the win over the Trojans, and the White Hawks outshot the home team 59-10.

9. Delano/Rockford (10-6)

Kayla Simonson continues her sparkling season with 28 saves on 29 shots in the Tigers’ 4-1 win over Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato.

A date with Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian looms on Jan. 9 will give the Tigers another chance to solidify themselves as one of the state’s top Class A teams.

10. South St. Paul (11-7)

With Willmar’s loss to unranked Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato, the Packers slide into Class A’s top-10 after wins over Simley and Cloquet/Esko/Carlton. In defense of the Packers’ seven losses, five have come against ranked Class AA and Class A teams.

The Packers have been mainstays at the Class A State Tournament the last few seasons and have found a groove relying on the trio of Lily Pachl, Bailey Vesper, and Alida Ahern. Senior goaltender Molly Jeffrey has posted 30 or more saves in three games this season, her first as the starter after the graduation of program stalwart Delaney Norman.

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

1. Wayzata (Gold) 3 DNP
2. North Shore 11 W
3. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 W
4. Armstrong Cooper 3 WWW
5. Central MN Riverblades 5 W
6. Bloomington 6 WT
7. Alexandria 15 WW
8. Osseo-Maple Grove (Black) 3 TW
9. Rosemount 8 WW
10. Stillwater 2 DNP

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

1. Wayzata (Gold) 3 DNP
2. North Shore 11 W
3. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 W
4. Armstrong Cooper 3 WWW
5. Central MN Riverblades 5 W
6. Bloomington 6 WT
7. Alexandria 15 WW
8. Osseo-Maple Grove (Black) 3 TW
9. Rosemount 8 WW
10. Stillwater 2 DNP

The U15B top-10 gets some minor changes this week, as the current top ten didn’t have any losses. OMG Black moved up one spot this week to No. 8, the Leafbirds tied No. 6 Bloomington this week and beat UR Chaska-Chanhassen. Rosemount is new to the rankings this week at No. 9, the Irish are on a three-game win streak. Stillwater is new to the rankings this week as well at No. 10. The Ponies have now won six games straight.

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

1. Cannon River 9 WWW
2. Eagan (Blue) 8 W
3. Elk River 10 WW
4. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 WL
5. Northern Lakes 15 WWW
6. Woodbury (Royal) 8 WWWW
7. Bemidji 16 LW
8. Eagan (White) 8 WW
9. Minnetonka (Black) 6 WT
10. Osseo/Maple Grove (White) 3 WW

Elk River gets bumped into the top 3 to No. 3, with two bounce back wins this week after their loss last week. Woodbury Royal goes from unranked to No. 6 in a week, the Royal defeated previous No. 5 MVI Gold this week. Minnetonka Black is back in the rankings this week at No. 9 with a huge win over inter-city rival No. 4 Minnetonka Blue. We also welcome OMG White into the top ten this week; the Leafbirds have been playing some good hockey as of late, with their six-game win streak.

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

1. Mankato 9 W
2. Waseca 9 DNP
3. Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview 8 DNP
4. New Prague 6 WWW
5. North Shore 11 WW
6. Central MN Riverblades 15 WTW
7. Marshall 4 WWW
8. Duluth (Black) 11 DNP
9. White Bear Lake (Black) 2 T
10. Wayzata (Gold) 3 WLWWW

The top seven all take care of business this week in U10B, there is no movement within the top seven. Duluth Black is on a five game win streak, and that is enough to go from unranked to No. 8 in a week. White Bear Lake Black is also new this week at No. 9. The Bears are 11-5-2 this year and are outscoring opponents 80-26.

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): January 8 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Class AA

1. Minnetonka (13-1-1)

The Skippers move back to No. 1 after Hill-Murray’s loss to unranked Lakeville North at the Eden Prairie Mid-Winter Meltdown. Everything’s been gravy for Minnetonka since its loss to the Pioneers on Dec. 9, having won six straight games (seven if you include the Walser Tourney shootout win over Andover, which I do not for personal reasons) and have allowed two goals or fewer in those contests.

As is the case for a handful of top teams, the Skippers will do some personnel shuffling over the next couple of weeks, given that defender Lauren Goldsworthy, forward Kendra Distad, and goaltender Layla Hemp will be competing for Team USA at this Under-18 Women’s World Championships.

2. Andover (9-2-3)

Despite “falling” to Minnetonka in the finals of the Walser Tourney, the Huskies should feel like Unbothered Queens after the holiday. The game against the Skippers was decided in a shootout, and the Huskies will never be in that position again. Shutouts over perennial top-10 teams Maple Grove and Edina only bolster the Huskies’ resume, and gives the team 10 consecutive periods without an allowed goal.

3. Hill-Murray (14-1)

Any coach will tell you that regular-season losses don’t keep them up at night, but being undefeated does.

Losses reveal mistakes and weaknesses, and the Pioneers suffered their first at the hands of an opportunistic Lakeville North squad in the first round of the Eden Prairie Mid-Winter Meltdown. In response, the Pioneers pounded Roseau 8-2 and edged an underrated North Wright County team 3-2.

4. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (10-2)

The Red Knights came out on top in the Eden Prairie tournament, beating Roseau, Lakeville North, and the host Eagles in the finals. The mid-span championship also means the Red Knights have won five straight since the 5-0 loss against No. 2-2A Andover.

5. Edina (10-3-1)

The Hornets have won four of their last five, including a third-place finish at the Walser Tourney thanks to a 3-2 overtime win over current No. 10-2A Stillwater. The lone loss in that stretch came against Andover, and while the final 3-0 score isn’t much to read into, the fact that the Hornets went 0-9 on the power play is…not great.

Starting goaltender Nora Hannan will be unavailable during the U18 Women’s Worlds, so Reese McConnell will eat most of the starting minutes.

6. Moorhead (12-2-1)

I’ve said it in private, and now I’ll reiterate in public – Moorhead is the last team I want to face when it’s do-or-die.

The Spuds can play in close games like few teams, winning four of five games decided by two goals or fewer this season. The lone loss in that data set came against top-ranked Minnetonka in the opening round of the Walser Tourney, and the eventual game-winning goal for the Skippers came on a power play.

Five-on-five, ten-toes-down, the Spuds are the definition of dangerous.

7. Centennial/Spring Lake Park (12-1-2)

Speaking of things that are dangerous (remember to unplug your non-denominational holiday trees at night!), the north metro’s favorite co-operating downed Dodge County, Rogers, and No. 1-1A Orono to earn top honors at the Crosstown Cup in late December.

Not exactly the strength of the Walser field, but Orono is one of the top teams in the state regardless of class, and the Cougars are finding goal-scoring after the graduation of Lauren O’Hara, who led the team with 37 goals last season.

8. Lakeville North (10-2-1)

Scoring is nice, and balanced scoring is nicer, but the goaltending situation at Lakeville North is a bit like having a Maserati to rely on, even if the G-Wagon is in the shop.

I’m not sure who the Maserati or the G-Wagon is between Kaia Weiland and Addie Oettinger, but the Panthers are #blessed to have a pair of gamers between the pipes no matter the night.

The Panthers’ losses have been by a single goal against Edina and Benilde-St. Margaret’s, and now they have a top-10 win to add to their list of qualifications. Aside from a Hockey Day Minnesota game on enemy ice in Warroad, there is a genuine chance Lakeville North wins out the rest of the season against a primarily South Suburban Conference schedule.

9. Northfield (15-0)

The wins keep on coming for the Raiders, and unlike Jesse James, the winning streak shows almost zero signs of dying. Free plug – Northfield hosts a yearly Defeat of Jesse James Days. This year, the eponymous foundation that hosts the event donated $6,000 to the Northfield Hospital Foundation.

Crookston may challenge the Raiders on Jan. 5, and the tilt with Benilde-St. Margaret’s offers Northfield the chance to capture a top-10 win, but the rest of the Big Nine Conference slate poses little resistance to the Raiders’ march to glory.

10. Stillwater (10-5)

We’re about to find out a whole heckuva lot about the Ponies over the next few games, with all-everything Josie St. Martin enjoying her third tour of duty with Team USA at the U-18 Women’s Worlds.

Brooke Nelson and Addy Finn are now the drivers on offense for the Ponies, and the time is now for a second or third-liner to step up on the scoresheet. Personal pick for a player to emerge in the absence of JSM on the top line and power play – Belle McKenzie.

McKenzie has three goals this season, which won’t turn heads, but the junior forward has speed to burn and a motor that never quits.

Class A

1. Orono (12-4)

Losing to No. 7-2A Centennial/Spring Lake Park in overtime isn’t nearly enough to knock the Spartans out of the top spot this week, nor is a 2-1 OT loss to previous No. 8-2A Maple Grove. The Spartans play arguably the most demanding schedule among Class A teams and have hung with some of the upper Class’s best.

No. 4-2A Benilde-St. Margaret’s and no. 2-2A Andover are the following games on the Orono slate, which the Spartans will play without Team USA-bound Macy Rasmussen.

2. Warroad (10-3)

The Warriors followed a 1-0 loss to No. 6-2A Moorhead with three straight wins in its Holiday Tournament, topping Rosemount 5-4, Fort Frances (Ont. ) 9-1, and then avenging a Dec. 5 loss with a 4-3 win over Section 8A foe and top-10 team Crookston.

A gnarly six-game road trip awaits the Warriors in the new year, but those bus legs could come in handy come the postseason.

3. Holy Angels (10-3-2)

The Stars’ run to the finals of South St. Paul’s Kaposia Classic came to an end in a shootout loss to Champlin Park/Coon Rapids, which shouldn’t taint the Stars’ record because (as noted above) shootouts do not happen during regular-season or postseason play.

Orono and Hill-Murray represent the toughest tilts remaining on the Stars’ schedule this season.

4. Duluth Marshall (15-1-1)

We are coming up on two straight months without a loss for the Hilltoppers, who edged Wazyata in a shootout of the Herb Brooks Holiday Classic Gold Division’s championship game. The regular season’s ultimate game is scheduled for Jan. 23 against Section 7A rival Proctor/Hermantown, which curiously gives the Hilltoppers 19 days between games from a Jan. 4 meeting with Rock Ridge.

5. Proctor/Hermantown (8-5-1)

The 8-0 loss to Andover on Dec. 8 has turned into five consecutive victories for the Mirage, including a win over fellow top-10 team Delano/Rockford on Dec. 15. The strength of P/H’s schedule doesn’t let up for the rest of the season, with Hill-Murray coming to town on Jan. 6.

6. Dodge County (13-2)

The Wildcats salvaged two wins after losing to No. 7-2A Centennial/Spring Lake Park in the opening game of the Crosstown Cup on Dec. 27, thumping Breck 6-2 and defeating Gentry Academy 3-1. With 10 games left in the regular season, the Wildcats still have games against Class A top-10 teams Crookston and Orono on the docket, plus a Jan. 30 bout with No. 9-2A Northfield.

7. Crookston (11-4-1)

The Pirates will swing down to the metro area and beyond this coming weekend, facing Northfield on Jan. 5 and Gentry Academy on Jan. 6 after falling to Warroad during the Warriors’ holiday tournament at The Gardens.

Should the Pirates pull off the upset on the road in Northfield, there’s a chance they could be looking at 20 wins this season, although a power play success rate of under 14% is concerning.

8. Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian (10-5-1)

A 5-1 loss to Blaine snaps a six-game winning streak for the White Hawks, who did not compete in the holiday tournament and whose other four losses have all come at the hands of ranked teams in Class AA and Class A.

A Jan. 9 date with No. 9-1A Delano/Rockford should be an entertaining matchup between MWSWC goaltender Ashlyn Roth and Delano/Rockford netminder Kayla Simonson.

9. Delano/Rockford (9-6)

The Tigers put their schedule on hold from Dec. 21 until Jan. 5, giving the team time to rest and heal the injuries that come with playing the fastest sport on ice. Like Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian above, the Tigers’ losses this season have come against top competition, including a one-goal loss against No. 5-1A Proctor/Hermantown and a two-goal loss to No. 3-1A Holy Angels.

10. Willmar (10-3)

I like to believe there is a Cardinal fan out there who can scream “WILLLLLLMARRRRRR” the same way Fred Flintstone called for Wilma all those years ago. Just me? Okay.

The Cardinals are riding a four-game winning streak entering 2024, including a win over Section 6A contender Fergus Falls on Dec. 21. Willmar should also be favored to win roughly eight of their next 12 games.

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

1. Edina Green 6 WWWLW
2. Minnetonka Black 6 DNP
3. Rochester 9 WLWWWWW
4. Alexandria 15 WWWWWL
5. Woodbury Black 8 WTWW
6. Stillwater Red 2 WT
7. Andover 9 WWWW
8. Eden Prairie 6 TLTWL
9. NWC Riverhawks 5 LWWWWLL
10. Wayzata Blue 3 LLLWW

The deck got shuffled a little after a barrage of games last week – many at the Danglefest in Blaine. North Wright had a great showing, giving top-5 Alex all they can handle in the semifinals. They slide into the top-10. Rochester jumps up a few slots with an undefeated slate in the Danglefest.

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

1. Wayzata (Gold) 3 WWW
2. North Shore 11 WWW
3. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 LWWWWW
4. Armstrong Cooper 3 WWW
5. Central MN Riverblades 5 TWW
6. Owatonna 9 W
7. Bloomington 6 WTLWWWLW
8. Alexandria 15 WLWW
9. Brainerd/Little Falls 15 W
10. Osseo/Maple Grove (Black) 3

North Shore and Grand Rapids-Greenway trade places this week at No. 2 and No. 3, as North Shore defeated GRG 3-2 this past week. Central MN Riverblades continues their rise to the top, winning two games this week moves them up to No. 5. Bloomington is ranked for the first time this year, as they defeat two current top ten teams- No. 8 Alexandria and No. 10 OMG Black. Brainerd/Little Falls hasn’t lost since the beginning of November- that prompts a No. 10 spot this week and their first time being ranked all season.

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

1. Minnetonka 6 WWWWW
2. Edina 6 WWWWL
3. Woodbury 8 WWW
4. Centennial/Spring Lake Park 10 WWWWLWT
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WWWL
6. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 W
7. Lakeville 8 WW
8. Osseo Maple Grove 3 WWLWWWW
9. Warroad 16 WWWWL
10. Wayzata 3 L

Minnetonka extends their undbeaten streak to 22 games with a narrow win over Edina Sunday in the Danglefest. Blaine had seven of the top-10 teams in the building including Edina who beat previous #2 Centennial-SLP in pool play.

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

1. Cannon River 9 W
2. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 WLWWW
3. Eagan (Blue) 8 WW
4. Elk River 10 WTWWL
5. Mounds View/Irondale (Gold) 2 WWW
6. Bemidji 16 DNP
7. Northern Lakes 15 DNP
8. Moorhead (Black) 15 TLT
9. Eagan (White) 8 WL
10. Osseo/Maple Grove (White) 3 W

The top six stays the same as those teams had a solid couple weeks during the holiday season. No. 2 Minnetonka Blue was victorious over No. 4 Elk River winning the Danglefest. Northern Lakes had a big leap from No. 10 to No. 7 this week, as the Lightning are 18-5-0 on the season with 177 goals for and only 33 goals against. OMG White has done enough on the year with a 15-4-4 record to be amongst the top 10 in the state. The Leafbirds are ranked No. 10 in this weeks installation of the rankings.

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

1. Osseo-Maple Grove 3 WW
2. Moorhead 15 DNP
3. White Bear Lake 2 WW
4. Blaine 10 WWWWWL
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WTWL
6. Hastings 8 TL
7. Stillwater 2 W
8. Edina Green 6 LWLW
9. Sartell/Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud 5 DNP
10. Bloomington 6 LTWL

So many great 10A teams this year at this level. OMG and Moorhead remain undefeated about halfway through their seasons. White Bear and Blaine flexed their muscles in the Danglefest and earned their way up the T-10 ladder.

Bloomington had a good showing in Blaine and garnered a spot this week in the T-10.

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

1. Mankato 9 W
2. Waseca 9 WWL
3. Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview 8 W
4. New Prague 6 WWWWLW
5. North Shore 11 WW
6. Central MN Riverblades 5 W
7. Marshall 4 W
8. Woodbury (Gold) 8 T
9. Armstrong Cooper (Red) 3 W
10. Anoka Rogers (White) 10 WWLWW

The No. 1 Waseca and No. 2 Mankato faced off this past week in District 9 play. The last time these two teams played, they skated to a 4-4 draw. This time it was close again, but No. 2 Mankato prevailed 4-3, and now are ranked as the No. 1 team in the state. North Shore is a very good defensive team, the Storm are now ranked in the top five at No. 5. Newly ranked No. 10 14-4-0 Anoka Rogers White has done enough in the past two weeks: winners of their past 10 of 11 games, to prove they belong back in the top ten.

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): January 2 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Class AA

1. Hill-Murray (10-0)

Two routine five-goal performances run the Hill-Murray’s record to 10-0, as the Pioneers blanked St. Paul/Two Rivers 5-0 and topped Holy Family 5-2 on the road. North/Tartan and No. 3-2A Andover are on the docket before the holiday.

A Very Fun Fact: Every skater on the Hill-Murray roster has at least two points at the midway point of the season.

2. Minnetonka (9-1)

Like Hill-Murray, Minnetonka faced virtually zero resistance in its last two games, beating North Wright County 5-1 and Bemidji 7-0. Tuesday and Saturday feature opponents hovering just outside the Class AA rankings as Farmington and Champlin Park/Coon Rapids travel to Pagel.

A Very Fun Fact: Despite the luxury of having two Division I-bound goalies on its roster in Layla Hemp (Minnesota) and Ashlyn Hazlett (Bemidji State), the Skippers have still found some time for up-and-coming freshman Ty Jabbs. Jabbs posted a 14-save shutout in the Skippers’ win over Buffalo on Dec. 5.

3. Andover (7-1-2)

When Andover is dressed in its road uniforms, there may not be a more intimidating team on planet earth. In their black-and-gold, the Huskies make the ’85 Bears look like the Muffins of the Midway, the ’27 Yankees like Jaywalkers’ Row, and the Roman Empire like a Waldorf Salad.

The Huskies won three games since the last batch of rankings, shutting out Rogers and Benilde-St. Margaret’s by identical 5-0 scores, then scored four third-period goals to cruise past Northwest Suburban Conference rival Blaine 9-1.

A Very Fun Fact: Andover’s leading scorer in both goals and points is a defender. Wisconsin commit Mackenzie Jones has nine goals and 18 points through 10 games this season.

4. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (7-2)

BSM’s 50th birthday was spoiled by a 5-0 loss to No. 4-2A Andover, but the Red Knights are back on the horse after an 8-1 win over Bemidji. The Red Knights scored five times in the second period of the win over the Lumberjacks and got a four-point performance from Ellie Stewart in the process.

A Very Fun Fact: The Red Knights have three players with identical stat lines. Bailey Gray and Kendall Hassler (five goals, five assists), Lizzy Hamel and Kaeli Koopman (four goals, three assists), and LuLu Rucinski and Katie Zakrajsheck (one goal, five assists).

5. Edina (7-2-1)

The Hornets played three games five days over the week, shutting out Eden Prairie 3-0 and Gentry Academy 6-0 with a 1-1 tie with Maple Grove sandwiched between the victories.

A Very Fun Fact: The Hornets have gone 5-0 in road games this season. They have six road tilts left on the schedule, including critical games against Stillwater, Minnetonka, and Orono.

6. Moorhead (8-1-1)

Another team that fit a trio of games into five days this week, Moorhead topped Roseau in the Spuds’ final game of a seven-game road streak, then welcomed East Grand Forks and St. Cloud to the Moorhead Sports Center for a pair of wins.

A Very Fun Fact: The Spuds have 13 players with at least six points this season. With a guaranteed 16 games left, Moorhead could be looking at a lineup with over a dozen skaters with 15 or more points come Class AA State Tournament time.

7. Stillwater (7-3)

The Suburban East Conference continues to be the proverbial punching bag for Stillwater, as the Ponies have rebounded after their 4-0 loss to Hill-Murray with three wins over SEC opponents by a combined score of 23-3.

The Ponies will take on Cretin-Derham Hall and Eden Prairie before the opening round of the Walser Tourney at Braemar Arena the day after Christmas.

A Very Fun Fact: Statistically, Stillwater has been at its best during the first and third periods of games this season. The Ponies have allowed fewer goals in period one and period three combined (12) than they have in the second period thus far (14).

8. Maple Grove (7-2-1)

Were it not for a 1-0 win over Centennial/Spring Lake Park in the season-opener, Maple Grove could have found itself further down the rankings list after losing to the Cougars 4-1 over the weekend. The road doesn’t get any easier this week, as No. 1-1A Orono awaits on Tuesday, with Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper slated for the next day.

A Very Fun Fact: SURPRISE. Maple Grove has another standout goalie in the pipeline. Freshman Bella Prosser got her first varsity start last week against No. 5-2A Edina and stopped 23 of 24 shots.

9. Centennial/Spring Lake Park (7-1-2)

A single goal this season has prevented Centennial/Spring Lake Park from being undefeated, and a 4-1 win over Maple Grove vaults the Cougars into the top 10 for this week.

The Cougars are unbeaten in their last eight games, posting a 6-0-2 record while beating the Crimson and tying No. 3-2A Andover. Apple Valley and Wayzata are up next before the Cougars take part in the Crosstown Cup on Dec. 27.

A Very Fun Fact: Whoever runs the C/SLP penalty kill deserves a raise or at least a free toque for Christmas. The Cougars are currently fifth in the state in penalty kills, but have managed to escape 46 disadvantages without allowing a goal.

10. Northfield (11-0)

Welp, at least the 5-1 win over Albert Lea was played in a cool area. The Raiders continued raiding south of the metro with an 11-1 win over Winona and the aforementioned victory over the 2023 Class A State Tournament participant Tigers.

Only Mankato East is on the Raiders’ schedule this week, and Northfield will compete in the underrated Schmitz Holiday Classic Dec. 27-29.

A Very Fun Fact: The Raiders currently lead all teams in scoring with 86 goals this season. The next-closest team is Minnetonka, which has netted 67 goals.

Class A

1. Orono (9-2)

Orono kicks off a set of Class A Rankings that this week have a top-six drabber and more uniform than a pair of pressed khakis, with exactly zero of the top six teams from last week move.

The Spartans remain No. 1 after shutout wins over North Wright County and Minneapolis but will need to buckle up for No. 8-2A Maple Grove and just-outside-the-rankings Holy Family on deck this week.

A Very Fun Fact: Not only does Zoe Lopez lead Orono in scoring with 15 goals, but she’s also the team’s leader in “first goals,” putting a dent in the scoreboard before anybody else four times in 11 games this season.

2. Holy Angels (9-1-1)

Playing Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday didn’t phase the Stars as the state’s second-ranked Class A squad picked up wins over Bloomington Jefferson, Blaine, and Chaska/Chanhassen.

A Very Fun Fact: Minnetonka may have the state’s best-known goaltending duo in Hemp and Hazlett, but Holy Angels has its own pair of aces in Eva Bentley (5-0, 0.80 GAA, .943 SV%) and Zoe Rimstad (4-1-1, 1.30 GAA, .948 SV%).

3. Warroad (7-2)

The Warriors did not play last week. The extra rest should come in handy as the Warriors travel to Moorhead on Thursday in what promises to be a physical affair.

4. Duluth Marshall (12-1)

The Hilltoppers edged Grand Rapids/Greenway 2-1 on Tuesday, handed Superior (WI) a 5-1 loss, then scored five again for good measure in a 5-2 win over No. 10-1A Delano/Rockford. Three of the Hilltoppers’ next four opponents have sub-.500 records.

A Very Fun Fact: Ilsa Lindaman has won the race to 30 goals this season. At this rate, the St. Thomas commit is likely to demolish her previous career-high of 46 tallies, which she set last season.

5. Proctor/Hermantown (6-5-1)

A big win over Hibbing/Chisholm (7-0) was supplemented with a pair of thrillers in a 2-1 win over Delano/Rockford and a 5-3 victory over South St. Paul for the Mirage. Three road games are on the schedule for the Mirage before hosting No. 1-2A Hill-Murray on Jan. 6.

A Very Fun Fact: Proctor/Hermantown boasts the highest penalty kill success rate (95.5%) of any team with at least 40 penalty kill chances.

6. Dodge County (9-1)

Four goals in the first period of a game are generally considered “good” by the leading hockey experts, and that’s exactly what powered the Wildcats to a 5-0 win over southern Minnesota foe Owatonna last week.

Up next for the Wildcats are Visitation and Breck before the Crosstown Cup, in which the Wildcats will play No. 9-2A Centennial/Spring Lake Park.

A Very Fun Fact: The Wildcats have killed all 31 penalties they’ve accrued.

7. Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian (7-4-1)

The White Hawks pulled off the paper upset of Breck on Friday and followed that win over five goals in a 5-2 victory over Pine City, taking full advantage of a scheduling reprieve away from the state’s top teams.

There’s no holiday tourney scheduled for the White Hawks, which means a whole week of rest after playing three games this week against Waconia, Minneapolis, and Hutchinson.

A Very Fun Fact: Goaltender Ashlyn Roth is currently tied for the state lead in shutouts (3) among goaltenders with at least 600 minutes of playing time this season.

8. Crookston (8-3-1)

A 2-1 loss to unranked Class AA team Bemidji isn’t great, but the Pirates rebounded with a 5-0 win over Detroit Lakes and a 3-1 win over Chisago Lakes, escaping a three-game in four-day stretch with two victories.

The Pirates have a date at East Grand Forks ahead of them before playing in the Warroad Holiday Tournament. They’ll open play against Fort Frances (Ont.).

A Very Fun Fact: The Pirates have scored twice as many goals in the second (14) and third (12) periods this season compared to period one (six).

9. Breck (7-2)

The Mustangs stumbled against Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian, allowing three straight goals before getting on the board in the third period of Friday’s loss. Tuesday against Chisago Lakes and Thursday against No. 6-1A Dodge County give Breck a chance to interrupt this two-game skid.

A Very Fun Fact: Five of Breck’s six leading scorers are underclassman, paced by eighth-grader Taylor Hall’s five goals and 12 points.

10. Delano/Rockford (8-6)

Losses are losses, but the Tigers hung with No. 5-1A Proctor/Hermantown in a 2-1 defeat and then lost to No. 4-1A Duluth Marshall 5-2. On a positive note, the Tigers only allowed the Mirage to muster 16 shots on goal.

A Very Fun Fact: Kayla Simonson is the obvious leader in the goaltending clubhouse for the Tigers, but freshman Savannah Geyen has taken over the crease for a pair of games and played admirably, stopping 46 of 50 shots in two wins.

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

1. Edina Green 6 WW
2. Minnetonka Black 6 WWW
3. Alexandria 15 WWWW
4. Woodbury Black 8 WW
5. Rochester 9 WTW
6. Stillwater Red 2 WW
7. Eden Prairie 6 WL
8. Andover 9 LWW
9. Wayzata Blue 3 LWLW
10. Duluth 11 L

Woodbury Black and Rochester swap places after the Predators earned a win over No. 9 Andover over the last week, though it should be noted the Predators and the Mustangs did tie earlier in the season.

Eden Prairie maintains its top-seven billing after a win over Wayzata Blue, and Duluth hangs on to No. 10 despitea loss and a handful of teams hovering just outside of the rankings.

One of those “almost” teams is North Wright County, which managed a tie with Wayzata Blue. NWC still lags behind Duluth due to a loss against the Icebreakers in early December.

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

1. Wayzata (Gold) 3 W
2. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 WW
3. North Shore 11 W
4. Armstrong Cooper 3 WW
5. Alexandria 15 LWWW
6. Central MN Riverblades 5 WLT
7. Owatonna 9 WW
8. Fairmont 4 DNP
9. Osseo/Maple Grove (Black) 3 LWW
10. Roseville/Mahtomedi 2 DNP

No. 2 Grand-Rapids Greenway has won four straight and continues their climb to the top. Alexandria moves into the top five this week: as the Cardinals defeated previous No. 2. Central MN Riverblades 4-0.

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

1. Minnetonka 6 WW
2. Centennial/Spring Lake Park 10 WWW
3. Edina 6 WTW
4. Woodbury 8 W
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 W
6. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 WLTL
7. Lakeville 8 WW
8. Orono Westonka 3 W
9. Warroad 16 WWWL
10. Wayzata 3 WWWW

Woodbury moves from No. 6 to No. 4 this week after topping previously fourth-ranked Grand Rapids-Greenway during the Lightning’s swing through the west metro. Chaska/Chanhassen stands pat in the midst of the chaos at No. 5 with a win.

Wayzata moves into the rankings after four consecutive wins last week, including a victory over previous No.7 Warroad in the championship game of the Warroad Tournament. Addison Preston scored two goals in the championship win for the Trojans, who have now won five straight games.

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

1. Cannon River 9 WW
2. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 WW
3. Eagan (Blue) 8 W
4. Elk River 10 LW
5. Mounds View/Irondale (Gold) 2 WWWW
6. Bemidji 16 WW
7. Moorhead (Black) 15 WWL
8. Eagan (White) 8 WWWW
9. Woodbury (Royal) 8 WLWW
10. Northern Lakes 15 WWWW

There was a top five U12B matchup this week between No. 2 Minnetonka Blue and No. 4 Elk River. Minnetonka Blue won the game 3-0, and both teams stay were they were ranked last week. No. 5 MVI Gold hasn’t lost in over a month and are on a twelve game win streak. Newly ranked Northern Lakes has won five straight games, as the Lightning are dominating opponents outscoring them by an average goal differential of 6 per game.

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

1. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WWW
2. Moorhead 15 DNP
3. Osseo-Maple Grove 3 WW
4. Hastings 8 W
5. Blaine 10 WW
6. White Bear Lake 2 WW
7. Stillwater 2 WL
8. Rochester 9 WW
9. Sartell/Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud 5 L
10. Edina Green 6 WW

The top-five remains the same as last week, with Chaska/Chanhassen, Moorhead, Osseo-Maple Grove, Hastings, and Blaine are entrenching themselves as the state’s best.

Some small shake-ups this week from Nos. 6-10, with Stillwater dropping ever-so-slightly after losing to fourth-ranked Hastings, and Sartell/Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud does the same after losing to unranked Hopkins/Park by a score of 4-2.

Edina Green moves into the top-10 after Minnetonka drops out of the tenth slot.

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

1. Waseca 9 T
2. Mankato 9 WT
3. Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview 8 WW
4. White Bear Lake (Black) 2 DNP
5. New Prague 6 WW
6. North Shore 11 T
7. Central MN Riverblades 5 WWW
8. Minneapolis (Black) 3 W
9. Marshall 4 DNP
10. Woodbury (Gold) 8 W

The top two teams in the state for U10B squared off this past week. No. 1 Waseca and No. 2 Mankato skated to a 4-4 draw, which shows they are ranked just right. Marshall has the most wins at the U10B level, for that reason they enter the rankings at No. 9 this week. Woodbury (Gold) is undefeated and haven’t been ranked this year, they join the rankings at the No. 10 this week.

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): December 18 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Class AA

1. Hill-Murray (8-0)

Undisputedly the state’s top Class AA team after waltzing into Pagel Ice Arena and hanging five on previously top-ranked Minnetonka. The machine has arrived.

2. Minnetonka (7-1)

The 5-3 loss to Hill-Murray on Saturday knocks Minnetonka out of the top spot, but the Skippers have aced nearly every test they’ve been given this season. The numbers paint a picture of dominance, and the loss came against the state’s (then) second-ranked team.

3. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (6-1)

The Red Knights slated several literal and metaphorical dragons in their win over Edina, earning a critical Section 6AA victory and hurdling the mental block the Hornets tend to have against less established teams. A win over a higher-rated team also outweighs a tie against an unranked program.

BSM has won five straight since a Nov. 14 loss to Andover and will get another crack at the Huskies on Dec. 14 at Ridder Arena.

4. Andover (4-1-2)

It took two third-period goals to salvage a 3-3 tie with Centennial/Spring Lake Park, but the Huskies responded with an 8-0 win over top-five Class A squad Proctor/Hermantown on Friday night.

It feels odd to use the word “responded” as if the Huskies suffered some devastating loss instead of drawing with a conference rival and quality team, but that’s the expectation given Andover’s dominance in recent years.

5. Edina (5-2)

Hold off on the “Elmo on fire” memes regarding the Hornets. This is still a premier team despite back-to-back regular-season losses for the first time since I can’t remember when.

It’s anecdotal, but the Hornets have seemed snakebit early this season, and Lorelai Nelson provided a compelling case study. The highly talented Nelson is in her third year at the varsity level and racked up 16 goals as a freshman last season. Through seven games of the 2023-2024 campaign, Nelson has precisely zero goals. Hitting posts and accumulating slap-your-forehead missed chances will self-correct, and the Hornets (and their standouts) will be fine.

R-E-L-A-X.

6. Maple Grove (7-1)

If we were to compare girls’ high school hockey programs to former NBA superstars, Hill-Murray, for example, might be Penny Hardaway. Young, flashy, vibrant, talented, creative.

Maple Grove would be Tim Duncan.

Productive. Methodical. Always near the top of the league. Layups. Hookshots. Fundamentals.

Two more two-goal wins give the Crimson three straight victories since losing to No. 2-2A Minnetonka on Nov. 28. A date with No. 5-2A Edina looms on Dec. 13.

7. Moorhead (5-1-1)

Four straight wins for the Spuds after a Friday-Saturday metro swing, blanking Holy Family 2-0 and then getting 28 saves on 29 shots from Taylor Kressin in a 3-1 win over Elk River.

Those contests marked games five and six in a row away from the Spuds’ home base at the Moorhead Sports Center. They’ll return to home-sweet-home on Thursday for a four-game homestretch.

8. Stillwater (5-3)

In this case, a 4-0 loss to Hill-Murray outweighs a 3-2 win over Orono. The Ponies fell to the Section 4-2A rival Pioneers last Tuesday in a game that featured four Hill-Murray goals and 13 minor penalties.

Scheduling-wise, there are zero ranked teams on the schedule for the next seven games until the Ponies host Edina on Jan. 11.

9. Northfield (9-0)

Northfield made the trip to Orono and came away with a 3-2 win over one of the state’s top Class A programs, a gutsy performance, to be sure. Had the Raiders followed that win with another victory over a quality team, there may have been a case to push them ahead of Stillwater. Instead, Northfield scored three touchdowns in its following game, topping Austin 21-0.

10. Lakeville North (8-0)

A quick turnaround between Thursday and Saturday concluded with two wins for the Panthers, blanking Shakopee 6-0 and edging 2023 Class AA State Tournament participant Rosemount 4-3. Rival Lakeville South is next for the Panthers on Thursday, followed by the always plucky Apple Valley Eagles on Saturday.

Class A

1. Orono (7-2)

Credit the Spartans for continually loading up the nonconference schedule, even if it means taking the occasional loss. Orono fell to Northfield 3-2 last Tuesday (thanks to three power-play goals by the Raiders) but rebounded with a 7-1 win over Chaska/Chanhassen on Saturday to ease the pain.

Warroad’s loss to (previously) unranked Crookston helps the Spartans maintain the state’s top spot in Class A.

3. Holy Angels (6-1-1)

A 7-0 win over New Prague was the only game on this week’s slate for the Stars, who continue to count the days until they have all of their pieces healthy and ready to go.

A three-game stretch starts with a home game against nearby rival Bloomington Jefferson, followed by road contests against Blaine and Chaska/Chanhassen.

4. Warroad (7-2)

The best medicine for a loss is two wins, and the Warriors achieved the feat with two victories over ranked Class A teams in Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian and Delano/Rockford. The loss to Section 8-1A foe Crookston stings, but the Warriors benefit from previously fourth-ranked Proctor-Hermantown losing twice to maintain top-three billing.

5. Duluth Marshall

The Hilltoppers have won eight consecutive games since losing to Warroad 3-2 on the season’s opening weekend, including a 7-2 win over Hibbing/Chisholm last Monday and a Thursday win over Duluth 5-2.

The schedule ramps up a tad for the ‘Toppers this week, as they’ll travel to Grand Rapids/Greenway on Tuesday and host No. 10-1A Delano/Rockford next Saturday.

6. Dodge County (8-1)

Scores of 6-2 over Gentry Academy and 2-1 over the dangerous New Ulm Eagles brings Dodge County’s record to 8-1 this season, with an entertaining southern Minnesota matchup with Owatonna on the docket for Friday night.

The Wildcats will face a real test two days after Christmas when they take on Centennial/Spring Lake Park during the Crosstown Cup at Blake Ice Arena.

7. Crookston (6-2-1)

That 3-1 loss to Champlin Park/Coon Rapids on Dec. 2 seems so very far away after the Pirates took down defending Class A state champion and ruler of the Section 8-1A universe Warroad last Tuesday.

Not lost in the shuffle were a 3-1 win over Rock Ridge and a 7-2 win over International Falls, giving the Pirates four wins in their last five games. The game for all the (section) marbles won’t be until February, but Crookston scored a major seeding victory with the win over the Warriors.

8. Breck (7-1)

The Mustangs did not play last week. They’re back in action on Dec. 15 against Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian.

9. Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian (5-4-1)

The gauntlet schedule continues for the White Hawks, pairing a matchup with Lake Conference Class AA squad Wayzata with hosting duties against Warroad. For the week, the White Hawks emerged with a 2-1 record, defeating Wayzata, falling to the Warriors, and then tallying 13 goals in a 13-0 win over Morris/Benson Area.

10. Delano/Rockford (5-4-1)

The Tigers knocked Simley out of the rankings this week with a 4-2 win over the Spartans last Tuesday, slipping past Marshall 3-2 for good measure. The 5-1 loss to Warroad isn’t, you know, anything to hang on the fridge, but the Tigers showed that an exceptional goaltender can keep games close-ish.

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

1. Edina Green 6 WWW
2. Minnetonka (Black) 6 LWW
3. Alexandria 15 L
4. Rochester 9 TWW
5. Woodbury Black 8 TW
6. Stillwater Red 2 WWW
7. Eden Prairie 6 TT
8. Wayzata Blue 3 LT
9. Andover 9 WT
10. Duluth 11 DNP

15B 
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week)

1. Wayzata (Gold) 3 WW
2. Central MN Riverblades 5 WWWT
3. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 DNP
4. North Shore 11 WTWL
5. Armstrong Cooper 3 WW
6. Alexandria 15 WWW
7. Fairmont 4 WW
8. Osseo/Maple Grove (Black) 3 WL
9. Owatonna 9 TWLW
10. Roseville/Mahtomedi 2 W

Central MN Riverblades defeated previous No. 2 North Shore 3-2 this week. The Riverblades replace North Shore at No. 2.

No. 5 Armstrong Cooper is steadily climbing the ladder that is in the rankings with two solid wins this week.

No. 10 Roseville/Mahtomedi is in the rankings for the first time this season. The Marauders are on a five-game win streak.

12A 
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week)

1. Minnetonka 6 WWW
2. Centennial/Spring Lake Park 10 WWW
3. Edina 6 WW
4. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 WWW
5. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WLL
6. Woodbury 8 WWW
7. Warroad 16 LL
8. Lakeville 8 DNP
9. East Grand Forks 16 W
10. Orono-Westonka 3 W

12B 
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week)

1. Cannon River 9 TW
2. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 WW
3. Eagan (Blue) 6 WWWL
4. Elk River 10 WW
5. Woodbury (Gold) 8 W
6. Moorhead (Black) 15 W
7. Mounds View/Irondale (Gold) 2 W
8. Marshall 4 DNP
9. East Grand Forks 16 W
10. North Wright County 5 WLWWW

Previous No. 1 Eagan Blue got defeated for the first time this past week and that shook up the whole top-10.

Here are the changes made.

-Cannon River from No. 2 to No. 1

-Minnetonka Blue from No. 3 to No. 2

-Eagan Blue from No. 1 to No. 3

-Moundsview/Irondale Gold from No. 9 to No. 7

-Marshall from UR to No. 8

-East Grand forks from UR to No. 9

-North Wright County from UR to No. 10

Dropped out-

-Bemidji

-OMG White

-Delano

10B 
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week)

1. Waseca 9 DNP
2. Mankato 9 W
3. Woodbury (Royal) 8 DNP
4. Shakopee 6 W
5. Apple Valley/Burnsville/Eastview 8 W
6. White Bear Lake (Black) 2 DNP
7. New Prague 6 DNP
8. North Shore 11 W
9. Central MN Riverblades 5 W
10. Minneapolis (Black) 3 DNP

District 9 is looking like a powerhouse early in U10 B, the district holds the top two spots with Waseca and Mankato.

No. 7 New Prague is outscoring opponents 61/4. The Trojans are dominating now, but will it hold up?

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): December 11 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Class AA

1. Minnetonka (6-0)

Minnetonka did everything a No. 1 team is supposed to do last week. First, the Skippers beat a top-five team by three goals in a 4-1 win over previous No. 5-2A Maple Grove. Then, the Skippers outshot Chaska/Chanhassen 59-5 en route to a 13-0 victory.

Three players recorded four points for Minnetonka in the win over the Stormhawks, and Ellie Zakrajsheck led the way with a hat trick and two helpers.

2. Hill-Murray (6-0)

Like a pie cooling in the window or wearing the same pair of sweatpants for 48 hours, moving Hill-Murray was mighty tempting this week after a 2-1, come-from-behind win over previously second-ranked Edina at Braemar Arena on Thursday night.

The Pioneers then followed the win over the Hornets with an emphatic 10-0 thumping of South St. Paul, paced by a five-point performance by Chloe Boreen. Boreen, the senior St. Thomas commit, also scored the game-winner against Edina.

3. Andover (3-1-1)

Andover gutted out a 4-1 win over Holy Family on Tuesday night before pounding Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper 12-0 over the weekend.

The win over the Fire featured 11 total penalties called against the teams, including a pair of five-minute majors. In an amusing twist, former Andover 15A goaltender Kayla Swartout stopped 42 of 45 shots in her first appearance against her former teammates.

4. Edina (3-1)

The Hornets dropped two spots after the 2-1 loss to Hill-Murray. Zero cause for alarm in the little town on the west side as Edina prepares to face No. 5 Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Wayzata, and North Wright County this week.

5. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (5-1)

A (very) northern swing resulted in a pair of wins for the Red Knights, as they topped Roseau 3-2 before shellacking Thief River Falls 9-0.

Freshman phenom Talla Hansen leads the Red Knights in scoring after the weekend’s games, with six goals and 12 points through her first six high school games.

The Red Knights can crack the top four if they can pull off the upset win over No. 4-2A Edina this week.

6. Maple Grove (5-1)

The Crimson followed Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to top-ranked Minnetonka with a textbook 3-0 win over Elk River, where Maddie Elfstrand, Maisy Tomlinson, and Bella Shipley scored in the first, second, and third periods. Dani Strom earned her fourth shutout of the season with 20 saves in the win, while Elk River’s Abby Huselid stopped 44 of 47 shots.

7. Moorhead (3-1-1)

10 days after an uncharacteristic 8-3 loss against Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Moorhead took its frustrations out on Sartell/Sauk Rapids and Alexandria last week, beating the Sabres and Cardinals by a combined score of 17-1. Junior Olivia Kortan tallied nine points for the Spuds between the two victories and, through five games, has already equaled nearly 40% of last year’s scoring total.

8. Stillwater (4-2)

Three wins is three wins, and the Ponies have popped up above .500 and will likely stay there the rest of the way. With the exception of the Walser Holiday Tourney and a trio of nonconference games against Eden Prairie, Edina, and Andover, the Ponies are firmly into Suburban East Conference play, in which the Ponies are clearly the most talented team.

9. Northfield (7-0)

Maybe if the Raiders had allowed a goal or scored 14 times last week instead of 15, I could justify dropping them below this week’s surprise No. 10-2A team (don’t look below; let it be a surprise!).

Unfortunately for that mystery team, Northfield blanked Blake 7-0 and then hung 15 on Rochester Century/John Marshall on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Golden Gopher commit Ayla Puppe racked up six goals and 10 points in the pair of victories.

10. Lakeville North (6-0)

With Champlin Park/Coon Rapids’ loss to Warroad, the Panthers enter the rankings as the line South Suburban Conference squad after a 6-0 win over Eagan and a 4-2 win over Farmington.

Like Stillwater, the Panthers are about to enter conference-only play, with a Dec. 21 date with No. 4-2A Edina, the lone nonconference, non-tournament contest on the schedule.

Class A

1. Orono (6-1)

Welcome back, Spartans. Your lease on the No. 1 spot in Class A is still valid, and you’re still eligible to get your security deposit back because you were only gone a short time.

Orono pumped 40 shots on net in last week’s win over previously top-ranked Holy Angels, helping result in a 4-1 victory. The Spartans will take on No. 9-2A Northfield on Tuesday and Chaska/Chanhassen on Saturday.

2. Warroad (5-1)

The Warriors picked up a 5-2 win over Bemidji last Tuesday and a 4-3 win over former No. 10-2A Champlin Park/Coon Rapids. Against the Bluebirds, the Warriors initially went down 3-0 before storming back with four tallies for the eventual win. Madilyn Skogman and Emmie Hardwick each recorded three points in the win.

3. Holy Angels (5-1-1)

Because high school hockey isn’t nuts, there aren’t injury reports for teams, which can make slotting teams with injuries difficult. For instance, Holy Angels. The Stars are missing a handful of players, so a 4-1 loss against Orono should be taken with an appropriately sized grain of salt.

The Stars are back at it next Saturday against New Prague, their seventh of eight home games to start the season.

4. Proctor/Hermantown (3-3-1)

Proctor/Hermantown is back in the win column after three winless contests, falling 4-2 against Edina, 2-1 against Orono, and tying Holy Angels last Tuesday before edging Gentry Academy 4-3 last Saturday. The gauntlet continues for the Mirage this week, hosting Grand Rapids/Greenway and Andover this Thursday and Friday.

Six of the Mirage’s seven games this season have been decided by two goals or fewer.

5. Duluth Marshall (7-1)

The Hilltoppers haven’t exactly faced a Murderers’ Row of opponents so far. There, that’s out in the open.

However, (pretty much) all the ‘Toppers have done this year is win, a feat accomplished three times last week with back-to-back shutouts over North Shore and Pine City Area, followed by a 2-1 win over Brainerd/Little Falls.

With 15 goals and 11 assists so far, St. Thomas commit Ilsa Lindaman is currently tied for second among all Minnesota skaters in scoring.

6. Dodge County (6-1)

A 3-2 overtime loss against North Wright County interrupted a six-game winning streak for the Wildcats and a 7-3 win over previously No. 9-1A South St. Paul should not be overlooked.

Six players have now eclipsed the double-digit mark for scoring, and goaltender Ida Huber has posted a goals-against-average of 0.99 and a save percentage of .905 to go along with four shutouts.

7. River Lakes (6-0-1)

The Pride of Paynesville is off to an undefeated start this season and climb to No. 7-1A this week, having won four straight games since a 0-0 tie with Fergus Falls earlier in the year.

Sophia Hess and Abby Storms have combined for 33 points through seven games thus far for the Stars, and goaltender Kaydence Roeske (she’s around for another year after this, folks) has a GAA of 0.81, .970 save percentage and three blank sheets.

8. Breck (7-1)

A 3-2 upset win over fifth-ranked Simley put the Mustangs at the forefront of the teams waiting to get into Club Rankings.

Despite a 3-2 loss to Northern Tier on Saturday, Breck is returning to the top-ish end of Class A programs. A true test awaits on Dec. 15, when No. 10-1A Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian comes to the Anderson Ice Arena.

9. Simley (3-3)

Simley is currently 3-3 while averaging 3.33 goals-per-game. What were the Spartans’ results against opponents during the second period this season? 3-3.

Cue the X-Files theme music.

In all seriousness, the Spartans remain in the top 10 thanks largely to its earlier win over No. 1-1A Orono, though losing to a previously unranked Breck team does drop the Spartans from fifth to ninth.

Delano/Rockford and St. Paul/Two Rivers are on deck for this week.

10. Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian (3-3-1)

Nobody could accuse the White Hawks of losing to teams beneath their station, an attribute when it comes to ranking Class 1A teams, where the water gets murky after the first four programs. This season’s losses have come against No. 9-2A Northfield, No. 1-1A Orono, and No. 3-1A Holy Angels.

Now, the White Hawks will take on Wayzata, No. 2-1A Warroad, and Morris/Benson in the span of four days this week.

15A Girls
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week)

1. Alexandria 15 LWWWW
2. Minnetonka (Black) 6 WT
3. Edina Green 6 WWWW
4. Rochester 9 WWWWL
5. Woodbury Black 8 T
6. Stillwater Red 2 LWWL
7. Eden Prairie 6 TLW
8. Wayzata Blue 3 LWWL
9. Duluth 11 TL
10. Andover 9 TWWW

Alexandria remains number one despite a loss to Rochester in the Centennial Super Chill. They avenged the pool play loss Sunday with a 4-1 win over the Mustangs. Edina Green cruised to a Winter Warmup championship in Bloomington Sunday. The Green Machine rolled their opponents 20-4 in four games.

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

1. Wayzata Gold 3 WT
2. North Shore 11 WWWW
3. Grand Rapids/Greenway 12 DNP
4. Central MN Riverblades 5 WL
5. Osseo-Maple Grove Black 3 WLWL
6. Owatonna 9 WWWW
7. Armstrong Cooper 3 WL
8. Rosemount 8 LWL
9. Alexandria 15 WLLL
10. Bemidji 16 LW

North Shore rockets to the No. 2 slot this week thanks to a second-place finish at the Centennial Super Chill, which included wins over Osseo-Maple Grove Black, Alexandria, and Rosemount. Those teams were ranked No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 in last week’s Staff Rankings.

Owatonna moves up after going 4-0 and winning the Bloomington Winter Warm Up, highlighted by Alexis Noble’s six goals and 12 points. Noble’s performance led the tournament in scoring.

The Central MN Riverblades drop two slots after falling to previously unranked Bemidji, which enters the rankings at No. 10 after beating the previous No. 2 Riverblades.

12A Girls
(Rank-Team-District-Last Week)

1. Minnetonka 6 W
2. Centennial/Spring Lake Park 10 WWTWW
3. Chaska/Chanhassen 6 WWWWL
4. Edina 6 WWL
5. Grand Rapids-Greenway 12 WWW
6. Woodbury 8 WW
7. Warroad 16 WW
8. Lakeville 8 WWWW
9. East Grand Forks 16 TWWL
10. Orono-Westonka 3 WWWWW

Three tourney winners over the weekend all lay claim on a spot in the top-10.

Orono-Westonka wins the the Bloomington tournament with four quality wins. Lakeville wins up north beating East Grand Forks in the finals. The biggest tourney win of the week goes to Centennial who shuts out Chaska/Chan 4-0 Sunday to win their home tourney the Super Chill.

Tonka remains number one, the Skippers knocked off Edina for the second time in a week.

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

1. Eagan (Blue) 8 WW
2. Cannon River 9 WW
3. Minnetonka (Blue) 6 WW
4. Elk River 10 W
5. Woodbury (Gold) 8 WL
6. Moorhead (Black) 15 WW
7. Bemidji 16 DNP
8. Osseo/Maple Grove (White) 3 WWWL
9. Mounds View/Irondale (Gold) 2 W
10. Delano 3 LWWW

The top three all take care of business this week as each goes 2-0 on the week respectively.

Elk River is the biggest mover this week, leaping from No. 9 to No. 4 in this week’s rankings. The Elks knocked off last week’s No. 5 Woodbury (Gold) 2-1 this Sunday.

Mounds View/Irondale (Gold) is one of the two new teams in the rankings this week. The Mavericks are on a heater currently with seven wins in a row and are the only team to beat Marshall on the young season.

Delano rounds the week 2 rankings out as the No. 10 team. The Tigers notched a key win over division foe OMG (White) in overtime this past week.

All content in this article is provided by Youth Hockey Hub.

The post YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): December 4 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.