YHH Staff Rankings (GIRLS): December 18

Youth Hockey Hub staff rankings:

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.

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