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Summer Hot Stove: Top 12A Teams Next Year

By Trent Richards, 08/19/14, 4:45PM CDT

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Guest writer Trent Richards heats up the Hot Stove this week with his take on the U12 A teams this Winter in Minnesota. He chooses the consensus number one team coming into the season, the Forest Lake Rangers. He also gives a nod to Brainerd and Wayzata...two teams that two years ago were nearly undefeated as U10A. Edina will be right there and potentially may be the best team at the end of the season. No matter how you slice it the East side has some serious talent, namely District 2 with teams like Forest Lake, Stillwater, and Highland Central.

But what makes it most interesting is the team that comes out of nowhere to beat one of these teams or the team that vaults into the top 10. 

  1. Forest Lake - Forest Lake might have been the youngest team in the state last year and this year they may very well be the best.  They have high end talent at F and D and will place kids at 12B that would make 99% of U12A teams.  Parent, Peterson and Nelson highlight the states pre-season #1 but the list doesn't stop there.  
  2. Brainerd - This team is the class of the north and will have as good of a top 6-7 players as any team in the state.  Do they have the depth at the bottom as well to compete for a state title?  YHH says yes.  Gabbie Smith could make a run at player of the year but her cousin Emma Smith, as well as Booth, Kramer and Robinson will be some other names to watch as well.  This team is really physical and tough.
  3. Wayzata - Wayzata has top end talent at F and D, depth and goal tending.  Looking for the Trojans to be in the thick of things come State Tournament time.  McBean, Bergeron, Hackley and Crandall are names to watch for. 
  4.  Highland Central - Highland boasts one of the top D in the state in Cece Ziegler, F in the state in Kiera Ryan and G in Josie Bothun.  The Capitals have added more and more depth and look to be a major factor in D2 as well as the State.  They may not quite have the depth as other top 5 teams but when you have a top end goalie coupled with premier goal scorers, it makes you extremely tough to beat.
  5. Edina Green - Edina is always loaded with depth and this year will be no exception.  They may not have quite the top end talent as the previous two years but don't feel sorry for Edina as they return a handful of players from last years State Tourney team and will add from their other 12A team and loaded 10A teams.  YHH assumes coach Scott Bowlby will lead the U12A team for the third straight year.  Wethington, Bowlby, Strittmater, Jungels and Chorske could be names you hear a lot at Braemar.  If they land a certain girl from Minnesota Made then we may need to bump the Hornets up in the rankings
  6. Eagan - Eagan will have two of the top scoring forwards in the state in Julia Barger and Bella Weaver but don't sleep on the names Marsh and Woog either.  Scoring goals will not be a problem but defense and goal tending will be what Eagan needs to stick with the top 5 teams.
  7. Stillwater - Stillwater will return two of their top scores from last year in Lauren Einan and Fiona Claugherty, as well has two very high end D in Lexie Ligday and Sophie Schuster.   YHH learned one of Stillwater's two goalies from the U10A campaign two years ago has moved to Wisconsin, so we are not sure how that will affect this team.  Young talent from 10A might be on the way as well.  Eagan and Stillwater could be very similar teams.
  8. Andover - YHH is hearing that Maddie Skelton will make the move from boys hockey in Isanti to girls hockey at Andover.  If this is true, then it give an already top 10 caliber team a big time boost from a high end forward.  Andovers 10A team last year was dynamite and should infuse some young talent to a pretty deep group.
  9. Eden Prairie - The Eagals will return one of their top scorers and coaches daughter in Sydney Langseth as well as their goal tender from last years 12A team.  They don't have quite the depth of Edina or Wayzata but are poised to be a top 10 team when the season opens.  Nora Wagner is another name to watch.
  10. Shakopee - Shakopee will not likely co-op with  Bloomington this season, either way Caitlin Rock and Emily Roder will lead a team that has had great success the past two seasons at the U12A level with a state tourney appearance two years ago and a Regional appearance last year.  Look for the Sabres to be a very difficult out for anyone in the top 10 this year.

Others of note:  OMG, Mahtomedi, Cottage Grove, North Wright County, Duluth

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