Saying the Blake girls' hockey program is dominant is like saying water is wet, or that Cheetos are not a premier breakfast choice. 

The Bears have tormented their Class 1A opponents to the tune of seven state championships, including four of the past five state crowns. 

But in early March 2017, the girls' hockey landscape in Minnesota was dealt a vibration that may have registered on the Richter scale. The Bears submitted a request to the Minnesota State High School to opt up to Class 2A for the 2017-2018 season, and have immediately joined the conversation as one of the top Class 2A programs in the state.

The Bears are one of the few teams in the state that can compete with defending champion Edina in the talent department, setting the stage for star-laden battles during the coming season. With both teams in Class 2A, Section 6, a state tournament berth will likely be decided between the Bears and the Hornets on Feb. 16. 

The following is the Youth Hockey Hub take on the top-10 Class 2A programs on the eve of the 2017-2018 season.  

1. Edina

2016-2017 Record: 28-1-1

The defending Class 2A state champion returns locked and loaded for another run at postseason glory, with several key players wearing the green and gold for another year. 

Senior forward and Harvard commit Lolita Fidler (24-29-53) paces a talented forward group that includes Minnesota commit Emily Oden (25-15-40) and junior forward C.C. Bowlby (7-20-27).

Holding down the goaltending duties for the Hornets will be senior Megan Smith, who went 6-0-0 in limited action while stopping 79 of 81 shots faced and posting four shutouts.

In a testament to the Edina’s 2016-2017 dominance, the Hornets outscored their three state tournament opponents 12-1. 

2. The Blake School 

2016-2017 Record: 27-2-1

Any other school making the jump from Class 1A to Class 2A would be expected to face some growing pains in the adjustment. However, Blake returns enough talent on both sides of the puck to earn the preseason No. 1 ranking if it were not for the Hornets. 

The Bears remarkably return all but three players from last season’s run to the program’s seventh state championship, and return top offensive weapons in junior forward Izzy Daniel (17-27-44) and sophomore forward Lily Delianedis (18-27-45) in addition to junior and Minnesota commit Madeline Wethington, one of the top defenders in the state.

Senior forward Sara McClanahan takes on the role of elder stateswoman this season, as the Dartmouth commit enters her fifth campaign as a member of the Bears’ varsity.

3. Hill-Murray

2016-2017 Record: 24-5-2

Like Blake, the Pioneers only lose three players from last season’s lineup that finished fourth at the state tournament and return a bevy of talented players to the ice. 

Senior forward and Minnesota commit Abigail Boreen (31-31-62) teams with junior forward and Boston University commit Haylee Blinkhorn (16-14-30) to form a solid base for the offense, while senior defender Mariah Keopple (5-29-34) facilitates the back end. 

Junior goaltender Ava Bailey is back between the pipes for the Pioneers after recording a goals-against average of 1.58 and seven shutouts. 

4. Blaine

2016-2017 Record: 24-4-2

A 4-0 loss in the state championship did little to dim Blaine’s luster, as the Bengals romped to 24 wins while outscoring opponents 160-32 over the course of the year. 

Replacing All-State defender Emily Brown and four other blue-liners will be no small task, but the Bengals return standout goaltender Jaela O’Brien (15-3-2, 1.07 GAA, .932 SV, 6 SO’s), which should help the transition to a new defensive core. 

Offensively, the Bengals return the electric duo of senior Gabby Rosenthal (29-32-61) and junior Ramsey Parent (25-30-55), both of whom are committed to Ohio State. 

5. Cretin-Derham Hall 

2016-2017 Record: 18-8-2

A young Cretin-Derham Hall squad advanced all the way to the Class 2A, Section 6 finals before bowing out to eventual state champion Edina by the paltry score of 2-0, and with another year of seasoning, the Raiders appear poised to challenge once again for the section crown.

Returning the helm the offensive attack for the Raiders are junior forward Emily King (17-13-30) and senior forward Anna Klein (14-11-25), while sophomore defender Cece Ziegler (2-18-20) steers the defense in front of junior goaltender Megan Meyers. King has committed to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

6. Centennial 

2016-2017 Record: 15-12-0

The number seven wasn’t so lucky for Centennial last season. 
Seven is the number of one-goal losses suffered by the Cougars, a team that ran through a gauntlet of a schedule. Among those seven heartbreaking defeats included nail-gnawing losses to powers Breck, Blake, Maple Grove, and Eden Prairie, proving that the Cougars can certainly hold their own against the state’s best.

Senior forwards Gabbie Hughes (32-40-72) and Anneke Linser (23-41-64) have returned for their senior campaigns, and will the trek to Minnesota-Duluth to continue their playing careers for the national power Bulldogs.

In addition to Hughes to Linser, the Cougars have supplemental offensive firepower in junior forward Maija Almich (16-21-37), and a puck-moving maestro in senior defender Hannah Backman (8-16-24).

7. Eden Prairie

2016-2017 Record: 21-7-1

A third-place finish for the Eagles in last year’s state tournament marked the fourth time in five seasons that the Eagles have advanced to the Xcel Energy Center, a trip that could be hard to come by without All-State forward Naomi Rogge. Rogge, now at Minnesota-Duluth, accounted for 40 of the Eagles’ 102 goals in 29 games last season.

Helping offset the loss of Rogge will be senior defender and Minnesota commit Crystalyn Hengler (12-24-36) and sophomore forward Sydney Langseth (11-14-25), who will look to build upon an impressive freshman season. 

Senior goaltender Alexa Dobchuk is also back for the Eagles, having played every game in the nets while totaling a stat line of 1.44 GAA, .935 SV%, and a remarkable nine shutouts. 

Dobchuk has been the Eagles’ primary goaltender since her eighth-grade season, and to date has recorded 68 wins and 25 shutouts.

8. Maple Grove

2016-2017 Record: 22-5-1

Junior forward and Minnesota-Duluth commit Mannan McMahon (22-29-51) is back for the Crimson, as is senior forward Maia Martinez (21-23-44), but last season’s Section 5-2A runner-up will need to replace 11 departed seniors, including All-State picks Tina Kampa and Taylor Wente.

As if losing a pair of Division I skaters wasn't enough, the Crimson will also need a successor in net, as Coco Francis and Breanna Blesi move on to their own Division I netminding careers at Union College and Wisconsin respectively. 

With more than several key pieces moving on, the Crimson should rely heavily on a highly-talented batch of players joining the high school program from the state runner-up 15UA squad.

9. Andover 

2016-2017 Record: 11-15-1

How does a team that finished below .500 make a preseason top-10 list?

Try mixing a group of players that won the state championship at the 15UA level in 2017 with players who won the 12UA state title in 2015 and add in a pair of Division I-bound upperclassmen.

The Huskies return senior forward and Minnesota Claire Butorac (17-20-37) and junior forward and Bemidji State commit Paige Anderson (10-14-24) to guide a relatively young group that carries over several freshmen from the 2016-2017 campaign.

Among those new sophomores is Jamie Nelson, who will look to build on a freshman season that saw her total eight goals and 19 points.

10. Elk River/Zimmerman 

2016-2017 Record: 21-7-0

Junior forward and Minnesota State commit Kelsey King (18-14-32) returns to the Elks’ lineup that of players that numbers 13 upperclassmen and eight seniors. Among those seniors is crafty forward Reilly Springman (15-12-27) and Ohio State-bound defender Madison Bizal (8-17-25). 

Further adding to the stability of an experience-laden roster is the return of junior goaltender Megan Jung, who played in every game last season for the Elks while finishing with a GAA of 1.60 and five shutouts. 

The mix of stability on both offense and defense give the Elks a chance to make their first state tournament run since the 2010-2011 season.