1. Andover (5-0)

A 7-0 win over top-10 team Maple Grove only further cements Andover’s place as the top team in the state. The Huskies have outscored their five opponents this season 48-1 and are led statistically by Ms. Hockey favorite Peyton Hemp with six goals and 19 points. 

2. Edina (5-0)

Starting goaltender Uma Corniea is back and posted a 22-save shutout over Holy Family Catholic on Jan. 29, confirming that she’s already in midseason form. The Hornets have allowed just three goals so far this season, giving up three in a 6-3 win over Blake on Jan. 26. Emma Conner leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and 14 points, followed by defender Vivian Jungels and her five goals and 11 points. 

3. Minnetonka (5-0)

The Skippers cut short a game against Lake Conference rival Wayzata due to a spectator emergency (which, to our knowledge, has been resolved) and will look to replay the game later this season. Minnetonka polished off Class A opponent Willmar 9-1 on Jan. 29 heading into the newest set of rankings, and are primed for a showdown with No. 2-2A Edina on Feb. 2. 

4. Hill-Murray (5-0)

Unranked in the preseason, the Pioneers have rocketed to No. 4 with a mixture of previously-ranked teams falling and a spotless five wins to start the season. Wins over No. 3-1A Breck and No. 6-2A Benilde-St. Margaret’s certainly help the resume, as do the performances of freshmen Chloe Boreen and Grace Zhan. Boreen leads the team in scoring five goals and six points, while Zhan has earned a 5-0 record between the pipes with a goals-gainst-average of 1.00 and a .949 save percentage. 

5. Maple Grove (3-2)

Despite being shut in losses to Blaine and Andover, the Crimson is still among the top teams in Class AA. The Crimson desperately need more production from the supporting cast of Division I-bound senior forwards Lauren Stenslie (4-1-5) and Tristana Tatur (6-0-6), who have totaled 10 of the team’s 13 goals through five games. Look for players like Tia Rice, Stella Retrum, and Sam Stelljes to help take on scoring roles going forward.

6. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (4-1-1)

The Red Knights suffered their first loss of the season over the weekend, falling to No. 4-2A Hill-Murray 3-1 two days after topping Metro West Conference rival Chaska/Chanhassen by the same score. Four players, Emma Hoen (3-6-9), Olivia Haag (5-3-8), Mary Zavoral (3-5-8), and Emma Peschel (2-3-5), are averaging over one point-per-game so far, and Carly Greene has stopped 90 of 97 shots while playing nearly every minute in five games. 

7. Stillwater (4-0)

The Ponies marched to a pair of routine wins since the last batch of rankings, beating White Bear Lake 5-1 and Woodbury 6-1. The top forward line of Josie St. Martin (6-2-8), Morgan Wohlers (5-4-9), and Lexi Huber (5-1-6) has continued to chug along, scoring 16 of the team’s 22 goals. Lily Timmons has played all 204 minutes in goal this season, allowing just one goal in each of the team’s first four games.

8. Roseau (4-1-1)

Losing to rival Warroad 7-1 hurts, but the Rams will get their chance at revenge on Feb. 1, a quick turnaround after a 4-0 win over Thief River Falls after the loss to the Warriors. The duo of Memphis Mertens (8-8-16) and Kate Helgeson (9-5-14) has been responsible for 17 of the team’s 23 goals thus far, including a one-goal, two-assist performance by Helgeson in the win over the Prowlers. 

9. Blaine (4-1)

Three of Blaine’s four victories this season have been by two goals or less, which is just how the Bengals drew it up for 2021. A 2-1 loss to Rogers remains the only blemish on the year, while the team picked up a 3-2 win over Anoka/Spring Lake Park and a 2-0 triumph over Armstrong/Cooper since the last rankings.

Among Northwest Suburban Conference goaltenders that have faced 100 or more shots this season, Bengal net minder Hailey Hansen has the lowest GAA (1.00) and the highest save percentage (.962). 

10. Burnsville (4-0-1)

Sitting atop the black-and-blue South Suburban is Burnsville, which pocketed a 4-2 win over Farmington and a 6-1 win over Lakeville North since last Monday. Sami Bowlby (5-3-8) and Katie Katzmarek (0-8-8) lead the Blaze in scoring, and goaltender Maria Widen leads the conference in GAA, save percentage, and wins.

While the lack of non-conference opponents doesn’t exactly beef up the Blaze’s resume, winning in the South Suburban is a war of attrition, and Burnsville winning that war (or tied for winning) for the time being should be applauded.

1. Warroad (4-0)

Since the last set of rankings, Warroad has given up its first two goals of the season. 

Also, since the last set of rankings, the Warriors have thumped two Class AA schools, netting seven goals against No. 8-2A Roseau in a 7-1 win and hanging six on Moorhead in a 6-1 victory. 

Geno and Talya Hendrickson have continued scoring at a torrid pace since the year’s beginning, with Geno now holding totals of nine goals and 19 points and Talya notching six goals and 15 points. The Warriors will begin a stretch of southern opponents starting next Friday with a game against Gentry Academy and follow that with games against Dodge County (Feb. 12) and Bloomington Jefferson (Feb. 13). 

2. Chisago Lakes (4-1)

A 10-1 win over Princeton was followed by a 4-1 win over formerly ranked South St. Paul, allowing the Wildcats to hang on to the No. 2 spot this week. A battle with Section 5-1A Orono looms on Feb. 2, marking the first time the teams have seen each other since last year’s section playoffs, where the Spartans emerged victorious with a 5-1 win. 

3. Breck (3-2)

The Mustangs’ losses have been by one goal to No. 2-1A Chisago Lakes and No. 4-2A Hill-Murray by two goals, and Breck will get a shot at the Pioneers on Feb. 18 to avenge last Tuesday’s defeat. Nine different players have scored at least one goal so far for the Mustangs, paced by leaders Ava Lindsay (5-9-14) and Sadie Lindsay (8-3-11). 

4. Proctor-Hermantown 

Proctor/Hermantown is coming off a 9-1 win over Pine City Area and a 14-0 win over Superior (Wis.) in its last two games, giving the Mirage a total of 28 goals in its first three contests. An absurd 20 players have recorded at least one point for the Mirage, who are paced in scoring by Alyssa Watkins (2-7-9), Nya Sieger (2-5-7), and Hannah Graves (1-6-7). 

5. Mound Westonka (6-0)

A 5-2 win over Orono makes the Whitehawks’ stay at the top of the Wright County Conference even more comfortable than it already was, as the team maintained a perfect 5-0 conference record. Grace Peterson (12-7-19), Sydney Leonard (9-6-15), and Gretta Pioske (6-5-11) are the WCC’s leading scorers in that order, with Taylor Leonard (3-5-8) and Montana Courneya (1-7-8) tied for fourth with Delano/Rockford’s Kali Schmidt. Goaltender Callie Nelson leads the conference in GAA (1.20), save percentage (.931), and shutouts (two).