Former Class 2A-No. 1's given top seeds in strong Section 4AA bracket
By MN Hockey Hub staff
02/19/2017, 10:00am CST
No. 1 seed Stillwater and No. 2 seed Hill-Murray headline a strong Class 2A, Section 4 bracket.
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Sunday's seeding results
Last but not least, Centennial received the No. 1 seed in the Section 5AA bracket following a vote by section coaches.
The Cougars (20-4-1) hovered in the lower half of the Class 2AA top 10 before landing at No. 7 in the latest coach's poll. They face No. 8 seed Osseo in the first round, who they beat 12-0 on Jan. 17. Seven players recorded multi-point games, including Hayden Brickner who had two goals and three assists.
Second-seeded Maple Grove ranked No. 9 in the latest coach's poll and won six of seven games to finish the season 19-6-0. The Crimson split the season series with Centennial, winning 5-3 on Jan. 5 and losing 5-0 on Jan. 28.
No. 3 seed Blaine (13-11-1) rematches No. 6 seed Coon Rapids (6-18-1) after beating the Cardinals 7-2 on Feb. 11. Bryce Brodzinski leads the Bengals in scoring with 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points and Will Hillman netted four game-winning goals in the regular season.
With five Class 1A top 20 teams in the bracket, Class 1A-No. 4 ranked St. Paul Academy received the top seed in Section 4A following a vote by section coaches.
The high-scoring Spartans (21-4-0) averaged 5.64 goals per game and finished their season by winning seven of eight games. Matt Dahlseide (69 points) and Dev McCabe (60 points) were among the top 17 scorers in the state.
St. Paul Academy will play the winner of No. 8 seed St. Paul Highland and No. 9 seed Simley on Feb. 24.
In the latest coach's poll, No. 2 seed Mahtomedi ranked No. 5 in Class 1A. After a rocky stretch in early February, the Zephyrs (13-11-1) ended their season with back-to-back wins over No. 6 St. Cloud Cathedral and Roseville.
Mahtomedi faces a No. 7-seeded Henry Sibley that beat in a 3-0 shutout on Jan. 5.
With the No. 3 seed, Class 1A-No. 14 ranked St. Paul Johnson (17-6-2) faces No. 6 seed South St. Paul. The fourth top-20 team, Class 1A-No. 19 Totino-Grace, faces Class 1A-No. 17 Minnehaha Academy.
Former Class 2A No. 1-ranked Stillwater earned the No. 1 seed in the Section 4AA bracket following a vote by section coaches.
The Ponies (22-3-0) were the top ranked team in Class 2A until they lost to Eden Prairie, 4-1, on Jan. 21. Stillwater was ranked No. 5 in the latest coach's poll after winning its final six games by a combined score of 42-6. After a first round bye, the Ponies will face the winner of No. 8 seed North St. Paul and No. 9 seed Irondale.
No. 2 seed Hill-Murray held the top spot in the Class 2A coach's poll for one week following Stillwater's Jan. 21 loss. The Pioneers (16-5-4) were ranked No. 10 in the latest coach's poll after finishing the season 3-4-1. They face No. 7 Roseville (8-16-1) in the first round.
White Bear Lake received the No. 3 seed and was ranked No. 15 in the latest coach's poll. The Bears (14-7-4) tied Hill-Murray on Dec. 22 and was shutout by Stillwater to end their season.
Following a vote by section coaches, St. Thomas Academy was awarded the No. 1 seed for the Class 2A, Section 3 playoffs.
The Cadets (20-4-1) ranked No. 8 in the latest Class 2A coach's poll and finished one point behind No. 4 ranked Hill-Murry in the Metro East Conference standings after winning 12 of their final 13 games. Willie Reim leads the Cadets in goals (20) and points (45).
Class 2A-No. 18 Burnsville received the No. 2 seed after going 16-8-1 in the regular season. After a first-round bye, the Blaze will face the winner of No. 7 seed Park of Cottage Grove and No. 10 seed Hastings.
No. 5 seed Rosemount (11-3-1) and No. 4 seed Eagan played twice in the regular season. Eagan (14-11-0) won both games by two goals and head into sections after winning four of its last five games.
Sunday's bracket results continue to pour in with Northfield seeded No. 1 in Class 1A, Section 1.
The Raiders (17-5-3) were ranked No. 13 in the the Class 1A coach's poll after shutting out four opponents in their final nine games. Goalie Ryan Bielenberg was 16-5-3 between the pipes with a .908 save percentage and four shutouts.
Northfield awaits the winner of No. 8 seed Austin and No. 9 seed Le Sueur-Henderson/St. Peter.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Class 1A-No. 15 Rochester Lourdes awaits the winner of No. 7 seed Waseca and No. 10 seed La Crescent. Rochester Lourdes (15-10-0) won its final seven games by a combined score of 39-11.
No. 3 seed Red Wing and No. 4 seed Mankato West also received first-round byes. Mankato West (12-11-1) lost four straight to end its season, which included a 2-1 loss to No. 5 seed Mankato East. Red Wing (15-9-0) went 7-1-0 in its final eight games and beat No. 11 seed Faribault 8-1 on Feb. 18.
Lakeville North was named the No. 1 seed in Class 2A, Section 1 following an online vote by section coaches.
The Panthers (18-5-2) were ranked No. 6 in Class 2A in Feb. 15's coach's poll after outscoring their opponents 107-60 during the regular season. Blake Brandt (22 goals, 24 assists) and Henry Enebak (19 goals, 25 assists) lead Lakeville North in scoring with 46 and 44 points, respectively.
Lakeville South (15-9-1) was ranked No. 20 in the Feb. 15 Class 2A coach's poll. The Cougars face No. 7 seed Rochester Mayo to kick off the Section 1AA playoffs.
Farmington (8-16-1) received the No. 3 seed and face a No. 6-seeded Rochester John Marshall (10-14-1) that it beat 6-2 on Dec. 1. No. 4 seed Rochester Century will battle No. 5 seed Owatonna to play the winner of Lakeville North and No. 8 seed Dodge County.
Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake received the No. 1 seed in Class 1A, Section 5 following a section coach's vote.
The Moose (18-6-1) went 10-1-1 in their final 12 games and boasted three consecutive shutouts between Jan. 19 and Jan. 24. They were ranked No. 18 in Class 1A following a Feb. 15 coach's poll. After a first-round bye, the Moose will face the winner of No. 8 seed Becker/Big Lake and No. 9 seed Moose Lake Area.
No. 2 seeded North Branch will face the winner of No. 7 seed Sauk Rapids-Rice and No. 10 seed Legacy Christian. After a five game skid in mid-January, the Vikings (16-8-1) won nine straight games to finish the regular season.
No. 3 seed Chisago Lakes (11-14-0) faces No. 6 seed Mora-Milaca (11-12-2). Chisago Lakes came away with a 4-1 win when the teams met on Dec. 6.
Eden Prairie, the No. 1-ranked team in Class 2A in the latest state coaches' poll, earned the top seed in Class 2A, Section 2 following a section coach's vote on Sunday.
Unbeaten since Dec. 31, The Eagles (19-4-2) upset former No. 1 Stillwater in an outdoor game on on Jan. 21 and have held the state's top rank after beating Edina on Feb 4.
Eden Prairie has a bye in first round of the Section 2A tournament and will face the winner of No. 4 seed Prior Lake and No. 5 seed Chaska in the semifinals.
Holy Family Catholic received the No. 2 seed after finishing fourth in the Class 2A state rankings. The Fire (20-4-1) boasted four 10-goal games during the regular season, three of which came during a 13-game winning streak that stretched from Jan. 6 to Feb. 14. They face No. 7 seed Shakopee to kick off the Section 2A playoffs.
No. 3 seed Minnetonka (14-11-0) finished No. 12 in the Class 2A state rankings and will face No. 6 seed Chanhassen. The Skippers beat the Storm 4-1 at home on Dec. 22.
Also on Sunday morning, Delano received the No. 1 seed in Class 1A, Section 2 following in a vote at a section coaches' meeting.
The Tigers (21-3-1) were ranked No. 3 in Class 2A before winning their final two regular season games by a combined score of 16-1. Delano was 14-2-0 in their final 16 games with a pair of losses to Class 2A-No. 4 Holy Family.
University of Maine recruit Ben Meyers was the state leader in assists (53) and points (99) and was second in goals (46). After a first-round bye, the Tigers will face the winner of No. 8 seed New Prague and No. 9 seed Bloomington Kennedy.
As the No. 2 seed, Breck (20-3-2) awaits the winner of No. 7 seed Providence Academy and No. 10 seed Waconia. The Mustangs were ranked No. 2 in the Class 1A coach's poll and finished the season with back-to-back shutouts against Minneapolis and Totino-Grace.
Orono received the No. 3 seed after a 16-9-0 regular season. The Spartans face No. 6 seed Minneapolis that beat them 4-3 on Jan. 28.
When No. 4 seed Blake and No. 5 seed Mound Westonka met on Nov. 29, Blake came away with a 7-5 win. The Bears (12-13-0) were ranked No. 16 in the Feb. 15 Class 1A coach's poll.
Friday's seeding results
Moorhead, unbeaten in its least 14 games, received the top seed in Class 2A, Section 8 on Friday in an online vote of the section’s coaches.
The Spuds (18-3-3) have not lost since a 1-0 setback to Prior Lake on Dec. 29 at a holiday tournament in St. Louis Park. Since then they have gone 12-0-2 with four shutouts and five games in which they have allowed just one goal.
Moorhead, ranked No. 11 in Class 2A in the latest state coaches’ poll, closes its regular season on Saturday at home against No. 10 Hill-Murray.
St. Michael-Albertville (19-4-2) received the No. 2 seed. The Knights, who won five straight to close the regular season, skated to a 1-1 tie with Moorhead on Jan. 28 in the teams’ lone regular season meeting.
Roseau (16-9-0) received the No. 3 seed and Brainerd (14-9-2) the No. 4 seed. Two-time defending section champion Bemidji (13-10-1) received the No. 5 seed and plays Brainerd on Tuesday in what figures to be one of the state’s most competitive quarterfinal matchups.
Section 8AA bracket
Also on Friday, Hermantown, the prohibitive favorite to win a section straight state Class 1A title, received the No. 1 seed in Section 7 in a vote of the section’s coaches.
The Hawks (23-1-1) lost their season opener to defending state big-school champion Wayzata 5-1 on Dec. 2 and have gone unbeaten, and virtually unchallenged, since.
Hermantown features Mr. Hockey finalists Ryan Sandelin at forward and Dylan Samberg at defense and Cade McEwen, one of two finalists for the Frank Brimsek Award that goes to the state’s top senior goaltender.
Hibbing/Chisholm (17-8-0), which lost its regular season finale 8-1 to Hermantown on Feb. 16, received the No. 2 seed. Greenway (17-7-1) was voted the No. 3 seed.
Section 7A bracket
Thursday's seeding results
Elk River received the top seed in Class 2A, Section 7 on Thursday morning in an online vote of the section’s coaches as the first of the big-school brackets for the upcoming section playoffs was released.
The Elks (21-4-0) were ranked No. 3 in Class 2A in the state coaches’ poll released on Wednesday and closed the season with seven straight victories – allowing just a combined nine goals in that stretch.
Duluth East (16-8-1) received the No. 2 seed. The Greyhounds closed the regular season losing three out of their final five games, including a 4-1 loss to Elk River on Feb. 4
Cloquet-Esko-Carlton (14-8-2) was voted as the No. 3 seed ahead of No. 4 Grand Rapids (16-7-1), the defending section champion. The Lumberjacks beat the Thunderhawks 4-1 on Tuesday in a game that likely locked them into the No. 3 seed.
Wednesday's seeding results
Luverne got the top seed in Class 1A, Section 3 on Wednesday night in a vote of the section’s coaches as the first wave of section brackets were set in advance of the start of the state’s postseason.
The Cardinals (18-5-1) have won nine straight games, including five by shutout. They close the regular season with a game at Le Sueur-Henderson/St. Peter/TCU. Luverne locked up the top seed on Feb. 9 with a 5-2 win over No. 2 seed Marshall (17-7-1).
Defending section champion Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (14-9-0) received the No. 3 seed and New Ulm (13-10-1) the No. 4 seed.
No. 6 seed Redwood Valley (13-11-0), featuring the state’s goal-scoring leader in Bailey Sommers, is the only other team out of 11 in the section with a winning record.
East Grand Forks was awarded the top seed in Class 1A, Section 8 in a vote of the section’s coaches on Wednesday morning.
The Green Wave (14-8-2) was voted the No. 1 seed in a despite a 3-2 regular season-ending loss to No. 2 seed Thief River Falls (9-14-0) on Tuesday night in Thief River Falls. East Grand Forks won the earlier meeting between the teams, 5-2 on Jan. 24 in East Grand Forks. Thief River Falls, the defending section champion, closes the regular season on Friday by hosting Bemidji.
Warroad (9-15-1) was voted the No. 3 seed and Detroit Lakes (13-8-1) the No. 4 seed.
Darkhorses? Watch out for No. 6 seed Lake of the Woods (14-8-0), which lost 2-1 to East Grand Forks on Jan. 14 and No. 7 seed Northern Lakes (19-4-1), in the midst of one of the best season’s in the program’s history.
Also on Wednesday, defending section champion St. Cloud Cathedral received the No. 1 seed in Class 1A, Section 6 in a vote of the section’s coaches.
The Crusaders (16-6-2) are ranked No. 5 in Class 1A in the latest state coaches’ poll, and four of their losses are to teams ranked above them (No. 1 Hermantown, No. 2 Breck, No. 3 Delano and No. 4 St. Paul Academy).
Alexandria (15-7-3), which skated to a 3-3 tie with St. Cloud Cathedral on Dec. 13 in St. Cloud, was voted the No. 2 seed. The No. 3 seed went to Sartell-St. Stephen (16-6-3) and the No. 4 seed to Little Falls (15-9-0).
Sleeper? Fergus Falls (14-9-1) beat Alexandria twice in the regular season and won seven straight before a recent two-game losing skid.
Section 5AA seeds
1. Centennial
2. Maple Grove
3. Blaine
4. Champlin Park
5. Anoka
6. Coon Rapids
7. Spring Lake Park
8. Osseo
Section 4A seeds
1. St. Paul Academy
2. Mahtomedi
3. St. Paul Johnson
4. Minnehaha Academy
5. Totino-Grace
6. South St. Paul
7. Henry Sibley
8. St. Paul Highland Park
9. Simley
Section 4AA seeds
1. Stillwater
2. Hill-Murray
3. White Bear Lake
4. Mounds View
5. Woodbury
6. Tartan
7. Roseville
8. North St. Paul
9. Irondale
Section 3AA seeds
1. St. Thomas Academy
2. Burnsville
3. Eastview
4. Eagan
5. Rosemount
6. Bloomington Jefferson
7. Park of Cottage Grove
8. Apple Valley
9. East Ridge
10. Hastings
Section 1A seeds
1. Northfield
2. Rochester Lourdes
3. Red Wing
4. Mankato West
5. Mankato East
6. Albert Lea
7. Waseca
8. Austin
9. Le Sueur-Henderson/St. Peter
10. La Crescent
11. Faribault
12. Winona
Section 1AA seeds
1. Lakeville North
2. Lakeville South
3. Farmington
4. Rochester Century
5. Owatonna
6. Rochester John Marshall
7. Rochester Mayo
8. Dodge County
Section 5A seeds
1. Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake
2. North Branch
3. Chisago Lakes
4. Princeton
5. Pine City Area
6. Mora-Milaca
7. Sauk Rapids-Rice
8. Becker/Big Lake
9. Moose Lake Area
10. Legacy Christian
Section 2A seeds
1. Delano
2. Breck
3. Orono
4. Blake
5. Mound Westonka
6. Minneapolis
7. Providence Academy
8. New Prague
9. Bloomington Kennedy
10. Waconia
Section 2AA seeds
1. Eden Prairie
2. Holy Family Catholic
3. Minnetonka
4. Prior Lake
5. Chaska
6. Chanhassen
7. Shakopee
Section 7A seeds
1. Hermantown
2. Hibbing/Chisholm
3. Greenway
4. Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl
5. Eveleth-Gilbert
6. North Shore
7. International Falls
8. Denfeld
9. Proctor
10. Ely
Section 8AA seeds
1. Moorhead
2. St. Michael-Albertville
3. Roseau
4. Brainerd
5. Bemidji
6. Buffalo
7. St. Cloud
8. Rogers
Section 7AA seeds
1. Elk River
2. Duluth East
3. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton
4. Grand Rapids
5. Andover
6. Duluth Marshall
7. St. Francis
8. Forest Lake
9. Cambridge-Isanti
Section 3A seeds
1. Luverne
2. Marshall
3. Litchfield
4. New Ulm
5. Hutchinson
6. Redwood Valley
7. Willmar
8. Windom
9. Fairmont
10. Worthington
11. Morris/Benson
Section 6A seeds
1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Alexandria
3. Sartell-St. Stephen
4. Little Falls
5. Fergus Falls
6. River Lakes
7. Wadena-Deer Creek
8. Prairie Centre
9. Breckenridge/Wahpeton
Section 8A seeds
1. East Grand Forks
2. Thief River Falls
3. Warroad
4. Detroit Lakes
5. Crookston
6. Lake of the Woods
7. Northern Lakes
8. Park Rapids
9. Bagley/Fosston
10. Red Lake Falls
11. Kittson Central