A line from DJ Kool’s “Let Me Clear My Throat” is apropos for this week’s rankings: “When I say freeze, you better freeze one time/When I say freeze y’all stop on a dime.”
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune’s statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school girls hockey teams
The list is shuffled only slightly this week as teams and the season progress toward the postseason.
It’s watching-fingernails-grow time in high school girls hockey. But it’s a calm before what should be an exciting section tournament portion of the season.
The Star Tribune’s latest rankings (records through Jan. 22; teams are Class 2A unless noted):
The Minnesota Top 25
1. Minnetonka (18-2-1). Previous: 1
2. Edina (17-3). Previous: 2
3. Centennial/Spring Lake Park (19-2). Previous: 9
4. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (16-2-2). Previous: 3
5. Andover (15-5-1). Previous: 5
6. Holy Angels (1A, 13-5-3). Previous: 4
7. Hill-Murray (14-6). Previous: T6
8. Woodbury (20-0-1). Previous: T6
9. Moorhead (15-6-1). Previous: 8
10. Holy Family (14-6). Previous: 10
11. Roseau (18-4). Previous: 11
12. Maple Grove (12-6-3). Previous: 12
13. Warroad (1A, 17-3). Previous: 13
14. Dodge County (1A, 15-3-1). Previous: 14
15. Orono (1A, 13-5-3). Previous: 15
16. Farmington (13-6-2). Previous: unranked
17. Grand Rapids/Greenway (15-5-1). Previous: 16
18. Champlin Park/Coon Rapids (14-7-1). Previous: 17
19. Rosemount (14-8). Previous: 18
20. Bemidji (13-8-1). Previous: 19
21. Forest Lake (11-5-5). Previous: 20
22. Roseville/Mahtomedi (9-10-2). Previous: 21
23. Prior Lake (13-8-1). Previous: 22
24. Crookston (1A, 11-9-1). Previous: 23
25. Thief River Falls (1A, 8-8). Previous: 24
Jeff Buffetta, 600-160 in his career, is the 14th girls coach in Minnesota to reach the milestone.