Girls High School Hockey Focus: Section 1 cream rises to the top

Here’s a look at the highlights from the past few weeks, our weekly Power Rankings, and some games to watch this week in southeastern Minnesota.

No. 1 Sydney Hunst (forward, Owatonna)

The Huskies senior captain had a big week in a few wins. Hunts scored seven points against Mankato West and Winona, scoring three goals and adding four assists, giving her 16 points for the season. Hunts is committed to the College of St. Benedict.

No. 2 Linden Loos (defense, Mayo)

The freshman defender scored her first three varsity points on Saturday in Mayos’ win against Winona. Loos scored a goal and two assists in Mayos’ first game since January 28.

No. 3 Shelby Davidson (goalkeeper, Austin): The Packers went 0-1-1 last week, but Davidson was sharp and made a combined 98 saves in the two games, a loss to Big Nine Conference and Section 1AA leader Northfield, and a draw to 5-2-1 Mankato East.

FAIR MENTION

Elizabeth Arendt (forward, Mayo): The junior now averages a goal per game after scoring twice in a win over Winona on Saturday. She now has three goals in three games this season for the Spartans, who had to cancel or postpone six of their first nine games.

Samantha Bogen (forward, Owatonna): The freshman attacker leads a powerful Huskies offense when scoring. She had two goals and five assists in two games last week. For the season, Bogen has scored 11 goals and 21 points in eight games.

Abigail Conners (Goalkeeper, Century / John Marshall): The Panthers veteran just had a solid week for the Panthers, who went 1-1-0. Conners stopped 64 of the 69 shots she faced in a loss against Albert Lea and a win against Mankato West. Conners has averaged 34.3 saves per game this season.

(Editor’s note: These are considered “pound-for-pound” rankings, similar to many ranking systems in boxing and mixed martial arts. They represent the best teams in southeastern Minnesota, relative to the class they play in. Teams in the Big Nine Conference, Section 1A and Section 1AA are eligible for this ranking.)

1 Lakeville South (7-1-1): The No. 4 cougars have had to learn to win close games over the past two weeks. Three of their last four games have gone to OT, one ended in a draw and South won the other two. Their past four games have been decided by a goal or a draw.

2 Northfield (7-0-0): The Raiders were defensively dominant all season. They went 2-0-0 last week, registering shutouts against Big Nine Conference rivals Austin and Albert Lea. This season, the Raiders have only conceded five goals in seven games.

3 Owatonna (7-1-0)Owatonna’s defense was almost as impressive as Northfields, scoring 1.1 goals per game. The Huskies offense sets it apart, however, as it averages the second most goals scored per game among Class AA teams, 7.3. They’ve scored at least five goals in all seven wins and they’ve scored double digits three times.

4 Albert Lea (6-2-0): The Tigers had a six-game winning streak on Thursday through the unbeaten Northfield, the only team to beat Albert Lea this season. In their six wins, the Tigers have outdone their opponents 28-7.

5 Dodge County (5-4-0): Dodge County took a few losses this week, but the Wildcats, who were No. 4 in the Power Rankings last week, remain in the Power Rankings this week due to the strength of their schedule. The Wildcats have lost three consecutive games, but those losses are against Breck (ranked No. 5, Class A); Hill-Murray (No. 3, AA) and Warroad (No. 2, A).

TUC (TEAMS IN CONSIDERATION)

Rochester Lourdes (4-4-0): The Eagles are .500 and they are 1-3-0 in their last four games, but the three losses have all come from one goal, including an OT setback against Waconia on Tuesday.

Mankato East (5-2-1): The Cougars have been unbeaten in their last five games, 4-0-1 in that period, including a 5-1 win against rival Mankato West.

Lourdes in Dodge County (7pm, Thursday): The two independent programs, separated by 20 miles, will meet for the first time on Thursday at the Dodge County Ice Arena in Kasson. Both teams are looking for losing skids.

Eastview at Lakeville South (7pm, today): No. 4 ranked Lakeville South is still being tested as it faces No. 10 ranked Eastview. Three of Souths’s last four games have gone to OT.

Albert Lea in Owatonna (7pm, today): These teams have lost a total of three games all season. All three of those losses have fallen against Northfield. Owatonna has outdone the past three opponents 23-1. Albert Lea has recorded his past three wins with a combined 15-3 score.

6.2Owatonna’s target differential per game (the Huskies score 7.3 per game, 1.1 allow) is the second-best figure in the state in Class AA, behind only No. 1-ranked and defending state champion Andover (plus -8 , 2 differential).

15: Goals scored through nine games by Lakeville Souths Taylor Otremba, fourth most in the state. Otremba is a Minnesota State University, Mankato, commit.

33.3: Percentage of scheduled games that Rochester Mayo has been able to play this season. The Spartans (1-2-0 overall) have postponed five games and canceled one game. Their 6-0 win over Winona on Saturday marked Mayos’ first game since January 28, a 3-2 defeat at Austin.