Section 5AA Top Players
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Section 5AA is another section that added depth due to the recent section realignments. The usual suspects, Maple Grove and Centennial, are poised to make a state tournament run once again. However, there is a new sheriff in town. That…
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Continue ReadingSection 5AA is another section that added depth due to the recent section realignments. The usual suspects, Maple Grove and Centennial, are poised to make a state tournament run once again. However, there is a new sheriff in town. That team is the Rogers Royals who captured the #1 seed in the section. The Royals were very successful against the Crimson and Cougars, beating them both in the regular season. Another team in the mix is Champlin Park as they have had flashes of success throughout the season. This section will be very interesting with the amount of parody this season. Let’s dive in and feature the Top 5 Players in the section and then provide predictions at the end!
Finn Brink Finn Brink 5'10" | Forward Maple Grove | 2023 State MN | Maple Grove | Junior | Forward | Prep Hockey #15 ’23’s
Finn Brink Finn Brink 5'10" | Forward Maple Grove | 2023 State MN is a player that has kept getting better every year since his freshman season. Gunderson leads the Crimson in the points category with a whopping 65. Considering the schedule Maple Grove plays, that is a monster number for the junior forward. Landen shined in the Elite League as well, tallying 32 points in 21 games. It’s a little surprising that Gunderson hasn’t committed to a college yet, but it will only be a matter of time when he does. He’s a special player and has a bright future in the sport of hockey after school.
Josh Giuliani Josh Giuliani 6'1" | Forward Maple Grove | 2022 State MN | Maple Grove | Senior | Forward | Prep Hockey #20 ’22’s
Josh Giuliani Josh Giuliani 6'1" | Forward Maple Grove | 2022 State MN is another Crimson player who has kept getting better and better each season, en route to a monster season for the senior so far. Giuliani has scored 19 goals and 23 assists and put up those points in only 21 games played. Josh’s biggest game of the regular season came versus Grand Rapids up at the IRA Civic Center, scoring 2 goals and adding 4 assists in a big 8-4 victory over a top 10 team. Just like his teammate Gunderson, Giuliani also performed very well in the Elite League, tallying 30 points in 20 games.
Sam Ranallo Sam Ranallo 5'10" | Forward Rogers | 2023 State MN | Rogers | Junior | Forward | Prep Hockey #17 ’23’s
This is a historic season for Rogers and Sam Ranallo Sam Ranallo 5'10" | Forward Rogers | 2023 State MN has been the headliner of this team. He leads the Royals in points with 54 and tallied at least 2 points in numerous marquee section matchups. His greatest performance came early in the season vs Minnetonka, where he scored 3 goals and 2 assists in an overtime victory over the Skippers. Carrying the #1 seed in the section, Rogers has a serious shot at the state tournament, but do play in a tough section as well. It will be interesting to keep an eye on 5AA here in the playoffs.
Harper Searles | Centennial | Sophomore | Forward | Prep Hockey #6 ’24’s
Harper Searles is only a 10th-grader and has proved that he is and will be a top player in the state in the future. Searles notched 43 points to finish the regular season on this offensive heavy team. There a 4 players who reached the 40 point mark on the Cougars. Centennial split Maple Grove and lost to Rogers in the regular season, but things could shake out either way. For Searles, he is in his second year of playing high school hockey and has a very bright future in his career.
Aj Carls Aj Carls 5'10" | Forward Centennial | 2022 State MN | Centennial | Senior | Forward | Prep Hockey #17 ’22’s
Aj Carls Aj Carls 5'10" | Forward Centennial | 2022 State MN is one of the four players on Centennial who joined the 40-point-club for this season, with exactly 40 on the mark. Carls is another player who is highly regarded in our Prep Hockey rankings, with a nice #17 ranking for the senior class. AJ’s most meaningful performance in the regular season came versus Roseau, where he netted 2 goals in a 4-4 tie. Like I mentioned above, the Cougars are very potent when it comes to offense and they will need to turn up that offense to find success in the section playoffs.
Section Predictions:
Carter: Maple Grove
Carter believes the reigning 5AA champions can take care of business once again and reach the state tournament for the 5th time in program history.
Blake: Rogers
Blake believes the Royals will continue their success within the section and drive all the way to the first state tournament appearance in program history.