Nine teams that were ranked last week, including No. 1 Rogers, lost in the section playoffs.

From goalies to high-scoring forwards, these players could help their teams reach the Class 1A and Class 2A state tournaments March 4-7 at Grand Casino Arena.

Overlooking Rogers’ back-to-back wins over Moorhead and Minnetonka, and a 12-game win streak, was hard to do.

Strib Varsity writer Jim Paulsen offers his prediction for which boys hockey teams will win their respective sections and advance to Grand Casino Arena.

As the highest-ranked teams play each other before section tournaments, the upcoming postseason is likely to be a little more unpredictable than anticipated.

The NCAA’s regular signing period began Wednesday, and dozens of high school senior athletes across Minnesota will make verbal offers from Division I and Division II colleges official by signing financial and athletic aid documents.

Meanwhile, St. Thomas Academy moves up after a solid win over a top-five opponent.

The Skippers are looking to avenge their only loss of the season when they host rival Edina on Thursday, Jan. 29.

There’s a new No. 1 in the Top 25. After you read the rankings, scroll down to see Jim Paulsen’s prediction of how section tournament top seeds are shaping up.

Six teams make their Top 25 debut this week, three of them from the small-school classification.