Only 63 days until the start of practice (77 days until first competition.) I hope everyone is getting fit, and that includes fans.
This means we're about 85 days away from the first published rankings.
It's never too early to look at the season ahead (especially considering most any of us can do is look at the stats from last year.)
I looked at the stats of all the stats of all the 1A State Qualifiers as well as the runners up from substate (could there really be dark horses from much deeper than that?) I Looked at what should be returning for talent and made my guesses.
So, here's my way way too early Top 10 (Because I really could leave some teams our of the conversation
1. WB Notre Dame - Goal Scoring Machine. The defending State Champs. This team had 101 of their 147 goals from underclassmen. They played 24 games and only allowed 16 goals. They do lose their leading goal scorer, but return their 2,3,4 and5 goal scorers. The biggest question is in goal. The lose a senior keeper who had 64 saves. They won 13 of their 23 wins by shutout. They do have a returning Junior keeper with game experience. Can't make any argument against ranking them #1 pre-season.
2. West Liberty - A semi finalist is 2021 and always an athletic talented team. They return their 2 leading goal scorers who combined for 71 of their 90 goals last season. They return a Sophomore Keeper. Only question is what the back line looks like. They did lose 6 of their 18 man roster to graduation. Hard to deny a talented team like this the number 2 spot
3. Western Christian - 2021 runner-up. They lost their leading goal scorer but the number 2 man looks ready to step up. This team returns a Jr GK with a .876 SV %. Only allowing 15 goals and returning talent, makes this my #3 team.
4. Dyersville Beckman - Dropped their substate final 2-1 to a determined North Fayette Valley team in 2021. They lose 6 seniors to graduation but return their #1 and 2 goal scorers and had 60 of their 74 goals from underclassmen last year. They return either a sophomore or Junior keeper. Perennial power and experienced team, I expect them to be in the mix at state this year.
5. CB St Alberts - State Qualifier in 2021. Returns their leading Goal Scorer and an experienced Junior goal keeper.
6. Waterloo Columbus - State Qualifier in 2021. Returns a talented sophomore goal scorer, with a history of sharing the ball. This could be a dangerous 1-2 team as they are historically. The return a Sophomore GK, with 101 saves last year. Only question is what they lose in their 8 graduating seniors.
7. West Central Valley - 2021, was a substate runner up to Greene County, losing 2-1. This team jumps up my ranking based on their returning Freshman #1 goal scorer, along with their assist leader and number 3 goal scorer. This team returns a Freshman goal keeper with 73 saves
8. Greene County - State Qualifier in 2021. This was a young team that built through the year last year. They return their number 2 and 3 (a freshman and sophomore) goal scorers as well as a freshman keeper. Lots of narrow wins in their 14-7 season last year. Let's see what a year of experience brings.
9. Treynor - Missed state by one game last year. 70 underclassmen goals and a sophomore GK with a .798 save % return this season. Only lost 2 of their 18 man roster from last year. Always an athletic team, look for them to stay in the conversation.
10. Regina - Semi-finalist in 2021. Talk about staying in the conversation. Regina returns much of a young team including a freshman goal scorer who was their #2 last year. A sophomore GK and a history of stepping up will keep Regina in the mix again this year.
11. Solon - Substate Runner up to Regina - OK, 11 is one past 10 but I can't leave this team out of the conversation. The biggest school in 1A, Solon returns their #2 Goal scorer and several returners with goal scoring experience. They only lost 3 of their 23 man roster to graduation. All that experience could go a long way to getting Solon back to Des Moines.
The last schools I want to talk about are West Branch and Clayton Ridge -
West Branch, A pretty young program (2 years of playing experience). The bears lose an athletic keeper to graduation, but return their leading scorer and assist maker. They built a lot of confidence last year with one of the lightest schedules in the state, which seems to pay off later in the season with one goal loses to a strong Solon program and Eventual state semi-finalist West Liberty.
Clayton Ridge, in their first year of competition, with a Co-ed roster, put together a 5 and 6 inaugural season capped by a one goal lost in their first substate competition. It'll be really interesting to see what this team can do this year.
What other programs out there are just waiting to come out of hibernation to soar like an eagle this year? What's your top 10?
This means we're about 85 days away from the first published rankings.
It's never too early to look at the season ahead (especially considering most any of us can do is look at the stats from last year.)
I looked at the stats of all the stats of all the 1A State Qualifiers as well as the runners up from substate (could there really be dark horses from much deeper than that?) I Looked at what should be returning for talent and made my guesses.
So, here's my way way too early Top 10 (Because I really could leave some teams our of the conversation
1. WB Notre Dame - Goal Scoring Machine. The defending State Champs. This team had 101 of their 147 goals from underclassmen. They played 24 games and only allowed 16 goals. They do lose their leading goal scorer, but return their 2,3,4 and5 goal scorers. The biggest question is in goal. The lose a senior keeper who had 64 saves. They won 13 of their 23 wins by shutout. They do have a returning Junior keeper with game experience. Can't make any argument against ranking them #1 pre-season.
2. West Liberty - A semi finalist is 2021 and always an athletic talented team. They return their 2 leading goal scorers who combined for 71 of their 90 goals last season. They return a Sophomore Keeper. Only question is what the back line looks like. They did lose 6 of their 18 man roster to graduation. Hard to deny a talented team like this the number 2 spot
3. Western Christian - 2021 runner-up. They lost their leading goal scorer but the number 2 man looks ready to step up. This team returns a Jr GK with a .876 SV %. Only allowing 15 goals and returning talent, makes this my #3 team.
4. Dyersville Beckman - Dropped their substate final 2-1 to a determined North Fayette Valley team in 2021. They lose 6 seniors to graduation but return their #1 and 2 goal scorers and had 60 of their 74 goals from underclassmen last year. They return either a sophomore or Junior keeper. Perennial power and experienced team, I expect them to be in the mix at state this year.
5. CB St Alberts - State Qualifier in 2021. Returns their leading Goal Scorer and an experienced Junior goal keeper.
6. Waterloo Columbus - State Qualifier in 2021. Returns a talented sophomore goal scorer, with a history of sharing the ball. This could be a dangerous 1-2 team as they are historically. The return a Sophomore GK, with 101 saves last year. Only question is what they lose in their 8 graduating seniors.
7. West Central Valley - 2021, was a substate runner up to Greene County, losing 2-1. This team jumps up my ranking based on their returning Freshman #1 goal scorer, along with their assist leader and number 3 goal scorer. This team returns a Freshman goal keeper with 73 saves
8. Greene County - State Qualifier in 2021. This was a young team that built through the year last year. They return their number 2 and 3 (a freshman and sophomore) goal scorers as well as a freshman keeper. Lots of narrow wins in their 14-7 season last year. Let's see what a year of experience brings.
9. Treynor - Missed state by one game last year. 70 underclassmen goals and a sophomore GK with a .798 save % return this season. Only lost 2 of their 18 man roster from last year. Always an athletic team, look for them to stay in the conversation.
10. Regina - Semi-finalist in 2021. Talk about staying in the conversation. Regina returns much of a young team including a freshman goal scorer who was their #2 last year. A sophomore GK and a history of stepping up will keep Regina in the mix again this year.
11. Solon - Substate Runner up to Regina - OK, 11 is one past 10 but I can't leave this team out of the conversation. The biggest school in 1A, Solon returns their #2 Goal scorer and several returners with goal scoring experience. They only lost 3 of their 23 man roster to graduation. All that experience could go a long way to getting Solon back to Des Moines.
The last schools I want to talk about are West Branch and Clayton Ridge -
West Branch, A pretty young program (2 years of playing experience). The bears lose an athletic keeper to graduation, but return their leading scorer and assist maker. They built a lot of confidence last year with one of the lightest schedules in the state, which seems to pay off later in the season with one goal loses to a strong Solon program and Eventual state semi-finalist West Liberty.
Clayton Ridge, in their first year of competition, with a Co-ed roster, put together a 5 and 6 inaugural season capped by a one goal lost in their first substate competition. It'll be really interesting to see what this team can do this year.
What other programs out there are just waiting to come out of hibernation to soar like an eagle this year? What's your top 10?
