Ponies strong start is somewhat surprising, but should it be?

by Bryan Zollman, Let’s Play Hockey

The Stillwater Ponies had a historic season last year, winning Section 4AA over perennial power Hill-Murray and riding the momentum all the way to the state championship game where their storybook season came to an end as Moorhead had the last word in a fairy tale season of their own, winning their first title in program history in a 7-6 dramatic nailbiter.

Stillwater’s run was tabbed as somewhat of a Cinderella story even though their team was loaded with talent that produced an NHL draft pick and other Division I players. Because the season had that glass slipper feel to it, and after graduating 13 seniors and losing Gopher-commit Luca Jarvis to the USHL, the 2025-26 version of the Ponies weren’t exactly expected to come thundering out of the gate. In fact, in the pre-season coaches poll, they weren’t even ranked in the Top 20 in Class AA, and perhaps rightly so after losing almost 90 percent of their offensive production and their starting goaltender.

But after beating Centennial 3-2 to open the season and then downing a good Park Cottage Grove squad 6-2, the Ponies entered the Top 20 at No. 17 last week. Yet they were set to meet their biggest challenge of the season when they faced No. 3 AA St. Thomas Academy on Saturday.

They last played the Cadets in the state semifinal in March, winning 4-0 despite being outshot 36-23. Earlier last season the two teams met on Jan. 28 and the Ponies prevailed once again, 4-2. In fact, the Ponies are 4-0-2 in their last six meetings against the Cadets, which includes their 2-0 win on Saturday. The win catapulted them 10 spots in our weekly coaches poll rankings from No. 17 to No. 7.

Saturday’s win could be dubbed an upset, but it may be wiser to consider that Stillwater is no longer an underdog program that puts together a really good team every few years (they have made three state tournament trips in program history – 2014, 2016, 2025). Perhaps they have joined the ranks of the other premiere high school hockey programs in the state that linger in the Top 10 to 15 teams year in and year out.

Now, that may be a bit presumptuous three games into their encore season as there is plenty of hockey to be played and their schedule won’t get easier. They have No. 2 Minnetonka this Thursday and will take on a much-improved Blaine squad who is ranked No. 14 on Dec. 13. In the meantime they also play Eastview, Forest Lake and Woodbury.  As with every team at this point in the season, a lot is to be learned.

But their 2-0 win over STA certainly raised some eyebrows and has had rail-standing high school hockey pundits elbowing each other in the ribs, saying – hey, maybe Stillwater has joined the ranks of programs who reload rather than rebuild.

In any case, they climb the rankings this week to No. 7, the biggest jump in either class.

Section 4AA added another team to the Top 10 after White Bear Lake defeated No. 9 Rogers 3-1. Junior Rian Marquardt scored twice and Nash Roed added a pair of assists to build a 3-0 lead. Brock Cheslock added a late goal for Rogers, who outshot the Bears 33-23. WBL senior netminder Riley Helmberger stopped 32 shots to earn the win. The Bears have also tied No. 3 Minnetonka and are off to a great start.

No. 7 Rosemount, No. 9 Rogers, and No. 10 Cretin-Derham Hall all dropped in the rankings after suffering losses and are now 10, 12 and 13, respectively.

Top-ranked Moorhead stayed undefeated with a pair of wins over No. 4A Warroad 5-3 and Roseau 6-2. No. 2 Hill-Murray maintained the No. 2 spot after a 2-2 tie with No. 2A Hermantown in their annual early-season matchup. They also defeated Eden Prairie 7-4. The Eagles debut at No. 17 this week despite not having a win at 0-1-1. They skated to a 5-5 tie with Prior Lake who also entered the rankings at No. 19 and are 1-0-1.

No. 14 Blaine remained undefeated at 4-0-0 after an overtime win over No. 7A Mahtomedi in the Centennial Holiday Tournament.

Class AA Boys Rankings on 12/2/25

Presented by:

Other Teams Receiving Votes: St. Michael-Albertville, Centennial, Rock Ridge, Grand Rapids, Holy Family, Chanhassen, Duluth Marshall, Elk River/Zimmerman.

Some Top 20 Class AA matchups this week:

Tuesday

East Ridge at #7AA Stillwater

Eastview at No. #5AA St. Thomas Academy

Centennial at No. #8AA White Bear Lake

#15AA Wayzata at #12AA Rogers

Lakeville North at #10AA Rosemount

Wednesday

#7A Mahtomedi at No. 2AA Hill-Murray

Thursday

STMA at #1AA Moorhead

#5AA St. Thomas Academy at Holy Family

#20AA Andover at #14AA Blaine

Buffalo at #12AA Rogers

Eagan at #19AA Prior Lake

#10AA Rosemount at #11AA Shakopee

Mounds View at No. 8AA White Bear Lake

#20A Minneapolis at #9AA Academy of Holy Angels

Chanhassen at No. 18AA Eden Prairie

No. 6AA Edina at #13A St. Louis Park

No. 3 AA Minnetonka at No. 7AA Stillwater

Friday

#9AA Academy of Holy Angels at Duluth East

#10AA Rosemount at Lakeville North

Eastview at #16AA Lakeville South

Saturday

Apple Valley/Burnsville at #19AA Prior Lake

Centennial at #14AA Blaine

Buffalo at #3AA Minnetonka

#2AA Hill-Murray at #12AA Rogers

Woodbury at #7AA Stillwater

#11AA Shakopee at #1A Hibbing/Chisholm

#15AA Wayzata at St. Michael-Albertville

#18Aa Eden Prairie at #4AA Maple Grove

#8AA White Bear Lake at Park Cottage Grove

#17AA Benilde-St. Margaret’s at #6AA Edina

#13AA Cretin-Derham Hall at Roseville