Varsity Insider

I’m glad to see some back-and-forth in the comments section. Keep debating.

Here’s our Week 8 hockey power rankings (through games played 1/30):

Boys hockey

1. Essex (13-2-1): Did you know Essex has blanked its opponent in half of its games this season? We mentioned in a December post that the Hornets, with their blue-line nucleus back, would be stingy. Last week: 1.

2. Burlington (9-4-3): We wrote last week that the Seahorses, searching for consistency in the wins department, could be off and running after dispatching North Country in Newport. Well, BHS earned two more wins last week, upping its string to a modest, but season-high three-game streak. Last week: 4.

3. South Burlington (10-6): Yes, the Rebels blew a 5-0 lead to North Country in a game SBHS eventually won in overtime. But then the Rebels won a defensive game, 2-1, over an uneven BFA-St. Albans squad. This team has the talent and firepower to beat anybody in the state. Last week: Bubble.

4. North Country (11-4-1): The Falcons nearly shocked SBHS with a furious rally, only to fall short in overtime. Then North Country used Joey Rushford’s goal late in regulation to top rising Harwood. Last week: 5.

5. Harwood (8-4-4): Although they lost a close one to North Country, Harwood’s previous game was a 3-2 triumph over Champlain Valley. We could’ve placed a number of teams in the fifth spot, but the Highlanders, for the first time since Week 2’s’ rankings, earned the selection. Last week: Bubble.

On the outside looking in:
Spaulding (10-3-2) is still second in the index points – and they may very well make a deep playoff run – but last week wasn’t a good one for the Tide: 0-1-2, including a loss to a sub-.500 Burr Burton squad. … Stowe (13-2-1) nearly beat Champlain Valley on the road, settling for a 3-3 tie. Speaking of the Redhawks (8-5-2), their recent slump – 0-2-2 since Jan. 16 – pushes them out of the rankings. Still a dangerous team though.

Girls hockey

1. Spaulding (13-1): Two more impressive – and close – victories for the Crimson Tide. They edged South Burlington and BFA-St. Albans, improving their hold as the index points leader and the top-ranked team in our list. Last week: 1.

2. Missisquoi (10-5): Rolling to a 10-1 win over a middle-of-the-pack Division II team (Stowe), isn’t going to move you up our rankings. Defeating the team ahead you in the rankings is. The Thunderbirds topped Essex, 3-2. With six straight wins, MVU deserves its quick ascent in our rankings. Last week: 3.

3. Champlain Valley (12-3-1): A big jump from on the bubble to third. But CVU has four straight wins since back-to-back losses in the middle of last month. This week, the Redhawks face Missisquoi and Essex.

4. Essex (11-3-2):The Hornets haven’t suffered back-to-back losses this season. After losing to Missisquoi on Saturday, Essex faces BFA-St. Albans and CVU this week. Last week: 2.

5. BFA-St. Albans (9-4-3): No shame in losing to Spaulding, especially just 2-1. BFA bounced back from that with a 4-0 win over Colchester. Last week: 4.

On the outside looking in:
Fans of Hartford (10-5), don’t worry. The Hurricanes are still on our radar. … Still like U-32 (14-1-1), even after its 1-0 loss to Rutland (13-4) – so both teams make the bubble.

There’s plenty of games on Saturday’s schedule — over 40 from my count — so let’s highlight a few in a new blog feature I’d like to call: “Big Weekend.”

“Big Weekend” derives from my love of a Tom Petty song (you can guess the name). If you recall, I used Petty’s song title as a the name of blog post for a fall playoff weekend

My goal is to have a weekend preview every week until the winter season is complete.

Feedback is always encouraged — especially earlier in the week — on which games I should highlight.

So here’s my three must-see games for Saturday:

Girls basketball: Milton (15-0) at Lamoille (13-0), 2:30 p.m.
This Division II battle in Hyde Park has all the makings of a championship preview. Just ask Lamoille coach Tim Messier.

“I hope this is Round 1 of 2,” Messier said.

Chelsea Dunham and Annie Wells are the offensive stars, but defense has been Lamoille’s bread and butter this season, Messier said.

Messier’s group yields 30.7 points per game while scoring at a clip of 55.7 per game.

Milton (40.5/34.3) has a nice collection of stars in Kaitlin Geary, Brittaney Rice and Stephanie Bull.

The winner will “probably be in the driver’s seat” for the Division’s top seed.

Girls hockey: Missisquoi at Essex, 5 p.m.
After a slow start, the Thunderbirds are playing better hockey, and are in position to make some noise come playoff time. They sit at 9-5 after a five-game winning streak — during they knocked off BFA-St. Albans.

Defending Division I champion Essex (11-2-2), meanwhile, is chasing Spaulding for the top seed. The Hornets won the first matchup back in December.

Boys hockey: Stowe vs. Champlain Valley at Cairns, 8:20 p.m.
The Raiders of Stowe are having a fine season with their 13-2 record. Now comes Stowe’s biggest test: A road date against Division I champion Champlain Valley.

The Redhawks (8-5-1) are 1-3-1 in the last five games — a surprising slump for a team that knocked off previously unbeaten Essex on Dec. 30.

Here’s the complete schedule for Saturday’s high school games:

High school girls basketball
(All games 2:30 p.m. unless noted)
Middlebury at South Burlington, noon
North Country at Essex, 12:30 p.m.
Canaan Memorial at Twinfield, 1 p.m.
Colchester at Missisquoi
Milton at Lamoille
Hazen at Northfield
Danville at BFA-Fairfax
Stowe at Enosburg
Lake Region at Richford
Whitcomb at Rochester
Rivendell at Sharon
Craftsbury at Williamstown
St. Johnsbury at Rutland

High school boys basketball
Cabot at Concord, 1 p.m.
Canaan Memorial at Twinfield, 2:30 p.m.
United Christian at Trinity Baptist, 2:30 p.m.
Craftsbury at Williamstown, 4 p.m.

High school girls hockey
Stowe vs. Mount Mansfield at Essex, 1 p.m.
Burr and Burton at Hartford, 2 p.m.
North Country vs. Northfield at Kreitzberg, 2 p.m.
South Burlington vs. Spaulding at Barre BOR, 3:45 p.m.
Montpelier vs. Rice at Cairns, 4 p.m.
Brattleboro at Middlebury, 4:45 p.m.
Missisquoi at Essex, 5 p.m.
Rutland vs. U-32 at Central Vermont, 6 p.m.
Colchester vs. BFA-St. Albans at Collins-Perley, 7 p.m.
Woodstock vs. Harwood at Washington, 7 p.m.

High school boys hockey
BFA-St. Albans vs. South Burlington at Cairns, 2 p.m.
Lyndon vs. Brattleboro at Nelson Withington, 2:45 p.m.
Northfield vs. Mount Mansfield at Essex, 3 p.m.
Spaulding vs. Burr and Burton at Riley, 4:30 p.m.
North Country vs. Harwood at Washington, 5 p.m.
Mount St. Joseph vs. Missisquoi at Highgate, 6 p.m.
Rutland vs. Burlington at Leddy, 6:20 p.m.
Milton at Middlebury, 7 p.m.
Rice at Essex, 7:30 p.m.
Peoples vs. Woodstock at Union, 7:30 p.m.
St. Johnsbury vs. U-32 at Central Vermont, 8 p.m.
Stowe vs. Champlain Valley at Cairns, 8:20 p.m.
Hartford vs. Colchester at Leddy, 8:50 p.m.

High school wrestling
Colchester High School Invitational, 10 a.m.
Harwood Duals, 10 a.m.

High school gymnastics
Middlebury at St. Johnsbury, 1 p.m.

High school cross country skiing
Open meet at Craftsbury, classic 4×5 relay, 9 a.m.
Open meet vs. Rutland, paintball, 11 a.m.

High school indoor track
Meet at Norwich

(Schedules subject to change)

OK, I’m back from a week of vacation. And I know everyone’s waiting for updated power rankings. Let’s start with hockey.

As always, your comments and opinions are encouraged.

Here’s our Week 7 hockey power rankings (through games played 1/23):

Boys hockey

1. Essex (12-2-1): Since their two-game slide earlier this season, the Hornets have gone 4-0-1 with three shutouts. And they earned a bit of revenge this past Saturday, upending CVU. The Redhawks gave Essex its first loss of the season on Dec. 30. Last ranking: 1.

2. Spaulding (10-2-1): The Tide earned a pair of 3-1 wins over Colchester and Rutland since our last rankings. In a second meeting with the resurgent Lakers, Spaulding needed a late goal to salvage a tie on the road. Last ranking: 2.

3. Champlain Valley (8-4-1): Aside from getting blanked by Essex on Saturday, the Redhawks scored eight times in a win over SBHS and a tie against Burlington. Last ranking: 5.

4. Burlington (7-4-3): The Seahorses went to Stanstead on Saturday and collected a 4-1 victory. For a team that hasn’t strung together a win streak of more than two games this season, Saturday’s win may be the start of something. Last ranking: Not ranked.

5. North Country (10-3-1): The Falcons went 2-1 since our last rankings. But a home loss to a rising BHS squad – a three-goal margin as well – doesn’t help North Country’s recent hold on the fourth spot. Last ranking: 4.

On the outside looking in:

Harwood tied Essex on Jan. 16 and is currently fourth in the index points. … South Burlington is a dangerous team, but they have six losses – including two in its last three games. … Don’t look now but BFA-St. Albans is on a four-game winning streak.

Girls hockey

1. Spaulding (11-1): Another two wins for the Crimson Tide since our rankings. The best team in the state closes its season with several challenges, including Wednesday’s home date against BFA-St. Albans Last ranking: 1.

2. Essex (10-2-2):After three wins – with 16 goals and four goals yielded – I’d say the Hornets are back on track. Last ranking: 3.

3. Missisquoi (8-5): Matt Laroche’s team is starting to heat up. MVU is on a four-game winning streak, highlighted by a 3-0 triumph over BFA-St. Albans. Last ranking: Not ranked.

4. BFA-St. Albans (8-3-3): The Comets ended Hartford’s long winning streak on Saturday. But an earlier loss to the Thunderbirds can’t move BFA any higher in this ranking. Last ranking: 4.

5. Hartford (8-5): There needs to be a spot in these rankings for the Hurricanes. Although their 7-game win streak (with six shutouts) just ended, the Hurricanes clobbered CVU and blanked Lebanon since our last rankings were posted. Last ranking: 2.

On the outside looking in:
It’s tough for an undefeated team to drop out of the rankings, but Division II’s U-32 is still one of the best teams in the state – and they keep winning. … Champlain Valley has 10 wins, and the team bounced back from a brutal loss to Hartford by doubling up Colchester and Burr and Burton.

Here’s our Week 5 hockey power rankings (through games played 1/11):

Boys hockey

1. Essex (10-2): The Hornets appear out of their mini-slump. A 6-0 win over Burr and Burton and a 4-2 triumph over Spaulding, offsets a previous two-game losing streak. Last week: 2.

2. Spaulding (8-2): Doubling up BFA-St. Albans and then edging North Country were impressive wins for the Crimson Tide. Good enough to slide up to the second spot, despite Monday’s home loss to Essex. Last week: 3.

3. South Burlington (7-4): 10 goals in the last two games resulted in wins over Essex and Harwood. It also resulted in the Rebels rejoining our rankings. Last week: Not ranked.

4. North Country (8-2-1): No shame in losing a 2-1 game to Spaulding, especially when you already had two wins last week. Last week: 4.

5. Champlain Valley (7-3): The overtime loss to Colchester was a stunner. Perhaps too much of slide down our rankings – CVU is certainly a team to beat come tourney time – but the four teams ahead fared better last week. Last week: 1.

Girls hockey

1. Spaulding (9-1): The Crimson Tide bounced back from falling to Essex with a 4-0 blanking of CVU. Last week: 1.

2. Hartford (6-4): So a team with four losses is No. 2? Yes, the Hurricanes are because of a five-game winning streak , during which they’re given up zero goals while scoring 25 times.Last week: Unranked.

3. Essex (7-2-2): The Hornets had one the season’s strongest wins, topping Spaulding 3-1 last week. But then were blanked by a charging Hartford squad. Last week: 3.

4. BFA-St. Albans (6-2-3): A tie with CVU and a strong win over a hot SBHS team is enough to keep the Comets at No. 4 for another week. Last week: 4.

5. U-32 (10-0-1): A 14-1 goals advantage in two wins last week for the top team in Division II. Raiders have a firm grip on the fifth position – four straight weeks now. Last week: 5.

Merry Christmas!

Here’s our Week 3 hockey power rankings (through games played 12/23).

Boys hockey

1. Essex (6-0): After moving into the No. 1 slot last week, the Hornets solidified their ranking with a big-time win over St. Johns Prep — a highly-touted Massachusetts program — in the Doc Tulip tournament. Last week: 1.

2. Champlain Valley (5-2): After a couple of weeks of being on the bubble, the Redhawks rocket to the second spot. Since our last rankings, CVU has beaten BFA-St. Albans, Rutland and Hartford. Clearly, a deserving jump. Last week: Not ranked.

3. Spaulding (3-1): Although they have played the least amount of games of the ranked teams, the Crimson Tide’s 4-2 win over SBHS last week vaults them back into the mix. Last week: Not ranked.

4. South Burlington (5-3): The Rebels are sliding. Starting first in our rankings two weeks, SBHS has slipped each week, and now sits in fourth, after a last-minute loss to BFA. Last week: 3.

5. BFA-St. Albans (3-3): Finally. It took three weeks, but the powerhouse hockey program that is BFA-St. Albans nudges into our power rankings. A comeback win over SBHS was impressive. Last week: Not ranked.

Girls hockey

1. Essex (6-0-1): The champs remain unbeaten, earning wins of Colchester, South Burlington and Missisquoi. Last week: 1.

2. Spaulding (6-0): The Crimson Tide keep rolling along. A Jan. 6 home date against Essex looms. Last week: 4.

3. Champlain Valley (7-0): In a week’s time — Jan. 2 through 9 — CVU plays at Essex, BFA and then home to Spaulding. It’s a daunting task, but for a CVU squad that has outscored its opponents 53-10, it will likely be a welcomed challenge. Last week: 3.

4. BFA-St. Albans (5-2): One loss can make a team drop in these rankings. But the Comets, after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Spaulding last week, bounced back to blank Colchester on Wednesday. Last week: 2.

5. U-32 (7-0-1): Four wins since we released our last rankings, including Wednesday’s 4-2 win over Division II rival and previously unbeaten Stowe. Last week: 5.