Suburban East Conference Preview

The Suburban East Conference has long been one of the most competitive around. Just ask the folks who have to order the championship banners. Last year they needed four – count 'em four – banners at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, one each for Roseville, White Bear Lake, Cretin-Derham Hall and East Ridge who finished with identical records of 11-5. Who knows how many banners have been budgeted for this year because there is a pretty good chance that another two or three might be required. The clear favorite is Joe Lynch's squad from Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul. The teams are listed below in the projected order of finish with last year's record in parentheses. 1. Cretin-Derham Hall (11-5) It's now or never. OK, maybe not never, but if the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders are going to win an outright Suburban East championship and make their way into the state AAAA tournament, this would be their year. Why? Haley Moore, Autam Mendez, Chanel Anderson-Manning, Justyna Butler, and Elizabeth Edinger. That's why. That's a nice senior class, and there's a junior who is better than all of them. Frannie Hottinger is a 6'1" forward and the #16 player in the class. She has evolved into a big-time prospect, the kind of player who can put a team over the top. Who knows if it will actually happen. Last winter, CDH roared out of the gate before stumbling in January. They recovered well enough to win a share of the conference championship and with almost every regular back, CDH is the clear favorite. 2. White Bear Lake (11-5) Regardless of the names on the roster or their previous accomplishments, the pre-season conversation about the Suburban East is always the same: Watch out for White Bear! This year is no exception. Jeremy Post's Bears play with passion and intensity, defend like there's no tomorrow, and show up when the championship is on the line. That's why they have been to state seven times in nine years, bowing out to champions Elk River last spring. Since then they graduated Adri Perron, Alexa Molin, Michaela Craigen, and Sophie Janicki. The Bears will revolve around senior Jordan Ferrand, an athletic big who can run the floor. The 6'1" Ferrand is #30 in the class and has committed to South Dakota State. She's joined by three key juniors: 5'11" forward Clare Odmark (#50), guard Courtney Crouch (#105) and wing Anna Sanders. Sophomore guard Ella Janicki (#61) will play an expanded role. White Bear might win it all. 3. Roseville (11-5) Roseville lost seven players to graduation, including point guard Jolissa Ross, all-everything guard Kaia Porter, forward Meleah Hanson and guard Erin Hill. Technically speaking, this is a rebuilding year for Roseville, but for Jeff Crosby's hard-nosed Raiders that usually means reloading. Roseville returns 5'9" junior guard Kaylee Nelson (#37), a Minnesota-Duluth commit, and bruising 6'1" sophomore forward Jayda Johnston, the #18 player in 2020. Junior Jada Hood (#68) takes over at point guard, and sophomore post Josie Haug (#68) will be a major contributor. The outlier is freshman Tamia Ugass, the #11 prospect in the Class of 2021. Ugass is an athletic 6'3" center, a transfer from Highland Park where she had a lot of success. The Suburban East, however, is a big step up from St. Paul. If Ugass adjusts quickly, and the Raiders stay healthy, look for Roseville to contend once again. 4. Park Cottage Grove (8-9) Park has had its share of high-end talent over the years – names like Sydney Lamberty and Ally Gorres come to mind – but it is the Wolfpack's team concept that always comes to mind for me. Coach Stefanie Tolkinen gets the very best out of her players and, with all due respect to Post, Crosby, et al., is not likely to be out-coached. This year, her core includes four lunch-pail seniors who each averaged around 10 points per game. Molly Wenner, a Bemidji State commit, is a versatile guard, who is a nice ball-handler with excellent range. Point guard Taylor Johnson distributes the ball well and is cool under fire. Riley Perryman is a high-energy 2 who defends aggressively. And Delaney Young is a 5'11" power forward who brings strength and physicality to the equation. The sum total is a Park team capable of beating anyone in the conference. That should be good enough for a top-four finish. 5. Forest Lake (7-10) When last season concluded, a lot of folks from Forest Lake were pretty fired up about the Rangers' future. On the heels of impressive wins over Holy Angels, Wayzata, Cretin, East Ridge, and Roseville, it's easy to see why. Their enthusiasm has been tempered just a little as Forest Lake is without the #30 player in the class of 2019, forward Mackenzie Stumne, who suffered a summer knee injury. The 5'11" forward has committed to Montana State, but she'll have to watch from the sidelines. The Rangers still have plenty of firepower. Junior PG Lexi Hultman, a top 50 player in 2019, was out with a foot injury but has been pronounced healthy. She'll join fellow juniors Abigail Groeneweg, Abby Leach and Maddy Rice at the core of the lineup. Groeneweg is a 5'10 post ranked #21 in 2019 while the 6-foot forward Leach is the most underappreciated of the group. Rice had an impressive summer. Forest Lake will still win a lot of games, just not as many as if they had Stumne. 6. Stillwater (5-11) Over the summer, the Ponies of Stillwater landed talented freshman point guard Alexis Pratt from North St. Paul, where she scored a lot but won very little. She'll no doubt keep scoring in Stillwater and will definitely do more winning. Just how much winning is the question. One thing is for certain: Willie Taylor can coach, and the St. Paul Central legend will now have one of the best backcourts in the conference. Pratt is going to be very good. Junior Sara Scalia, a top 10 player in the class, is better. Much better. As in getting Power 5 offers better. Stillwater graduated guard Clare Patterson, a mainstay since 8th grade, and lost 6'3" sophomore post Maddie Whittington to a knee injury. It remains to be seen what Willie can conjure up without the Whittington threat inside. I'm guessing the Ponies will be raining threes. That may not be enough to finish in the top half of the conference. 7. Woodbury (9-7) At #19, with a D1 commitment to Fairfield in her back pocket, Rachel Hakes is one of the best in the Class of 2018. Hakes is smart and tough and very competitive, but she's not a pack mule. That's unfortunate because Hakes will have to carry the Royals on her back. Woodbury lost Cici Kieger and Ellie Kreibich to graduation, and Keiger's leadership and 17 ppg will be sorely missed. Woodbury was dealt another blow when senior forward Maren Blodgett decided to hang up her sneakers. So who's next? Well, 6' junior forward Solape Amuson had a very nice summer and looks poised to make a giant leap forward. Likewise for sophomore guard Clarice LeBow, who has worked as hard as anyone to earn a starting role. If the rest of the returnees, including Carley West, Liz Dodge, and Cassidy Mackie can turn it up a notch, Woodbury will win a handful but no more. 8. East Ridge (11-5) There will be no championship banner required for East Ridge this time around. The Raptors earned one fourth of the title last winter but their time has come and gone. East Ridge has had a ton of talent recently but never quite achieved what seemed possible. Point guard Noel Tomes (16 ppg), dominant post Mariah Sexe (15 & 10), forward Kelen Kenol (12 & 9), and Emma Stoehr, one of the most under-appreciated guards in the state, are all playing college ball. Like we said, the Raptors had a lot of tools in the box but not many trophies in the case. Now what? Well this would be the time for 6'1" sophomore Kate Burns to step up and show us what she's got. Junior guard Linnea Yacovella and 6' senior forward Meaghan Rapp must do the same. Bottom line: East Ridge is in a tough spot. 9. Moundsview (0-16) Moundsview went winless in the Suburban East last winter and won just four games overall. It's a record that makes you shake your head because on paper this team is a lot better than that. Alas, paper is meaningless and Moundsview was winless. I'll go out on a limb and say that the Mustangs will win some games in the conference this year. Based on summer ball, new coach Ashlie Anzel seems to have inspired more passion in her players. A lot more. Sophomore Lindsey Becher, a 6'1" post, is ranked 25th in the class. She's really long, skilled inside and much stronger than she looks. Leading scorer Erin Saemrow has graduated, but Sara Wendt returns at point guard where she averaged 14 ppg. Sophomore guard Katie Manecke is ready for a bigger role as is 5'11" junior forward Lizzie Kauls. There's nowhere to go but up for the Mustangs. First Team All Conference C – Jordan Ferrand, White Bear Lake, senior F – Frannie Hottinger, Cretin, junior F – Haley Moore, Cretin, senior G – Sara Scalia, Stillwater, junior G – Rachel Hakes, Woodbury, senior Second Team C – Abigail Groeneweg, Forest Lake, junior F – Jayda Johnston, Roseville, sophomore F – Autam Mendez, Cretin, senior G – Jada Hood, Roseville, junior G – Kaylee Nelson, Roseville, junior Third Team C – Lyndsey Becher, Moundsview, sophomore F – Claire Odmark, White Bear Lake, junior F – Solape Amusan, Woodbury, junior G – Elizabeth Edinger, Cretin, senior G – Molly Wenner, Park, senior Stock Raisers C – Kate Burns, East Ridge, sophomore F – Delaney Young, Park, senior F – Abby Leach, Forest Lake, junior G – Lexi Hultman, Forest Lake, junior G – Justyna Butler, Cretin, senior * This story corrects an earlier edition that misstated the extent of Lexi Hultman's injury. Mackenzie Stumne was left off the all-conference list due to injury.