Blake

JohnnyBuck · Post by **JohnnyBuck** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 8:07 am

Congrats on your state championship. Now time to move up to Class AA. Looking at the skill of the 8th and 9th graders on this team it will be a travesty if they stay in A. The A tournament already has enough disparity and it will be unfortunate if Blake continues to play down. I just do not see the fun in calling yourself a champion when you beat teams by a combine score of 23-1.

Jiblet · Post by **Jiblet** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:02 am

I wouldn't even congratulate their performance. What an embarrassment and lack of sportsmanship. Have your top line out in the last minute of a 7-0 game and then celebrate like you won in overtime after the 8th goal. Real class from a program who is afraid to move up because they wouldn't even make it to the tourney with the big girls.

thegreatone99 · Post by **thegreatone99** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 10:12 am

Jiblet wrote:I wouldn't even congratulate their performance. What an embarrassment and lack of sportsmanship. Have your top line out in the last minute of a 7-0 game and then celebrate like you won in overtime after the 8th goal. Real class from a program who is afraid to move up because they wouldn't even make it to the tourney with the big girls.

Ouuch - the truth does hurt Blake. Even the announcers did not know what to say except to try and sugar coat saying the game really did not look like an 8-0 game. They were all embarrassed and running out of things to say

demongoed · Post by **demongoed** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:06 am

Classless.

ghshockeyfan · Post by **ghshockeyfan** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:58 am

Jiblet wrote:I wouldn't even congratulate their performance. What an embarrassment and lack of sportsmanship. Have your top line out in the last minute of a 7-0 game and then celebrate like you won in overtime after the 8th goal. Real class from a program who is afraid to move up because they wouldn't even make it to the tourney with the big girls.

Maybe they were trying to get seniors on the ice for end of game?

Not sure as I didn't check the specifics.

It's common to do so.

Did the goal set a bunch of individual records? It may have been more about that and just unfortunate circumstances.

JohnnyBuck · Post by **JohnnyBuck** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 2:08 pm

8-0. Who cares about individual records or getting their seniors on the ice. All they did is turned more people against them. I just don't see what fun it is to win an A title when they have no competition.

rwb1351 · Post by **rwb1351** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 2:43 pm

JohnnyBuck wrote:8-0. Who cares about individual records or getting their seniors on the ice. All they did is turned more people against them. I just don't see what fun it is to win an A title when they have no competition.

The players care, which is what this is all about, right? Not a bunch of whiney adults sad that there little suzie got the raw end of the deal.

ghshockeyfan · Post by **ghshockeyfan** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 2:45 pm

JohnnyBuck wrote:8-0. Who cares about individual records or getting their seniors on the ice. All they did is turned more people against them. I just don't see what fun it is to win an A title when they have no competition.

Evidently teammates cared that their teammate set some tourney and school records that probably never should have been approached again. It sure could be perceived as classless if they were happy for her.

Maybe I'm too old school or never understood what most coaches do for seniors in the last seconds of the last high school game they will ever play. Just another possible angle to view this situation from.

Blake has a decision to make about opting up and I'm sure it's on their mind with their continued success at the class a level.

thegreatone99 · Post by **thegreatone99** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 3:03 pm

You can't disguise a pig by putting lipstick on it, at the end of the day it is still a pig

Hard water fan · Post by **Hard water fan** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 3:30 pm

A couple thoughts on this. First off, my daughter was very grateful that she had the opportunity to play against what could be argued as the best team in both classes, and one of the best players in the nation. Being a goalie and having the chance to fend off a player of Bullock's caliber is every goalies dream. In the regular season her team lost 0-1 and kept Bullock off the game sheet. It wasn't as close this time, but it certainly wasn't a game like SPU had. I think with two healthy Gardner girls, Warroad would have kept it close, and I know our Mirage didn't have their best game either, which is the only way a team would have a chance against them. That being said, it was a treat watching Blake play in the final and watching girls of that caliber move the puck and play the game the way it is meant to be played. As I have said in the past, private schools like Blake play an important part in the development of girls hockey by giving high caliber players a chance to play with girls of similar skill. That's a really good thing IMO. Regarding Coach putting Bullock out to get her record at the end of the game... kudos to coach. She deserved it. I think they could have easily been in double digits should they have decided to not short bench her like they did. She was in a zone not often seen in any sport.

Because of their success, it's probably a good time for them to move up. They essentially play an AA schedule, and the case could be made that they would have won AA as well. SPU is a tough one though. They played a light schedule and their aggressive style of play lends itself well to teams that can't move the puck quickly. Not a fan of that style in girls hockey as it looks cheap, but they obviously have found success with it. My guess is that until they find some continued success at State we will be seeing them at the A level for some time. Right or wrong, until the MSHSL decides it's time to create a separate private school bracket, things won't change and you'll continue to see a pretty big gap in the initial games, and possibly all the way through.

sinbin · Post by **sinbin** » Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:18 pm

Of course, we'll never know if Blake would have won AA. Great to speculate, but there's no meat behind it until you step up. Reminds me of a scene from the movie "Whiplash".

observer · Post by **observer** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 2:27 am

Agree on the Blake girls having a team full of AA talent. But, can a girls team move from A to AA if the boys team does not? Are there examples? Haven't seen that discussed.

ShakestheClown · Post by **ShakestheClown** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 3:01 am

Yup. Duluth Marshall's boys are AA and their girls are A.

MNHockeyFan · Post by **MNHockeyFan** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 8:16 am

When at Ridder on Saturday I met and had a conversation with a fellow who's a big Blake supporter, and I asked him where most of the team's girls are from. Without hesitating he said "Edina", and added that if all their Edina girls would have gone to and played for Edina that the Hornets would likely have been the team to beat in Class AA, not just this year but the past several. I didn't ask, so I was left wondering just how many of Blake's players are from Edina? He did specifically mention Maddie Wethington, the 9th grader who started playing for Blake in 7th grade and who was the youngest player the USA U18 team this year.

Anyone know who else? And how about some of the girls who played for other private schools (like Breck?) but grew up playing in Edina's youth program?

As someone else here mentioned, one of the positive things about the private schools fielding teams is that it does open up varsity roster spots on some of the public schools, like Edina's.

JJhockeySS · Post by **JJhockeySS** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 9:05 am

Those wishing/hoping for Blake to move up shouldn't get too excited. That opportunity is only on the years sections are re-aligned. Since that just happened they will be class A next year, and they would have the option to move up again in 17-18 season.

The one thing that the MSHSL should consider changing is the commitment is a 4 year one. I think sometimes that scares off some of the smaller privates as they never know who/how many kids they will have the next couple years let alone 4 years down the road. Numbers is one thing and quality of student athletes would be another concern.

While I feel they should be a AA team, only they can make that call. Will be interesting to see what they decide in a couple years.

jg2112 · Post by **jg2112** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 9:14 am

MNHockeyFan wrote:When at Ridder on Saturday I met and had a conversation with a fellow who's a big Blake supporter, and I asked him where most of the team's girls are from. Without hesitating he said "Edina", and added that if all their Edina girls would have gone to and played for Edina that the Hornets would likely have been the team to beat in Class AA, not just this year but the past several. I didn't ask, so I was left wondering just how many of Blake's players are from Edina? He did specifically mention Maddie Wethington, the 9th grader who started playing for Blake in 7th grade and who was the youngest player the USA U18 team this year.

Anyone know who else? And how about some of the girls who played for other private schools (like Breck?) but grew up playing in Edina's youth program?

As someone else here mentioned, one of the positive things about the private schools fielding teams is that it does open up varsity roster spots on some of the public schools, like Edina's.

Lily Delianedis played PeeWee AA for Edina last year, I believe.

TheMayor · Post by **TheMayor** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 10:08 am

MNHockeyFan wrote: Anyone know who else? And how about some of the girls who played for other private schools (like Breck?) but grew up playing in Edina's youth program?

Wethington
Dealandis
S Wallin
CC Wallin
Grace Voijta

All played at least some youth hockey in Edina. In addtion there are another 5 girls that played in Edina on varsity rosters for BSM and one at Breck.

luckyEPDad · Post by **luckyEPDad** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 10:22 am

JJhockeySS wrote:Those wishing/hoping for Blake to move up shouldn't get too excited. That opportunity is only on the years sections are re-aligned. Since that just happened they will be class A next year, and they would have the option to move up again in 17-18 season.

I have a hard time seeing how anyone at Blake can think it is a good idea to remain in A. For the most part they play a 2A schedule and have very good success. The only thing I can think of that may hold them back is "Where do they play?" Geographically they are a section 2 or section 6 team. Section 2 has a big old hole in it right now, so they get to play against EP or Minnetonka each year in sections. That may not be appealing to some.

hockeydad · Post by **hockeydad** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 11:23 am

JJhockeySS wrote:Those wishing/hoping for Blake to move up shouldn't get too excited. That opportunity is only on the years sections are re-aligned. Since that just happened they will be class A next year, and they would have the option to move up again in 17-18 season.

The one thing that the MSHSL should consider changing is the commitment is a 4 year one. I think sometimes that scares off some of the smaller privates as they never know who/how many kids they will have the next couple years let alone 4 years down the road. Numbers is one thing and quality of student athletes would be another concern.

While I feel they should be a AA team, only they can make that call. Will be interesting to see what they decide in a couple years.

The MSHSL did change it from a four-year commitment to a two-year commitment about four years ago. Normally, I'm not going to be too critical of a team playing with schools its own size, but in the case of toting in football and St. Thomas in boys hockey, the teams had nothing left to prove in the smaller classes and it was time. I think the same is true for Blake girls hockey.

Also, in response to the earlier question, Holy Angels is A in girls hockey and AA in boys. At one time, Holy Angels did opt up to AA, but they came back to A a few years ago.

tarasov · Post by **tarasov** » Mon Feb 22, 2016 2:18 pm

2 players from Edina on Blake Varsity would be on the Edina team if they had stayed in public school. Nobody currently at Benilde from Edina would be on Edina team and 1 player from Breck would be on the Edina team. Yes, these players would make Edina even better, but Edina is still a very deep program and you'd have to argue being the #2 seed this year that they were still one of the favorites to win State. ON PAPER, of course!

The truth is Blake had one of the best teams in the State and it would of been awesome to see them compete in the AA tourney. I would of put them as the #1 seed! Of course, they would of had to battle much deeper and more talented teams (than they saw at the A level) on their way to the title, but isn't that what it is all about? Could they of done it? MAYBE, but it wouldn't of been over immediately after they beat Breck. Teams are not supposed to win the game before the puck is dropped...and let's be honest, BLAKE had this years tournament won before the puck ever dropped at Xcel.

I think it's time they move up to AA and I'd like to hear one (JUST ONE) argument on why they shouldn't. With this said, until the Blake administration, athletic department and parents want a fair fight they will continue to stay at A and beat up on their little siblings.

Congrats to the Blake girls on a GREAT season! I wouldn't take away anything from how good they were and how hard they competed. I saw a lot of HS hockey this year and that group of girls was awesome! They played hard, physical and disciplined. They did what they were supposed to do and that was compete hard every game and play whomever is on their schedule. They can't be responsible for anything other than that.

sinbin · Post by **sinbin** » Tue Feb 23, 2016 3:02 am

"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'"
John Greenleaf Whittier

Lace'emUp · Post by **Lace'emUp** » Tue Feb 23, 2016 5:36 am

TheMayor wrote:
MNHockeyFan wrote: Anyone know who else? And how about some of the girls who played for other private schools (like Breck?) but grew up playing in Edina's youth program?
Wethington
Dealandis
S Wallin
CC Wallin
Grace Voijta

All played at least some youth hockey in Edina. In addtion there are another 5 girls that played in Edina on varsity rosters for BSM and one at Breck.

If Edina still had all those players, they very well may have won the AA championship. But what if Steffen, Anderson, and Wemple decided to stay at Centennial and not go to Hill Murray? Same with Harris at Breck? What if they all stayed at Centennial and played with Hughes and Linser? Do they win the AA championship this year? So many "what ifs", not just for Edina or Centennial, but for many teams. Oh well, that's life and we just move on with the excitement of what next season will bring.

Bardown96 · Post by **Bardown96** » Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:25 am

Could see a Dodge County drop to class A and a Blake to AA swap next year. DC has a total of 36 kids in their youth feeder system(u12b,u10, mites). This is what feeds their HS each year to play AA.

JohnnyBuck · Post by **JohnnyBuck** » Tue Feb 23, 2016 6:39 am

Keeping your studs in the game when the score is 8-0 to chase individual records is what is wrong with youth sports today. Enough said on that topic.

Does one throw their gloves and sticks in the air in celebration of an 8-0 win? One would think it is a bit anti climatic. As a parent or coach I'd want to move to the next challengs

massalsa · Post by **massalsa** » Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:13 am

Lace'emUp wrote: If Edina still had all those players, they very well may have won the AA championship. But what if Steffen, Anderson, and Wemple decided to stay at Centennial and not go to Hill Murray? Same with Harris at Breck? What if they all stayed at Centennial and played with Hughes and Linser? Do they win the AA championship this year? So many "what ifs", not just for Edina or Centennial, but for many teams. Oh well, that's life and we just move on with the excitement of what next season will bring.

Think Minnetonka could have used Grace & Anna Zumwinkle in their game against Eden Prairie?

What if Eden Prairie had Bullock?