8A Predictions........

[Wild4hockey]

Thanks for the update shanty man. I have been witness to the previous 25 pages but haven't felt motivated enough to chime in just yet. I think you are spot on with your update-to-date. I do feel bad for a guy like you when TRF unleashes the cannons at your poor Pirate squad. Let's just hope from a TRF fan standpoint that the cannons are properly primed and not malfunctioning come Jan 24th.

[elliott70]

They have them 24th or something...what game did you watch park play?..Im not gonna go rant on about a team when I havent seen them play....

PS2 has Park Rapids at #74 overall rankings.
Next update they may hold this spot but might fall based on an OT 1 goal win with Wadena.

[elliott70]

PS2 #26 in single A.
EGF is at 52 overall.


I don't put a lot of stock in rankings, computer or otherwise.

[elliott70]

Are you out of your mind? TRF has been nothing but inconsistent this whole year, PR won in EGF (I don't know anyone on here that thinks TRF is better than EGF). The game is also being played in PR, and lately it has been packed, with people who have never come to a hockey game making the trip to the Ted O. to support the panthers.

I don't know very many people on the 'bored' and elsewhere, believe PR will beat EGF even-up.

TRF might not beat PR in PR, but then again what happened with Wadena. And TRF is no Wadena.

[schwang17]

I don't know very many people on the 'bored' and elsewhere, believe PR will beat EGF even-up.

TRF might not beat PR in PR, but then again what happened with Wadena. And TRF is no Wadena.

They've beat EGF in their own building a few years in a row now. However, the only thing that will earn these guys some respect is beating someone they aren't supposed to when it matters. Until then, we might as well invite Circletalker in here because this is going nowhere...

PR has never beaten TRF in the few meetings they've had...It's time to score 1 for the homeboys...

[schwang17]

Red Lake Falls @ Park Rapids
Park Rapids

RLF wins this game in a shocker...Elliott just officially screwed PR's chances of an undefeated season...

[elliott70]

Red Lake Falls @ Park Rapids
Park Rapids

RLF wins this game in a shocker...Elliott just officially screwed PR's chances of an undefeated season...

Sorry.

[schwang17]

Red Lake Falls @ Park Rapids
Park Rapids

RLF wins this game in a shocker...Elliott just officially screwed PR's chances of an undefeated season...

Sorry.

Why change the way you've picked now, Sir Elliott? Are you close in the pick'em standings or somethin' and actually need to think with your head now?...

[elliott70]

RLF wins this game in a shocker...Elliott just officially screwed PR's chances of an undefeated season...

Sorry.

Why change the way you've picked now, Sir Elliott? Are you close in the pick'em standings or somethin' and actually need to think with your head now?...

Can't let Shanty get too far ahead now can I.

Besides the game is in PR.
I would have went with RLF if it had been played next to the river rather than up on top of the hill.

[SiouxRecruit]

Thanks for the update shanty man. I have been witness to the previous 25 pages but haven't felt motivated enough to chime in just yet. I think you are spot on with your update-to-date. I do feel bad for a guy like you when TRF unleashes the cannons at your poor Pirate squad. Let's just hope from a TRF fan standpoint that the cannons are properly primed and not malfunctioning come Jan 24th.

what cannons?

[Irishmans Shanty]

However, the only thing that will earn these guys some respect is beating someone they aren't supposed to when it matters.

In the eyes of some, that still won't be enough. A win over someone they're not supposed to beat when it matters will still be viewed as a f_ _ k _ in the here and now. PR nation needs to see their team do two things to get their due.

1) If their schedule remains what it is, they need to win the games they are supposed to and break even with TR, EGF, and Crookston without a 'Lerkhe' on the roster.
2) Sustain some deep runs into the playoffs as cycles of players turnover throughout the years.

Little Falls is up against this right now, no question in my mind they had a nice team the past couple years, but was it because they had a few once in a decade players clustered together or are they in fact turning the corner.

[kalbrecht17]

Sat Jan 5

Red Lake Falls (#137) @ Wahpeton-Breckenridge (N.D.)
RLF by 4

Detroit Lakes (#106) @ Crookston (#114)
Crookston by 2

East Grand Forks (#56) @ Roseau (#6)
Roso by 1

St. Cloud Cathedral (#49) @ Warroad (#15)
Warroad by 3

Park Rapids (#80) @ Kittson Central (#110)
KC by 1

River Lakes (#139) @ Bemidji (#76)
Bemidji by 4

Silver Bay (#148) @ Lake of the Woods (#121)
LOW by 4

Ely (#131) @ Bagley-Fosston (#152)
Gonvick-Clearbrook-F&B by 2, come on coach, figure it out.

Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (#145) @ Prairie Centre (#126)
Walker, perhaps.

BFCG Lost today by 1 in OT. Poor officiating and knowledge of the game by the officials cost them. An extra time-out in OT as well as some calls late in the game hurt. The kids played well, 9 skaters all played very very well. Just a tough one to swallow but I am sure they will bounce back. I would hate to be Kittson coming into Bagley next weekend with how they are playing.

About the Kittson being afraid coming into Bagley, you may want to rethink that. That was a pretty brutal outing last night.

[newsguy35]

Sat Jan 5

Red Lake Falls (#137) @ Wahpeton-Breckenridge (N.D.)
RLF by 4

Detroit Lakes (#106) @ Crookston (#114)
Crookston by 2

East Grand Forks (#56) @ Roseau (#6)
Roso by 1

St. Cloud Cathedral (#49) @ Warroad (#15)
Warroad by 3

Park Rapids (#80) @ Kittson Central (#110)
KC by 1

River Lakes (#139) @ Bemidji (#76)
Bemidji by 4

Silver Bay (#148) @ Lake of the Woods (#121)
LOW by 4

Ely (#131) @ Bagley-Fosston (#152)
Gonvick-Clearbrook-F&B by 2, come on coach, figure it out.

Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (#145) @ Prairie Centre (#126)
Walker, perhaps.

BFCG Lost today by 1 in OT. Poor officiating and knowledge of the game by the officials cost them. An extra time-out in OT as well as some calls late in the game hurt. The kids played well, 9 skaters all played very very well. Just a tough one to swallow but I am sure they will bounce back. I would hate to be Kittson coming into Bagley next weekend with how they are playing.

About the Kittson being afraid coming into Bagley, you may want to rethink that. That was a pretty brutal outing last night.

Never said be afraid and I have never seen the kids play so poorly in my life. Kittson was good but Bagley made them look like all stars. Hopefully the kids wake up today and feel like playing, if not Wapehton may blow them out as well.

[Undercover Hockey Lover]

I see IS didn't bother with the run-down of the sinking Saturday. I can safely say from just about everyone's viewpoint that one was a tough one to watch. Even though The Warriors spent 40 plus minutes in The Pirates zone, put 5 up and met their goal of 15 or less shots it sounds like the co-coaches were none too pleased with the effort. At least Bitts spun it well. An early call from one of the local coffee QB's said an effort may be made to recapture the hearts and minds of the players this week before the match-up with TRF Thursday. We'll see if they got recaptured come gametime and beyond as it's a very tough stretch with little let-up from here on out for the B & G.

[SiouxRecruit]

I see IS didn't bother with the run-down of the sinking Saturday. I can safely say from just about everyone's viewpoint that one was a tough one to watch. Even though The Warriors spent 40 plus minutes in The Pirates zone, put 5 up and met their goal of 15 or less shots it sounds like the co-coaches were none too pleased with the effort. At least Bitts spun it well. An early call from one of the local coffee QB's said an effort may be made to recapture the hearts and minds of the players this week before the match-up with TRF Thursday. We'll see if they got recaptured come gametime and beyond as it's a very tough stretch with little let-up from here on out for the B & G.

It was that close?...WOW!!!!

[Irishmans Shanty]

About a year ago this time the Pirates were getting on a little roll. After a sluggish Dec they played .500 hockey down the stretch thru Jan and Feb and scored a couple of victories (TRF, Fargo South) that surprised even the most positive of supporters. Well, that run isn't coming this year, '07-'08 is shaping up to be a 4 or 5 win regular season. UHL's recap of Saturday's sinking, while tremendously accurate, was not unexpected. 2007-08 was going to be a season of roughseas with greenhorns manning a listing ship. With only two seniors registering points so far, better seas lie ahead.

Continuing the fight and defiant 'til the end.

[Git-R-Done]

About a year ago this time the Pirates were getting on a little roll. After a sluggish Dec they played .500 hockey down the stretch thru Jan and Feb and scored a couple of victories (TRF, Fargo South) that surprised even the most positive of supporters. Well, that run isn't coming this year, '07-'08 is shaping up to be a 4 or 5 win regular season. UHL's recap of Saturday's sinking, while tremendously accurate, was not unexpected. 2007-08 was going to be a season of roughseas with greenhorns manning a listing ship. With only two seniors registering points so far, better seas lie ahead.

Continuing the fight and defiant 'til the end.

The pirates have a great head coach Give him time to re-build and re-train.

[Irishmans Shanty]

Yes they do have a great coach. One thing Bitts did in his first tour as the 1980's turned to the 90's and the talent level dropped off in Crookston is he made some pretty thin teams very competitive. Bitts or any head coach in Crookston would fall over if he had a team score 75 goals during the season. Bitts took some heat in the past for his conservative approach in the attacking zone but he knew what he had and how to make them compete. By next year, the boys will have his systems down and you won't see 9-0, 7-0 or 7-2 losses.

Another thing you'll see is the schedule won't get any easier. He's about as connected as you can get and he'll lineup as many big boys as he can to put 8A into its proper perspective.

[schwang17]

However, the only thing that will earn these guys some respect is beating someone they aren't supposed to when it matters.

In the eyes of some, that still won't be enough. A win over someone they're not supposed to beat when it matters will still be viewed as a f_ _ k _ in the here and now. PR nation needs to see their team do two things to get their due.

1) If their schedule remains what it is, they need to win the games they are supposed to and break even with TR, EGF, and Crookston without a 'Lerkhe' on the roster.
2) Sustain some deep runs into the playoffs as cycles of players turnover throughout the years.

Little Falls is up against this right now, no question in my mind they had a nice team the past couple years, but was it because they had a few once in a decade players clustered together or are they in fact turning the corner.

PR never grew up playing the 8A teams in hockey. The furthest they went was Moorhead and an occasional end of the year tourney up in I Falls or Duluth...they would mostly stick close to home and play the 4A teams with an a one year jaunt to Morris/Benson for a daily double-header(both games outside 3 hours apart)...

The football team has played all the 8A teams for years and still does...I anticipate a home and home schedule with Bemidji and a few of the other higher ups in this Section within the next year or 2...

[Git-R-Done]

Yes they do have a great coach. One thing Bitts did in his first tour as the 1980's turned to the 90's and the talent level dropped off in Crookston is he made some pretty thin teams very competitive. Bitts or any head coach in Crookston would fall over if he had a team score 75 goals during the season. Bitts took some heat in the past for his conservative approach in the attacking zone but he knew what he had and how to make them compete. By next year, the boys will have his systems down and you won't see 9-0, 7-0 or 7-2 losses.

Another thing you'll see is the schedule won't get any easier. He's about as connected as you can get and he'll lineup as many big boys as he can to put 8A into its proper perspective.

[schwang17]

Yes they do have a great coach. One thing Bitts did in his first tour as the 1980's turned to the 90's and the talent level dropped off in Crookston is he made some pretty thin teams very competitive. Bitts or any head coach in Crookston would fall over if he had a team score 75 goals during the season. Bitts took some heat in the past for his conservative approach in the attacking zone but he knew what he had and how to make them compete. By next year, the boys will have his systems down and you won't see 9-0, 7-0 or 7-2 losses.

Another thing you'll see is the schedule won't get any easier. He's about as connected as you can get and he'll lineup as many big boys as he can to put 8A into its proper perspective.

I'd suggest Bitts bring the boys behind UMC and run with the cows...

The campus atmosphere up there you can't even put into words...

[SB24]

However, the only thing that will earn these guys some respect is beating someone they aren't supposed to when it matters.

In the eyes of some, that still won't be enough. A win over someone they're not supposed to beat when it matters will still be viewed as a f_ _ k _ in the here and now. PR nation needs to see their team do two things to get their due.

1) If their schedule remains what it is, they need to win the games they are supposed to and break even with TR, EGF, and Crookston without a 'Lerkhe' on the roster.
2) Sustain some deep runs into the playoffs as cycles of players turnover throughout the years.

Little Falls is up against this right now, no question in my mind they had a nice team the past couple years, but was it because they had a few once in a decade players clustered together or are they in fact turning the corner.

PR never grew up playing the 8A teams in hockey. The furthest they went was Moorhead and an occasional end of the year tourney up in I Falls or Duluth...they would mostly stick close to home and play the 4A teams with an a one year jaunt to Morris/Benson for a daily double-header(both games outside 3 hours apart)...

The football team has played all the 8A teams for years and still does...I anticipate a home and home schedule with Bemidji and a few of the other higher ups in this Section within the next year or 2...

why ?they wont have any more good teams after this year. will they?

[Luk]

Yes they do have a great coach. One thing Bitts did in his first tour as the 1980's turned to the 90's and the talent level dropped off in Crookston is he made some pretty thin teams very competitive. Bitts or any head coach in Crookston would fall over if he had a team score 75 goals during the season. Bitts took some heat in the past for his conservative approach in the attacking zone but he knew what he had and how to make them compete. By next year, the boys will have his systems down and you won't see 9-0, 7-0 or 7-2 losses.

Another thing you'll see is the schedule won't get any easier. He's about as connected as you can get and he'll lineup as many big boys as he can to put 8A into its proper perspective.

If you are looking for a little history, check out a score in the early 80's. Bitts's Hallock team threw a beating to the Warriors 15 or so to 1, I think. He can do a lot. Always committed to success.

[Irishmans Shanty]

Well Schwang, I wouldn't recommend running with the cows in Crookston no more than I would recommend running with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain but scrimmaging UMC or at least working on power play/man short with the Golden Eagles would be beneficial.

Teams that aren't deep in talent often have poor specialty units because once you take your best five to run the PP you're going against guys in practice that are not nearly what you face in a game.

[schwang17]

Well Schwang, I wouldn't recommend running with the cows in Crookston no more than I would recommend running with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain but scrimmaging UMC or at least working on power play/man short with the Golden Eagles would be beneficial.

Teams that aren't deep in talent often have poor specialty units because once you take your best five to run the PP you're going against guys in practice that are not nearly what you face in a game.

Trust me Shanty, I know how it is. I was on teams like this my whole life...

I've ran with the cows behind UMC a time or 2, too....