Duluth East-Cloquet in 7AA Semifinal

[grindiangrad-80]

This is the type of game you hope for.
Congrats to both teams.

[east hockey]

To a neutral fan, this was as exciting a game as you'll want to see.

To a Jacks fan, you're delirious.

To a Hounds fan, you go from wondering how they can get back in it going into the third period, to being giddy when the Hounds go up in the third period, to wanting to smack the refs around (but give them a ladder first so you don't hurt your back from bending down).

And I agree with ColdAsIce, I can't pull for Sappi City against Anoka. Somebody was asking of a Hounds fan in another topic where their northern pride was because he wanted Anoka to beat Cloquet. Bull. There were a number of Jacks fans I talked to in the past when East went to state who wanted anybody but East to win. So, that "northern pride" junk is bunk. I want a team to make it from 7AA who has a chance of winning, and believe Anoka is that team.

Lee

[BruceCiskie]

This is where being from Superior helps me, Lee.

I can be objective. Go Cloquet.

[karl(east)]

I have to agree with Lee. As much as I take pride in northern hockey and its amazing tradition, it's a bit hard, as an East fan, to feel I have to support a northern team when I've received nothing but unconditional hate from that team.

If Rapids, Cloquet, etc. want to form a "fan alliance" against East, they have every right to do so. But they shouldn't expect any support from East in return.

[wild77]

To a neutral fan, this was as exciting a game as you'll want to see.

To a Jacks fan, you're delirious.

To a Hounds fan, you go from wondering how they can get back in it going into the third period, to being giddy when the Hounds go up in the third period, to wanting to smack the refs around (but give them a ladder first so you don't hurt your back from bending down).

And I agree with ColdAsIce, I can't pull for Sappi City against Anoka. Somebody was asking of a Hounds fan in another topic where their northern pride was because he wanted Anoka to beat Cloquet. Bull. There were a number of Jacks fans I talked to in the past when East went to state who wanted anybody but East to win. So, that "northern pride" junk is bunk. I want a team to make it from 7AA who has a chance of winning, and believe Anoka is that team.

Lee

Geez Lee, everyone has their right to cheer for whomever they choose, but 7AA should be a northern section. I will watch the state tournament regardless of the 7AA winner, but I would rather watch East play than Anoka. I am not slamming Anoka either, it's just that 7AA is being overrun by southern teams. It's time they change some coaches at these local single A schools and find some guys that understand the importance and pride of sending a northern team to the state tournament in AA. It's not about how many banners you can hang in your rink, it's about much more than that, IMO.

[hockey59]

Great high school hockey game between two fierce rivals. Brown played great, Jokinen abit off his game, and Rob Johnson almost single handedly brought the hounds back into the game in the third. Heck of a game, will go down as one of the best!

I agree...an outstanding 3rd period by Rob Johnson...along with his linemates...Rob really stepped up at crunch time.

[MajinHockey]

To a neutral fan, this was as exciting a game as you'll want to see.

To a Jacks fan, you're delirious.

To a Hounds fan, you go from wondering how they can get back in it going into the third period, to being giddy when the Hounds go up in the third period, to wanting to smack the refs around (but give them a ladder first so you don't hurt your back from bending down).

And I agree with ColdAsIce, I can't pull for Sappi City against Anoka. Somebody was asking of a Hounds fan in another topic where their northern pride was because he wanted Anoka to beat Cloquet. Bull. There were a number of Jacks fans I talked to in the past when East went to state who wanted anybody but East to win. So, that "northern pride" junk is bunk. I want a team to make it from 7AA who has a chance of winning, and believe Anoka is that team.

Lee

Yeeeeeeaaaaaah, BUT, i think the last sentence of your argument is the real bone of contention. You seem to be tying your loyalty to the section as opposed to the geographical region. I (and i think some will agree) don't give a tin you-know-what, for the section. If that were the case, I'd still be rooting for Region 2 from when I was in high school (which sadly would still include Anoka). Section 7 isn't who I am, I am from Cloquet and take pride in that geographical area...not some arbitrary area that has been determined by the MSHSL.

[HoundHockeyForever]

Right, and I'm from Duluth East, which I take GREAT pride in. I agree with Lee when he says he wants the team from 7AA with the best chance of winning to go to state. Anoka is definitely that team. Even if it were someone else playing against cloquet, I'd still cheer for whomever that was. I'm sticking to my geographical region, and cheering for anyone but cloquet.

[Lumberjack]

I think it's great to read all of these posts from East backers essentially writing Cloquet off in the section final. Very entertaining. Either team could have come out on top today....did the better team win, not necessarily. Cloquet was severely out gunned today, but they have been all year. For once it would be nice to see a team and its supporters act graciously in defeat. But, this board is built on opinions so statements like that are expected. But is it necessary to infer that players mothers slept with the refs? C'mon, have some class.
Though I am no longer living in Cloquet or NE Minnesota all together, I still take pride in my hometown Lumberjacks and any team from Northern Minnesota for that matter.

[karl(east)]

I'm not writing off Cloquet because I don't like them, I just don't think they'll win after watching how Anoka won today.

[HoundHockeyForever]

On the contrary, I am writing off Cloquet because I don't like them, but more so because of the way Anoka played today

[Lumberjack]

I'm not writing off Cloquet because I don't like them, I just don't think they'll win after watching how Anoka won today.

I am guessing you didn't give them a chance today either. Truthfully neither did I, but strange things happen in the playoffs.
The Jacks have a history of taking a dump in the final, my hope is that doesn't happen this year.
I'm not saying they will make any noise if they get to St. Paul, but I personally would like to see these kids get to have that experience. It would mean a great deal to them and the town.

[karl(east)]

No, I've seen enough East-Cloquet by now to know that it's anyone's game, every time. The rivalry simply kills any edge in talent either team might have. Somewhere on here, I rated East the most likely #1 seed to go down in the semis. I still expected East would find a way to win, though.

[HoundHockeyForever]

I agree with Karl, anything can happen in these games, the rivalry doesn't give an edge to either team.

[GR3343]

I was at this game, and it was one of the best in recent memory. I had the privelege to sit in the Cloquet section, and had some great banter with some of the fans. Classy bunch, great people. Congratulations to the Cloquet team, they played their rears off and never gave up. I hope the East fans don't cry about the outcome. They were not screwed by the ref, in the end, Cloquet just had more heart. No one seems to be complaining about the call against Cloq. late in the game that allowed East to take the lead. No one seems to be crying about the goal being scored after the net had come loose. Tough break for East, great job by Cloquet. Good luck against Anoka, keep it up north.

[smashmouthhockey7]

I think it's great to read all of these posts from East backers essentially writing Cloquet off in the section final. Very entertaining. Either team could have come out on top today....did the better team win, not necessarily. Cloquet was severely out gunned today, but they have been all year. For once it would be nice to see a team and its supporters act graciously in defeat. But, this board is built on opinions so statements like that are expected. But is it necessary to infer that players mothers slept with the refs? C'mon, have some class.
Though I am no longer living in Cloquet or NE Minnesota all together, I still take pride in my hometown Lumberjacks and any team from Northern Minnesota for that matter.

Although I am an avid east hockey fan and hate the lumberjacks and anything associated with them, i really think anoka and the jacks will be a extremly exicting game. I really dont think anything can stop the jacks from winning against anoka. Although I wont be cheering for the jacks, I do think they will pull off a victory.

[east hockey]

To a neutral fan, this was as exciting a game as you'll want to see.

To a Jacks fan, you're delirious.

To a Hounds fan, you go from wondering how they can get back in it going into the third period, to being giddy when the Hounds go up in the third period, to wanting to smack the refs around (but give them a ladder first so you don't hurt your back from bending down).

And I agree with ColdAsIce, I can't pull for Sappi City against Anoka. Somebody was asking of a Hounds fan in another topic where their northern pride was because he wanted Anoka to beat Cloquet. Bull. There were a number of Jacks fans I talked to in the past when East went to state who wanted anybody but East to win. So, that "northern pride" junk is bunk. I want a team to make it from 7AA who has a chance of winning, and believe Anoka is that team.

Lee

Geez Lee, everyone has their right to cheer for whomever they choose, but 7AA should be a northern section. I will watch the state tournament regardless of the 7AA winner, but I would rather watch East play than Anoka. I am not slamming Anoka either, it's just that 7AA is being overrun by southern teams. It's time they change some coaches at these local single A schools and find some guys that understand the importance and pride of sending a northern team to the state tournament in AA. It's not about how many banners you can hang in your rink, it's about much more than that, IMO.

I'm in total agreement with you that 7AA should be a northern section and some "certain" schools should step up, but I don't see that happening. It's a numbers thing and the numbers up here keep dwindling. There is also (and I've pointed this out in other threads) a problem with, as you say, the "Big Fish/Small Pond" mentality. I don't know how you change that. How do you teach tradition? I dunno.

Lee

[Duluth 4]

I think it's great to read all of these posts from East backers essentially writing Cloquet off in the section final. Very entertaining. Either team could have come out on top today....did the better team win, not necessarily. Cloquet was severely out gunned today, but they have been all year. For once it would be nice to see a team and its supporters act graciously in defeat. But, this board is built on opinions so statements like that are expected. But is it necessary to infer that players mothers slept with the refs? C'mon, have some class.
Though I am no longer living in Cloquet or NE Minnesota all together, I still take pride in my hometown Lumberjacks and any team from Northern Minnesota for that matter.

alright.. first off "gracious loser" good. Last game when east played cloquet an east kid got beat with a bat by a cloquet kid.. so dont give me any of that. and also LETS GO 'NADOES!

[east hockey]

To a neutral fan, this was as exciting a game as you'll want to see.

To a Jacks fan, you're delirious.

To a Hounds fan, you go from wondering how they can get back in it going into the third period, to being giddy when the Hounds go up in the third period, to wanting to smack the refs around (but give them a ladder first so you don't hurt your back from bending down).

And I agree with ColdAsIce, I can't pull for Sappi City against Anoka. Somebody was asking of a Hounds fan in another topic where their northern pride was because he wanted Anoka to beat Cloquet. Bull. There were a number of Jacks fans I talked to in the past when East went to state who wanted anybody but East to win. So, that "northern pride" junk is bunk. I want a team to make it from 7AA who has a chance of winning, and believe Anoka is that team.

Lee

Yeeeeeeaaaaaah, BUT, i think the last sentence of your argument is the real bone of contention. You seem to be tying your loyalty to the section as opposed to the geographical region. I (and i think some will agree) don't give a tin you-know-what, for the section. If that were the case, I'd still be rooting for Region 2 from when I was in high school (which sadly would still include Anoka). Section 7 isn't who I am, I am from Cloquet and take pride in that geographical area...not some arbitrary area that has been determined by the MSHSL.

My loyalty tends to be tied to the geographic region, but I don't consider that to be an absolute. There are a couple notable exceptions to that rule.

Now, should Cloquet get to state, I'll root for them unless they play Roseau. Better?

Lee

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

Any team that lost to ER this year didn't belong in the section final (Only this year would I feel comfortable saying that)

Congrats to East on a great year and a bigger congrats to Cloquet for what sounds like a heckuva game.

[ehs08]

As a senior from East, I feel like I have finally resolved all of my issues with Cloquet after this game. I definitely do not have the same "hate" towards them as I have in previous years. However, this could also be due to the fact at what a clean game this was - Im talking about the chants. It was really nice hearing our side get that excited and loud about our team in the 3rd period, and then towards the beginning of the game when one of our teachers talked to a kid from cloquet - telling him no taunting. It was quite funny and relieved a lot of the tension between us.

Honestly, congrats to Cloquet, but I really don't think that they have what it takes to win the final, and if they did they wouldn't go far at state. I think that playing East brings the absolute best out of their team, and if they played like that every game they could have had the #1 seed.
I have finally gotten over the fact that Cloquet beat us one last time (for seniors), and I really mean it when I say congratulations to the Cloquet players and the fans for making it a clean game. It was a nice way to end the hockey season as an East fan...Despite how depressing the loss was.

[oldbarn7]

Watching this rivalry closely for the last few years I have come to this conclusion: Since Coach Esse has been at Cloquet he has had a lot of success against a usually superior talented East team for a few reasons:

1) His players buy into what his system is. Every year he has a few players that are very good but after that there's a large drop of talent from line to line. But no matter what line is out there they all do the same thing. Get it deep and pressure the East defensemen so they can't go D to D like they're coached to. And they shoot from everywhere. They block shots. They sacrifice for the team. Esse teaches the game the right way (not that Randolph doesn't) and his players buy into it and reep the rewards.

2) Coach Randolph and East usually come into this game looking like a superior team on paper and over the course of the season (records, beating common opponents and so on...) but regardless you will never see East play another team the way they play Cloquet. Coach Randolph looks like he has instilled a whole new system for 2 games out of the year and its just not working.

3) East really doesn't ever seem to play 3 good periods against Cloquet regardless of the scenario of the game. They just don't for whatever reason.

4) Cloquet ALWAYS seems to want it more whether they're 2 golas up, 2 goals down, or it's a tie game.

5) No matter who East has that year Cloquet always believes they can win the game. Their system is meant to do so, and when executed properly it's scary for East.

6) In the East-Cloquet game Cloquet always seems to have ONE player really step up to the plate (Today it was David Brown, last year on FSN it was Ellingson, the year before it was Tyler Johnson in the section final game even though he didn't score he was the difference, the year before that it was Mitch Ryan in the regular season, the list goes on...)

7) This is my personal opinion...East doesn't play a game even close to this intense all year. They need to start playing the better teams around the area so that their players can be at least a little more comfortable in the atmosphere that Cloquet game always has. Whether that is hyping the Denfeld-East game more, or playing Marshall and selling out the DECC, or playing Hermantown; East needs to do something so they're ready for an atmosphere like that. Period.

That being said. Great game. I was cheering for East to make it back to St. Paul and was only worried about one team and that was Cloquet and here we are. What a tilt that was today. We all saw a treat.

[Lumberjack]

I think it's great to read all of these posts from East backers essentially writing Cloquet off in the section final. Very entertaining. Either team could have come out on top today....did the better team win, not necessarily. Cloquet was severely out gunned today, but they have been all year. For once it would be nice to see a team and its supporters act graciously in defeat. But, this board is built on opinions so statements like that are expected. But is it necessary to infer that players mothers slept with the refs? C'mon, have some class.
Though I am no longer living in Cloquet or NE Minnesota all together, I still take pride in my hometown Lumberjacks and any team from Northern Minnesota for that matter.

alright.. first off "gracious loser" good. Last game when east played cloquet an east kid got beat with a bat by a cloquet kid.. so dont give me any of that. and also LETS GO 'NADOES!

I bet that kid was from Wrenshall.

[Bruins4ever]

Let's all put hometowns aside and cheer for the north regardless who it is. That is what makes us who we are. As far as the refs deciding games, what happened to putting the whistle away at that point in the game unless there is a scoring chance or injury penalty and let the kids decide it. You see it in all upper levels of hockey. It was a borderline trip that probably shouldn't have been called at that point in the game. However, I think it was an even up call from the one before. These two refs have been working all the 7A and 7AA championship games for years. I bet Randolph will not be voting for them to ref next year. It is time for these guys to go. They do not hustle or even display the proper mechanics. Call it a career. We will probably have to see them on TV next week reffing again.

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

Let's all put hometowns aside and cheer for the north regardless who it is. That is what makes us who we are. As far as the refs deciding games, what happened to putting the whistle away at that point in the game unless there is a scoring chance or injury penalty and let the kids decide it. You see it in all upper levels of hockey. It was a borderline trip that probably shouldn't have been called at that point in the game. However, I think it was an even up call from the one before. These two refs have been working all the 7A and 7AA championship games for years. I bet Randolph will not be voting for them to ref next year. It is time for these guys to go. They do not hustle or even display the proper mechanics. Call it a career. We will probably have to see them on TV next week reffing again.

Watch the NHL now buddy, they don't swallow their whistles at any point like they used to.

Coaches really vote for the refs? I'd be surprised.