FARGO BRACKETS

[keep skating]

How did STMA handle the goalie situation in the semi final and final? Did the coach split them both games or did they each get a game? I'll bet he split them. Congrats to EP I hear they rode on #16's back most of the tournament.

[Trout]

Congrats to EP...they made me eat my words!

After this year it shows how blanced it all was. Lots of teams won tourneys and no one really dominated.

[gorilla1]

its justkids hockey--I did give EP credit--they put it all together this weekend and won the tourney. The rest of my post was just stating fact.

[GreatOne99]

Wow Gorilla - Sounds like sour bananas to me!

The way I see it, EP had to beat LVS and STMA to win the whole thing and STMA is twice the team that Wayzata or Tonka is. LVS has a good team and if they play this tourney 10 times the outcome would be different each time. Give em credit - give them ALL credit. Win with class, lose with dignity.

Congrats to all the teams! Including LVS

"STMA is twice the team that Wayzata or Tonka is" Am I wrong or did STMA play Wayzata earlier in the year and got smoked in a 30 minute controlled scrimmage (6-1). Look at the bracket STMA played through at Fargo and it is by far the easiest path to the Championship. Best team they faced was Bloomington Jefferson? I talked to one parent who watched the STMA bracket and said a good "B" team could have made it through to the championship bracket. From what I heard the real Championship game was earlier in the Semi's between LVS and Eden Prairie.

Congrats to EP. It's tough to skate 1.5 lines and win 6 games in a row.

[High Off The Glass]

Wow Gorilla - Sounds like sour bananas to me!

The way I see it, EP had to beat LVS and STMA to win the whole thing and STMA is twice the team that Wayzata or Tonka is. LVS has a good team and if they play this tourney 10 times the outcome would be different each time. Give em credit - give them ALL credit. Win with class, lose with dignity.

Congrats to all the teams! Including LVS

"STMA is twice the team that Wayzata or Tonka is" Am I wrong or did STMA play Wayzata earlier in the year and got smoked in a 30 minute controlled scrimmage (6-1). Look at the bracket STMA played through at Fargo and it is by far the easiest path to the Championship. Best team they faced was Prior Lake? I talked to one parent who watched the STMA bracket and said a good "B" team could have made it through to the championship bracket. From what I heard the real Championship game was earlier in the Semi's between LVS and Eden Prairie.

Congrats to EP. It's tough to skate 1.5 lines and win 6 games in a row.

Yes, Wayzata did play STMA only once this year and it was a controlled scrimmage. As you know, no score is kept in a controlled scrimmage, so I don't know what the final "tally" was, but Wayzata did dominate for about 40 minutes of play. Wayzata got beaten up bad by LVS in Fargo. Wayzata looked tired and was out coached in the game. You are right, the Wayzata, EP, LVS bracket was, by far, the toughest in Fargo this year.

[northwoods oldtimer]

skate 1.5 lines and win 6 games in a row.

What genius shortened the bench at squirt level? That is PATHETIC!!

Must have been a pretty interesting tournament with all those teams. I heard it was 12 minute periods? Is that true? If so why? What benefit do squirt aged kids get from spending 3 nights in a hotel for 36 minute games?

[letsroll11]

STMA scrimmaged Wayzata yes - without 5 kids due to a band concert at school, and 1 top player gone because of injury, can't determine anything from that scrimmage. Easy bracket for STMA? obviously noone saw the team they beat from Carolina. How can anyone talk smack about STMA program - a program of that size competing at that level and coaches not shortening the bench what so ever and still making it to the championship, hats off to STMA!! I've followed that team all year and am 100% impressed.

[old goalie85]

STMA is a very good squirt team. Progam should be happy with direction it is going.

[coleburns]

STMA deserved to be in the championship game. If a good "B" Team could have won their bracket then Wayzata must be a "B" Team because Jefferson beat Wayzata in the Bloomington Tournament in their only matchup. Also, OMG has a really good team and didn't make it out of that bracket. If you win 6 games in a row you deserve to be in the championship. Bottom line....EP and STMA had a good weekend and the rest is sour grapes.

[takeitwide]

Wow Gorilla - Sounds like sour bananas to me!

The way I see it, EP had to beat LVS and STMA to win the whole thing and STMA is twice the team that Wayzata or Tonka is. LVS has a good team and if they play this tourney 10 times the outcome would be different each time. Give em credit - give them ALL credit. Win with class, lose with dignity.

Congrats to all the teams! Including LVS

"STMA is twice the team that Wayzata or Tonka is" Am I wrong or did STMA play Wayzata earlier in the year and got smoked in a 30 minute controlled scrimmage (6-1). Look at the bracket STMA played through at Fargo and it is by far the easiest path to the Championship. Best team they faced was Bloomington Jefferson? I talked to one parent who watched the STMA bracket and said a good "B" team could have made it through to the championship bracket. From what I heard the real Championship game was earlier in the Semi's between LVS and Eden Prairie.

Congrats to EP. It's tough to skate 1.5 lines and win 6 games in a row.

Wow quite the statement that STMA is twice the team of Wayzata and MTKA! Watch STMA play in Fargo and there is no question very weak brackets as for Wayzata and LVS there was no question Wayzata was not on there game and LVS was solid. STMA did get smoked by Wayzata early in the year in there scrimmage but both teams have improved lots. Congrats to EP they are a solid team and nice to have a metro team bring home the hardware!

[High Off The Glass]

STMA deserved to be in the championship game. If a good "B" Team could have won their bracket then Wayzata must be a "B" Team because Jefferson beat Wayzata in the Bloomington Tournament in their only matchup.

Also, OMG has a really good team and didn't make it out of that bracket.

If you win 6 games in a row you deserve to be in the championship. Bottom line....EP and STMA had a good weekend and the rest is sour grapes.

OMG is NOT a very strong team this year. STMA had a good run through an easy bracket, not STMA fault what bracket they play.

[buzzsaw]

Congrats to EP!! Great job and they deserve it. They did have an easy bracket but then they had to beat LS and STMA and they more than made up for an easy bracket by beating those two teams.
D6 was well represented. The depth in D6 is unmatched.

[InigoMontoya]

Must have been a pretty interesting tournament with all those teams. I heard it was 12 minute periods? Is that true? If so why? What benefit do squirt aged kids get from spending 3 nights in a hotel for 36 minute games?

How about the benefit of having a great time? What is the benefit of dragging the kids 1500 miles for 3 nights in a hotel to ride 7 rides, eat a $12 hamburger, and wear a $37 T-shirt? Are you going to rake on parents for taking their kids to Disney World, as well? Quit being such a crabby old coot.

[wayupnorth]

I was impressed that some of the teams outside of Minnesota at least competed. Did these top 4 Minnesota teams blow anyone out in the first two games. Maybe a few, but some played them tough. Hockey outside is getting better.

[silentbutdeadly3139]

Wow Gorilla - Sounds like sour bananas to me!

The way I see it, EP had to beat LVS and STMA to win the whole thing and STMA is twice the team that Wayzata or Tonka is. LVS has a good team and if they play this tourney 10 times the outcome would be different each time. Give em credit - give them ALL credit. Win with class, lose with dignity.

Congrats to all the teams! Including LVS

"STMA is twice the team that Wayzata or Tonka is" Am I wrong or did STMA play Wayzata earlier in the year and got smoked in a 30 minute controlled scrimmage (6-1). Look at the bracket STMA played through at Fargo and it is by far the easiest path to the Championship. Best team they faced was Bloomington Jefferson? I talked to one parent who watched the STMA bracket and said a good "B" team could have made it through to the championship bracket. From what I heard the real Championship game was earlier in the Semi's between LVS and Eden Prairie.

Congrats to EP. It's tough to skate 1.5 lines and win 6 games in a row.

"I talked with a parent...", "From what I heard ..." great basis to take a shot at STMA and declaring a good "B" team could have won that Bracket which is asinine ... turn in your great one moniker at the door. STMA's style of play isn't flashy but they have played everyone this year beating many and losing some, as all teams have. As others said there isn't a dominating team which I think is great but STMA is a good team, as many others that played there.

And no my kids doesn't play for STMA

[dogeatdog1]

The DogeatDog Fargo bracket prediction champ is in.... I take the $1 home... Funny no one sent me any $ and I got most of the teams right. Carolina was a good team with a fantastic little goalie. Fargo Refs let a lot of physical play go on which was fun to see and I'm sure helped EP in the long run as they have played physical all year. Don't get down on anyone that shortens the bench to win this tourney cause if you look over the years the champs have all done the short bench to assure the win. Congrats to D6 with 6 teams in the top 16. That is impressive....It looks like Fargo did a pretty good job of seeding as there were no real blowouts in any of the sweet 16 games. Another year in the book and a great tourney.

[My_Kid_Loves_Hockey]

This is great, again once you move on from squirt hockey you seem to have a better perspective on things so you all have something to look forward to next year.

I love how one person gets on here and pulls a "SmallTownBigStick" and then when they are wrong the excuses start flying(they had the easiest path or they rode #16) and start bashing other teams and the path that they have to play. Last time I heard, you don't get to pick your brackets.

Great response about how this team beat that team in a controlled scrimmage 4 months (how ever long ago it was) .............last time i checked its all about how your playing when it counts and if you ask all the PW/12's , Bantams/14's or the HS teams that is NOW!

[keep skating]

Looking at the final bracket results I see the team STMA beat, Carolina Hurricanes, in the first round of the sweet 16 won the Con. bracket beating Minnetonka. STMA played without their top scorer who was out of the tournament after the second game. Both EP and STMA deserved to be in the final and EP came out on top. Most of the games were decided by a goal or two in the sweet sixteen.

[old goalie85]

We had a "practice" with STMA and I thought they were a very good squirt team. Better than Stillwater, prior Lake, or Hastings,Moundsview, and Roseville, W.B.L. These were the top teams we faced this year.[Forest Lake] Way to go to STMA. Whats wrong wit congrats to the kids instead of all the ifs and buts?

[Trout]

I would say STMA is definately one of the top 4 or 5 I saw all year.

The others would be Elk River, Lakeville South, Stillwater.

You put those 4 out there with anyone and they win the majority. Wayzata was a little up and down but they may be the next along with EP who was also up and down.

If any of these teams stricktly put their best out there and shorten their bench at all they would be really hard to beat!

STMA - Strength is goaltending and defense if they have a weakness it would be a little lack of depth up front

Elk River - Again play great together and have a great system they play, not sure their depth is the best but they have a smaller squad

EP - Didn't see Fargo but in other tourneys I felt they lacked depth, defense and goaltending again were good. I can see how they won it if the shortened up the bench a little.

Stillwater and LS had the best depth and overall skating skill I saw maybe giving the edge in skating and depth to Stillwater however Stillwater had some defensive and goal tending issues. LS was very good top to bottom consistent in all aspects.

Stillwater was the best team from the east side I saw by far. Mounds view probably next, WBL is young they will be a team to look out for next year, Woodbury was definately down compared to past years.

As is typical the west side of town has much more depth.

The rest that I would put just below the top 4 or 5 include (maybe win some agianst the top 5 or 6 but not quite there) Tonka, Jefferson, Waconia, Prior Lake, Hermantown and maybe throw in Rochester. Edina was down but I think they have several kids on the fire, watch out if and when they come back! OMG was OK but seemed up and down, some said they had kids out not sure about them.

It woud be interesting to know who has young teams, I know it has been talked about with STMA and WBL for sure ... are there others who will likely be the ones to beat next year?

[silentbutdeadly3139]

I would say STMA is definately one of the top 4 or 5 I saw all year.

The others would be Elk River, Lakeville South, Stillwater.

You put those 4 out there with anyone and they win the majority. Wayzata was a little up and down but they may be the next along with EP who was also up and down.

If any of these teams stricktly put their best out there and shorten their bench at all they would be really hard to beat!

STMA - Strength is goaltending and defense if they have a weakness it would be a little lack of depth up front

Elk River - Again play great together and have a great system they play, not sure their depth is the best but they have a smaller squad

EP - Didn't see Fargo but in other tourneys I felt they lacked depth, defense and goaltending again were good. I can see how they won it if the shortened up the bench a little.

Stillwater and LS had the best depth and overall skating skill I saw maybe giving the edge in skating and depth to Stillwater however Stillwater had some defensive and goal tending issues. LS was very good top to bottom consistent in all aspects.

Stillwater was the best team from the east side I saw by far. Mounds view probably next, WBL is young they will be a team to look out for next year, Woodbury was definately down compared to past years.

As is typical the west side of town has much more depth.

The rest that I would put just below the top 4 or 5 include (maybe win some agianst the top 5 or 6 but not quite there) Tonka, Jefferson, Waconia, Prior Lake, Hermantown and maybe throw in Rochester. Edina was down but I think they have several kids on the fire, watch out if and when they come back! OMG was OK but seemed up and down, some said they had kids out not sure about them.

It woud be interesting to know who has young teams, I know it has been talked about with STMA and WBL for sure ... are there others who will likely be the ones to beat next year?

I'm guessing Centennial would also be in the conversation as they did well in several major tournaments with some good wins including beating Elks a few times, the last being the D10 championship.

Otherwise a pretty comprehensive list. The long discussion and no dominating team is a testament to the depth of good players and not indicative of a down year IMHO.

[Trout]

Agree. Centennial is in there...

I knew I would miss a few!

[blindref]

skate 1.5 lines and win 6 games in a row.

What genius shortened the bench at squirt level? That is PATHETIC!!

Northwoods hit it right on the head. Why would anyone shorten a bench in a squirt game. What a tool!

Trophy chasing with 9 and 10 year olds is silly. Try developing your entire team.

[Marty McSorely]

Sounds like a coach with an ego problem, shorting the bench at squirts! Maybe he gets a bonus for winning tourneys