3AA Final #3 Woodbury vs. #4 Apple Valley

[joycer10]

Rematch of Last year section Semi-Final when the Eagles stunned top seeded Woodbury 1-0. Both teams are heading into this game with some unfinished business to take care of. Apple Valley looks to finish the job this year after losing last years section final to Cretin in O.T. While Woodbury looks to avenge last years section loss to Apple Valley and get back to the state Tournament.

Prediction

Woodbury 4
Apple Valley 2 (EN)

[starmvp]

Apple Valley pulls the shocker 3-1

[dump and chase]

This should be an interesting match up between a woodbury team with 15 seniors on it and apple valley with ten sophomores and a freshman.. Woodburys last shot with their very experienced team.. If apple valley only plays their top 2 lines i see the depth of the royals taking over late but apple valley is playing some good hockey right now..



Apple Valley 3-2 OT

[HomeBarkingDog]

After seeing both team play, Im going with a low scoring game..

2-1 AV

[Just_Another_Fan]

Woodbury 3
AV 2

Ness stops 27 shots and Nowicki gets the game winner.

[newmexicohockey]

This should be an interesting match up between a woodbury team with 15 seniors on it and apple valley with ten sophomores and a freshman.. Woodburys last shot with their very experienced team.. If apple valley only plays their top 2 lines i see the depth of the royals taking over late but apple valley is playing some good hockey right now..



Apple Valley 3-2 OT

Correction. Woodbury has 16 seniors on the team. Bolin apparently has no regard for next season. This is the last stand for Woodbury. Look for the Woodbury hockey program to go back to the dark ages next year and beyond.

[BodyShots]

Good luck SEC!

[Sykes]

This should be an interesting match up between a woodbury team with 15 seniors on it and apple valley with ten sophomores and a freshman.. Woodburys last shot with their very experienced team.. If apple valley only plays their top 2 lines i see the depth of the royals taking over late but apple valley is playing some good hockey right now..



Apple Valley 3-2 OT

Correction. Woodbury has 16 seniors on the team. Bolin apparently has no regard for next season. This is the last stand for Woodbury. Look for the Woodbury hockey program to go back to the dark ages next year and beyond.

In regards to Bolin has no regard for next year by keeping 16 seniors, Woodbury split into two schools: East Ridge and Woodbury. All but 3 or 4 kids from last year ended up at East Ridge. All seniors stayed at Woodbury. Both schools pulled up kids off of the Bantam "A" programs to fill their JV rosters because they need to field four teams instead of two (2 varsity & 2 JV. Woodbury had a very large senior class to begin and with how the schools split, it made sense to have more seniors. The other option would be to cut seniors that could play at the varsity level and maybe pull up more Bantam kids that were not ready to play JV. It had nothing to do with regard to next year.

[old goalie85]

Applevalley 3 Woodbury1

[newmexicohockey]

This should be an interesting match up between a woodbury team with 15 seniors on it and apple valley with ten sophomores and a freshman.. Woodburys last shot with their very experienced team.. If apple valley only plays their top 2 lines i see the depth of the royals taking over late but apple valley is playing some good hockey right now..



Apple Valley 3-2 OT

Correction. Woodbury has 16 seniors on the team. Bolin apparently has no regard for next season. This is the last stand for Woodbury. Look for the Woodbury hockey program to go back to the dark ages next year and beyond.

In regards to Bolin has no regard for next year by keeping 16 seniors, Woodbury split into two schools: East Ridge and Woodbury. All but 3 or 4 kids from last year ended up at East Ridge. All seniors stayed at Woodbury. Both schools pulled up kids off of the Bantam "A" programs to fill their JV rosters because they need to field four teams instead of two (2 varsity & 2 JV. Woodbury had a very large senior class to begin and with how the schools split, it made sense to have more seniors. The other option would be to cut seniors that could play at the varsity level and maybe pull up more Bantam kids that were not ready to play JV. It had nothing to do with regard to next year.

Another correction. Both schools pulled up many Bantam B and Bantam C players to fill out the BOTTOM of their JV rosters. No Bantam A eligible players were brought into either of the high school hockey programs.
As far a this issue of seniors, any coach who is building and maintaining a sports program always has some underclassmen on his team to build around for next year. Everyone knows that. From the perspective of a parent of a senior hockey player, it makes sense to have 16 seniors. From the perspective of a coach or an outside observer, it makes no sense. So I guess it depends on your perspective.

[MNHockey75]

Apple Valley always falls short. Not this time...

AV - 3
WB - 2 (2OT)

[youngblood08]

Always falls short???

So knocking off the #1 seed Woodbury last year was falling short??

The mega Overtime game with Duluth East was falling short???

You don't know Apple Valley very well.



Woodticks by 2. they haven't forgotten last year.

[MNHockey75]

Always falls short???

So knocking off the #1 seed Woodbury last year was falling short??

The mega Overtime game with Duluth East was falling short???

You don't know Apple Valley very well.



Woodticks by 2. they haven't forgotten last year.

They're 0-6 in their last six section final games. Just sayin'.

[gophs16]

Apple Valley takes Ness out to the shed and whoops him up a bit.

Apple Valley-4
Woodbury-1

[EHSHack]

With the whipping AV took at the hands of DE in my mind, I feel Woodbury will take this game easily.

[hockeyjunkie2]

With the whipping AV took at the hands of DE in my mind, I feel Woodbury will take this game easily.

Back-up goalie was in that game gave up 4 goals on the first 6 shots and from there it was pretty much over.

Apple Valley is playing some better hockey the younger players are starting to step up and 3rd year varsity goaltender Gretz is playing well. That's the one thing Woodbury and AV had over the other two(Eagan and CDH), experience in the net. It'll be a very good game and I would expect a low scoring one as well unless someone can get out early and take a goaltender and team out of the game but I don't see it happening in a section final you can't get beat mentally like that.

Someone mentioned earlier about AV needs to roll 3 lines or they will be in trouble. In the Eagan/AV game both teams at the end were only rolling through their top 2 lines so it was just matching up. Apple Valley will need to avoid stupid penalties they took one against Eagan but have taken some throughout the year as well.

[joycer10]

With the whipping AV took at the hands of DE in my mind, I feel Woodbury will take this game easily.

Back-up goalie was in that game gave up 4 goals on the first 6 shots and from there it was pretty much over.

Apple Valley is playing some better hockey the younger players are starting to step up and 3rd year varsity goaltender Gretz is playing well. That's the one thing Woodbury and AV had over the other two(Eagan and CDH), experience in the net. It'll be a very good game and I would expect a low scoring one as well unless someone can get out early and take a goaltender and team out of the game but I don't see it happening in a section final you can't get beat mentally like that.

Someone mentioned earlier about AV needs to roll 3 lines or they will be in trouble. In the Eagan/AV game both teams at the end were only rolling through their top 2 lines so it was just matching up. Apple Valley will need to avoid stupid penalties they took one against Eagan but have taken some throughout the year as well.

Ya but towards the end of the Woodbury/CDH game Woodbury was still rolling through all 3 lines and I would expect the same against Apple Valley. This means the Eagles may struggle to keep up with Woodbury in the 3rd.

[R1nk Rat 174]

pullin for the Eagles!!

Apple Valley 4
Woodbury 3 (OT)

[bigtimescout]

Woodbury in this one all the way.
Woodbury 4
AV 2
I can't believe no one talks about the skills that Max Gaede has. He had an unreal goal against Cretin and is a true GAMECHANGER who will be in the NHL someday. Watch out for Woodbury in state if Ness can play well.

[netminder.net]

newmexicohockey wrote;

Another correction. Both schools pulled up many Bantam B and Bantam C players to fill out the BOTTOM of their JV rosters. No Bantam A eligible players were brought into either of the high school hockey programs.

To correct your correction, three players left the Woodbury Bantam A team to play for thier respective high school programs. 2 played JV for Woodbury, 1 played Varsity for East Ridge. All were Sophomores.

Also, I am having trouble grasping this theory;

As far a this issue of seniors, any coach who is building and maintaining a sports program always has some underclassmen on his team to build around for next year. Everyone knows that. From the perspective of a parent of a senior hockey player, it makes sense to have 16 seniors. From the perspective of a coach or an outside observer, it makes no sense. So I guess it depends on your perspective.

What would you have the coach do? A great majority of the players that made up a very good JV team last season (2008-2009) are now juniors at East Ridge. The Woodbury High School players that played JV during that 2008-2009 season made the Varsity team this season. The two juniors that are on the team now did play some Varsity last season. There is one Sophomore that is on the Varsity team and sees some occasional ice. Yes, 16 Seniors is not desired but when the best players make the team, and those best players are seniors (do to the fact that East Ridge High School does not have a senior class, every Senior in Woodbury goes to Woodbury High School), what should the coach do? Would you like to see him cut a senior who is a better player to play a Sophomore simply because he will be there the following season?

[wblhockeyfan8]

Gotta be AV!

3-2

2OT

[dump and chase]

Someone mentioned earlier about AV needs to roll 3 lines or they will be in trouble. In the Eagan/AV game both teams at the end were only rolling through their top 2 lines so it was just matching up. Apple Valley will need to avoid stupid penalties they took one against Eagan but have taken some throughout the year as well.

Hockeyjunkie2- Were you at the game? Apple valley's first two lines were dead in the third they couldnt get up and down the ice.. Need to have confidence in playing all three lines if they are going to take down woodbury.. The third line has some speed but it is tough to use it when the coach keeps you on the bench..

Goaltending will decide this game two good ones in Ness and Gretz!

[hockeyjunkie2]

Someone mentioned earlier about AV needs to roll 3 lines or they will be in trouble. In the Eagan/AV game both teams at the end were only rolling through their top 2 lines so it was just matching up. Apple Valley will need to avoid stupid penalties they took one against Eagan but have taken some throughout the year as well.

Hockeyjunkie2- Were you at the game? Apple valley's first two lines were dead in the third they couldnt get up and down the ice.. Need to have confidence in playing all three lines if they are going to take down woodbury.. The third line has some speed but it is tough to use it when the coach keeps you on the bench..

Goaltending will decide this game two good ones in Ness and Gretz!

I was at the game and thought playing only the top 2 lines at the end was the right call because Eagan was doing that as well. If Eagan would have been rotating through 3 lines then I would have been suspect but I thought even in the short part of OT AV had the extra boost that Eagan was missing in their legs when both teams still only played 2 lines in that. It worked out but I think if it comes down to it against Woodbury they will do the same thing again just continue to match and roll as many lines as Woodbury is. The 3rd line has speed but doesn't have all the skill the top 2 lines have.

I don't know if it was having dead legs in the 3rd period for AV they seemed to adjust their style up 2-0 and 2-1 to protecting the lead. I understand the concept but dont' like it when you were creating chances and keeping a team on their heels for the first 2 periods I don't see a point in changing much. I'd dig for the 3rd to try and put it away.

It all comes down to personal philosophy and if you believe you have your team conditioned and mentally tough enough to do that in the end of games. Hayes thought it was for the best of the team and I think I would have done the same in his situation.

[canttouchthis]

nobody will be at this...Target center is where its at

[dump and chase]

Totally disagree with this mindset..

Valley just got done playing two of the best periods of the year totally dominating Eagan in every phase of the game playing three lines.. Then in the third period you try and protect your two goal lead by playing more defensively.. Trying to hold on and not lose vs trying to keep the pressure on and win the game.. I understand that the third line as you said has speed but not the skill of the first two lines, you dont need to score so let them fly around and have some offensive zone pressure and give your first two line a little break.. You are already up by 2 to start the third Eagan has to play the top 2 so wear them out by playing three.. Playing two lines wont work against woodbury who rolls three..


Canttouchthis--
This game is on Thursday.. The Target center games are on Wednesday!