Lesson I learned during the semis

[Nostalgic Nerd]

Balance wins championships. If you have a team with speed, size and physicality, good goaltending, defense, and scorers, you have the best chance to win it all. Hill and Edina have that, or better than the other two. You can have a very physical team in DE, but if you cannot seperate yourself from your opponent it will usually catch up. You can have the best goalie and box D in Wayzata, but if you don't have snipers, so what! Both teams lost their games in the third period because eventually gravity catches up with you.

I have to admit it is almost a revelation of "oh yeah!" It was always right there, but I guess that's the point.

[O-townClown]

Both teams lost their games in the third period because eventually gravity catches up with you.

Nosty, both games were tossups that could have gone either way. Now they're done and you are drawing big conclusions from them? Play again tomorrow and maybe Wayzata and Duluth win.

Had Edina not come back we could say, "shut down the top guy and you can win the state tournament." After all, last year when Kloos and Besse had big games their team won.

Had Wayzata held on we could say, "the team with the best goalie wins once you get this deep in the tournament."

What I learned was games that can go either way eventually do.

Another tossup tonight.

[Nostalgic Nerd]

Both teams lost their games in the third period because eventually gravity catches up with you.

Nosty, both games were tossups that could have gone either way. Now they're done and you are drawing big conclusions from them? Play again tomorrow and maybe Wayzata and Duluth win.

Had Edina not come back we could say, "shut down the top guy and you can win the state tournament." After all, last year when Kloos and Besse had big games their team won.

Had Wayzata held on we could say, "the team with the best goalie wins once you get this deep in the tournament."

What I learned was games that can go either way eventually do.

Another tossup tonight.

I think what I am trying to say is when you don't have enough balance it places too much of a burden on the defense, or offense, to win games. Both losers last night have a total of 3 goals after two games. They have great D cause they didn't give up a goal until the third period, but that's exactly why they lost: no offense. There are exceptions to the norm, but usually balance wins out.

[sanryam]

I think Centennial had the most balance out of any AA team at State except for maybe size. They lost....

[Rich Clarke]

Centennial had almost no offense. At least compared with top ten caliber teams. They were a team that rallied around their goalie and hoped their top guys could get a couple. Good team, but not balanced.

[Nostalgic Nerd]

Peeps, it's really simple. Would you rather go into a high caliber tournament with great D or O, or a more balanced team year after year? As I've said, there are exceptions to the norm (degree of talent, bounce of the puck, etc), but it seems a pretty easy choice to me. DE and Wayzata couldn't finish. They could generate some chances, but in the semis they didn't deliver. Why? Cause it's clear to me they got to where they were on the strength of their D. In a three day tourney against the best talent can you really win alone on one strength and win the title? Not usually.

[Bmiller]

Didn't deliver??? Both those games were awesome games by excellent teams. The top four were clearly well ranked. One could also argue, in hindsight, of course, that the winners barely won, were lucky to squeak by. All four teams were excellent. Two lost. But all four clearily delivered.

[Nostalgic Nerd]

Didn't deliver??? Both those games were awesome games by excellent teams. The top four were clearly well ranked. One could also argue, in hindsight, of course, that the winners barely won, were lucky to squeak by. All four teams were excellent. Two lost. But all four clearily delivered.

Delivered goals in the tournament. Odds are usually against you to ride D or O alone all the way to the title. Sure, they scored goals against inferior competition, but against the elite talent in the tourneys balance is usually what does it.

[Bonehead]

Didn't deliver??? Both those games were awesome games by excellent teams. The top four were clearly well ranked. One could also argue, in hindsight, of course, that the winners barely won, were lucky to squeak by. All four teams were excellent. Two lost. But all four clearily delivered.

Delivered goals in the tournament. Odds are usually against you to ride D or O alone all the way to the title. Sure, they scored goals against inferior competition, but against the SELECT talent in the tourneys balance is usually what does it.

[duluth dave]

Ok Nerd, but I think you need to learn some more lessons like maybe third or fourth or top ten is not bad in the state of Mn.

[Nostalgic Nerd]

Ok Nerd, but I think you need to learn some more lessons like maybe third or fourth or top ten is not bad in the state of Mn.

Never did say anything against the accomplishment.