2023 Section 4AA Playoffs

[Sparlimb]

I'm curious to see the Woodbury v HM game. Nothing would surprise me. Stillwater played 3 OT games vs Woodbury and they took HM to OT. If Hill plays like they did on Saturday they'll be in good shape. But they haven't put many back to back games together this year (well at least good ones). Guessing this will be a one goal game...

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Hill scored like a month's worth of goals on Saturday, I hope they have at least a couple left for Wednesday.

[BlueLineSpecial]

I'm curious to see the Woodbury v HM game. Nothing would surprise me. Stillwater played 3 OT games vs Woodbury and they took HM to OT. If Hill plays like they did on Saturday they'll be in good shape. But they haven't put many back to back games together this year (well at least good ones). Guessing this will be a one goal game...

Its the battle of the 12-13-1 teams!

Hill's schedule was notably more difficult that Woodbury's was, so the matching record is deceiving of course - and thus the section seeding playing out the way it did. They did have 6 common opponents this year:

Champlin Park, White Bear Lake, Stillwater, Mahtomedi, Hastings & East Ridge

Hill's record against those teams: 5-1-1 [played Mahtomedi twice]
Woodbury's record against them: 4-5-0 [played Stillwater three times, East Ridge twice]

It's worth noting that Hill beat East Ridge 6-1 and completely dominated the game - shots 55-12 (and I stood above the Hill goal for 2 periods, I counted maybe 2 scoring chances for East Ridge). Woodbury went 0-2 against East Ridge and were outscored 8 to 4 in those two games.

If Hill plays like they did on Saturday, I don't see this being a particularly close game. 4-1 or 5-1 type game. That said, it could be closer than that, but I see Hill prevailing by at least a couple.

[stateofhawkey]

Guys, let's not overthink this. HM will win handily over Woodbury. It's Sections, and HM will be a different animal here than they were during the regular season. The WBL - Gentry semifinal should be incredibly exciting though, I wouldn't be surprised to see it go either way.

[inthetwine]

Guys, let's not overthink this. HM will win handily over Woodbury. It's Sections, and HM will be a different animal here than they were during the regular season. The WBL - Gentry semifinal should be incredibly exciting though, I wouldn't be surprised to see it go either way.

If the white bear kids get over the flu, I would give them a slight edge. But you’re right, it could go either way. Then there’s always the Sager factor, he usually gets outcoached, and gets burned by trying to sit on a 2 goal lead.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

I'm curious to see the Woodbury v HM game. Nothing would surprise me. Stillwater played 3 OT games vs Woodbury and they took HM to OT. If Hill plays like they did on Saturday they'll be in good shape. But they haven't put many back to back games together this year (well at least good ones). Guessing this will be a one goal game...

(and I stood above the Hill goal for 2 periods, I counted maybe 2 scoring chances for East Ridge).

Ah, I think you chose the wrong goal to stand behind. Or were you talking to Erickson so he didn't fall asleep?

[BlueLineSpecial]

I'm curious to see the Woodbury v HM game. Nothing would surprise me. Stillwater played 3 OT games vs Woodbury and they took HM to OT. If Hill plays like they did on Saturday they'll be in good shape. But they haven't put many back to back games together this year (well at least good ones). Guessing this will be a one goal game...

(and I stood above the Hill goal for 2 periods, I counted maybe 2 scoring chances for East Ridge).

Ah, I think you chose the wrong goal to stand behind. Or were you talking to Erickson so he didn't fall asleep?

Actually it worked out perfectly. I stayed on the far end of Aldrich the entire game. I was behind Erickson for the 1st and 3rd periods, East Ridge goalie for 2nd period.

0-0 after 1 - didn't miss a thing
5-0 after 2 - I had the perfect vantage point above the East Ridge goalie for all of those.
6-1 after 3 - I got the perfect vantage point for East Ridge's lone goal after they stole the puck around mid-ice. Couldn't really see our last goal but at that point I was shoving 2 giant hotdogs down my gullet and thinking about how long I'd stay to watch Gentry v Roseville. Also snagged myself a puck that shot over the netting. So all in all, pretty good night!

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

(and I stood above the Hill goal for 2 periods, I counted maybe 2 scoring chances for East Ridge).

Ah, I think you chose the wrong goal to stand behind. Or were you talking to Erickson so he didn't fall asleep?

Actually it worked out perfectly. I stayed on the far end of Aldrich the entire game. I was behind Erickson for the 1st and 3rd periods, East Ridge goalie for 2nd period.

0-0 after 1 - didn't miss a thing
5-0 after 2 - I had the perfect vantage point above the East Ridge goalie for all of those.
6-1 after 3 - I got the perfect vantage point for East Ridge's lone goal after they stole the puck around mid-ice. Couldn't really see our last goal but at that point I was shoving 2 giant hotdogs down my gullet and thinking about how long I'd stay to watch Gentry v Roseville. Also snagged myself a puck that shot over the netting. So all in all, pretty good night!

Quick Edit- if you don't mind missing a lot of the action on the far side of the rink, there's no better angle to watch at Aldrich than standing directly above one of the goalies. You get to see plays unfolding perfectly as they enter the zone and have a great view for goals, saves and scrums. You also get to see big hits up close in the corners and really get to hear the chatter from the players. It's my favorite spot. Plus you're 5 feet from the concession stand, so quick and easy access for a treat

Oh those weren't giant hot dogs, those hot dogs were.... as...big...as...your...head!!!

And I would urge you to quickly delete the part about how great a spot that is to watch the game and hear the chatter. When you've got a good thing going, you keep it on the down low.

[BlueLineSpecial]

Ah, I think you chose the wrong goal to stand behind. Or were you talking to Erickson so he didn't fall asleep?

Actually it worked out perfectly. I stayed on the far end of Aldrich the entire game. I was behind Erickson for the 1st and 3rd periods, East Ridge goalie for 2nd period.

0-0 after 1 - didn't miss a thing
5-0 after 2 - I had the perfect vantage point above the East Ridge goalie for all of those.
6-1 after 3 - I got the perfect vantage point for East Ridge's lone goal after they stole the puck around mid-ice. Couldn't really see our last goal but at that point I was shoving 2 giant hotdogs down my gullet and thinking about how long I'd stay to watch Gentry v Roseville. Also snagged myself a puck that shot over the netting. So all in all, pretty good night!

Oh those weren't giant hot dogs, those hot dogs were.... as...big...as...your...head!!!

And I would urge you to quickly delete the part about how great a spot that is to watch the game and hear the chatter. When you've got a good thing going, you keep it on the down low.

Done!

[BlueLineSpecial]

Link to purchase tickets to tonight's 4AA semifinal games:

https://mshsl4aa.hometownticketing.com/embed/all

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Ooof, 4-1 Gentry late in second.

Time to get the "O-ver-Ra-ted!" going.

[wbmd]

Gentry will kick on Hill Friday night, providing the Pioneers beat Woodbury.

[OtterPuck]

5-1 Gentry, 3rd.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Had WB recovered from the flu bug?

[inthetwine]

Had WB recovered from the flu bug?

I would say, no, they ran out of gas about halfway through the second.

[BlueLineSpecial]

Hill 3
Woodbury 1

Credit to Woodbury - they played well. Hill controlled the game and it never really felt in doubt, but the Royals game em a good game. That has to be one of the better 7 seeds in a long time.

On to Gentry. They look like a world beater team right now. Hill will be in the home whites but they’re the underdog IMO.

RIP WBL. RIP Stillwater. Seems strange without either in the 4AA final.

[goldy313]

As an aside…..this section has to have the longest,by date, posters. Sparlimb, WBMD, Bluelinespecial, Eastside Pioneer guy, inthetwine etc. These are some Minnhock hall of fame posters IMHO.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Had WB recovered from the flu bug?

I would say, no, they ran out of gas about halfway through the second.

But did Sager ever tire of raising his arms in desperate search for a favorable call? Or did he need two assistants to raise them for him, ala Moses during the parting of the Red Sea?

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Witty taunt by Hill fans in the closing moments:

"WHERE'S your SEA-son?"

I'm hoping they've got severe robust "WHERE'S your CIT-ies?" ready for Gentry on Friday.

I had a Twitter reply this past week where I blatantly stole the "The City of Hill-Murray is beautiful this time of year " line, and got several likes. I think it'd look great on our next state championship tee shirts. Own it, baby.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

I did not have "Hill grinds out semifinal win against Royals" on my bingo card. It was a dog fight to the end, with plenty of physical play. When Hill had that tenuous one goal lead further into the 3rd than I wanted, I said it was a difficult to see keeping The Wood off the board for 51 minutes. #RoyalNation had a very respectable turnout.

And we've got to get back to holding these semifinal games on Tue and Wed. If either game had had multiple overtimes, the late game would have ended near midnight. There's no advantage in having three days off between games over having only two days off. It would be unfair for the teams in the second game to have to wait until 10:00 to get on the ice, and since it's separate admissions for the two games, the building needs to be cleared, and that would be a colossal mess. Any Section 4A games can be played at another site, be it Roseville, or Fogarty, or even that crappy shed White Bear has. I'm good with the #1 seed choosing (before the tournament starts) whether their bracket plays on Tue or Wed, the choice being Rest or Rust? (Hat tip to Common)

I'll take Hill in a 2-1 nail biter on Friday night. Hill has a lot of loses on a very tough schedule, Gentry has little beyond a very nice win against the slumping Bears after an unimpressive schedule. Don't underestimate a coach like Lex, or Randolph, or Giles, in these situations involving an upstart challenger; there is no substitute for experience. In a the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend scenario, Gentry will find itself with a surprising amount of love, for a couple of games. Because while it may be a close call at times, we are the most hated program in the state.

[elliott70]

I did not have "Hill grinds out semifinal win against Royals" on my bingo card. It was a dog fight to the end, with plenty of physical play. When Hill had that tenuous one goal lead further into the 3rd than I wanted, I said it was a difficult to see keeping The Wood off the board for 51 minutes. #RoyalNation had a very respectable turnout.

And we've got to get back to holding these semifinal games on Tue and Wed. If either game had had multiple overtimes, the late game would have ended near midnight. There's no advantage in having three days off between games over having only two days off. It would be unfair for the teams in the second game to have to wait until 10:00 to get on the ice, and since it's separate admissions for the two games, the building needs to be cleared, and that would be a colossal mess. Any Section 4A games can be played at another site, be it Roseville, or Fogarty, or even that crappy shed White Bear has. I'm good with the #1 seed choosing (before the tournament starts) whether their bracket plays on Tue or Wed, the choice being Rest or Rust? (Hat tip to Common)

I'll take Hill in a 2-1 nail biter on Friday night. Hill has a lot of loses on a very tough schedule, Gentry has little beyond a very nice win against the slumping Bears after an unimpressive schedule. Don't underestimate a coach like Lex, or Randolph, or Giles, in these situations involving an upstart challenger; there is no substitute for experience. In a the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend scenario, Gentry will find itself with a surprising amount of love, for a couple of games. Because while it may be a close call at times, we are the most hated program in the state.

That would make for an interesting poll question.
Is it Hill
Or Edina
Or Hermantown
Or Moorhead
Or ?

[BlueLineSpecial]

Witty taunt by Hill fans in the closing moments:

"WHERE'S your SEA-son?"

I'm hoping they've got severe robust "WHERE'S your CIT-ies?" ready for Gentry on Friday.

I had a Twitter reply this past week where I blatantly stole the "The City of Hill-Murray is beautiful this time of year " line, and got several likes. I think it'd look great on our next state championship tee shirts. Own it, baby.

Steal away, my good man! That was my response, many years ago, to the unrelenting taunts about community and neighborhood hockey and how schools like Hill destroy that. If they paid any attention, they'd know that Hill has generation after generation that not only go to school there but play hockey. Look at the 2020 championship team - it's riddled with recognizable last names from teams gone by. Heck, look at this year's roster. Lots and lots of familiar Hill Murray names carrying on the tradition.

Someone on this board not long ago lamented Hill taking Mahtomedi's best kids, including the Sampairs. Go take a look at the history of Hill hockey and then believe me when I say that the Sampairs are more Hill than they've even been Mahtomedi, regardless of where they live.

But alas, haters gonna hate. So as you said, gotta own it.

[ZachHalverson]

In a the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend scenario, Gentry will find itself with a surprising amount of love, for a couple of games. Because while it may be a close call at times, we are the most hated program in the state.

you couldn't be more wrong

[BlueLineSpecial]

Had a nice chat with a Bears fan (possibly parent?) at last night's game. Good guy, and we didn't even yell or spit at each other!

And we wake up today with blue skies of dawn. Skies blue enough to suggest that maybe there can be peace one day in this troubled but beautiful world.

[StanleyCup55]

I did not have "Hill grinds out semifinal win against Royals" on my bingo card. It was a dog fight to the end, with plenty of physical play. When Hill had that tenuous one goal lead further into the 3rd than I wanted, I said it was a difficult to see keeping The Wood off the board for 51 minutes. #RoyalNation had a very respectable turnout.

And we've got to get back to holding these semifinal games on Tue and Wed. If either game had had multiple overtimes, the late game would have ended near midnight. There's no advantage in having three days off between games over having only two days off. It would be unfair for the teams in the second game to have to wait until 10:00 to get on the ice, and since it's separate admissions for the two games, the building needs to be cleared, and that would be a colossal mess. Any Section 4A games can be played at another site, be it Roseville, or Fogarty, or even that crappy shed White Bear has. I'm good with the #1 seed choosing (before the tournament starts) whether their bracket plays on Tue or Wed, the choice being Rest or Rust? (Hat tip to Common)

I'll take Hill in a 2-1 nail biter on Friday night. Hill has a lot of loses on a very tough schedule, Gentry has little beyond a very nice win against the slumping Bears after an unimpressive schedule. Don't underestimate a coach like Lex, or Randolph, or Giles, in these situations involving an upstart challenger; there is no substitute for experience. In a the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend scenario, Gentry will find itself with a surprising amount of love, for a couple of games. Because while it may be a close call at times, we are the most hated program in the state.

That would make for an interesting poll question.
Is it Hill
Or Edina
Or Hermantown
Or Moorhead
Or ?

Edina will always be the most hated team but also the team we need at state each year. It’s never the same without Edina at state. Hill is another hated team because they’re a private but I think most people can’t help but respect that program and coach. It feels to me that Edina and Hill are pretty much in the same boat.

Moorhead reminds me a lot of White Bear Lake. Spuds have never won a title and been there many times. Bears have yet to win a first round at state. I wouldn’t mind seeing one of these teams finally breakthrough.

Hermantown has to be the most hated right now.

I wonder what the vibe will be if East makes a return.

One team I am over is the Lakevilles. We really need another team to come out of 1AA one of these years. Was pulling for Mayo but knew it was a long shot still.

It’s unreal how even 4AA is this year. For some reason I really don’t want to see Gentry even though I like seeing new blood at state. Go Hill. With their tough schedule they will be able to upset anyone at the tourney if they make it.