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Good chatter.

HockeyKing, if you think Red Wing may get to a top four seed in 1A next year, which of this year's (IMO) likely top four - Lourdes, West, NP, and Northfield- do you think will fall out, and why?

See, that's exactly my thought. Lourdes won't be getting worse anytime soon. Especially outside a top four seed. New Prague and Northfield will continue to improve with the Metro expansion in that direction. West, next year, I expect will be very good. And Albert Lea is always a competitive team and consistent at staying in the mix of things as well.

Knowing what I've seen from the future of the Wingers, I don't have that much faith in them being a top four team for at least about three to four years...

West 7
Austin 0

Make up game from last night.

LSP over Mankato East: 6-1

GAMES FOR 2/2

Mankato West vs. Winona
Northfield vs. Academy of Holy Angels
Albert Lea vs. Rochester Century
LSP vs. La Crescent
Red Wing vs. Crookston
Mankato East vs. Rochester Mayo

Picks are bolded. Happy Groundhog's Day!

RESULTS FOR 2/2

Mankato West over Winona: 7-3
Academy of Holy Angels over Northfield: 4-1
Albert Lea over Rochester Century: 3-2 OT
LSP over La Crescent: 4-0
Crookston over Red Wing: 2-1
Rochester Mayo over Mankato East: 7-1

Roy01 wrote:See, that's exactly my thought. Lourdes won't be getting worse anytime soon. Especially outside a top four seed. New Prague and Northfield will continue to improve with the Metro expansion in that direction. West, next year, I expect will be very good. And Albert Lea is always a competitive team and consistent at staying in the mix of things as well.

Knowing what I've seen from the future of the Wingers, I don't have that much faith in them being a top four team for at least about three to four years...

Northfield and New Prague will not be in the top 4 next year. The Metro expansion has nothing to do with Northfield and New Praque, the kids in those program want to go to the metro or out of state as we have seen this year. We will just have to see how it all plays out next year.

Albert Lea is always a competitive team and consistent at staying in the mix of things as well.

Albert Lea is down to 1 Bantam team this year. They are playing A and are 2-13 in league play.

This is strange for them.

hockeyking wrote:

Roy01 wrote:See, that's exactly my thought. Lourdes won't be getting worse anytime soon. Especially outside a top four seed. New Prague and Northfield will continue to improve with the Metro expansion in that direction. West, next year, I expect will be very good. And Albert Lea is always a competitive team and consistent at staying in the mix of things as well.

Knowing what I've seen from the future of the Wingers, I don't have that much faith in them being a top four team for at least about three to four years...

Northfield and New Prague will not be in the top 4 next year. The Metro expansion has nothing to do with Northfield and New Praque, the kids in those program want to go to the metro or out of state as we have seen this year. We will just have to see how it all plays out next year.

I'm speaking toward the metro expansion in longevity - ten to fifteen years down the road. I see both New Prague and Northfield staying consistent in their level of play. Players will leave, just as they often do from "small" schools/towns to the major ones. But as those two cities continue to grow, the same will be said for their programs.

I am not familiar with Albert Lea, but their coach always prepares a competitive group.

Lourdes loses it top 4 -5 players to graduation and this years Bantam AA team (7-20-3) isn't faring as well as in past years. Lourdes has been able to hold off the downturn in Rochester hockey for the last few years but I think that will catch up to them next year.

They'll still be in the mix every year in 1A but the gap will close and they may even be behind a handfull of teams the next few years.

RESULTS FOR 2/4

Dodge County over Waseca: 5-2
La Crescent over Viroqua (WI): 5-2

I am not familiar with Albert Lea, but their coach always prepares a competitive group.

Southern MN has really changed. You can see the change at the high school level, but even more if you look at the D9 Bantam A standings.

GAMES FOR 2/5

Rochester Lourdes vs. the Blake School
Mankato West vs. LSP
New Prague vs. Academy of Holy Angels
Northfield vs. Farmington
Red Wing vs. Chanhassen
Waseca vs. Achiever NE Academy
La Crescent vs. Onalaska (WI)

Picks are bolded.

bestpopcorn wrote:

I am not familiar with Albert Lea, but their coach always prepares a competitive group.

Southern MN has really changed. You can see the change at the high school level, but even more if you look at the D9 Bantam A standings.

please explain what you are talking about? What has chaged? The banatam level is a tough one to judge by. Most of the top players are going to be playing High School their fresh year. It's all about how many kids stick around and play bantams.

I have been around south mn hockey for 30 plus years, teams rise to the top and then fall all the time. (Austin, Kato East, Al, Owat, Fari, west, ect) All have been to High School state. These teams are like bobbers, up down, up down, each age group is different.

I have been around south mn hockey for 30 plus years, teams rise to the top and then fall all the time. (Austin, Kato East, Al, Owat, Fari, west, ect) All have been to High School state. These teams are like bobbers, up down, up down, each age group is different.

Where do we disagree? Things are changing. I don't mean some sort of dramatic paradigm shift... just changing. It seems to me a bit more change than in the past few years.

Maybe I was just pointing out the obvious. I do have a solid grasp of the obvious.

The really interesting part to me is when the guys gathered at the end of the rink come up with all of the reasons why things change.

So, bestpopcorn, where do you see change?

New Prague-5
Holy Angels-3

West 7
St Peter/LSH 2

urban iceman wrote:New Prague-5
Holy Angels-3

New Prague scores four goals in the third period to win it

RESULTS FOR 2/5

Rochester Lourdes over Blake: 5-4 OT
Northfield over Farmington: 5-4 OT
Red Wing over Chanhassen: 3-2
Achiever NE Academy over Waseca: 9-2
Onalaska (WI) over La Crescent: 4-1

Lourdes vs. the Blake School and Mankato West vs. LSP scores in earlier posts.

OU812 wrote:So, bestpopcorn, where do you see change?

Rochester continues to slump, even at youth. I supported the Bantam A Red teams buy into the d9 tournament when it started. They are not that good anymore, they should play. Last season 3 Rochester HS teams topped the Big 9, with Lourdes better than the 3 of them. I don't see how that can happen for some time to come.

I think Albert Lea is in for some lean times as well.

The rest will move up to fill in the spaces. I don't know if it because the rest got better. I hate to think that the south just got weaker as a whole.

urban iceman wrote:New Prague-5
Holy Angels-3

Good game and great come back for the Trojans. Kind of bittersweet as #2 for Holy Angels delivers a VERY unescesary hit as time ran out on a NP topline player. Leading scorer now out for conf. stretch run, Bummer!!

GAMES FOR 2/7

Rochester Lourdes vs. Rogers
Mankato West vs. Rochester Mayo
New Prague vs. Chaska
Albert Lea vs. Faribault
Austin vs. Rochester Century
La Crescent vs. Dodge County

Picks are bolded.

812 - The fact that Austin has been picked over Century in the post above is damn near sign of a paradigm shift. Even if they don't win, just the idea that they might is saying something.

bestpopcorn wrote:812 - The fact that Austin has been picked over Century in the post above is damn near sign of a paradigm shift. Even if they don't win, just the idea that they might is saying something.

BPC - Agreed - two years ago the Century v Austin score was 13-0. Roy, you've had good picks all year, but I'll take Century tonight.

Also, as for the Scarlets visiting Mayo, I might call that one a "pick em" game. Mayo has played well lately, and can clinch at least a share of the Big 9 title with a win tonight. West better be ready to battle.