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almostashappy wrote:

Zamman wrote:Respect!
Oh I am guessing 3 or 4AA, but not 2AA....

Okay, then....

EP and HF to 2AA
PL and Bville to 1AA
Farmington and STA to 3AA
backfill counterclockwise around 694 to make the numbers work.

Strengthens 1AA and 3AA, and cuts down on the whining from tonka about strength of 6AA

I would love this realignment. Would make it a 3 team battle in 3AA (Edina, EP and HF) and 6AA (BSM, Tonka and Wayzata) along with finally giving the lakeville schools some competition.

STAA(?)'s decision has increased there ability to draw even more high end players. Section realignments happen I think in the spring 2013 so there will be lots of change. Nice timing of the decision though for next year once Eagan starts to dip. Probably part of the deal that they end up in 3AA - no way they get dropped in the east side with HM and they won't go west or south.

Put all AA private schools in a section. Let them battle it out for one spot in the state tourney. Call it Section triple A hockey.

I sure wasn't expecting this. Congrats to the STA administration for finally realizing that all this negative publicity probably wasn't a good thing. I am glad I will no longer have to spend the Class A tournament listening to Greg Vannelli contort himself into absurd knots trying to justify STA's presence in that tournament.

As people have noted, a AA STA will probably be in 3AA, a section that has had its share of rising and falling state title contenders (Eagan recently, teams like CDH and Hastings in the past) but no really consistent powerhouses. STA will be an instant favorite in that section, though of course others will rise and fall, and we'll see if being AA can bring in even more quality players. Of course we will have a realignment next spring, though the last few haven't produced anything drastic; still, I'd endorse the idea of rotating a few good teams around the ring of suburbs to create more parity. It'll take a while to see how this all sorts out.

For Class A, on the other hand, it's an obvious win for parity. Sure, teams like Totino or Achiever might be the ones who step in to fill the 4A void, but some variety is nice, and it would take a few years for any other program to become as dynastic as the Cadets have been lately.

karl(east) wrote:I sure wasn't expecting this. Congrats to the STA administration for finally realizing that all this negative publicity probably wasn't a good thing. I am glad I will no longer have to spend the Class A tournament listening to Greg Vannelli contort himself into absurd knots trying to justify STA's presence in that tournament.

As people have noted, a AA STA will probably be in 3AA, a section that has had its share of rising and falling state title contenders (Eagan recently, teams like CDH and Hastings in the past) but no really consistent powerhouses. STA will be an instant favorite in that section, though of course others will rise and fall, and we'll see if being AA can bring in even more quality players. Of course we will have a realignment next spring, though the last few haven't produced anything drastic; still, I'd endorse the idea of rotating a few good teams around the ring of suburbs to create more parity. It'll take a while to see how this all sorts out.

For Class A, on the other hand, it's an obvious win for parity. Sure, teams like Totino or Achiever might be the ones who step in to fill the 4A void, but some variety is nice, and it would take a few years for any other program to become as dynastic as the Cadets have been lately.

Well-stated.

If st thomas moves up their program will only get stronger.The smart and right thing to do.

A CDH vs STA section 3AA final at the Coliseum would be a great atmosphere.

almostashappy wrote:

SECBLUES wrote:

green4 wrote:I hope this is true and i would love to see them in 3AA so someone can give Eagan a battle in that section

This is excellent news however delayed. "Give Eagan a battle"? Until two years ago Eagan wasn't even a factor in section three. They are not a reloading Hill Murray with new metro star transfers every year. Cretin was doninatating for a few years, Hastings had their glory years, as well as Woodbury. My guess is that St Thomas will have a fight on their hands from most of the bigger schools that make up 3AA.

To say Eagan "wasn't even a factor in Section Three" up until two years ago is a bit unkind (lost in Section Final 3 years ago, first trip to Tourney was in 2006) but I'll agree with the basic argument. Eagan vs. STA could be an private/public school neighbor rivalry on the scale of HM/WBL.

So as long as you're here, SECBLUES, I'm looking for suggestions on section realignments (once I'm made "Competitive Section Assignment Czar"). If STA and Farmington moves/joins 3AA, I'd need to move 1 or 2 teams from 3AA to 4AA, and 1 or 2 more teams from 4 to 5. Woodbury and East Ridge to 4AA meets the MSHSL geographic requirements...MV to 5AA?

Not so sure how section reallignments will shake out. 1 combination could sent the likes of Hastings and Apple Valley to Section 1. Not that would bring paridy to the south. Eagan went to the Dance in 06? Were they section 2 that year? Cretin was the state champion in 06. Woodbury represented section 3 in 07 and 08. As a Woodbury I would love to see STA in our same section. If you can't get by them to get there, then you don't belong. Regardless of section assignment, STA will earn their keep and respect.......

Put them in 3AA so we can get closer to an all Private state tourney.

3AA STA
4AA HM
6AA BSM

Who knows how long it will take HF to start winning 2AA.

SECBLUES wrote: Eagan went to the Dance in 06? Were they section 2 that year?

Eagan came out of 5AA as a 2-seed that year. At the time the section was a mix of current 3AA and 2AA teams. They got some help from Apple Valley, who knocked off arguably the best team in the state, Holy Angels, in the section semis, and finished 6th at State.

karl(east) wrote:

SECBLUES wrote: Eagan went to the Dance in 06? Were they section 2 that year?

Eagan came out of 5AA as a 2-seed that year. At the time the section was a mix of current 3AA and 2AA teams. They got some help from Apple Valley, who knocked off arguably the best team in the state, Holy Angels, in the section semis, and finished 6th at State.

Oh, that's right. I forgot how the sections had lined up that year, but specifically remember Apple Vally upsetting the #one seed in the state. Wasn't the score 4 to 1?

SECBLUES wrote:

karl(east) wrote:

SECBLUES wrote: Eagan went to the Dance in 06? Were they section 2 that year?

Eagan came out of 5AA as a 2-seed that year. At the time the section was a mix of current 3AA and 2AA teams. They got some help from Apple Valley, who knocked off arguably the best team in the state, Holy Angels, in the section semis, and finished 6th at State.

Oh, that's right. I forgot how the sections had lined up that year, but specifically remember Apple Vally upsetting the #one seed in the state. Wasn't the score 4 to 1?

This says 4-3: http://minnhock.com/boys2006.htm

BodyShots wrote:Put them in 3AA so we can get closer to an all Private state tourney.

3AA STA
4AA HM
6AA BSM

Who knows how long it will take HF to start winning 2AA.

Probably a pretty long time considering HF is in 6AA.

thestickler07 wrote:

BodyShots wrote:Put them in 3AA so we can get closer to an all Private state tourney.

3AA STA
4AA HM
6AA BSM

Who knows how long it will take HF to start winning 2AA.

Probably a pretty long time considering HF is in 6AA.

2AA possibly makes more geographic sense, considering they have the same home ice as 2AA Chanhassen and 2A Chaska.

If the class really does factor into consideration for 8th graders looking at high school, Lourdes could opt up, get all the good players from Rochester, and go every year from 1AA.

Before long private schools would be making it in every section in AA

Don't count out Edina,Eden pairie, Duluth east and watch out for up and coming Pior Lake.at AA any of the top 20 teams could beat could win at any time.and all of Hills recuiting has only given them 4 titles in 35yrs

[quote="rainier"]Better late than never, STA. Hopefully this will motivate Breck, T-G, Lourdes, Marshall, SCC, and Blake to do the same. Every private school from a big city that opts up just makes the others that stay behind look that much worse.[/quote]

If a team can select the best players from any region and put them on the same team to play against other schools that can’t choose the players for their team, they should play AA. I’m not saying they shouldn’t or can't do this, just that they should be AA.

Marshall is a good example of how private schools don’t play on the same “level playing field” as others. They took a good a very good goalie from Silver Bay and the best player from Proctor. Other teams can’t do this.

Throwback wrote:

rainier wrote:Better late than never, STA. Hopefully this will motivate Breck, T-G, Lourdes, Marshall, SCC, and Blake to do the same. Every private school from a big city that opts up just makes the others that stay behind look that much worse.

If a team can select the best players from any region and put them on the same team to play against other schools that can’t choose the players for their team, they should play AA. I’m not saying they shouldn’t or can't do this, just that they should be AA.

Marshall is a good example of how private schools don’t play on the same “level playing field” as others. They took a good a very good goalie from Silver Bay and the best player from Proctor. Other teams can’t do this.

Marshall didn't "take" any players from anywhere. Private schools don't get to "select the best players from any region." Players [and their parents] make a decision to go there for likely a multitude of different reasons I suspect.
Private schools now play by the same transfer rules as public schools. With open enrollment, the only difference [on the surface] between 99% of the different public and private schools is that you have to pay a large sum and get accepted to go to the private schools.

I'm glad they made the switch for a multitude of reasons, and I think it would be nice to see teams like Breck, Marshall and Lourdes make the switch as well. For at least two of them would likely be an immediate boost to their program. But to say they have to, or that they can do things others can't, is absurd.

Whatever perspective you look at it from, financial, competitive, or similar, a class system based on enrollment where the top class is looked at as "better" instead of simply "bigger" has all sorts of negative consequences. The attendance of the "small school" tournament is clear evidence of this. The outlook of the tournament in years to come could continue to diminish.

But, in the end, I'm glad the decision was made for this team. Good luck Cadets!

HShockeywatcher wrote:

Throwback wrote:

rainier wrote:Better late than never, STA. Hopefully this will motivate Breck, T-G, Lourdes, Marshall, SCC, and Blake to do the same. Every private school from a big city that opts up just makes the others that stay behind look that much worse.

If a team can select the best players from any region and put them on the same team to play against other schools that can’t choose the players for their team, they should play AA. I’m not saying they shouldn’t or can't do this, just that they should be AA.

Marshall is a good example of how private schools don’t play on the same “level playing field” as others. They took a good a very good goalie from Silver Bay and the best player from Proctor. Other teams can’t do this.

Marshall didn't "take" any players from anywhere. Private schools don't get to "select the best players from any region." Players [and their parents] make a decision to go there for likely a multitude of different reasons I suspect.
Private schools now play by the same transfer rules as public schools. With open enrollment, the only difference [on the surface] between 99% of the different public and private schools is that you have to pay a large sum and get accepted to go to the private schools.

I'm glad they made the switch for a multitude of reasons, and I think it would be nice to see teams like Breck, Marshall and Lourdes make the switch as well. For at least two of them would likely be an immediate boost to their program. But to say they have to, or that they can do things others can't, is absurd.

Whatever perspective you look at it from, financial, competitive, or similar, a class system based on enrollment where the top class is looked at as "better" instead of simply "bigger" has all sorts of negative consequences. The attendance of the "small school" tournament is clear evidence of this. The outlook of the tournament in years to come could continue to diminish.

But, in the end, I'm glad the decision was made for this team. Good luck Cadets!

Put all these private schools in one section and you'd see how many go for the education. Only one team would be heads above at the top or all would weaken in a big way.

I do congratulate the STA people for stepping up. But honestly.... class A lost a lot of integrity...... maybe it's a good thing..

I disagree that Class A has lost integrity, there are still plenty of good hockey teams in Class A without St Thomas. This just closes the gap a bit between the #1 team and #20 team, this is a good thing, it gives teams in section 4A a fighting chance now to make it to the tournament. I applaud the long overdue decision by St Thomas to move to AA.

Throwback wrote:

rainier wrote:Better late than never, STA. Hopefully this will motivate Breck, T-G, Lourdes, Marshall, SCC, and Blake to do the same. Every private school from a big city that opts up just makes the others that stay behind look that much worse.

If a team can select the best players from any region and put them on the same team to play against other schools that can’t choose the players for their team, they should play AA. I’m not saying they shouldn’t or can't do this, just that they should be AA.

Marshall is a good example of how private schools don’t play on the same “level playing field” as others. They took a good a very good goalie from Silver Bay and the best player from Proctor. Other teams can’t do this.

You must mean the Grand Marais goalie who traveled 2 hours to practices in Silver Bay before they folded and merged with Two Harbors, which is a 3 hour drive from Cook County. The "playing field" was exactly equal, since once his family moved he was free to attend any school in the area, public or private, under MSHSL rules. If he's an honor roll student hoping to attend a competitive college after graduation, Marshall would seem like a good choice. Would he even be mentioned here if he had decided to attend East or Denfeld? I doubt it.

analogkid wrote:

Throwback wrote:

rainier wrote:Better late than never, STA. Hopefully this will motivate Breck, T-G, Lourdes, Marshall, SCC, and Blake to do the same. Every private school from a big city that opts up just makes the others that stay behind look that much worse.

If a team can select the best players from any region and put them on the same team to play against other schools that can’t choose the players for their team, they should play AA. I’m not saying they shouldn’t or can't do this, just that they should be AA.

Marshall is a good example of how private schools don’t play on the same “level playing field” as others. They took a good a very good goalie from Silver Bay and the best player from Proctor. Other teams can’t do this.

You must mean the Grand Marais goalie who traveled 2 hours to practices in Silver Bay before they folded and merged with Two Harbors, which is a 3 hour drive from Cook County. The "playing field" was exactly equal, since once his family moved he was free to attend any school in the area, public or private, under MSHSL rules. If he's an honor roll student hoping to attend a competitive college after graduation, Marshall would seem like a good choice. Would he even be mentioned here if he had decided to attend East or Denfeld? I doubt it.

Regardless of where the players come from or why they choose a school, private school teams in large cities should all be in AA. They are able to easily draw from huge talent pools, something the other 90% of A schools cannot do.

rainier wrote:Regardless of where the players come from or why they choose a school, private school teams in large cities should all be in AA. They are able to easily draw from huge talent pools, something the other 90% of A schools cannot do.

You're lost.


http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29547

thestickler07 wrote:

rainier wrote:Regardless of where the players come from or why they choose a school, private school teams in large cities should all be in AA. They are able to easily draw from huge talent pools, something the other 90% of A schools cannot do.

You're lost.


http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29547

Speaking about private schools opting up to AA seems right on topic to me, sherlock.

You're confused.

karl(east)"]I sure wasn't expecting this. Congrats to the STA administration for finally realizing that all this negative publicity probably wasn't a good thing.[quote]

Negative publicity?

Yes. Let's look at the many ways STA has suffered ill public opinion:

....year after year of enrollments right at physical capacity.

....formidable academic requirements and required public service projects.

....an extensive local and national network of business and public service leaders.

....an 18 million dollar improvement campaign nearing completion. This will augment existing facilities that include: a swimming pool, indoor hockey rink, and a domed, turfed multiple-sport facility.

....consistently dominant programs in swimming, cross country and football.

...a steady stream of brilliant scholars, musicians, and athletes enrolling in world class postsecondary institutions.


My, how the Cadet community has suffered negative publicity.