Hockey Hill-story

pistol · Post by **pistol** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:44 pm

This is the traditional time of year when all Hill-Murray Pioneers set their sights on the post season. Hopes are very high this year... maybe even higher than usual. Forgive us forward-looking Hill-Murray fans, though, for also looking back on such a rich history.

By the late 70's, trips north to places as far as Fort Frances (Ontario) had been replaced by trips south to Graham Arena. Coach Terry Skrypek used these trips not only to ready the Pioneers for runs at State Championships but also to help gauge just how much work still was needed. During one such trip Hill-Murray received a shocking 1-8 regular season thumping by the defending State Champs, happening just weeks before the Pioneers would repay Rochester John Marshall with a 4-3 overtime State Tournament nail biter. Two years later, Coach Herb Brooks would borrow a page from Coach Skrypek, doing to the Russians in Madison Square Garden, and then Lake Placid, what HM did to RJM in 1978.

Govs93 · Post by **Govs93** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:47 pm

This is the most sane HM related thread I've ever seen on the bored.

pistol · Post by **pistol** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:53 pm

This thread begins your honors level litany of lectures utilizing a little literary license and the legion of legendary le hockey lessons in the limitless lexicon of Lechner lad lore, so study up and earn extra credit by sharing in detail your favorite Hill and Hill-Murray Pioneer stories from this year or years past.

Indians forever · Post by **Indians forever** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:26 pm

Who cares about Hill they won't even make it to the big show this year!!!

pistol · Post by **pistol** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:34 pm

In 1983, history seemed poised to repeat itself as the Pioneers headed to Graham Arena for yet another annual test. Twice in the previous decade, Hill or Hill-Murray would grind through undefeated seasons only to lose in State Championship Final games. Two other Seventies Hill and Hill-Murray hockey teams actually had won State Championships in spite of losing regular season games, so some in 1983 thought the Rochester trip might be a good time to get a loss out of the way. RJM seemed to think so, too, building a five goal lead by the end of the second period. Legend has it that the Pioneer coaches and captains let the locker room go silent... no H-M player made a sound... instead they listened... they just listened to the sounds coming from the RJM locker room... the RJM players saying the Pioneers were over-rated bums....

Govs93 · Post by **Govs93** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:38 pm

pistol wrote:In 1983, history seemed poised to repeat itself as the Pioneers headed to Graham Arena for yet another annual test. Twice in the previous decade, Hill or Hill-Murray would grind through undefeated seasons only to lose in State Championship Final games. Two other Seventies Hill and Hill-Murray hockey teams actually had won State Championships in spite of losing regular season games, so some in 1983 thought the Rochester trip might be a good time to get a loss out of the way. RJM seemed to think so, too, building a five goal lead by the end of the second period. Legend has it that the Pioneer coaches and captains let the locker room go silent... no H-M player made a sound... instead they listened... they just listened to the sounds coming from the RJM locker room... the RJM players saying the Pioneers were over-rated bums....

Can't wait til you get to '84 when Johnson knocked them out of the Tourney.

wbmd · Post by **wbmd** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:41 pm

Govs93 wrote:
pistol wrote:In 1983, history seemed poised to repeat itself as the Pioneers headed to Graham Arena for yet another annual test. Twice in the previous decade, Hill or Hill-Murray would grind through undefeated seasons only to lose in State Championship Final games. Two other Seventies Hill and Hill-Murray hockey teams actually had won State Championships in spite of losing regular season games, so some in 1983 thought the Rochester trip might be a good time to get a loss out of the way. RJM seemed to think so, too, building a five goal lead by the end of the second period. Legend has it that the Pioneer coaches and captains let the locker room go silent... no H-M player made a sound... instead they listened... they just listened to the sounds coming from the RJM locker room... the RJM players saying the Pioneers were over-rated bums....
Can't wait til you get to '84 when Johnson knocked them out of the Tourney.

and beat them two out of three times for the season.

Indians forever · Post by **Indians forever** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:41 pm

Govs93 wrote:
pistol wrote:In 1983, history seemed poised to repeat itself as the Pioneers headed to Graham Arena for yet another annual test. Twice in the previous decade, Hill or Hill-Murray would grind through undefeated seasons only to lose in State Championship Final games. Two other Seventies Hill and Hill-Murray hockey teams actually had won State Championships in spite of losing regular season games, so some in 1983 thought the Rochester trip might be a good time to get a loss out of the way. RJM seemed to think so, too, building a five goal lead by the end of the second period. Legend has it that the Pioneer coaches and captains let the locker room go silent... no H-M player made a sound... instead they listened... they just listened to the sounds coming from the RJM locker room... the RJM players saying the Pioneers were over-rated bums....
Can't wait til you get to '84 when Johnson knocked them out of the Tourney.

Or '80 when the Indians won in a thriller. That was a classic!! who couldever forget!!!!!!

Govs93 · Post by **Govs93** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:43 pm

Indians forever wrote:
Govs93 wrote:
pistol wrote:In 1983, history seemed poised to repeat itself as the Pioneers headed to Graham Arena for yet another annual test. Twice in the previous decade, Hill or Hill-Murray would grind through undefeated seasons only to lose in State Championship Final games. Two other Seventies Hill and Hill-Murray hockey teams actually had won State Championships in spite of losing regular season games, so some in 1983 thought the Rochester trip might be a good time to get a loss out of the way. RJM seemed to think so, too, building a five goal lead by the end of the second period. Legend has it that the Pioneer coaches and captains let the locker room go silent... no H-M player made a sound... instead they listened... they just listened to the sounds coming from the RJM locker room... the RJM players saying the Pioneers were over-rated bums....
Can't wait til you get to '84 when Johnson knocked them out of the Tourney.
Or '80 when the Indians won in a thriller. That was a classic!! who couldever forget!!!!!!

Let's sit tight, Indians... I'm sure he won't miss those!

wbmd · Post by **wbmd** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:43 pm

Indians forever wrote:
Govs93 wrote:
pistol wrote:In 1983, history seemed poised to repeat itself as the Pioneers headed to Graham Arena for yet another annual test. Twice in the previous decade, Hill or Hill-Murray would grind through undefeated seasons only to lose in State Championship Final games. Two other Seventies Hill and Hill-Murray hockey teams actually had won State Championships in spite of losing regular season games, so some in 1983 thought the Rochester trip might be a good time to get a loss out of the way. RJM seemed to think so, too, building a five goal lead by the end of the second period. Legend has it that the Pioneer coaches and captains let the locker room go silent... no H-M player made a sound... instead they listened... they just listened to the sounds coming from the RJM locker room... the RJM players saying the Pioneers were over-rated bums....
Can't wait til you get to '84 when Johnson knocked them out of the Tourney.
Or '80 when the Indians won in a thriller. That was a classic!! who couldever forget!!!!!!

That was soooooooooo great to see Grand Rapids end the Pioneers unbeaten season that year.

pistol · Post by **pistol** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:43 pm

The Pioneers scored six (6) unanswered goals after the second intermission to win in overtime and went on to do something no other Minnesota team has and likely none ever will. The '83 Pioneers were the only undefeated State (World) Champion hockey team during the best years of the Tournament, when all teams competed in one class without excluding schools because of size or religion.

wbmd · Post by **wbmd** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:45 pm

pistol wrote:The Pioneers scored six (6) unanswered goals after the second intermission to win in overtime and went on to do something no other Minnesota team has and likely none ever will. The '83 Pioneers were the only undefeated State (World) Champion hockey team during the best years of the Tournament, when all teams competed in one class without excluding schools because of size or religion.

pistol · Post by **pistol** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:47 pm

It said World Champions on the billboard.

wbmd · Post by **wbmd** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:50 pm

pistol wrote:It said World Champions on the billboard.

Obviously made by a Pioneer at that.

pistol · Post by **pistol** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:02 pm

The Seventies were great to the Pioneers. No one could remember missing a single State Tournament: not since John F. Kennedy; not since the Hill-Murray merger; and certainly not since the MSHSL united the State Titles by including Catholic schools.

"So why the fuss over North St. Paul? The Polars don't have enough horses to beat us."

"They only need one, and his name is Scott Lynch."

Scott Lynch was a natural athlete, mastering any sport. His friends said the Gopher recruit could dunk a basketball as well as he dangled a puck. Plus, he was fast.

"So what... our defense is fast and tough, too."

Pat Ethier was a future NCAA Champion, but Lynch never tried to get around him. Lynch just used Ethier as a screen. Light one lamp for the Polars...

Govs93 · Post by **Govs93** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:06 pm

Weird... Indians, you may want to double check me here (I went to public school, so I'm probably missing something), but it would appear that pistol is jumping around in a weird chronological order, and somehow missed '80 & '84.

Am I wrong about this?

pistol · Post by **pistol** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:10 pm

"What is Conroy doing, skating slowly backwards? If Lynch hits our blue line at full speed, no one will stop him from his second goal!"

The Conroys were men among boys... probably shaving before kindergarten. Although he didn't look like he was moving fast enough to stop Lynch, Bob Conroy did look as fast as Mohammed Ali when throwing that punch. After Scott's helmet stopped rolling at the other end of the rink, both teams were afraid that Scott's head might still be in it.

"Can Bob do that?"

"The refs don't seem to think so..."

"I hit Lynch with my shoulder," Bob protested, "and I have the bruise to show for it!"

"But I could see your forearm up near Scott's helmet!"

"Well, maybe I corralled him in, just a little."

Scott Lynch was able to play but never again seemed a threat while Hill-Murray took over the rest of the game, but for that short time early it seemed like the Polars might have ended the Pioneer's perfection in regional or sectional play.

Indians forever · Post by **Indians forever** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:14 pm

Govs, I think that you are right. I thought I was loosing my mind. maybe he will come back to reality?

pistol · Post by **pistol** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:16 pm

We'll leave the fluke game descriptions to you boys.

Indians forever · Post by **Indians forever** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:16 pm

Then again it is his story!!!

wbmd · Post by **wbmd** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:17 pm

pistol wrote:We'll leave the fluke game descriptions to you boys.

They certainly weren't fluke games.

Govs93 · Post by **Govs93** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:18 pm

Here's an interesting bit of Hill-Murray trivia I was unaware of... Did anybody know that there's an entire MySpace group dedicated toward a common bond of people throughout the state? That's right...

Hill Murray Sucks.

Indians forever · Post by **Indians forever** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:18 pm

pistol wrote:We'll leave the fluke game descriptions to you boys.

OK I know what you mean.

Neutron 14 · Post by **Neutron 14** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:21 pm

Has he done 82 yet?

Govs93 · Post by **Govs93** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:23 pm

Neutron 14 wrote:Has he done 82 yet?

Lemme check...

looking... looking... looking...

Uh - nope. Not yet. I'm on the edge of my seat awaiting that story!