Wayzata HS Hockey

[GOPHERFAN119]

I notice the Wayzata youth teams are very highly ranked in pee wee's, bantams, and junior gold on a pretty consistent basis in Let's Play Hockey year in and year out.

Yet, for some reason, the HS team does not have the same consistency.

Can anyone pinpoint the the reason for the inconsistency ? is it the players, the coaches, player defections or a combination of many things ?

[Slap Shot]

Can anyone pinpoint the the reason for the inconsistency ? is it the players, the coaches, player defections or a combination of many things ?

I have heard that Wayzata loses more players to private schools inc comparison to Minnetonka or Edina, although I cannot confirm that nor understand why that would be the case.

[notaclue]

The program has lost players and some very good ones, despite that the youth program stays strong and is adding teams every year.

[WayOutWest]

I notice the Wayzata youth teams are very highly ranked in pee wee's, bantams, and junior gold on a pretty consistent basis in Let's Play Hockey year in and year out.

Yet, for some reason, the HS team does not have the same consistency.

Can anyone pinpoint the the reason for the inconsistency ? is it the players, the coaches, player defections or a combination of many things ?

I think you may have, in part, answered your own question.
It obviously cannot be the players, right? Players' talents don't consistently take a nose-dive once they hit high-school.
Player defections? Sure, there have been some, but has this been that much more significant of an issue at Wayzata than at other schools? And has it consistently been a bigger problem there? That's highly doubtful.

Are you doing the math? If so, that leaves one thing. That would be one thing that IS consistent, from year to year. Are you there, yet? Do you need a clue? Find the folks behind the bench who aren't wearing helmets.

[Govs93]

I don't know the ins-and-outs of the program all that well, but if you take a look at the timing of Wayzata's steady downturn since about 2003, you'll notice that it's about the time that the next group of Trojans would have started at Wayzta, and it's also about the time that Holy Family & Providence Academy - both of which opened within a couple of years of each other - began developing their hockey programs, which are now becoming successful.

I'm not saying that those 2 schools are enough to crush the Wayzata high school program because of the sheer numbers of kids in the youth programs there - I have no doubt that that there are other forces at work - but the timing is interesting.

[Neutron 14]

They used to be really good, but when you have ex-Johnson guys moving into your community you can expect a downturn.

[Govs93]

They used to be really good, but when you have ex-Johnson guys moving into your community you can expect a downturn.

I guess the classes after me must've started moving to Circle Pines then.

[Neutron 14]

They used to be really good, but when you have ex-Johnson guys moving into your community you can expect a downturn.

I guess the classes after me must've started moving to Circle Pines then.

Have you seen our girls basketball team? Undefeated and took down Central!

[Lopresti]

You're not happy going to the tournament every 50 years. (2 appearances, 1953, 2003) Wayzata has been, year-in and year out at the top of squirt, pee wee and bantams. I've talked to numerous people close to the program from players, ex-players, parents, and youth coaches and have yet to hear a ringing endorsement of the current coach. I don't like it when high school coaches lose their job due to what parents and players think (Orono), but I really feel this school needs to go in another direction. Holy Family and Providence aren't helping but Benilde has 3 top players that would have been at Wayzata. Would they have stayed with a different coach? I don't know. Until then, 2053 here we come!

[HOFam'r]

How can the coach go from being good to bad? Obviously, the talent is not what it once was...Most coaches will succeed with talent-I could coach Roseau or Edina...The coach who can make steak out of hamberger is my guy. Mediocre seasons one after the another are frustrating...but join the rest of the world...it's hard to find the guy who can mix and match a team together to be competitive and then convince the parents that their kid is a role player on a mediocre team...been done but pretty dang close to impossible.

[WayOutWest]

.....and it's also about the time that Holy Family & Providence Academy - both of which opened within a couple of years of each other - began developing their hockey programs, which are now becoming successful.
.......the timing is interesting.

Both Holy Family's and Providence's programs are very marginally successful. And Holy Family has zero players that would have otherwise been attending Wayzata. Nor do they have any players that could start for Wayzata's varsity. The brunt of the HF team are Waconia kids, who would have been playing for Waconia if they had their own program. (They will, next season.) The Wayzata JV would easily destroy both the HF and Providence varsity teams.

This theory holds no merit.

[WayOutWest]

How can the coach go from being good to bad? Obviously, the talent is not what it once was...Most coaches will succeed with talent-I could coach Roseau or Edina...The coach who can make steak out of hamberger is my guy. Mediocre seasons one after the another are frustrating...but join the rest of the world...it's hard to find the guy who can mix and match a team together to be competitive and then convince the parents that their kid is a role player on a mediocre team...been done but pretty dang close to impossible.

When was the coaching staff "good", Ho?
The Wayzata program is not accustomed to mediocrity, Ho. We're not talking about Buffalo!!!!! If you have success at every level of the association, it is not unreasonable to expect to see it in high school, too.

[Neutron 14]

Is Davis a teacher?

[WayOutWest]

Is Davis a teacher?

I believe so.

[Govs93]

.....and it's also about the time that Holy Family & Providence Academy - both of which opened within a couple of years of each other - began developing their hockey programs, which are now becoming successful.
.......the timing is interesting.

Both Holy Family's and Providence's programs are very marginally successful. And Holy Family has zero players that would have otherwise been attending Wayzata. Nor do they have any players that could start for Wayzata's varsity. The brunt of the HF team are Waconia kids, who would have been playing for Waconia if they had their own program. (They will, next season.) The Wayzata JV would easily destroy both the HF and Providence varsity teams.

This theory holds no merit.

It's clear you have some sort of a grudge or something against the Wayzata staff - you've expressed it time and again on the bored - but you mean to tell me that a Catholic school located within the Wayzata school district (I'll have to get back to my computer to verify this, but I believe the ONLY Catholic school with a hockey program in the Wayzata district) has not ONE kid from the Wayzata program? I don't believe it.

[notaclue]

Providence does have a very good player, Matt Larson who left the Wayzata prpgram. I'm sure their are more, he's the only one I'm aware of. Word is they might not have a program in a year or two, lack of players.

[WayOutWest]

It's clear you have some sort of a grudge or something against the Wayzata staff - you've expressed it time and again on the bored - but you mean to tell me that a Catholic school located within the Wayzata school district (I'll have to get back to my computer to verify this, but I believe the ONLY Catholic school with a hockey program in the Wayzata district) has not ONE kid from the Wayzata program? I don't believe it.

Holy Family is in Victoria. Most the kids that attend Holy Family are from the Waconia, Chaska or Eden Prairie programs. Over half the players on the HF squad attend Waconia High School, today, and those underclassment will be playing for Waconia H.S., next year. I cannot speak for the makeup of Providence's team.
I have no "grudge" against the Wayzata staff. I AM fairly adept at deductive reasoning, however.

[GOPHERFAN119]

I have no grudge against the coach. I have no kids in the hockey program. I live in the Plymouth, Wayzata community. I have lived here for many years.

As an avid fan of the game, I find it somwhat frustrating the program has not been more successful. It is my opinion, the team should be ranked in the top 15-20 consistently with the talent and enrollment we have to draw from in the district.

Both WHS soccer teams and the football team have been very consistent year in and year out. These teams have been very successful in reaching the state tournament and winning their sections.

It is my opinion, I feel the hockey team should be winning more games.

[Govs93]

Providence does have a very good player, Matt Larson who left the Wayzata prpgram. I'm sure their are more, he's the only one I'm aware of. Word is they might not have a program in a year or two, lack of players.

Again... there's another program right down the street from me that I know nothing about, but I was told that Providencce had a huge investment (in addition to the city) into adding the 3rd sheet of ice at the Plymouth Ice Center which they use as their home rink, rather than the big "A" sheet (which Wayzata and Armstrong use)? It would be a wasted investment if they only used it to run a program for a couple of years... of course they're Catholic - it's probably just a drop in the bucket!

[notaclue]

Providence Academy along with the city and the WYHA worked together to add the third sheet of ice. The Providence head coach is the former bantam A coach for Wayzata, he had some very good teams and one atleast one state tournament at the bantam "A" level. I think they even won the national tournament that year. I think it boils down to not getting as many players as they predicted.

[TooManyEagles]

Davis is a Gym Teacher at Wayzata.

I think some of the reason that the team doesn't do as well as Football and Soccer is the lack of constant playing and training. The football team doesn't get to state nearly every year now magically. The weight room is in use pretty much non stop before and after school by Football and some Soccer players.

Knowing most of the Juniors and a couple seniors on the hockey team, they don't do even 1/5th of the work that the fall sports kids do throughout the year. I think coaching could have a lot to do with it as well, the football team has great coaching (And like 20 coaches at that), it spells about 1 coach for every 4 guys on JV/Varsity. The Hockey team isn't nearly as well staffed as any that.

Recruiting away may have a part to play in it as well. The hockey team needs to get better in order to keep kids in the public school system and wanting to play. Until then, BSM looks to get more and more talent to bolster their program.

[Hockeyguy_27]

If the players coming through the Bantam program stick around, the Trojans are going to be dominant the next few years. Think about this, if Howe were in the net this season, even with their mediocre talent, they would be competitive. It is a down year but expect Wayzata to be making the tournament soon.

[Lopresti]

If the players coming through the Bantam program stick around, the Trojans are going to be dominant the next few years. Think about this, if Howe were in the net this season, even with their mediocre talent, they would be competitive. It is a down year but expect Wayzata to be making the tournament soon.

If I had a nickel, hell, if I had a penny every time this was said, I'd be paying Santana myself. Wayzata will NOT win a state tournament with the current coach. Period! Players will keep leaving. I've seen it too many years to think otherwise.

[WayOutWest]

Think about this, if Howe were in the net this season, even with their mediocre talent, they would be competitive.

Nope. The average number of goals scored against Wayzata this year, is very close to last year, when Howe was in net. This team has significant trouble scoring. Unless Howe could produce shutouts, every time he hit the ice, his presence would have been negligible.

[greybeard58]

To not a clue,
The Wayzata Bantam team won the Mn Hockey State Tournament in 2002 and did go to the Tier I National tournament but did not do well, actually had the poorest record there of any Minnesota team in recent years.