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What is it and how do you get in it? And also when and where is it at?

In the past, this has been a player invitational tournament with four geographic represented teams from North, South, East and West consisting mainly of players who have completed their sophomore and junior seasons. I believe this was an expansion from the boys tournament format and for the girls was the first event held at the SuperRink in mid-March last year. However, I see nothing about this tournament on their schedule and can find nothing about it this year. If anyone has received an invitation or has info, please post it for all.

keepitreal wrote:In the past, this has been a player invitational tournament with four geographic represented teams from North, South, East and West consisting mainly of players who have completed their sophomore and junior seasons. I believe this was an expansion from the boys tournament format and for the girls was the first event held at the SuperRink in mid-March last year. However, I see nothing about this tournament on their schedule and can find nothing about it this year. If anyone has received an invitation or has info, please post it for all.

This year's Gopher State Festival is again at Schwan's on March 12-16. Round robin from Wednesday-Saturday with finals and consolation on Sunday.

MNHockeyFan wrote:
This year's Gopher State Festival is again at Schwan's on March 12-16. Round robin from Wednesday-Saturday with finals and consolation on Sunday.

MNHockeyFan always has the goods!

Is it only for Sophomores and juniors or the best underclassmen?

Purehockey wrote:Is it only for Sophomores and juniors or the best underclassmen?

The rosters mainly consist of sophomores and juniors, but underclassmen are eligible to play also.

who runs the tourney and who picks the teams?

Here is the roster for the East team...

LIZZ WENZEL G HILL MURRAY 11
MARAH SOBCZAK G STILLWATER 10
HANNAH BRANDT F HILL MURRAY 8
JESS HARREN F HILL MURRAY 11
MADDIE MARCOTTE D WHITE BEAR LAKE 10
KAYLEE SOMMER F MAHTOMEDI 11
CHRISTINE SCHENDEL D NORTH ST. PAUL 10
MARY O'BRIEN F NORTH ST. PAUL 10
STEPHANIE ANDERSON F NORTH ST. PAUL 9
LISA TUURI F STILLWATER 10
ALEXA JACOBSEN F WOODBURY 10
MICHELLE FISCHER F/D CRETIN 10
MELANIE DUBAY D HIGHLAND 10
RACHEL BONA F COON RAPIDS 9
LIZY WALSTON F ST. PAUL UNITED 11
TARA KORF D TARTAN 10
GINA MCDONALD F IRONDALE 10
CASSIE VENNEMANN D ST. PAUL JOHNSON 11

Nice tournament. I would compare it to the Classic Elite tournament or last week’s senior tourney. Good tune up for NDP.

I think they play 2 - 45 minute run periods.

Some of player's from last year’s teams.

Orke, Laurinaitus (Wayzata), Duffy, Bacon, Burg, Shiedl-Nordness (BSM) Schmid (St Francis), Haller (Anoka), Pieper (Warroad), Sarah Erickson (Bemidji), Holms, Williams (Alexandria), Scheleper (St Cloud) Ambroze (New Prague) Martinson

Half of the Eastern team looks very good! I assume format is still coach of each team invites a group of players and keeps inviting until they have a full roster? How much does this cost $200 per player for 4 games?

yeah "joe"... players are selected by the coach from each region. This year the east team was selected by two coaches who felt they recruited the best talent that was available for these dates. Cost per player is $178 which includes a jersey, sox and all game expenses... not to mention the memories!!

Has anyone seen a game schedule for this yet? I don't see anything posted on the Schwans web site. The West team has a practice scheduled for tonight - maybe they will hand out the schedule then.

Game schedule is as follows:

3/12/08 East vs. West 7pm
3/13/08 South vs. East 7pm
3/14/08 South vs. West 7pm
3/14/08 North vs. East 9pm
3/15/08 North vs. West 1pm
3/15/08 North vs. South 7pm
3/16/08 North vs. ?? 11:30am
3/16/08 ?? vs. ?? 1:30pm

Good luck to all the teams... should be a fun festival!!

Score from tonights game...
Girls
East 4 West 4

Where did you find that roster? I am interested in the NORTH club.

boblee wrote:Where did you find that roster? I am interested in the NORTH club.

1 Kaye Collier - Hibbing
2 Mary Loken - Roseau
3 Hannah Buchite - P/H/M
4 Dana Gallop - GRG
5 Alyssa Jackson - Cambridge
6 Molly Arolla - GRG
7 Samantha Downey - Silver Bay
8 Tyra Kerr - Duluth
9 Haylea Schmid - St. Francis/NB
10 Kylie Lane - Roseau
11 Ashley Stenerson - Moorhead
12 Jessica Christopherson - Bemidji
14 Gina Dodge - Duluth
15 Kirsten Sandstrom - Silver Bay
17 Erica Wheelhouse - Crookston
18 Brianna Goulet - Warroad
30 Sara Gustafson - CEC

Coach - Brittany Northagen
Coach - Dave Kunz

MNHockeyFan wrote:

boblee wrote:Where did you find that roster? I am interested in the NORTH club.

1 Kaye Collier - Hibbing
2 Mary Loken - Roseau
3 Hannah Buchite - P/H/M
4 Dana Gallop - GRG
5 Alyssa Jackson - Cambridge
6 Molly Arolla - GRG
7 Samantha Downey - Silver Bay
8 Tyra Kerr - Duluth
9 Haylea Schmid - St. Francis/NB
10 Kylie Lane - Roseau
11 Ashley Stenerson - Moorhead
12 Jessica Christopherson - Bemidji
14 Gina Dodge - Duluth
15 Kirsten Sandstrom - Silver Bay
17 Erica Wheelhouse - Crookston
18 Brianna Goulet - Warroad
30 Sara Gustafson - CEC

Coach - Brittany Northagen
Coach - Dave Kunz

What about West and South?

West

Cara Gulbronson G Edina 11
Tiana Press G Benilde 9
Madison Styrbicki D Breck 11
Lu Hinueber D Edina 10
Ellie Gleason D Edina 10
Julie Baumgartner D Benilde 11
Lindsay Domaas D Benilde 11
Christina LaCombe D EP 10
Talia Ruiola F Mtka 10
Katey Couran F Edina 11
Casey Hirsch F Maple Grove 9
Sami Reber F Edina 9
Sally Komarek F Blake 10
Cara Johnson F Hopkins 10
Carinne Buie F Edina 10
Rachel Ramsey Mtka 9
Mackenzie Miller North Metro 10
Samm Press F Benilde 11
Coache Bob GLeason

South

Alex Hall G Burnsville 10
Celsea Laden G Lakeville South 9
Rosie Alleuva D Red Wing 10
Danielle Williams D Chaska
Sarah Kartak F LS 11
Lauren Barnes F Burnsville 10
Kait Mason F Eagan 10
Jessica Larkin F LS 11
Andi Fall D Blake 10
Emily Snodgrass F Eastview 9
Maren Davorak F Northfield 11
Katie Ladner D Chaska 10
Allison Micheletti F Rosemount 9
Jennia Christenson F Albert Lea 11
Ashley Maskel D Eastview 11
Sam Meuwissen D Chaska 11
Karley Dahlberg D LS 11
Hannah Pilger D Northfield 10
Coach Mike Dahlberg, Dan Larkin, Mark Kartak

Tonights results...

South 4 East 8

Some interesting selections for some of the teams....no Lauren Zrust, Becky Kortum, Alex Nelson to name a few missing. Forwards seem a bit lacking although there are some great players on these rosters. D look strong. Don't recognize all of the goalies' names.

Possibly some were invited and turned it down.

A friend's daughter was invited but a family event out of state so she turned the invit down.

Central wrote:Possibly some were invited and turned it down.

A friend's daughter was invited but a family event out of state so she turned the invit down.

I understand that some girls turned down invites due to Spring sports.

Last night it was:

South 4, West 4

and I understand that in the later game the North whipped the East team, 10-2? Not sure this was the correct score, maybe someone else can confirm. If true the North must have a heck of a team, which from looking at their lineup would not be surprising.

well... by then end of the last game it was 12-2. The north team is very good and has great talent.

mnhcky23 wrote:Some interesting selections for some of the teams....no Lauren Zrust, Becky Kortum, Alex Nelson to name a few missing. Forwards seem a bit lacking although there are some great players on these rosters. D look strong. Don't recognize all of the goalies' names.

This is a great concept - for those who like this tournament it is great. It does look like a number of strong young players who are going to be very good are on the teams which gives them a good experience.

Kids are in Gopher State because coaches on each team invite players, this is based on no overall criteria, just who Dad coaches can recruit/sell. Some schools also have spring break and some kids are now out of town.

Economically this is clearly a for profit tournament - here is my country math....a player pays $179 or $44.75 per game for 4 games. Each team is paying $3043 (17*$179.....as comparison the International Cup is only $1850 for 4 or 5 games) and there are four teams so $12,172 (maybe coaches kids are skating free?). If ice is $180/hour and games are 2.5 hours conservatively (I assume these are stop time games - less if these are straight running time) that is $450 for ice and at HS rates another $130 for refs ($65*2) for a game cost of around $580 (it probably is lower) - $580*4 = $2320 vs. $3043 collected, and consider the game cost is split by two teams $1160 team payment versus a game cost of $580 nice mark up! Somebody is making good money here for a weekends work and I hope it is for a good cause? Does anyone know where this money goes to?

This tournament is competing against some other great development options that cost less per hour/event than this! You can try out and play in the OS Sping League (10 games) for about the same price $190 - $19/game with great competition and coaching. Or train with CODP spring group for 70 hours for $300 - $4.28/hour (not sure but there are probably other programs to). Both of those over multiple weeks are an option and maybe offer better coaching/development.

Wow 12-2 the North over the East they must be very good!