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Can some one rank the top five 98 / 99 AAA teams from Minnesota. We've played in a couple tourneys. Just wondering which programs have some good teams.

98 level

1. Machine
2. Lake Superior Stars
3. Mn Blades
4. Easton Synergy
5. Easton Stealth/Icemen

99 level

1. Mn Blades
2. Machine
3. Lake Superior Stars
4/5. Deuce/Snipers

Thanks! What do you know about the "99" Lake Superior Stars? I'm curious why they didn't play in the Independent classic tourney? It would be fun if they all played in a tourney together.

Tourney results:

1st - Blades
2nd - Machine (Minnesota made)
3rd - Snipers (Minnesota made)
4th - Deuce (Minnesota made)

99's

1- Blades
2 - Machine
3 - MN Edge
4 - Snipers
5 - Deuce

The top '99 teams I've seen are:

1. Blades
2. Chicago Selects
3. Machine
4. many you could argue for the #4 or #5 spot

USA International Cup Results - no surprises at 99 level, interesting results at the 98 age range.


98's
9th place game OT
Thunder Bay Thunder 6
Central Wis AAA 5

7th Place game OT
Midwest Stars 2
Snipers 3

5th Place game OT
Deuce 5
Miracle 4

3rd place game OT
Easton Synergy 6
Wis. Flames 5

Championship OT-SO
MN Magicians 5
Easton Stealth 4

1999 Birth year.

7th place
Synergy 13
Midwest Selects 2

5th Place
Miracle 6
Monopoly 0

3rd Place
Thunder bay Thunder 4
Easton Stealth 2

Championship
Blades 5
Deuce 0

1998 results http://www.pointstreak.com/players/play ... sonid=2325

1999 results http://www.pointstreak.com/players/pla ... onid=2325

Does anyone have any idea if there are any AAA 99 tournaments in Sept?

Gotothenetman wrote:Does anyone have any idea if there are any AAA 99 tournaments in Sept?

There is a '98/'99 in Brookings, SD 6-7 Sep, The Under Armor AAA Hockey Classic.

98 Magicians just won the International Cup in Blaine. I believe they beat the Duce, Synergy, and Stealth.

The magicians did not beat the 98 Deuce. They beat the stealth in a shoot out.

They tied the Deuce and I thought outplayed them from what I saw. The '98 Deuce aren't that strong as your typical 'Deuce' team. They struggled in Canada and have had trouble with many of the stronger '98 teams.

The '98 Magicians are a solid team. After winning two softer tournaments prior to the International Cup I was curious how they would fair with this solid class of teams and they proved they are a legit team and one of the stronger metro teams.

I saw the Magicians play they are a good team but not a great team. I saw some of their games in the International cup. In the Synergy game, the Synergy gave up 3 soft goals in the first three shots. After that, they carried the play but the Magicians hung in and won. With the Deuce they got one soft goal and were outshot badly the first two periods but looked like the better team in the third.

What tournaments were the Magicians in before the International?

Meltdown & Independent?

Who have they played and beat prior to this?

Remember, they don't ask how you scored, just how many.

A win is a win in my book no matter how many they got the bounces in.

I agree that the Magicians are a good team. They capitalized on their opportunities and did what they needed to win the tourney. Congrats on a well-earned championship.

I was a bit disappointed in the overall level of play in the International Cup. I wouldn't categorize any of the teams as "great." The increase in the number of new AAA clubs from Minnesota appears to have resulted in a decrease in the quality of the teams at the younger levels. The top talent is now dispersed among a larger number of teams. Although the level of play is currently down in my opinion, hopefully the increase in the number of kids competing at a AAA level will lead to long-term improvement in the overall level of play when these kids reach pee wee and bantam.

I would agree. I didn't see any teams that were up to the Machine level...Magicians/Deuce/Synergy/Stealth appeared to be about a goal apart. It will be fun with all these new teams to see how they progress.

1: Re: Magician/Synergy: Here is the order in which they scored (from the NSC website, I took out the player names). Seems from the scoring to be a good game - with the Magicians taking control in the 2nd, and riding out the 3rd
Period 1
98 Magicians - , 4:42
98 Magicians - , 6:48
98 Synergy - , 8:13
98 Synergy - , 14:03

Period 2
98 Magicians - , 2:57
98 Magicians - , 9:07
98 Magicians - , 10:28
98 Synergy - , 11:49
98 Magicians - , 13:58

Period 3
98 Synergy - , 0:34
98 Synergy - 11:54

2. I think Wildcathcky's point that there are more AAA teams and the impact on "superstar teams" is correct. Each of the top 4 teams at the International Cup had strong players, but didn't maintain the same ability level through each line. I do think that the top lines/players of Synergy/Magician/Stealth and Deuce could play with the Machine (and they have in various select tournaments). But none of those 4 teams has the over all depth that Machine has. I don't know about the Lake Superior or Blade teams, or how the 4 listed above would matchup with those teams.

3. And I think the disperal of talent gives more kids an opportunity to play at a higher level and drive improvement for all. I agree with Wildcathcky's point on this as well.

4. At the Int'l cup, I over heard somone mention that 98 Magicians had beaten the a good Wisconin team (Wi Flames I think, but cannot confirm) by a comfortable margin in the Spring Classic championship game, and that they beat a "Tri-Star Thurnder " team (a canadian team or ND team?) to win the Ice Palace Cup. I did confirm - per their website, the 98 Magicians won the Ice Palace Cup and the Spring Classic. I cannot tell who else they've played however.

I do think that the top lines/players of Synergy/Magician/Stealth and Deuce could play with the Machine (and they have in various select tournaments)

No chance!

Playing with them on various selects teams has no bearing on if they can play "WITH" them.

There is only one kid that has the ability to play with the Machine that is on one of those teams.............anybody that has seen him play knows who he is (besides he only plays for that team in tournaments).

don't bother watching any of the other AAA teams - only the best one with the best kids - especially the 9 and 10 year olds. They are the only ones that will ever make it to D1 or the NHL. By 9 or 10 - everyone knows who will be a stud when they are 18.

Since neither Puckfan nor I can prove our suppositions, and as Hockeyboys correctly points out reality (via a barbed wit), I suggest that reasonable minds may differ, and we both enjoy the hockey that is being played.

Alpha wrote:a "Tri-Star Thurnder " team (a canadian team or ND team?) to win the Ice Palace Cup.

Tri-Star Thunder - Brandon, MB

What 99 teams plan on playing in the Easton cup In August? It would be fun to get the below teams to play against each other in a tourney.

Below are the top 99 teams in Minnesota. It would be fun to have a tourney and see how everything shakes out.


Machine
Deuce
Snipers
Edge
Lake Superior Stars
Blades

Blades have already beaten the Machine
Snipers have already beaten the Deuce
Haven't seen the Lake Superior Stars play
Haven't seen the Edge play

DuckDuckQuackQuack wrote:What 99 teams plan on playing in the Easton cup In August? It would be fun to get the below teams to play against each other in a tourney.

Below are the top 99 teams in Minnesota. It would be fun to have a tourney and see how everything shakes out.


Machine
Deuce
Snipers
Edge
Lake Superior Stars
Blades

Blades have already beaten the Machine
Snipers have already beaten the Deuce
Haven't seen the Lake Superior Stars play
Haven't seen the Edge play

I saw the Edge beat the Deuce 7-1 and only give up 1 shot in the first period. I think they are playing in Duluth in Aug. They do not play year round which I applaud. They take the summer off so the kids can play other sports.

They start up again in August, off in June / July. The schedule is much like other independent teams.

I've seen alot of the '99 tourny games. There's two tiers of '99 hockey with the Blades and Machine clearly the top 2, from what I saw in terms of teams and it would be nice to have two seperate tourney's for the Easton Cup in Aug. Here's who I would put in each:

Upper Tier:
Blades
Machine
Deuce
Edge
Snipers
LS Stars

Lower:
Miracle
Easton Stealth
Easton Synergy
Monopoly
Grinders
MW Selects

Also if the Chicago Sleects were available to come to this tourney they would be a good test for the Blades and Machine. I saw this Chicago team at the Meltdown and they were impressive.

A majority of the lower level '99 teams are developmental teams and can't compete with the upper tier teams that are basically all-star teams. Many of the lower level teams have made progress since the Spring which is good to see. For instance the Easton Stealth have been playing better and have faired fairly well the last 2 tourney's. Monopoly isn't a true '99 team and they have seven '00 kids on it but have been playing better as well and beat Synergy 6-2 in the Inp. Cup. Synergy has been up and down, blew out the Stealth earlier this Spring like 7-1 and played the Deuce strong in the Ind. Cup but lost to Monopoly 6-2 and were destroyed by the Blades again (but who does't).