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Can you believe that they are playing this tournament at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex when you have the Taj Mahal of hockey facilities there, the National Sports Center. Also, what's up with two Duluth teams making it to state when there are much more deserving teams from the metro that did not make it. Oh, and one more thing, the only reason Wayzata Blue is going to win the whole thing, is because they shorten their bench to like 1 line and 3 defensemen, and sometimes they don't even play a goalie, if that make sense.

The Bantam B and Peewee B tournaments are at the mac, would you want one of them on the practice rink at state.
Two tournaments one site one ticket gets you to both is what I have been told.

LesHabs wrote:Can you believe that they are playing this tournament at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex when you have the Taj Mahal of hockey facilities there, the National Sports Center. Also, what's up with two Duluth teams making it to state when there are much more deserving teams from the metro that did not make it. Oh, and one more thing, the only reason Wayzata Blue is going to win the whole thing, is because they shorten their bench to like 1 line and 3 defensemen, and sometimes they don't even play a goalie, if that make sense.

You are either a disgruntled Wayzata Gold or some other team not in state fan, or you have never seen Wayzata Blue play. Their goalies have rotated all year, even when one of them was sick they made his games up at a later date. Wayzata Gold only played one goalie for most of districts and regions, not Blue. Their lines play equal time and any one of those lines can control a game on any night.

If you know so much about them, please inform us of the team you are on that should be in State because they are better than Wayzata Blue. Last time I checked they were ranked #1, but I haven't looked since Week 1. Why is it that when a team is better than your own, you have to make up rumors to try to bring them down?

LesHabs wrote:Can you believe that they are playing this tournament at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex when you have the Taj Mahal of hockey facilities there, the National Sports Center. Also, what's up with two Duluth teams making it to state when there are much more deserving teams from the metro that did not make it. Oh, and one more thing, the only reason Wayzata Blue is going to win the whole thing, is because they shorten their bench to like 1 line and 3 defensemen, and sometimes they don't even play a goalie, if that make sense.

If a team is going to shorten their bench to 1 line and 3 D, then any decent team will pound them because by the end of the first period they will be so gassed you should be skating circles around them. I think this is a silly comment. No one shortens their bench to 1 line.

Hello people, he's being sarcastic. Got the three of you. There was some fussing going on about other State Tournaments so I'm guessing he cobbled this to sound like the classic fusser of all time.

MAC is a great facility and St. Cloud is a fun tourney town.

Back to the original subject, BANTAM B STATE TOURNAMENT.

observer wrote:Hello people, he's being sarcastic. Got the three of you. There was some fussing going on about other State Tournaments so I'm guessing he cobbled this to sound like the classic fusser of all time.

MAC is a great facility and St. Cloud is a fun tourney town.

Well the sad part is some people have been saying stupid stuff like this and meaning it. Unfortunately they don't have keys to show sarcasm. It should be an interesting tournament and maybe we should talk about it.

Mpls. Park vs Duluth East
Elk River vs Eagan Blue
River Lakes vs Duluth Lakers
Burnsville vs Wayzata Blue

As I have done on the Bantam A thread, if you are a coach, player or parent that has played one of these teams, give your input, players to watch, etc. (please, no bitterness from people that may have got beat by these teams).


Duluth East -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangibles

Minneapolis Park -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangibles

Elk River -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangibles

Eagan Blue -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangibles

River Lakes -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangibles

Duluth Lakers -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangibles

Burnsville -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangibles

Wayzata Blue -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangibles

observer wrote:Hello people, he's being sarcastic. Got the three of you. There was some fussing going on about other State Tournaments so I'm guessing he cobbled this to sound like the classic fusser of all time.

MAC is a great facility and St. Cloud is a fun tourney town.

Back to the original subject, BANTAM B STATE TOURNAMENT.

That's why they call you the observer, you're a wise man!

Elk River -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangible

Strength:
Their incredible ability to learn from their mistakes!!! If you've beaten them or played them they will come back and play you twice as hard the second time.

Their #1 Goalie is very difficult to beat when he is hot (which is a lot).

They never give up.

I said a month ago to watch out for Elk River...very tough when their mindset is win!!!


[/b]

Eagan Blue-
Strenghts
speed, teamwork, passing, forecheck

Weaknesses
cockiness, dont like to get hit, goaltending isnt too hot, can get frustrated easily

Duluth East - Good positional hockey team. The will be in the running for the title. They haven't had the hardest schedule, but will be able to prove they belong by the end.

Minneapolis Park - I think they are over their heads here, but probably the 6th best team in the tournament. Will need to pull off an upset to play more than the minimum.

Elk River - Proves they can play with the best by beating Sauk Rapids. A rough first round draw for the #5 team as they take on Eagan. With confidence could be a tough team to beat.

Eagan Blue - Haven't seen them play, but from everything I have read, this is a team to look out for. I believe they will be in the title game against Wayzata/Burnsville Winner.

River Lakes - Again over their heads here. Haven't seen them play, but looking at scores they are not in the top of this league. Have a chance in Game 1 vs Lakers, but will not win after the first game.

Duluth Lakers - Similar to River Lakes. They can finish 4th with a win or they can be done after the second game.

Burnsville - Tough draw, but get Wayzata on a regular sheet which will make this game much better than the 5-1 loss to them before districts. Playing great hockey again and this could be the best game of the weekend.

Wayzata Blue - Top ranked teams don't always win. If they think they will walk through the tournament, they will be playing for consolation. But if they play at the top of their game, they will be in the championship.

Overall, I see the following places.

1- Wayzata Blue
2- Eagan Blue
3- Duluth East
4- River Lakes
Consolation- Burnsville
6- Elk River
Mpls Park and Duluth Lakers out after 2 games.

anyone know when the tourney starts???

MN hockey08 wrote:anyone know when the tourney starts???

Friday 10 AM in St. Cloud.
Mpls. Park vs Duluth East

best 4 teams are Wayzata, Eagan, Duluth East, Burnsville. Burnsville Wayzata is the best first round game.

Our goaltending my not be #1 in the State (yeah, obvious I'm from Eagan & a goalie Dad) but to say it isn't hot? We gave up less than a goal a game in the District and Regional tournaments. Hmmm...I think that qualifies as a little hot! We're proud of both Jon & Collin. They have both done a great job this season and have kept us in many games this year. And one last thing, it's not cokiness, that's called confidence!

Um, I think Burnsville has a good chance because one of their coaches is a two time Rainy River JV MVP and he knows Ken Fricke . . . which is nice.

Go Owls.

Whooooo, Whooooo.

Go Blaze!!! They have the determination, a great coaching staff, great parents, support from the Burnsville hockey club... all the right ingredients for a victorious tournament. Good luck to everyone!!

By the way, who is Ken Fricke?

conditioningsucks wrote:Minneapolis Park -
Strengths/Weaknesses
Forwards
Defense
Goaltending
Intangibles

I played Mpls. Park and they are a good team. They just need to keep the puck out of their zone. Goaltending for these guys is definitely a weakness. They can shoot, pass, and hit with the best if they give it their all. I believe that they can be one of the top teams in the tourny.

Wayzata Blue should be able to take home state if they're on top of their game. Solid all around. Burnsville may be one of their toughest games all season in the first round.

River Lakes and Mpls. Park don't really have much of a chance. I think it'll be Duluth East and Wayzata Blue in the Championship game. Eagan Blue and Duluth East are really close teams and Eagan might have a shot.

Predictions:
1. Wayzata Blue
2. Duluth East
3. Eagan Blue
4. Burnsville
5. Elk River
6. Duluth Lakers
7. Mpls. Park
8. River Lakes :roll:

KenP wrote:Our goaltending my not be #1 in the State (yeah, obvious I'm from Eagan & a goalie Dad) but to say it isn't hot? We gave up less than a goal a game in the District and Regional tournaments. Hmmm...I think that qualifies as a little hot! We're proud of both Jon & Collin. They have both done a great job this season and have kept us in many games this year. And one last thing, it's not cokiness, that's called confidence!

I've seen these kids for 6 years. They waltz into an arena thinking the game is theirs. I see them in the lobbies screwing around with each other with anything but a hockey game on their minds. I've seen them outside a locker room 15 minutes before gametime talking about how much they're gonna win by against a team they've never seen before.

Today's Scores so far...

Duluth East 2
Mpls Park 1

(minor incident between two players at the end of the game - frustration my guess)

I did not watch that game only saw the end of it...

Elk River 3
Eagan Blue 1

Elk River had a goal waived off as a hand pass - so could have been 4-1.
Elk River goalie is hot again...

Teams pretty evenly matched...Eagan goalie not a good first 2 periods.

Ice is really slow & soft at the MAC makes teams look slower than they really are... Puck doesn't want to move.

DE plays ER tomorrow - should be a good matchup...

More Scores...

Duluth Lakers 5
River Lakes 1

(heard it was not that close - didn't watch it)


Wayzata Blue 4
Burnesville 0

i watched the first two periods. Both teams came out strong. As the ice got soft (2nd 1/2 of 2nd period) Burnesville slowed down and Wayzata took advantage of it. When i left it was WB up 3-0.

My only critique of WB is that they constantly send the puck to the point for slap shots - which rarely if ever go in. Set up your plays. When you got in low you scored. I must have seen 12 point shots that did nothing in the 2nd.

The MAC finally shut off the heat so the ice was a little better. It looked like goo out there at the end of the 2nd.

Very strange B1 tournament!! Some very good and some very poor hockey.

Wayzata was the best team, hands down, but laid an egg in the Championship. Burnsville was very good but couldnt score in key situations. Eagan didn't come close to their potential - losing to ER then getting dominated by bvl in consolation - shots 25-10 after two but eagans goalie was hot. Bvlle looked tired in third but thought they were the much better team.

Elk River got some bounces and breakaways against Eagan which ended Eagans chances . . . Eagan far better team. Elk goalie played well and a couple of breakaways did Eagan in. Park gave DE a run then DE wins it. Wierd. Park is pretty gritty and always seems to play well in playoffs but they didnt seem to be in the same class as the top 4/5 teams. DE may disagree.

You have to give DE the nod as they did what they had to do. I would go:

Duluth
Wayzata
burnsville/Eagan - cant say eagan is better after watching 2 per of that game
Elk River


Wayzata was best team all season but kids are very cocky so glad to see DE win. Rankings 2-5 are a complete tossup.

[quote="refsforone"] Park is pretty gritty and always seems to play well in playoffs but they didnt seem to be in the same class as the top 4/5 teams. DE may disagree. [quote

I have to say I personally think the entire Park program showed their grit this weekend. The Bantam B1's gave east a great run. The Bantam A's were up untill late in the third against east, The Peewee A's played great and were only a few bounces from the championship game, and the peewee B1's took a Duluth East team to O.T. when they wern't even expected to make it past regions. I personally think they all showed they belonged at state and hopefully this will lead to more future success.