Section 6AA

[Silent But Deadly]

Early predictions.....

[hockeyheaven]

I’m big on the old adage that “they are the champs until they are not”. So, Hopkins has to be the favorite at this time. They have a Top flight goalie coming back and solid senior leadership…not to mention they had to have had one of the best recruiting classes in the Section.

Sorry…couldn’t help myself.

[OntheEdge]

Early predictions.....

I think this is one of the more balanced Sections. Its early but it appears that it will be a 3 team race with Minnetonka, Hopkins and BSM. Buffalo, Wayzata and North Metro are all dark horses that might make some noise in the playoffs. Maple Grove was pretty good last year but they lost a lot and I'm not sure that Casey Hirsh can carry the team all on her own. Hopkins arguably has the best goalie in the Section (although Press and Friend might be just as good) and picked up 4 quality transfers so Hopkins has to be the early favorite but I wouldn't be surprised if Minnetonka or BSM beat them in the Sectional playoffs. I think Hopkins' achilles heel will be their defense. Billadeau will be under lots of pressure especially from Ramsey and Minnetonka.

[observer]

Won't the Hopkins "transfers", that aren't in 9th grade, be playing JV? Can anyone just transfer and play now? How do you suppose these Hopkins players will be allowed to play varsity? After the MSHSL was embarrased by the Hopkins basketball team making a mockery of the rules I presume they'll take a little closer look at these potential violations. I'm not saying I'm a fan of the rules but those are the rules.

[hockeywild7]

As long as they move their residence to the Hopkins district there is no penalty. The sitting out only comes into play if you do not move into the school district.

[iceage]

As long as they move their residence to the Hopkins district there is no penalty. The sitting out only comes into play if you do not move into the school district.

And below 9th grade doesen't enter it as well. You can play girls hockey varsity starting in 7th grade (none that I can recall ever did) but there are plenty of 8th graders playing varsity (well a couple of dozen or so).

[observer]

That would be entire family? Mom, dad, player, brothers and sisters? One parent and the player renting an apartment doesn't work. It has to be the entire family and they must all live in the new residence. The full blown move of an entire family, sell the old house and buy a new one, seems extreme. But, that's the rule. One parent renting an apartment with just the player, leaving the rest of the family in the old community, isn't within the rule. Could get sticky.

[hockeychamp01]

how can anyone doubt tonka...i dont care how many transfers hopkins has, a long as friend stays healthy she gives them a chance to win every night. expect her to lead her team straight through this section, the games will be close though

[OntheEdge]

Won't the Hopkins "transfers", that aren't in 9th grade, be playing JV? Can anyone just transfer and play now? How do you suppose these Hopkins players will be allowed to play varsity? After the MSHSL was embarrased by the Hopkins basketball team making a mockery of the rules I presume they'll take a little closer look at these potential violations. I'm not saying I'm a fan of the rules but those are the rules.

There are some exceptions to the rule, change of residence is one but there are others that don't involve moving. Also, a transfer always has a right to appeal and claim special circumstances. I think there will be substantial chipping away of the rule over time. I think it has already begun. Personally I think if the rule is muddied with exceptions then the rule becomes an exercise in creative application and really is more of a nuisance. I'm already aware of some interesting situations.

1. The girl in Lakeville that had to play JV for a year even though she moved from Iowa was strange but I guess the change of residence must not have applied for some reason. Maybe because her parents didn't move here?

2. Another girl had to stop playing her senior year because she transferred to another school in her junior year. The rules stated that she could play for her former school for one year (her junior year) but not the following year. Funny thing is that the school she transferred to was an arts school and didn't have sports so she couldn't play any sports her senior year. If the arts school formed an agreement with a school with sports she could have played but the school didn't really have that many athletes to pursue such an agreement and there wasn't an incentive for another school to join with the arts school.

3. I've heard that other exceptions to the rule were safety related and I hear that some are trying to use a financial hardship exception to leave the private schools and attend a public school without moving.

[Bensonmum]

Still nobody has answered the question of how these 5 Hopkins' players are going to skirt the rules.....Will it be the traditional Hopkins routine used by generations of Minneapolis basketball players? That is, a booster rents an apartment under the name of one of the parents, someone drops by to pick up the mail once a week, etc. It's not like the MSHSL is in the habit of making home visits.

[Thunderbird77]

Any Athletic Director that would allow an ineligible player to successfully register and/or play a Varsity sport should be fired. Any Coach that allows a player who is not registered with the high school should suffer the same fate.

What should be the penalty for people on a public forum questioning whether a player is ineligible, when in truth they've met MSHL High School rules? Do these posters just apologize?

I am a big believer that Athletic Departments own the responsibility to follow the rules. There are many checks and balances that insure thry do so.

I sure hope Hopkins and every other school that offers Varsity athletics have systems in place to verify eligibility. Assuming that is the case, case closed on whining about transfers...

[Oilers08]

Do you people honestly think that that's all it takes to transfer and play a varsity sport? HELLO! We live in a world of information and there is no possible way to "skirt" the rules as some people put it. You are either legal or ineligable. Period.

I think you walk a slippery slope when you arbitrarily judge other peoples decisions when you know nothing of their situation. Many times they are not solely about sports.

In one of these situations you would probably be embarrassed and ashamed for what you are assuming about someones daughter.

[OntheEdge]

Any Athletic Director that would allow an ineligible player to successfully register and/or play a Varsity sport should be fired. Any Coach that allows a player who is not registered with the high school should suffer the same fate.

What should be the penalty for people on a public forum questioning whether a player is ineligible, when in truth they've met MSHL High School rules? Do these posters just apologize?

I am a big believer that Athletic Departments own the responsibility to follow the rules. There are many checks and balances that insure thry do so.

I sure hope Hopkins and every other school that offers Varsity athletics have systems in place to verify eligibility. Assuming that is the case, case closed on whining about transfers...

I'm not sure how the rules are applied or enforced. I do know that at least one athletic director allowed an ineligible transfer student to play and it wasn't caught until the next year. The Edina athletic director allowed an ineligible transfer student to play football last year. It was discovered after the school year ended and the Edina football team had to forfeit all of their games retroactive to last year. I found it interesting that the mistake took almost a year to discover and it made me wonder how the process works.

Just so you know where I stand. I previously was for the transfer rule but after seeing it in place I think it does more harm than good, at least in girls hockey. The rule makes it a little harder to build super teams but it also makes it hard for kids that want to play. In some of the bigger programs girls get cut and there are schools that be thrilled to have more players to make their program competitive. A girl that gets cut is essentially out of HS hockey for at least 2 years even if they do transfer. Girls hockey needs all the players it can find. I wish there was a way to allow girls that get cut to play somewhere else, where they are needed, whether it be by transferring or just allowing them play on a team that doesn't have enough players. Thankfully there are some U19 programs out there but I think the more opportunities available for girls to play HS hockey the better.

[royals dad]

Still nobody has answered the question of how these 5 Hopkins' players are going to skirt the rules.....Will it be the traditional Hopkins routine used by generations of Minneapolis basketball players? That is, a booster rents an apartment under the name of one of the parents, someone drops by to pick up the mail once a week, etc. It's not like the MSHSL is in the habit of making home visits.

This may be the most moronic post I have seen in the two years I have read this forum. It is one thing to have good debate about a topic but unfortunately you end up with crap like this, with false allegations from people who know nothing. Instead of talking about a section that may have the 3 best goalies in the state, a handful of D1 and ms hockey prospects, some great coaches, top ten teams, and a new entrant that really shakes thing up. You have an idiot from the wrong side of the river basically personally accuse people she doesn’t know or know of.

We already had a thread almost entirely dedicated to bashing Hopkins, its great that the same folks can hijack another thread. There is no black helicopter conspiracy, no big dollar boosters (I wish), no effort to build a super team, and no criminal activity going on at HHS Girls Hockey. I know because I am an involved enough parent to know this is to be fact. To tell you the truth if anything from what I have seen this year the MHSL process is harsher than it needs to be, almost like a 1st grader who brings a pocket knife to school to eat lunch with. You are presumed guilty before the process even starts.

[royals dad]

By the way the hotest goalie at Parade will win it for Tonka, BSM, or Hopkins. Based on what I saw at elites I think Hopkins has the edge right now. Not to sure who will be doing all the scoring for BSM but Johnson and Ramsey can both be game changers for Hopkins and Tonka. Should be fun there will not be an easy path for anyone through 6.

[hockey21]

This is the second toughest section this year behind 4AA. It will be a lot of fun to watch. Ranking them to start the year I would say:

1. Hopkins (Loaded and a Great Coach)
2. Minnetonka (Loaded and Great Coach)
3. BSM (Solid)
4. Wayzata (Deep)
5. North Metro (Coaching staff always has them ready to play)
6. Buffalo (Dark Horse but good players and solid goalie)
7. Armstrong (May suprise some people)
8. Maple Grove (Not handed a team this year, lost a lot of seniors)
9. Cooper (Just not enough kids out for the program)

It should be a lot of fun to see these games this year in the section. Any other rankings?

[Community Based]

Hey Royals Dad,

Your post is the most moronic ever. Bensonmum asked a question that no one seems to be able to answer other than one girl is in 9th grade and open enrolled. The others are mysterious.

You're correct. The rule is not a good one. But right now it's not being applied evenly across all requests. One rumor I heard is just hire an attorney, threaten a lawsuit, and you're in. Some requests are being denied that are for better reasons than requests being approved. Not fair.

So, it's assumed that Hopkins is a big beneficiary of strong girl hockey players transferring that may not have met the smell test. Why is curiousity regarding permission to change schools unreasonable? Tell us it ain't so and why? The article in the Star Tribune about the Hopkins basketball team clearly discussed violations of the way the rule was written used by the "open enrolled" students being immediately eligible for varsity athletics. Empty apartments in Hopkins and the entire family didn't move. Sorry we're talking about Hopkins but there is a little history. The rule says JV for a year.

Now there are Minneapolis football players starring at De La Salle, heading to State, this season. Why? I heard of a Chaska hockey player coming to Holy Angels this year to be a linemate of the Reillys. On JV? Doubt it. There's been a few Duluth East transfer stories that sound a little mysterious. Why are some without good reason allowed and others with good reason denied? It's just not a level playing field when it comes to 10th through 12th graders using the open enrollment rule to move to a new school. 9th grade is pretty clear and frankly the only one I see as easy.

Do opponents wait until after a game and file a protest with the MSHSL so the reason for allowing some transfers, and denying others, is made public? Edina forfeited all their football games from a year ago for using an ineligible player so is Hopkins prepared to forfeit all their girls hockey games this season?

[royals dad]

"Your post is the most moronic ever."

I don't think I want any part of that back and forth.

"Tell us it ain't so and why?"

How about the MSHL, the family, and the AD have a hearing and decide. An then people accept the rulings. Instead of hiding behind the glorious anonymity of the internet and then making acquisitions about girls as young as 15 who have been named already on this forum. It is their family business and you have no right to know, nor do I have any right to post it.

[observer]

Approved and fair are two different things. Potentially they're approved but it isn't fair.

[Bensonmum]

Still nobody has answered the question of how these 5 Hopkins' players are going to skirt the rules.....Will it be the traditional Hopkins routine used by generations of Minneapolis basketball players? That is, a booster rents an apartment under the name of one of the parents, someone drops by to pick up the mail once a week, etc. It's not like the MSHSL is in the habit of making home visits.

This may be the most moronic post I have seen in the two years I have read this forum.......

First, I'm pleased I'm #1 on someone's list.
Second: OK, I'm guilty as charged, although I'd use the word 'sophomoric' instead of moronic. If I could take it back, I'd change 3 words: substitute "become eligible to play right away" with "skirt the rules". I don't know that they'll be skirting the rules--maybe they'll take the rules head on. And no, these players weren't named above. If they were, I'd take my questionable sense of humor and stay out of it.

[Silent But Deadly]

This is the second toughest section this year behind 4AA. It will be a lot of fun to watch. Ranking them to start the year I would say:

1. Hopkins (Loaded and a Great Coach)
2. Minnetonka (Loaded and Great Coach)
3. BSM (Solid)
4. Wayzata (Deep)
5. North Metro (Coaching staff always has them ready to play)
6. Buffalo (Dark Horse but good players and solid goalie)
7. Armstrong (May suprise some people)
8. Maple Grove (Not handed a team this year, lost a lot of seniors)
9. Cooper (Just not enough kids out for the program)

It should be a lot of fun to see these games this year in the section. Any other rankings?

1. Hopkins..with coaching, returning players, transfers and goaltending in hand they certainly are the team to beat.

2. Minnetonka...I would have picked them as favorites at the end of last season...besides their current talent, their youth teams will help keep them near the top for quite awhile.

3. BSM...lost two of three top defenders but return most of their offense. They are always near the top. They could pull off the upset.

4. Buffalo...has probably the second best goalie in the section, get their top defenseman back from ACL injury and their state tournament 12UA and 14UA teams from two years ago are another year older. You'll have to excuse me...I'm a homer!

5. Wayzata..always a top 5 team but not ready for Hopkins/Minnetonka or BSM. 14UA team was at state so the pipeline looks promising.

6. North Metro..middle of the pack team that reportedly lost a player to Hopkins. They should be solid and give anyone but Hopkins/Minnetonka a game.

7. Maple Grove...Casey Hirsch is an impact player but time will tell how badly graduation hurt them and if any of the youngsters are ready to step up.

8. Armstrong is always competitive but they too reportedly lost one of their top players to Hopkins.

9. Cooper..Do I dare say co-op? Seems logical to me to look at Armstrong or North Metro if the MSHSL would allow it.

[OnFrozenPond]

3. BSM...lost two of three top defenders but return most of their offense. They are always near the top. They could pull off the upset.

Technically, BSM loses two top defenders, but you could argue that they really only lose one since the other missed most of the season due to injury.

[royals dad]

Not sure if its true but the rumor was that Cooper was co-opping with Providence Academy and one other private school. I had also heard last spring that the Cooper goalie who would be a senior this year (and had some awesome games last year) was injuried badly in softball and might not play this year.

If thier goalie is back and they co-op they will be a bit of a wild card and could suprise some teams.

Anyone know if there is any truth to what I heard?

[Silent But Deadly]

Not sure if its true but the rumor was that Cooper was co-opping with Providence Academy and one other private school. I had also heard last spring that the Cooper goalie who would be a senior this year (and had some awesome games last year) was injuried badly in softball and might not play this year.

If thier goalie is back and they co-op they will be a bit of a wild card and could suprise some teams.

Anyone know if there is any truth to what I heard?

You may be right....this link discusses it as an option. However, I'm not sure how many players these schools will bring to Cooper.

http://rdale.org/modules/groups/homepag ... 8b2075cb15

[Thunderbird77]

observer wrote:

Approved and fair are two different things. Potentially they're approved but it isn't fair.

1. MSHSL publishes the rules.
2. Players conform to the rules and change schools.
3. Players are approved to play.

Sounds fair to me.