Strongest U10 AAA Team in MN?

[lrugland]

Who do you feel is the strongest U10 Team this year? I have one in mind that most have not heard of yet, or maybe you have. It looks like the MN Blades and the Machine are pretty good. Would be fun to finally play some tough teams.

[InigoMontoya]

So...who is it?

[SS729]

I would say the polar xpress out of Fargo is one of the best 10u teams . watched them in cities and they never gave up a goal in 4 games.

I know you are talking about your team the (Icebreakers out of GF area) It would be fun to see those to teams play.

[James B Mcbain]

Team Velocity in my opinion.

I also think the 01 Machine Orange...one wouldn't know it but they are playing against 00's most the time.

[InigoMontoya]

I would say the polar xpress out of Fargo is one of the best 10u teams . watched them in cities and they never gave up a goal in 4 games.

I know you are talking about your team the (Icebreakers out of GF area) It would be fun to see those to teams play.

Who did the polar express play?

[lrugland]

I would say the polar xpress out of Fargo is one of the best 10u teams . watched them in cities and they never gave up a goal in 4 games.

I know you are talking about your team the (Icebreakers out of GF area) It would be fun to see those to teams play.

The Polar xpress got beat by a team that lost all their games last tourney we were in. If all works out we might play them in the Pepsi Cup tourney. I really hope they are good and give us a great game. That is what we are after, not blowout games. I would rather lose to a good team them beat a bad team any day!

Our team is the Northern Ice Breakers but we are NOT out of the Grand Forks area. We are a north MN team trying to have some fun. Girls are from Grand Rapids, Bemidji, Roseau, EGF and Alexandria. Good kids that LOVE to play hockey.

Sure would like to get some games with the Machine, Blades and other good teams from the Cities area.

[InigoMontoya]

I'm pretty sure coaches' contact information is on the website. A couple others: looks like the Velocity team did pretty well, and the Ice Cougars have some good games and some not as good.

[labguy]

Of the teams I've seen, the best two are the 2000 Machine girls and the 2000 Blades girls. They are pretty evenly matched, with the Blades 2-1-1 vs. the Machine. The total goal differential over the four games was +1 for the Blades.

The 2000 Velocity are very good, but not quite as good as the Machine or Blades.

The Northern Wings are pretty good, but not quite as good as Velocity. Both the Machine and Blades beat the Northern Wings by wide margins, but played hard to do so. The Northern Wings had low numbers in these games, so maybe with their full team, the games would have been closer.

The 10U Ice Cougars, Bauer Vapor/Supreme, Blizzard, Coyotes, STE are not competitive with the 2000 Machine or Blades. No disrespect meant to those teams. They probably have younger players on their teams than the 2000 teams.

[lrugland]

Of the teams I've seen, the best two are the 2000 Machine girls and the 2000 Blades girls. They are pretty evenly matched, with the Blades 2-1-1 vs. the Machine. The total goal differential over the four games was +1 for the Blades.

The 2000 Velocity are very good, but not quite as good as the Machine or Blades.

The Northern Wings are pretty good, but not quite as good as Velocity. Both the Machine and Blades beat the Northern Wings by wide margins, but played hard to do so. The Northern Wings had low numbers in these games, so maybe with their full team, the games would have been closer.

The 10U Ice Cougars, Bauer Vapor/Supreme, Blizzard, Coyotes, STE are not competitive with the 2000 Machine or Blades. No disrespect meant to those teams. They probably have younger players on their teams than the 2000 teams.

I have been in contact with the Machine and the Blades coaches to setup games with them. I hope to contact Velocity this week also to try setup a run with them. As for the Northern Wings, they are down this year. We have played in the same tourney as them and we won all games they won 1 maybe 2. There are only a few strong AAA teams this year in the U10 age.

Thanks for the info and I hope to make a run down south with our team.

[SS729]

Looks like you got your wish down at the International cup to play some better teams. Watched you get beatup by a subpar 12u team called the pike. Interesting how a great 10u team can struggle that much with a 12u team of that caliber... Did you end up winning your game for 5th place?

[Puck Hog]

U10 MN Flames are a pretty tough team...... They won both tourneys they were in this year.(Northern Wings tourney and Shock Dr. Shootout) I think the best team they played was the 01' Machine twice, lost one and won one. Playing in the Easton Cup this weekend.

[RealisticRonnie]

I think this answer here is rather obvious at this point in the year. The 2000 Machine and Blades are the two best teams without question. The Blades started the spring out strong, but after the International it looks like the 2000 Machine is #1. Without debating those two teams, I's say 2000 Velocity, 2001 Machine and the Northern Icebreakers are in the next tier and clearly a cut below.

[James B Mcbain]

Don't overlook 01 Girls Machine Orange. Though only a 2001 team, a force to be wreckoned with.

[dynamo]

now that's funny! 01 Machine seriously/ keep drinking the kool-aid!

[James B Mcbain]

now that's funny! 01 Machine seriously/ keep drinking the kool-aid!

No one trains harder! Some of the kids even go to 1st Hockey where some NHL'ers have been training this summer.

[edge49]

The 2001 machines just won the Caribou cup. Their championship game was against the Jr. Chill - all 99's and 2000's from what I hear. The machines still pulled out a solid win - 2 to 0.

They seemed to walk through the rest of the tournament with only 2 goals scored against them the entire tournament and 30 or so goals in their favor. They could have scored a lot more goals but they held back. I imagine they will need to move to U12 next year to find competition even though they will all still be U10's. Interesting...

[mn_Jr_NorthStars]

The 2001 machines just won the Caribou cup. Their championship game was against the Jr. Chill - all 99's and 2000's from what I hear. The machines still pulled out a solid win - 2 to 0.

They seemed to walk through the rest of the tournament with only 2 goals scored against them the entire tournament and 30 or so goals in their favor. They could have scored a lot more goals but they held back. I imagine they will need to move to U12 next year to find competition even though they will all still be U10's. Interesting...

While I don't mean to question how good the 2001 Machine team is at the U10 level, I find it hard to believe that the Jr. Chill team was made up of 99's, they would have been playing at the U12 level (98,99)...

[edge49]

That's what people had said about the Jr. Chill. I guess there was a bit of controversy over it but younger 99's were U10's last season. There doesn't appear to be any rules around what constitutes a U10. 1/2 of the 2000's (older ones) would be U12 this fall, just like the younger 99's. So... it does make sense.

[RealisticRonnie]

edge,

I think you need a refresher course on what the difference is between playing 10U in the winter and playing 10U in the summer. If a girl is going to play 10U in the summer she has to be a 2000 birth year or younger (01, 02, etc...). It doesn't matter if she is moving up to 12's in the winter or not. A 2000 born in January is going to be moving up to 12's in the winter, but she can play 10U's in the summer. These are not my rules, but they are the rules. Despite what you would like to think about the Jr. Chill having 99's on their team-you are wrong.

The 01 Machine had a good run and they will most likely be the best team next summer. But please don't put them in the same category as the 2000 Machine, 2000 Blades or even 2000 Velocity. Those are the three best 10U teams this summer! The 01's might (MIGHT) be #4. Not bad for a group of 01's... they are all 01's....right?????

[edge49]

Wow RealisticRonnie a little on edge? You are right about not knowing the rules, but no one seemed to know what the rules were with what constitutes a true U10. So, it would not surprise me if a team thought that all who played U10 last year in the association hockey would qualify (that includes younger 99's and older 2000's). It does not appear to be listed in any tournament rules that I have seen. If you have rules regarding this written somewhere truly official, I would love to see it.

Regardless, you are right the 2001 Machine's did not play the 2000 machines or the 2000 blades, they both played at the U12 level. But that is where their competition lies. Most of the 2000 machines and 2000 blades should move to U12 this fall in association hockey. If I was one of their parents, I would want them to play at the level they will be playing at this season.

[mn_Jr_NorthStars]

It does not appear to be listed in any tournament rules that I have seen. If you have rules regarding this written somewhere truly official, I would love to see it.

U10 Level (2000, 2001 birth years or younger)
U12 Level (1998, 1999 birth years or younger)
U14 Level (1996, 1997 birth years or younger)
U16 Level (1994, 1995 birth years or younger)

All teams should have had their rosters checked and birth certificates verified upon check-in. If not any team could have challenged a player at any point during the weekend.

It is impossible to tell which "U10" team is the best. Given that teams play up a level and in an "open" division or "elite" division. Some teams don't have all of their players for a given weekend.. Some coaches shorten their bench at the U10 and U12 level to win a plastic trophy.

Does it really matter to anyone other than the parents, which team is the "Best"?? And that is just so they can brag to their friends and co-workers...

It should be about these young players having fun, becoming better hockey players and developing a love for the game!

That is all my opinion of course, and we all know what those are worth...

[James B Mcbain]

yeh.....2001 Girls Machine.....

[RealisticRonnie]

Most of the 2000 machines and 2000 blades should move to U12 this fall in association hockey. If I was one of their parents, I would want them to play at the level they will be playing at this season.

WRONG AGAIN EDGE! Both of those teams actually have close to 50/50 rosters...I'm not on edge, just like people to have their facts straight when they post.[/quote]

[RealisticRonnie]

"Some coaches shorten their bench at the U10 and U12 level to win a plastic trophy.

Does it really matter to anyone other than the parents, which team is the "Best"?? And that is just so they can brag to their friends and co-workers...

It should be about these young players having fun, becoming better hockey players and developing a love for the game!"

Seriously mn_Jr_NorthStars? I mean give me a break. Why do we even keep score? Are you the guy who won't let the mites keep score because everyones a winner? That is exactly the kind of attitude that allowed our beloved Minnesota North Stars to move to Dallas back in the day.

[RealisticRonnie]

RealisticRonnie"]"Some coaches shorten their bench at the U10 and U12 level to win a plastic trophy.

Does it really matter to anyone other than the parents, which team is the "Best"?? And that is just so they can brag to their friends and co-workers...

It should be about these young players having fun, becoming better hockey players and developing a love for the game!

Seriously mn_Jr_NorthStars? I mean give me a break. Why do we even keep score? Are you the guy who won't let the mites keep score because everyones a winner? That is exactly the kind of attitude that allowed our beloved Minnesota North Stars to move to Dallas back in the day.[/quote]