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9-0 USSR (Hawks). Looks Hibbing and Denfeld are done for in section final! !

Blake girls and Hermantown boys. More similarities than we thought. Can't grow a..... never mind. Don't want to get Stats'd.

Congratulations.

Has the 7A semifinal Champs banner been hung yet?

north_bear wrote:Congratulations.

Has the 7A semifinal Champs banner been hung yet?

They have a spot for it right next to the six 2nd place state banners. Time to dust off the #2 foam fingers.

Yeah, doing really well. If you played Canada and Finland it might mean something. Beating up on Latvia and Slovenia is not impressive. Drop the analogy it's ridiculous.

someones mad their team lost....

My main man Plante taking names up in 7A!

greenwayraider wrote:Yeah, doing really well. If you played Canada and Finland it might mean something. Beating up on Latvia and Slovenia is not impressive. Drop the analogy it's ridiculous.

Agreed. Everyone knows the Hawks are talented players that come from a great program, but no one is impressed anymore. Especially not Greenway and Hibbing fans, whose programs both passed on guaranteed single A glory and opted up to AA when they had super talented teams.

Once Hermantown moves up to AA they will once again be the darlings of HS hockey, but until then they will continue to be a punch line.

The Analogy is really not too bad. The Soviets took advantage of a system that allowed them to dominate lesser opponents for decades - like Hermantown does now. H'town has won 20 straight section PO games by a combined 146-14 and have only had ONE 1-goal game.

The big problem with the analogy is that the USSR won nearly every title possible during their reign.

I don't like the 2-class system, but the one redeeming quality is that it has allowed some schools to build programs - and then move up (Marshall, STA). If used that way I think it can be positive, especially in the Northland. Let Greenway, Hibbing have a run to rebuild their programs and we have something.

The whole thing is just mind boggling to me. I have said this (as have others) almost every year. Hermantown moves up - kick out another southern school in OUR SECTION. Hibbing, Greenway, Denfeld or whomever gets to build theirs and so on and then one day we have section 7AA how it is supposed to be. IMO anyway.

One more tidbit. When does it stop being fair to the players? Don't these players who work so hard and have become so good deserve to play against the best. Don't they deserve the big stage.

In the Soviet era of hockey only one or two teams could skate with them. Czechoslovkia and Sweden (Finland and Canada had some modest succes and the US only twice beat the Russians in the Olympic.). There is only team in A that can play the role of the Czechs and Swedes and beat the Hawks. Breck. Is everyone now going to be jumping on the Mustangs band wagon and root for the private school now. Is the crowd at the X now going to be hostile toward Hermantown if the Hawks get there again?

tezer13 wrote:One more tidbit. When does it stop being fair to the players? Don't these players who work so hard and have become so good deserve to play against the best. Don't they deserve the big stage.

Totally agree. The Hawks were one of the five best teams in the state last year and they are again this year. Those kids deserve a shot to prove themselves against the best competition the state has to offer, not to breeze their way through 5 playoffs games and then get one challenging game at the end.

I think not having had success in the single class tourney or at AA causes Hermantonians to have a very different definition of success. In section 7 or later in 7AA, all I remember being concerned with was winning the section. When you had a collection of teams like Grand Rapids, Greenway, Hibbing, East, Cloquet, I-Falls, and later Elk River, all you ever really thought about was finding a way to win section 7. I don't ever recall worrying about who we might play at state until we actually knew we were going.

But in Hermantown, they can plan their trips to St. Paul years in advance, so they are always thinking about who they will play at state, not in the 7A tourney. So when someone suggests that they go to 7AA, they are put in the unfamiliar position of having to contemplate what a section loss would feel like, with no trip to St. Paul, no being on TV, and no game intermission stories gushing about how great Hermantown hockey is for the whole state to see. When all of those great things are 99% guaranteed to happen, it is hard to walk away from such a sure thing.

But teams like Grand Rapids, Greenway, Hibbing, and Cloquet that opted up or still do know that you just gotta win your region, and that sometimes you're just not gonna make it, even when you have a great team. But even if East or Elk River or Rapids had a ridiculous team, you knew you had a puncher's chance and you wanted the opportunity to take them down.

That's why the Hermantown opt-up refusal is so baffling. They would be the favorite in 7AA, and would have been last year too. They wouldn't have been hoping to pull off some big upset or praying to the hockey gods for a little puck luck; they would just have to play their game and they would go to state. And most other years they would be the #2 or #3 seed in 7AA, hardly a long shot and even more satisfying when you do beat a higher seed.

Hermantown should let the kids decide. They are the ones who have been playing against all the top AA teams over six years of playing on the traveling youth teams. They know best where they stack up with these teams, not some old fart coach who still thinks its 1987.

It's unfair to the kids.

tezer13 wrote:The Analogy is really not too bad. The Soviets took advantage of a system that allowed them to dominate lesser opponents for decades - like Hermantown does now. H'town has won 20 straight section PO games by a combined 146-14 and have only had ONE 1-goal game.

Wow! The level of arrogance required to continue to justify this is just completely off the charts. Even STA was finally embarrassed enough to admit it.

Coach Plante, if you seek prosperity for this game that you say you love, if you seek prosperity for MN High School Hockey, if you seek the best interests for this game so that it will continue to grow and be loved by children all over the State: Come here to this gate! Mr Plante, open this gate! Mr. Plante, tear down this wall!

tezer13 wrote:The Analogy is really not too bad. The Soviets took advantage of a system that allowed them to dominate lesser opponents for decades - like Hermantown does now.

One small difference....the Soviet Union decided to use that system against the best teams in the world, Hermantown's decided to use it against second fiddle teams.



Oh and the Soviets won more gold than silver.....

"With our speed no one will be able to beat us" -Ryan Sandelin
This is so true. This team is the best team around. They play just like the russians and are unbelievable. I can guarantee that this team will win state with a breeze. Blowing everyone out in state. They will even outskate breck and every single A team in the playoffs.

What's the biggest scare or threat that Hermantown has had in the last 5-7 years? The closest playoff game they've had in the last 7 years is a 3-2 section final victory over Denfield in 2010. Back in 2012 I remember the Hermantown/Cathedral final being pretty hyped up and a back and forth game yet Hermantown still beat them solidly 4-1.

BlueLine_D wrote:What's the biggest scare or threat that Hermantown has had in the last 5-7 years? The closest playoff game they've had in the last 7 years is a 3-2 section final victory over Denfield in 2010. Back in 2012 I remember the Hermantown/Cathedral final being pretty hyped up and a back and forth game yet Hermantown still beat them solidly 4-1.

I'm assuming you're referring to section playoff games? They've had a good amount of close games at state. The Hermantown/Cathedral game you are referencing was in 2013. Hermantown beat Rogers in the 2011 and 2012 section finals.

hshockeyfan53 wrote:

BlueLine_D wrote:What's the biggest scare or threat that Hermantown has had in the last 5-7 years? The closest playoff game they've had in the last 7 years is a 3-2 section final victory over Denfield in 2010. Back in 2012 I remember the Hermantown/Cathedral final being pretty hyped up and a back and forth game yet Hermantown still beat them solidly 4-1.

I'm assuming you're referring to section playoff games? They've had a good amount of close games at state. The Hermantown/Cathedral game you are referencing was in 2013. Hermantown beat Rogers in the 2011 and 2012 section finals.

Yes I meant to say section playoffs. I should have clarified that. Maybe it's just my short term memory talking but I simply can't remember the last time Hermantown went into a section playoff game and it was even a question whether they would win or not.

BlueLine_D wrote:

hshockeyfan53 wrote:

BlueLine_D wrote:What's the biggest scare or threat that Hermantown has had in the last 5-7 years? The closest playoff game they've had in the last 7 years is a 3-2 section final victory over Denfield in 2010. Back in 2012 I remember the Hermantown/Cathedral final being pretty hyped up and a back and forth game yet Hermantown still beat them solidly 4-1.

I'm assuming you're referring to section playoff games? They've had a good amount of close games at state. The Hermantown/Cathedral game you are referencing was in 2013. Hermantown beat Rogers in the 2011 and 2012 section finals.

Yes I meant to say section playoffs. I should have clarified that. Maybe it's just my short term memory talking but I simply can't remember the last time Hermantown went into a section playoff game and it was even a question whether they would win or not.

Agreed. I was at that game against Denfeld in 2010 and it could have gone either way. Without a doubt that's the last time they've been challenged in the section playoffs.

BlueLine_D wrote:What's the biggest scare or threat that Hermantown has had in the last 5-7 years? The closest playoff game they've had in the last 7 years is a 3-2 section final victory over Denfield in 2010. Back in 2012 I remember the Hermantown/Cathedral final being pretty hyped up and a back and forth game yet Hermantown still beat them solidly 4-1.

Cathedral beat Hermantown that year in St. Cloud and there was no guarantee Herm would beat them in sections. Rogers was also tough back then. Honestly, with Cathedral and Rogers to get through, section 5A was tougher that 7A.

Most semi final games have been great and not a walk through. There have been great games with Breck, Hibbing and TRF and some of the best final games in the tourney regardless of class.

pekyman wrote:

BlueLine_D wrote:What's the biggest scare or threat that Hermantown has had in the last 5-7 years? The closest playoff game they've had in the last 7 years is a 3-2 section final victory over Denfield in 2010. Back in 2012 I remember the Hermantown/Cathedral final being pretty hyped up and a back and forth game yet Hermantown still beat them solidly 4-1.

Cathedral beat Hermantown that year in St. Cloud and there was no guarantee Herm would beat them in sections. Rogers was also tough back then. Honestly, with Cathedral and Rogers to get through, section 5A was tougher that 7A.

Here we go again......

Which Rogers team was the good one? 2013 when Hawks won 9-0, 2012 Hawks won 4-0, 2011 Hawks won 5-0 or 2010 Hawks 6-0.

Hawks ended their season every year until they moved to 7A.

pekyman wrote:

BlueLine_D wrote:What's the biggest scare or threat that Hermantown has had in the last 5-7 years? The closest playoff game they've had in the last 7 years is a 3-2 section final victory over Denfield in 2010. Back in 2012 I remember the Hermantown/Cathedral final being pretty hyped up and a back and forth game yet Hermantown still beat them solidly 4-1.

Cathedral beat Hermantown that year in St. Cloud and there was no guarantee Herm would beat them in sections. Rogers was also tough back then. Honestly, with Cathedral and Rogers to get through, section 5A was tougher that 7A.

LOL, Yes, that Section was a doozy! From 2010-2013 Hermantown outscored their opponents in the Section Playoffs 84-8! It's amazing they survived.

Jeffy95 wrote:

pekyman wrote:

BlueLine_D wrote:What's the biggest scare or threat that Hermantown has had in the last 5-7 years? The closest playoff game they've had in the last 7 years is a 3-2 section final victory over Denfield in 2010. Back in 2012 I remember the Hermantown/Cathedral final being pretty hyped up and a back and forth game yet Hermantown still beat them solidly 4-1.

Cathedral beat Hermantown that year in St. Cloud and there was no guarantee Herm would beat them in sections. Rogers was also tough back then. Honestly, with Cathedral and Rogers to get through, section 5A was tougher that 7A.

LOL, Yes, that Section was a doozy! From 2010-2013 Hermantown outscored their opponents in the Section Playoffs 84-8! It's amazing they survived.

Remember fellas, it's not that Hermantown is good, it's that the rest of Class A just sucks.

rainier wrote:

Jeffy95 wrote:

pekyman wrote: Cathedral beat Hermantown that year in St. Cloud and there was no guarantee Herm would beat them in sections. Rogers was also tough back then. Honestly, with Cathedral and Rogers to get through, section 5A was tougher that 7A.

LOL, Yes, that Section was a doozy! From 2010-2013 Hermantown outscored their opponents in the Section Playoffs 84-8! It's amazing they survived.

Remember fellas, it's not that Hermantown is good, it's that the rest of Class A just sucks.

Just remember, there was no guaranteed win in there!! But they managed to be favored every game.