Best Teams to Never Win the Title

Eddie Shore
Posts: 240
Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2003 8:38 am

Best Teams to Never Win the Title

Post by Eddie Shore » Wed Jan 07, 2004 9:44 am

In your opinion (especially those of you who have "been around for a while"), what was the best team that failed to win the state title? There have been some great clubs that failed to take home the hardware due to upsets, injuries, etc.<br><br>I'll start off with a couple that come to mind. The 1979 Grand Rapids club with Jon Casey in net (can you imagine the discussion on recruiting that would have taken place on this board if Al Gore had invented the internet a little sooner?). Casey makes the move from Greenway to Rapids at Christmas break and leads the Indians to the tourney only to be upset by Roseau. <br><br>The second squad I'll throw out is the 1997 Duluth East team featuring Mills, Coole, Finnegan and Angell on defense. Mike Randolph leads an undefeated 'Hounds team into the finals and gets outcoached (and I say this as a fan of Mike's) by Bart Larson and Edina pulls out a 1-0 win. <br><br>Let's hear some opinions on other great teams that didn't quite get it done in the end. And no, this isn't the same as the "biggest choke" thread that's been floating around. The two teams I mention here didn't choke, they just got beat.<br> <p></p><i></i>

MSU Blueliner
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:03 am

Red Wing

Post by MSU Blueliner » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:03 am

'98 Red Wing team with Pohl, Moore and Larson 1st line. They lost to Hermantown I believe in the state semi-finals. That Red Wing team could have had a chance at winning the AA tourney if they hadn't been an A school. <br><br>'97 Rochester Mayo team featuring Liembeck, Nottermann and Ranfranz was also a very good team, maybe not one of the best of all-time, but still a great team. <p></p><i></i>

MajinHockey
Posts: 185
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2003 11:11 pm

Hey, you stole by thread!!!

Post by MajinHockey » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:44 am

Hey pauly shore,<br>You stole my thread. <!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://pub33.ezboard.com/fmnhsfrm5?page ... <!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br> <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br>It's a fun topic. I think the 92-93 Lumberjacks would have given the Jaguars a run for their money in '93, if they could have gotten past Moorhead in the quarterfinals (a hard fought 6-5 loss). Cloquet had the highest scoring line in the state that year (Novak, Petrov, and Langenbrunner)<br><br>Majin<br> <p></p><i></i>

rustyblade
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2002 8:09 am

Never to win "THE" title

Post by rustyblade » Wed Jan 07, 2004 11:03 am

One could argue that the best never to win a title would be any class A champion! <p></p><i></i>

Eddie Shore
Posts: 240
Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2003 8:38 am

Re: Hey, you stole by thread!!!

Post by Eddie Shore » Wed Jan 07, 2004 11:09 am

Majin,<br><br>You're right, I stole your thread. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> It is a fun topic and I just read through the thread that was posted last season. A fun trip down memory lane. Jr. had a great post out there about the '78 I. Falls team.<br><br>Your Clouquet squad in '93 did have that great top line, but not enough depth. Was Dutch Barrett still the goaltender on that squad or had he already graduated by then? Perhaps it was in '92 when he gave up that tough goal in the tourney? <p></p><i></i>

oldschool
Posts: 222
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2003 9:31 pm

best teams never to win a title

Post by oldschool » Wed Jan 07, 2004 11:11 am

Hey rusty, how's your bantam team doing???<br><br>Anyway, the Fergus Falls team from 2002, a couple bounces and we'd a seen Fergus and Red Wing in round 3. <br>Last year St.Louis Park was decent.. <p></p><i></i>

MajinHockey
Posts: 185
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2003 11:11 pm

Eddie Shore

Post by MajinHockey » Wed Jan 07, 2004 11:19 am

Eddie,<br><br>Dutch had already graduated, we had one Adam "Boomer" Pavlatos in goal. And I'm no coach, but I would have moved Novak or Petrov to the second line and Darrin Blauert to the third line to create some better scoring chances when those two lines were on the ice. <br><br>Yeah, back in '92 Cloquet was 54 seconds from glory I believe. (No disrespect to Moorhead, but, we would have beat you). <p></p><i></i>

joe lulic
Posts: 284
Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2002 1:30 pm

The best that didint

Post by joe lulic » Wed Jan 07, 2004 11:39 am

In 1971/72 So St Paul went 22-3 and played in the semis at the state tournament in losing by one goal to GR who lost by 1 goal in the finals to IF. <br><br>The next year ('72-'73) SSP returned everybody from that team. They went thru the regular season undefeated. They had a number of D1 players and were ranked #1 all year. But they lost in the section finals in a huge upset. <br><br>That is the best team that didnt win that I can think of. <p></p><i></i>

hockeyboss
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:25 pm

Roseau Rams

Post by hockeyboss » Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:25 pm

How about the Roseau Rams with The Brotens and Bryan "Butsy" Ericson. From what I hear they had some of the best teams of all time from 75-79 and never one a state championship. <p></p><i></i>

mnhockey009
Posts: 27
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2003 3:50 pm

EP of 2001

Post by mnhockey009 » Wed Jan 07, 2004 3:25 pm

Eden Prairie's team of 2001 was a great team that couldn't finish the job. That group of kids had won the Pee Wee and Bantam state championship. The also won silver stick and went up to Canada and won the Canadian Silver Stick. Although they did loose Garrett Smaagaard for that entire year. If they have him and a couple other injured players back, you never there could be a banner up at EP. Even though Elk River had a very strong team that year. <p></p><i></i>

EREmpireStrikesBack
Posts: 5140
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 3:28 am
Location: Minnesota

Re: Best Teams to Never Win the Title

Post by EREmpireStrikesBack » Wed Jan 07, 2004 3:36 pm

Elk River Like 3 times in the 90's. They just could never finish it out. <p></p><i></i>

petey1321
Posts: 139
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2002 2:10 am

Elks

Post by petey1321 » Wed Jan 07, 2004 4:03 pm

If we're going to talk about the Elks, how about 2000? That was when they got beat by Osseo in the sectionals, and when Blaine came out of there and won the whole thing. That Elk River team was awesome; I remember when they came to BIG and put on a show.<br><br>As for 2001, that Jefferson team was the best team they've had since 95, in my opinion. Too bad they had 3 40 point scoreres on the bench against Eastview, as the book mentions. That team was the only one to beat Elk River all season, and they could've done it again except for Alamano and Co. stood in the way. <p></p><i></i>

theskillz
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:47 pm

1993-94 Moorhead

Post by theskillz » Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:47 pm

I'll put in my vote for the 1993-94 Moorhead squad with Ryan Kraft on the first line and Matt Cullen on the second line. <p></p><i></i>

The Fan
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2003 3:55 pm

Cloquet

Post by The Fan » Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:03 pm

I would have to reiterate the 92-93 Cloquet team who barely lost in the Quarters to Moorehead. Great game that went to the wee hours in the morning. But then they cruised to the Consolation champs by "ten running" their next to opponents. What a great line with Langenbrunner, Novak, and Petrov and I believe Langenbrunner set the state tournament record for points that year. To bad he left after his Junior year. <p></p><i></i>

mnhockeylvr
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2002 1:40 pm

Re: Cloquet

Post by mnhockeylvr » Wed Jan 07, 2004 7:39 pm

I vote for the 94 Elk River squad...they in a #1vs#3 section battle to Moorhead, who cruised until they got beat up by Jefferson in the championship.<br><br>Will someone explain the 54 seconds things with the Cloq/Moorhead 92 game? I was pretty little, I dont remember the game well. <p></p><i></i>

MajinHockey
Posts: 185
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2003 11:11 pm

Re: Cloquet

Post by MajinHockey » Wed Jan 07, 2004 8:34 pm

Both Petrov and Langenbrunner finished that tourney with 13 points. Langenbrunner set the Tournament record with 10 assists, most assists in a single tournament. Their 13 points was the most points in a tourney since 1951 when Mayasich had 18 points. A lot of scoring on that squad. And, mnhockeylvr, you must be referring to the Cloquet/Jefferson tilt in '92. Cloquet was up 4-3 (outshot 54-16 for the game) with 54 seconds left and Jefferson tied it up. Jefferson went on to win in OT and they beat Moorhead the next night 6-3 (a game I know Cloquet would have won) for the first of 3 championships in a row. The next year in '93, Cloquet lost to Moorhead in the quarterfinals (up north we all thought it was a conspiracy pitting the two northern teams together in the quarters) 6-5. It was an awesome game. <p></p><i></i>

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