Big 9

[DallasStars10]

How's the Big 9 looking this year?

[FREDFLINTSTONE]

Not so Big.

[DallasStars10]

Gophers

[brandy38]

I usually don't care about this conference at all, but how will the Rochester teams fare this year? Maybe there was a recent thread on this...

Also, will Austin be any better? Will Mankato West be good again? Honestly, I don't have the faintest idea, so please fill me in.

[DallasStars10]

[quote="brandy38"]I usually don't care about this conference at all, but how will the Rochester teams fare this year? Maybe there was a recent thread on this...

Also, will Austin be any better? Will Mankato West be good again? Honestly, I don't have the faintest idea, so please fill me in.[/quote]

This conference is looking to be farely even this year, with the exception of Faribault at the top, and Austin on the bottom. Mankato West was not an awful team last year, they had some guys who could really move the puck, but i don't have the slightest idea what age they were. John Marshall will likely be the best team in the city returning almost their entire team, and having a great coach. With the loss of three top players from Century to junior teams, there chances go down, but they still have a stacked defense with three big guys (Raecshler, Travis, Kautz) and have a good goalie with Sellnow. They just need their forwards to prove their worth. Unsure about Mayo. They have some talent, but need to prove they are ready at this level. Dingle and Serratore are above average defenders, and their goalie VanGalder is solid in the net, with a few inconcistancies.

[southernmnscout]

I usually don't care about this conference at all, but how will the Rochester teams fare this year? Maybe there was a recent thread on this...

Also, will Austin be any better? Will Mankato West be good again? Honestly, I don't have the faintest idea, so please fill me in.

This conference is looking to be farely even this year, with the exception of Faribault at the top, and Austin on the bottom. Mankato West was not an awful team last year, they had some guys who could really move the puck, but i don't have the slightest idea what age they were. John Marshall will likely be the best team in the city returning almost their entire team, and having a great coach. With the loss of three top players from Century to junior teams, there chances go down, but they still have a stacked defense with three big guys (Raecshler, Travis, Kautz) and have a good goalie with Sellnow. They just need their forwards to prove their worth. Unsure about Mayo. They have some talent, but need to prove they are ready at this level. Dingle and Serratore are above average defenders, and their goalie VanGalder is solid in the net, with a few inconcistancies.

So, you ask how the conference will be this year, and than you go in to a detailed summary of the teams in the conference???

[DallasStars10]

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. I want to hear others opinions on the conference as well. What do i know?

[Rookie19]

How can anyone say Fairbault will be favored. They lost 12 seniors and Their best returner left for Jumiors, and their coach in not very good.

I would have to pick one of the three Rochester Schools to win big nine this year.

[dueling21]

How can anyone say Fairbault will be favored. They lost 12 seniors and Their best returner left for Jumiors, and their coach in not very good.

I would have to pick one of the three Rochester Schools to win big nine this year.

What have you got against Brad Ryan? Hasn't he won at all three stops he's been so far?

[4AAhockeystud]

How can anyone say Fairbault will be favored. They lost 12 seniors and Their best returner left for Jumiors, and their coach in not very good.

I would have to pick one of the three Rochester Schools to win big nine this year.

Don't they have more returners coming back? Yes they do i don't think at all they lost their best returner. He was their best D not best player.

[grandmeadowhockeyfan]

How are we picking Faribault when they lose five of the six defensemen from last year. They also lose half their team from last year. Rebuilding year if I have ever heard It.

[4AAhockeystud]

How are we picking Faribault when they lose five of the six defensemen from last year. They also lose half their team from last year. Rebuilding year if I have ever heard It.

but they do still have a couple goal scorers returning and their starting tender i believe

[hockeyplaya101]

Austin will be lucky to win a game again!! even playing sleepy eye!!

[itech22]

The Big 9 will be the weakest it has been in years. Due to the strengths of the teams the very few good players that were in the conference have now bolted to junior teams and or Russell Stover. Faribault lost everybody except Parker who I heard is leaving also. Century lost 3 of its best players and will struggle now. I would have picked them to win it if it hadn't been for this. Mayo is going to be a young team with some last years bantams becoming factors on the team. This usually never happens. There better players will be Dingle and Serratore on the defense and Mcmasters , Sederquest, Laures up front. JM will have an opportunity to win due to everybody coming back from last year. I now pick them to win the big 9 title. Austin will continue to play sleepy eye and fairmont and be nonexistent. Albert Lea is down alot this year but like eveybody knows they never are counted out. Owatonna , West and East are pretty equivelent along with Winona. Bottom line is there is no team that stands out this year. It will be competitive amongst the conference however nobody will move on.

[DallasStars10]

[quote="itech22"]The Big 9 will be the weakest it has been in years. Due to the strengths of the teams the very few good players that were in the conference have now bolted to junior teams and or Russell Stover. Faribault lost everybody except Parker who I heard is leaving also. Century lost 3 of its best players and will struggle now. I would have picked them to win it if it hadn't been for this. Mayo is going to be a young team with some last years bantams becoming factors on the team. This usually never happens. There better players will be Dingle and Serratore on the defense and Mcmasters , Sederquest, Laures up front. JM will have an opportunity to win due to everybody coming back from last year. I now pick them to win the big 9 title. Austin will continue to play sleepy eye and fairmont and be nonexistent. Albert Lea is down alot this year but like eveybody knows they never are counted out. Owatonna , West and East are pretty equivelent along with Winona. Bottom line is there is no team that stands out this year. It will be competitive amongst the conference however nobody will move on.[/quote]


Just because Century lost guys it doesn't mean they will struggle, like you said the conference is weak enough. They could still be a winning team. And also, you never know how a team may progress throughout the season. There are a few teams standing out in the Big 9 this year, but not in a good way :wink:

[OU812]

Albert Lea has two top forwards coming back, Stolt and Carlson. Nystrom is maybe the top coach in the conference. West gets Weber back after season ending surgery last year. Hard to see how East will compete after losing it's top 12 scorers to graduation; Austin is still not ready to contend. Faribault and Winona lost a ton to graduation but have some good players left.

The league looks pretty balanced this year if Century has really lost all those players. JM and Mayo should be decent.

So far, hard to say who's the favorite.

[Big Nine Observer]

Based on what I saw last year, here are the returning players who stood out to me last year. I have no idea if these players left for juniors or not?

Century ... Kautz, Raechshler
Faribault ... Parker
Albert Lea ... Carlson, Stolt
Mayo ... Dingle
Owatonna ... Thompson, Ebling
West ... Weber

[clutterbuck22]

Based on what I saw last year, here are the returning players who stood out to me last year. I have no idea if these players left for juniors or not?

Century ... Kautz, Raechshler
Faribault ... Parker
Albert Lea ... Carlson, Stolt
Mayo ... Dingle
Owatonna ... Thompson, Ebling
West ... Weber

I think all of the Kautz's left for Juniors and I would add Serratore, McMasters, and Sederquist for Mayo. McMasters didn't play until the final few weeks because of transfers and the games he played in he looked good.

[WBL 8888]

I believe Brandon Kautz is still at Century (plays D) his twin Brother Brock is at Owatonna and there older brother Cory graduated.

[Rookie19]

This should be a two team race between JM And Century. They are the only teams with a good Defense, and any offensive depth. Based on Graduations
the Bottom will Be Mayo, Winnona, Mankato East, Austin. That Leaves Owatonna, Fairbault, Mankato West and Albert Lea to battle for the middle of the pack.

JM
Century
Albert Lea
Fairbault
Owatonna
Mankato West
Winnona
Mankato East
Mayo
Austin

[jackstraw]

Faribault will be good. Lipinski, Helgeson and Teske would be top players on every Big9 team, with about 6 other very good players. My pre-season pick for #1.

[rounders]

West will be decent this year. East on the other hand should try their hand at JV only. They have only 14-15 young players. It will be tough for them to keep the games under 10 goals a game.

[Miracle1980]

1. Faribault
2. Albert Lea
3. Century
4. Mayo
5. Owatonna -if Wagoner returns? If not, probably 7th or 8th.
6. John Marshall
7. Mankato West
8. Winona
9. Mankato East
10 Austin
Sections
Lourdes, Faribault, or Albert Lea will represent 1A and one of the Lakeville schools will drive down to Rochester in February and win 1AA.

[Chalktalk]

If Wagoner returns? Would he be ineligable after transferring? Not sure on all the rule changes recently.

1. Faribault
2. Albert Lea
3. Century
4. Mayo
5. Owatonna -if Wagoner returns? If not, probably 7th or 8th.
6. John Marshall
7. Mankato West
8. Winona
9. Mankato East
10 Austin
Faribault or Albert Lea will represent 1A and one of the Lakeville schools will drive down to Rochester in February and win 1AA.

[GopherPuck15]

[quote="Chalktalk"]If Wagoner returns? Would he be ineligable after transferring? Not sure on all the rule changes recently.

I believe he would be inelegible due to the fact he played at a level deemed higher than that of MSHSL High School Hockey.