Wayzata?
Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 10:23 am
I've been watching most of the games this year and it's time to voice my strong thoughts on how such a rich program at the youth level can be totally embarrassed at the high school level the past years. State tournamnent three times in 65 years. The last state tournament was a result of a goalie--Dingmann carrying the squad.
Common trait: Wayzata teams get worse as season goes on. Last year, Wayzata tied Edina in November and the lost to them 8-0 in February, same story with Tonka last year. This year, beat Hill 2-0 now lost to them 7-1 three weeks later.
How does this happen? O'Leary feels that it is necessary to rotate 11-12 forwards into a lineup. I'm not exaggerating by saying that over 15 line combinations at the forward position have been used since the Turkey Trot victory. The kids play with someone different each shift, yesterday I played close attention and actually counted 12 different forward line combinations. There were more but I got confused.
Note to O'leary: 1) Everyone except you know who the top six forwards are on Wayzata. You have two D1 commits at forward. Make a decision on your top two lines now so they can work with each other and play them! Last year even in February you were moving defenseman to forward and you didn't know who your lines were going into regions. 2) The remaining six kids that have been playing forward (3rd and 4th line), establish a third line from the six and maybe tinker a little, but don't have all 12 forwards being treated as equal in playing time. When did playing four lines and seven defensemen become common? Is this 5 year old mites?
Note to O'Leary, Zimmer and Freytag may have stayed for their senior years if they were getting more ice time and not being rotated with 11 other guys.
3) Same for Defense--seven different defensemen are still getting equal ice time. I chuckled as I was told by a parent a week ago that you moved your top All conference returning defense to forward so that you could create more offense. The last two games you have given up six an seven goals and scored one. Is this working? Also, I noticed that this solution to your scoring problem defensemen playing forward is playing with the third set of forwards and played maybe 2 shifts during the first period yesterday. I couldn't follow the rest because he played defense a few shifts in the second and then forward again in the third. This kid will turn out to be Sybil if he already isn't. O'leary, give your best players ice time (note--Zimmer and Freytag would have stayed), figure out your top two lines and top four defensemen and play them. I really think the issue is that you want to make everyone happy so that they line your pockets by signing up for your summer camps and training. How many kids each summer do you tell, you are doing great, you will play varsity, hence turning Wayzata into a socialist everyone plays equal and the King gets rich association.
To this point: Giles and other successful coaches commit to their top two lines early and live with it. It's called doing your homework before the season begins. He has the Copeland Line and the Dornbach line. When they lost to Wayzata did he scramble all of the lines. NO!
Wayzata beats Edina in November, the kid who scored two goals in that game found himself playing 4th line against Duluth, two games later. He wasn't told why he was demoted to 4th line. It just happened. All these kids have no idea who they are going to play with each game.
I could proivde numerous other reasons for the underperformance of the Trojans this year and last year. But I'm tired. I feel for the kids. I really do.
In summary, determine who your top two lines are and play them together and give them ice time. The third line will see ice time too but if you play your horses you won't lose 6-0 and 7-1. You are Wayzata and you have talent, but you need to allow them to display their talent. Play your top four defensemen and guess what your all conference defensemen isn't a forward. One of your two talented defensemen should be on the ice at all times during crunch time in a big game. They shouldn't be sitting on the bench with the third group of forwards.
Oh, if you want to know who your top two lines, sad to so say it's almost January and you still don't know. Let me provide a clue:
Duma, Senden, Greeniger. Patterson, Nelson, Ness.
Third Line--Batra, Stevens, Schmidt, Riley (not Sorenson)
Defense: Sorenson, Anderson-----with (Lindstrand, Carlson and Kazksoskis) go with five defensemen with Sorenson and Anderson logging massive minutes.
A lot more so say like Wayzata's offense is to get over the blue line and shoot from anywhere but I will stop for now. It's not that hard O'Leary, you have been blessed with being able to coach a lot of talented players.
PS You also have a good goalie, but you have played head games with him too and what has happened there. GB
Common trait: Wayzata teams get worse as season goes on. Last year, Wayzata tied Edina in November and the lost to them 8-0 in February, same story with Tonka last year. This year, beat Hill 2-0 now lost to them 7-1 three weeks later.
How does this happen? O'Leary feels that it is necessary to rotate 11-12 forwards into a lineup. I'm not exaggerating by saying that over 15 line combinations at the forward position have been used since the Turkey Trot victory. The kids play with someone different each shift, yesterday I played close attention and actually counted 12 different forward line combinations. There were more but I got confused.
Note to O'leary: 1) Everyone except you know who the top six forwards are on Wayzata. You have two D1 commits at forward. Make a decision on your top two lines now so they can work with each other and play them! Last year even in February you were moving defenseman to forward and you didn't know who your lines were going into regions. 2) The remaining six kids that have been playing forward (3rd and 4th line), establish a third line from the six and maybe tinker a little, but don't have all 12 forwards being treated as equal in playing time. When did playing four lines and seven defensemen become common? Is this 5 year old mites?
Note to O'Leary, Zimmer and Freytag may have stayed for their senior years if they were getting more ice time and not being rotated with 11 other guys.
3) Same for Defense--seven different defensemen are still getting equal ice time. I chuckled as I was told by a parent a week ago that you moved your top All conference returning defense to forward so that you could create more offense. The last two games you have given up six an seven goals and scored one. Is this working? Also, I noticed that this solution to your scoring problem defensemen playing forward is playing with the third set of forwards and played maybe 2 shifts during the first period yesterday. I couldn't follow the rest because he played defense a few shifts in the second and then forward again in the third. This kid will turn out to be Sybil if he already isn't. O'leary, give your best players ice time (note--Zimmer and Freytag would have stayed), figure out your top two lines and top four defensemen and play them. I really think the issue is that you want to make everyone happy so that they line your pockets by signing up for your summer camps and training. How many kids each summer do you tell, you are doing great, you will play varsity, hence turning Wayzata into a socialist everyone plays equal and the King gets rich association.
To this point: Giles and other successful coaches commit to their top two lines early and live with it. It's called doing your homework before the season begins. He has the Copeland Line and the Dornbach line. When they lost to Wayzata did he scramble all of the lines. NO!
Wayzata beats Edina in November, the kid who scored two goals in that game found himself playing 4th line against Duluth, two games later. He wasn't told why he was demoted to 4th line. It just happened. All these kids have no idea who they are going to play with each game.
I could proivde numerous other reasons for the underperformance of the Trojans this year and last year. But I'm tired. I feel for the kids. I really do.
In summary, determine who your top two lines are and play them together and give them ice time. The third line will see ice time too but if you play your horses you won't lose 6-0 and 7-1. You are Wayzata and you have talent, but you need to allow them to display their talent. Play your top four defensemen and guess what your all conference defensemen isn't a forward. One of your two talented defensemen should be on the ice at all times during crunch time in a big game. They shouldn't be sitting on the bench with the third group of forwards.
Oh, if you want to know who your top two lines, sad to so say it's almost January and you still don't know. Let me provide a clue:
Duma, Senden, Greeniger. Patterson, Nelson, Ness.
Third Line--Batra, Stevens, Schmidt, Riley (not Sorenson)
Defense: Sorenson, Anderson-----with (Lindstrand, Carlson and Kazksoskis) go with five defensemen with Sorenson and Anderson logging massive minutes.
A lot more so say like Wayzata's offense is to get over the blue line and shoot from anywhere but I will stop for now. It's not that hard O'Leary, you have been blessed with being able to coach a lot of talented players.
PS You also have a good goalie, but you have played head games with him too and what has happened there. GB