Tourney Fever

[elliott70]

I am an old man, its only Tuesday but yet I am so excited for tomorrow.
No appointments, TV is set up in the office, I AM READY!!!

[greenwayraider]

Oh yeah. Team will be leaving soon with an escort made up of fire trucks and police. The community is is so hyped. Hard for city folks to know what this means to a small community.

[blueblood]

Greenway:

No, it’s not hard for us “city folk” to understand what it means to represent your community at the state tournament. Please don’t make an assumption that is grossly misleading and somewhat demeaning to all of the community based metro teams and players who dream about playing on the big stage.

Good luck to Coach Clafton and the Raiders this week.

[Jeffy95]

Greenway:

No, it’s not hard for us “city folk” to understand what it means to represent your community at the state tournament. Please don’t make an assumption that is grossly misleading and somewhat demeaning to all of the community based metro teams and players who dream about playing on the big stage.

Good luck to Coach Clafton and the Raiders this week.

He didn't say that. He said it's hard to know what it means to a "small community."

[blueblood]

Jeffy95:

Ok - so does that mean small communities don’t understand what it means to us “city folk” when their communities make the state tournament?

Either way it’s demeaning as we all care and wish the best for the communities we reside in and teams we support.

[Jeffy95]

Jeffy95:

Ok - so does that mean small communities don’t understand what it means to us “city folk” when their communities make the state tournament?

You would have to ask him. I didn't make the post.

[Where is F3?]

Jeffy95:

Ok - so does that mean small communities don’t understand what it means to us “city folk” when their communities make the state tournament?

Either way it’s demeaning as we all care and wish the best for the communities we reside in and teams we support.

Lighten up. It is different for a small community compared to a bigger one. It doesn't mean it is any less important or great. I can imagine the entire community of Greenway and surrounding cities will be essentially shut down from Wednesday to Saturday. Will Edina shut down completely this weekend? Again, it is different but not demeaning to any community that makes the tournament.

[greenwayraider]

I lived in the Cities for 30+ years so I do have some understanding of the Cities. I am not saying the City hockey fans are any less passionate but I am saying that depth of that passion is different. I was in a community that went to State (White Bear Lake and Hill-Murray) and it is different. If you ever live or lived in a small community you would recognize the difference.

[east hockey]

Will be leaving work at 10:45 Wed-Thu-Fri so I can get home in time for the player intros. Really excited for the Class A tournament this year. Class AA? That goes without saying.

Lee

[MNHockeyFan]

Oh yeah. Team will be leaving soon with an escort made up of fire trucks and police. The community is is so hyped. Hard for city folks to know what this means to a small community.

I would imagine it's almost equally hard for a widespread cooperative like Minnesota River to get really hyped, since their team comes from so many (5) separate small communities:

"Minnesota River, the co-op of St. Peter, Le Sueur-Henderson, Cleveland, Tri-City United and Belle Plaine, won the Section 1A championship last week to qualify for state for the first time."

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/sports/ ... d2667.html

[goldy313]

Fan wise MN River out drew Lourdes by at least a 2:1 margin at the 1A championship game played in Rochester. I don’t think I have seen a bigger student section in a section 1 finals A or AA since Farmington’s section winning team.

The Bulldog twitter page showed their bus being escorted home to each town by law enforcement. They should be well represented tomorrow.

[WestMetro]

Im am more excited about this A tourney than any in a long long time. Probably going back to 2003-2005 time frame. Its nice in a way not to have the Htown drama for a change ( although next year I think Biondi and Pierce are probably the best Sr. and Jr in the state, if they return)

I really do think any of the first 4 seeds could win it. From what I know, I just dont think too much separates them, specially when you consider Greenway momemtum.

Great story lines among the top 4:

o EGF returning championship coach, best freshman D in Minn in his age class?
o Maht freshman goalie, and Herb Brooks grandsons
o Crusaders overcoming injuries, Warner still battling it
o Greenway- defeat of Htown, personal stories, as well as rebuild of a program that was almost in the ash heap

Cant fully relate to the small town excitement, but being from Duluth and having far too many 60s and 70s bus rides to defeats on the Range and seeing the winners excitement, give me at least half credit for understanding what this means to the Raiders community!

Good luck to all the boys and families!

[elliott70]

Im am more excited about this A tourney than any in a long long time. Probably going back to 2003-2005 time frame. Its nice in a way not to have the Htown drama for a change ( although next year I think Biondi and Pierce are probably the best Sr. and Jr in the state, if they return)

I really do think any of the first 4 seeds could win it. From what I know, I just dont think too much separates them, specially when you consider Greenway momemtum.

Great story lines among the top 4:

o EGF returning championship coach, best freshman D in Minn in his age class?
o Maht freshman goalie, and Herb Brooks grandsons
o Crusaders overcoming injuries, Warner still battling it
o Greenway- defeat of Htown, personal stories, as well as rebuild of a program that was almost in the ash heap

Cant fully relate to the small town excitement, but being from Duluth and having far too many 60s and 70s bus rides to defeats on the Range and seeing the winners excitement, give me at least half credit for understanding what this means to the Raiders community!

Good luck to all the boys and families!

And the other 4 teams have great stories as well.

[O-townClown]

Hard for city folks to know what this means to a small community.

For sure. I grew up in a Twin Cities suburb. My mom is from a mid-size town in Central Wisconsin and to this day talks about what it meant for their HS to go down to the state tournament and beat the Madison & Milwaukee schools in basketball. I don't think they were a small enrollment school, but it did inject a shot of relevance to them. I've never equated Edina winning another state title with what it means when Grand Rapids or Roseau does the same. Like the Twins in '87 & '91 compared to a Yankee win in the World Series.

[Zamman]

I too am excited. I am going to tomorrow's afternoon session with a co-worker who went to North Branch. I go to AA every year, but first time at the A. Rooting for Greenway, but hoping for a North Branch upset. Cinderella's this year. A team without their own arena.... going to be fun.
Thursday will be at the X by 9:30 and won't leave till they kick us out....


Oh I was not part of a small community, but Holy Angels is small and is a community in my eyes....

[goldy313]

Belle Plaine has 1 kid on the team, their AD has a neat video on his twitter page of the send off the school gives their player.
Cleveland plays nine man football, they have 2 kids on the team and are sending a student fan bus.
TriCity United changed a band concert time to 9:30 am so their band can attend. Their bus is for students in grades K-12. They have 6 kids on the team.

[WBLPuck99]

I lived in the Cities for 30+ years so I do have some understanding of the Cities. I am not saying the City hockey fans are any less passionate but I am saying that depth of that passion is different. I was in a community that went to State (White Bear Lake and Hill-Murray) and it is different. If you ever live or lived in a small community you would recognize the difference.

I'm surprised you mention WBL as a community that is "different." In the years that WBL has gone to state in my recollection, I have a hard time identifying a community that shows up more en mass than WBL.

Last time they were at state in 2011, that QF game seemed to have a crowd that was close to 75% orange and black. I imagine similar will be true on Thursday morning. The student section spanned almost half the upper deck.

I also remember the stories that the last time WBL went to state in 2011, the team would be walking into arenas and local stores and getting ovations from the crowd and staff just on their accomplishments that season. I can't talk to anyone in town without mention of "the game" on Thursday, whether they are part of the hockey community or not.

That being said, I've never lived in a small town in out state MN, so I can't compare directly.

[WestMetro]

Agree with that WBL Puck, I remember well that 2011 WBL crowd and a few before that, no one brings a better fan base than the Bears. I see they are polling 40% possible upset on the other polling thread, they are definitely capable of an upset. Looking forward to that first game Thursday

[O-townClown]

Belle Plaine has 1 kid on the team, their AD has a neat video on his twitter page of the send off the school gives their player.
Cleveland plays nine man football, they have 2 kids on the team and are sending a student fan bus.
TriCity United changed a band concert time to 9:30 am so their band can attend. Their bus is for students in grades K-12. They have 6 kids on the team.

This is so cool. Incredible these communities have kids participating in hockey. Great stuff.

[Wblhcky2424]

Excited for another year of the tourney especially since my Bears are back in it, had to switch my work schedule around so I could attend all the games on Thursday so will be getting off at 7am, maybe get a hour or 2 of sleep and then head to the X! Won suite tickets for the AA semifinals on Friday night, will have to call in sick or possibly have a "family emergency" that night! Always enjoy the tourney no matter who is playing, should be another fun year.

[TTpuckster]

Yep, very interesting indeed.

I grew up and played hockey in EGF. Went to state when I was a senior, a long, long, time ago.
Also, I lived in New Ulm for 3 years, and in North Branch for 10 years.

Nice to see them all in the tourney, but I will root for EGF, of course.

A little tid bit on North Branch.

They got some funding and, I believe, started building an arena in Stacy, Mn, about 7 miles south, back in the late 2000's.

I think some of the block work got started for the arena, but then it stopped.
I never found out why.

So, I believe, they almost had their own arena.

Anybody from NB able to corroborate this?

[MrBoDangles]

Oh yeah. Team will be leaving soon with an escort made up of fire trucks and police. The community is is so hyped. Hard for city folks to know what this means to a small community.

Same here in North Branch at 2:45.. An hour before and parking spots are already being filled! Should be videos on North Branch Hockey's twitter after a while.

[MrBoDangles]

Yep, very interesting indeed.

I grew up and played hockey in EGF. Went to state when I was a senior, a long, long, time ago.
Also, I lived in New Ulm for 3 years, and in North Branch for 10 years.

Nice to see them all in the tourney, but I will root for EGF, of course.

A little tid bit on North Branch.

They got some funding and, I believe, started building an arena in Stacy, Mn, about 7 miles south, back in the late 2000's.

I think some of the block work got started for the arena, but then it stopped.
I never found out why.

So, I believe, they almost had their own arena.

Anybody from NB able to corroborate this?

Unable to get a 2nd loan for the rest of the funding. 1.3m still needed..

[Jeffy95]

Yep, very interesting indeed.

I grew up and played hockey in EGF. Went to state when I was a senior, a long, long, time ago.
Also, I lived in New Ulm for 3 years, and in North Branch for 10 years.

Nice to see them all in the tourney, but I will root for EGF, of course.

A little tid bit on North Branch.

They got some funding and, I believe, started building an arena in Stacy, Mn, about 7 miles south, back in the late 2000's.

I think some of the block work got started for the arena, but then it stopped.
I never found out why.

So, I believe, they almost had their own arena.

Anybody from NB able to corroborate this?

Unable to get a 2nd loan for the rest of the funding. 1.3m still needed..

Bummer. How did they raise the initial funding? Is that still available? Who would own it? Maybe this will be the shot in the arm they need.

I agree with everyone else on here. I didn't even catch a Class A game last year. I plan on watching all four tomorrow. Great field, the Class A tourney is seeing a Rebirth this year!

[greenwayraider]

White Bear Lake has a great student section, the only one better is/was Burnsville. During Burnsville's run in the mid 2000's I went to Sections and State and always enjoyed their enthusiasm and passion.