7AA 2019-2020

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northwoods oldtimer
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by northwoods oldtimer » Wed Jan 08, 2020 6:27 am

hockey59 wrote:
Tue Jan 07, 2020 11:27 pm
hockey59 wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 3:06 pm
I happen to be very aware of the enormous pressure associated with HS age kids playing in a Section Final. My oldest son played in two, once as the underdog & once as the favorite & my youngest son played in one in essentially a pick um game where we were seeded 3rd vs the 4th seed. Youngest son advanced to State in 2016 & oldest lost both by one goal, in OT in 2007 & on a fluky goal in 2008 that (for kniven) sadly preceded his fandom to his favorite team by one year. A big part of handling the pressure is having some experience winning tournaments & big games as a youth hockey player & even better, as a HS player. In that regard, at least in 2020, Andover has that advantage (too) compared to their rivals, including the bulk of this years DE team. They have an Elite D in Kaiser, he & Wolfe arguably being the best tandem in the State. Very critically too, their Seniors have won consistently growing up. Talent combined with the amount of depth they have...as much as I (actually) hate to admit it, the Huskies are (potentially) much better than any of the 3 teams my sons played on. So again, with no disrespect directed at the other 7AA teams, it comes down to the Andover coaches & players playing their game, with poise & confidence. Can they handle the big stage? Time will tell. If they can, Andover will advance to Xcel, no question in my mind. ☝️
After watching the Huskies against SCC tonight, essentially after further review, I’ve come to realize Andover may have (had) a better team last year. Losing Schoen & Dainty they lost 2 proven HS goal scorers. And when you get into sections, when the pressure is palatable..it really helps having proven goal scorers. While Kaiser & Wolfe are incredibly talented offensive defensemen, the lack of a proven goal scorer may cause them to press a bit to much when they are trailing (late) in a game. Don’t get me wrong, Kron & Thoreson are really good forwards . But to use an Anoka analogy, at forward (at least as HS players) Andover simply doesn’t have an Isaac Johnson caliber forward. And that may possibly prove costly (come late February). Additionally they lack a Section playoff experienced goalie...neither does DE, but GR does in Clafton☝️Finally...SCC has an “elite” forward in Warner & a really good finisher in Perbix. That proved to be a key difference tonight. So while Andover is (still) the clear favorite in 7AA, they’ve got to finish their chances better! And as a team...get WILL & GRIT (along with skill) Battle Tested in the next month in preparation for sections.
59, does the conference schedule Andover has left concern you leading into playoffs or is there enough stiff competition to keep them battle tested for playoff?

InThePipes
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by InThePipes » Wed Jan 08, 2020 8:10 am

hockey59 wrote:
Tue Jan 07, 2020 11:27 pm
hockey59 wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 3:06 pm
I happen to be very aware of the enormous pressure associated with HS age kids playing in a Section Final. My oldest son played in two, once as the underdog & once as the favorite & my youngest son played in one in essentially a pick um game where we were seeded 3rd vs the 4th seed. Youngest son advanced to State in 2016 & oldest lost both by one goal, in OT in 2007 & on a fluky goal in 2008 that (for kniven) sadly preceded his fandom to his favorite team by one year. A big part of handling the pressure is having some experience winning tournaments & big games as a youth hockey player & even better, as a HS player. In that regard, at least in 2020, Andover has that advantage (too) compared to their rivals, including the bulk of this years DE team. They have an Elite D in Kaiser, he & Wolfe arguably being the best tandem in the State. Very critically too, their Seniors have won consistently growing up. Talent combined with the amount of depth they have...as much as I (actually) hate to admit it, the Huskies are (potentially) much better than any of the 3 teams my sons played on. So again, with no disrespect directed at the other 7AA teams, it comes down to the Andover coaches & players playing their game, with poise & confidence. Can they handle the big stage? Time will tell. If they can, Andover will advance to Xcel, no question in my mind. ☝️
After watching the Huskies against SCC tonight, essentially after further review, I’ve come to realize Andover may have (had) a better team last year. Losing Schoen & Dainty they lost 2 proven HS goal scorers. And when you get into sections, when the pressure is palatable..it really helps having proven goal scorers. While Kaiser & Wolfe are incredibly talented offensive defensemen, the lack of a proven goal scorer may cause them to press a bit to much when they are trailing (late) in a game. Don’t get me wrong, Kron & Thoreson are really good forwards . But to use an Anoka analogy, at forward (at least as HS players) Andover simply doesn’t have an Isaac Johnson caliber forward. And that may possibly prove costly (come late February). Additionally they lack a Section playoff experienced goalie...neither does DE, but GR does in Clafton☝️Finally...SCC has an “elite” forward in Warner & a really good finisher in Perbix. That proved to be a key difference tonight. So while Andover is (still) the clear favorite in 7AA, they’ve got to finish their chances better! And as a team...get WILL & GRIT (along with skill) Battle Tested in the next month in preparation for sections.
Posted this on another thread:

I've watched a lot of this group a fair amount over the last 3 years and when they are rolling they look unbeatable. However, at least this year when they get in tight games they haven't come out on top as much as I would have thought they should have and we all know how 7AA has turned out under those circumstances in the last couple of years.

Seems to be in line with what you're suggesting. Having that elite goal scorer is obviously important, trying to win tight playoff games with your D being your primary offensive threat isn't easy (see Tonka last year as a recent example).

northwoods oldtimer
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by northwoods oldtimer » Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:07 am

Andover - 4.75 GPG **
CEC - 3.57 GPG
Rapids - 3.09 GPG
F-Lake - 3.00 GPG
East - 2.92 GPG
Elks - 2.29 GPG

With exception to Andover, the section light on the scoring for HS puck.

bardown27
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by bardown27 » Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:17 am

northwoods oldtimer wrote:
Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:07 am
Andover - 4.75 GPG **
CEC - 3.57 GPG
Rapids - 3.09 GPG
F-Lake - 3.00 GPG
East - 2.92 GPG
Elks - 2.29 GPG

With exception to Andover, the section light on the scoring for HS puck.
Andover - 1.50 GAPG
F-Lake - 2.42 GAPG
CEC - 2.57 GAPG
Rapids - 2.91 GAPG
Elks - 3.21 GAPG
East - 3.23 GAPG

These teams also don't give up very many goals per game

kniven
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Location: Duluth area

Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by kniven » Wed Jan 08, 2020 11:32 am

bardown27 wrote:
Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:17 am
northwoods oldtimer wrote:
Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:07 am
Andover - 4.75 GPG **
CEC - 3.57 GPG
Rapids - 3.09 GPG
F-Lake - 3.00 GPG
East - 2.92 GPG
Elks - 2.29 GPG

With exception to Andover, the section light on the scoring for HS puck.
Andover - 1.50 GAPG
F-Lake - 2.42 GAPG
CEC - 2.57 GAPG
Rapids - 2.91 GAPG
Elks - 3.21 GAPG
East - 3.23 GAPG

These teams also don't give up very many goals per game
Interesting.
“218 hockey” Boys of the NOrth ❤️

karl(east)
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Contact:

Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by karl(east) » Wed Jan 08, 2020 6:46 pm

Lots of interesting ways to slice this one.

Thinking back to past teams that ran their offense through their defense, my thoroughly unscientific sample would suggest that teams that really focused on locking down and being defensive-minded (East '13, Eagan '14, maybe Wayzata '16) tend to outperform those that try to go for total puck control and pressing the pace in the hope that generating enough chances leads to goals (Tonka '19, Elk River '17, Tonka '10, maybe East '09). I'd speculate this is because the former expect to be in tight situations and are used to grinding them out, whereas the more dominant, pacey teams run the risk of getting exposed in back, especially if they're not used to being tested in a big situation. Is that a cause for concern for Andover? I guess time will tell.

The section just generally lacks experience with success in big playoff games this year. Normally that's East's forte, but Charlie Erickson is the only player on this Hounds team who was a top 9 forward or a top 4 D a season ago. Hockey59 notes Andover's lack of an elite scorer, but I wouldn't say East or Rapids have one (at least at this stage in anyone's career) either. Cloquet does in Christian Galatz, but I'm not sure he has enough of a supporting cast. Who can get the best goaltending? Whose D is best able to slow down and frustrate opponents? Lots of unknowns, even with a clear #1 in the section.

InThePipes
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by InThePipes » Wed Jan 08, 2020 6:56 pm

karl(east) wrote:
Wed Jan 08, 2020 6:46 pm

Thinking back to past teams that ran their offense through their defense, my thoroughly unscientific sample would suggest that teams that really focused on locking down and being defensive-minded (East '13, Eagan '14, maybe Wayzata '16) tend to outperform those that try to go for total puck control and pressing the pace in the hope that generating enough chances leads to goals (Tonka '19, Elk River '17, Tonka '10, maybe East '09). I'd speculate this is because the former expect to be in tight situations and are used to grinding them out, whereas the more dominant, pacey teams run the risk of getting exposed in back, especially if they're not used to being tested in a big situation. Is that a cause for concern for Andover? I guess time will tell.
Great insight and examples Karl! Those D are elite, but it's not easy to do it all for 4-5 games in a row through sections and state against very solid competition.

kniven
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Location: Duluth area

Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by kniven » Wed Jan 08, 2020 8:20 pm

karl(east) wrote:
Wed Jan 08, 2020 6:46 pm
Lots of interesting ways to slice this one.

Thinking back to past teams that ran their offense through their defense, my thoroughly unscientific sample would suggest that teams that really focused on locking down and being defensive-minded (East '13, Eagan '14, maybe Wayzata '16) tend to outperform those that try to go for total puck control and pressing the pace in the hope that generating enough chances leads to goals (Tonka '19, Elk River '17, Tonka '10, maybe East '09). I'd speculate this is because the former expect to be in tight situations and are used to grinding them out, whereas the more dominant, pacey teams run the risk of getting exposed in back, especially if they're not used to being tested in a big situation. Is that a cause for concern for Andover? I guess time will tell.

The section just generally lacks experience with success in big playoff games this year. Normally that's East's forte, but Charlie Erickson is the only player on this Hounds team who was a top 9 forward or a top 4 D a season ago. Hockey59 notes Andover's lack of an elite scorer, but I wouldn't say East or Rapids have one (at least at this stage in anyone's career) either. Cloquet does in Christian Galatz, but I'm not sure he has enough of a supporting cast. Who can get the best goaltending? Whose D is best able to slow down and frustrate opponents? Lots of unknowns, even with a clear #1 in the section.
I think the purple team has plenty of talent surrounding Galatz. These junior and senior class are state tournament teams as PeeweeAA and BantamAA minus Mason Langenbrunner. Team health and “TEAM” will dictate what happens here in CECville.
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hockey59
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by hockey59 » Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:06 pm

northwoods oldtimer wrote:
Wed Jan 08, 2020 6:27 am
hockey59 wrote:
Tue Jan 07, 2020 11:27 pm
hockey59 wrote:
Sun Jan 05, 2020 3:06 pm
I happen to be very aware of the enormous pressure associated with HS age kids playing in a Section Final. My oldest son played in two, once as the underdog & once as the favorite & my youngest son played in one in essentially a pick um game where we were seeded 3rd vs the 4th seed. Youngest son advanced to State in 2016 & oldest lost both by one goal, in OT in 2007 & on a fluky goal in 2008 that (for kniven) sadly preceded his fandom to his favorite team by one year. A big part of handling the pressure is having some experience winning tournaments & big games as a youth hockey player & even better, as a HS player. In that regard, at least in 2020, Andover has that advantage (too) compared to their rivals, including the bulk of this years DE team. They have an Elite D in Kaiser, he & Wolfe arguably being the best tandem in the State. Very critically too, their Seniors have won consistently growing up. Talent combined with the amount of depth they have...as much as I (actually) hate to admit it, the Huskies are (potentially) much better than any of the 3 teams my sons played on. So again, with no disrespect directed at the other 7AA teams, it comes down to the Andover coaches & players playing their game, with poise & confidence. Can they handle the big stage? Time will tell. If they can, Andover will advance to Xcel, no question in my mind. ☝️
After watching the Huskies against SCC tonight, essentially after further review, I’ve come to realize Andover may have (had) a better team last year. Losing Schoen & Dainty they lost 2 proven HS goal scorers. And when you get into sections, when the pressure is palatable..it really helps having proven goal scorers. While Kaiser & Wolfe are incredibly talented offensive defensemen, the lack of a proven goal scorer may cause them to press a bit to much when they are trailing (late) in a game. Don’t get me wrong, Kron & Thoreson are really good forwards . But to use an Anoka analogy, at forward (at least as HS players) Andover simply doesn’t have an Isaac Johnson caliber forward. And that may possibly prove costly (come late February). Additionally they lack a Section playoff experienced goalie...neither does DE, but GR does in Clafton☝️Finally...SCC has an “elite” forward in Warner & a really good finisher in Perbix. That proved to be a key difference tonight. So while Andover is (still) the clear favorite in 7AA, they’ve got to finish their chances better! And as a team...get WILL & GRIT (along with skill) Battle Tested in the next month in preparation for sections.
59, does the conference schedule Andover has left concern you leading into playoffs or is there enough stiff competition to keep them battle tested for playoff?
BTW regarding Isaac Johnson, who is playing for the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL, his stat line so far this season: 2019-20 Winnipeg Ice WHL 39gms 13G 25A 38pts.

kniven
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by kniven » Mon Jan 13, 2020 7:54 pm

CEC at Grand Rapids tomorrow night :)...
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kniven
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by kniven » Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:14 pm

kniven wrote:
Mon Jan 13, 2020 7:54 pm
CEC at Grand Rapids tomorrow night :)...
CEC in a tisk with Duluth East for the 3/4 seed. A win here would certainly help. A win vs. Rapids and East early on sounds tasty. Let’s do this Cloquet, Esko, and Carlton hockey boys!!!!!!
“218 hockey” Boys of the NOrth ❤️

zambonidriver
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by zambonidriver » Tue Jan 14, 2020 5:51 am

kniven wrote:
Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:14 pm
kniven wrote:
Mon Jan 13, 2020 7:54 pm
CEC at Grand Rapids tomorrow night :)...
CEC in a tisk with Duluth East for the 3/4 seed. A win here would certainly help. A win vs. Rapids and East early on sounds tasty. Let’s do this Cloquet, Esko, and Carlton hockey boys!!!!!!
http://www.minnesota-scores.net/classst ... 09&class=3

blueline_6
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by blueline_6 » Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:30 am

zambonidriver wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 5:51 am
kniven wrote:
Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:14 pm
kniven wrote:
Mon Jan 13, 2020 7:54 pm
CEC at Grand Rapids tomorrow night :)...
CEC in a tisk with Duluth East for the 3/4 seed. A win here would certainly help. A win vs. Rapids and East early on sounds tasty. Let’s do this Cloquet, Esko, and Carlton hockey boys!!!!!!
http://www.minnesota-scores.net/classst ... 09&class=3
Someone needs to fix something on that site. Anoka listed in sections 5 and 7.

northwoods oldtimer
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by northwoods oldtimer » Tue Jan 14, 2020 11:55 am

CEC with the 4-2 win tonight. That team will be tough to beat in section this year.

elliott70
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by elliott70 » Tue Jan 14, 2020 2:47 pm

northwoods oldtimer wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 11:55 am
CEC with the 4-2 win tonight. That team will be tough to beat in section this year.
not gonna happen

Edinahopkins
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by Edinahopkins » Tue Jan 14, 2020 3:24 pm

I think Rapids wins but they could be dangerous if certain players start moving the puck in the offensive zone and not fumbling with the puck in the d zone and just move it.

kniven
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by kniven » Tue Jan 14, 2020 6:02 pm

Edinahopkins wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 3:24 pm
I think Rapids wins but they could be dangerous if certain players start moving the puck in the offensive zone and not fumbling with the puck in the d zone and just move it.

I’ll be tuning in on the radio. 👍
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north_bear
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by north_bear » Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:26 pm

northwoods oldtimer wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 11:55 am
CEC with the 4-2 win tonight. That team will be tough to beat in section this year.
Right score, wrong teams.

Rapids in control most of the game. Aside from the first 30 seconds and a pp goal, galatz and co were held in check. Cloquet doesn't look very deep beyond that top line.
Thunderhawk Fanatic!!

kniven
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by kniven » Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:32 pm

north_bear wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:26 pm
northwoods oldtimer wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 11:55 am
CEC with the 4-2 win tonight. That team will be tough to beat in section this year.
Right score, wrong teams.

Rapids in control most of the game. Aside from the first 30 seconds and a pp goal, galatz and co were held in check. Cloquet doesn't look very deep beyond that top line.
We had 7 kids out tonight. 5 sick and 2 injured. My purple gonna be just fine down the stretch. 👍
“218 hockey” Boys of the NOrth ❤️

norcon
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by norcon » Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:39 pm

kniven wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:32 pm
north_bear wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:26 pm
northwoods oldtimer wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 11:55 am
CEC with the 4-2 win tonight. That team will be tough to beat in section this year.
Right score, wrong teams.

Rapids in control most of the game. Aside from the first 30 seconds and a pp goal, galatz and co were held in check. Cloquet doesn't look very deep beyond that top line.
We had 7 kids out tonight. 5 sick and 2 injured. My purple gonna be just fine down the stretch. 👍
Ouch! Looking forward to the rematch...should be a good battle,

kniven
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by kniven » Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:42 pm

norcon wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:39 pm
kniven wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:32 pm
north_bear wrote:
Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:26 pm


Right score, wrong teams.

Rapids in control most of the game. Aside from the first 30 seconds and a pp goal, galatz and co were held in check. Cloquet doesn't look very deep beyond that top line.
We had 7 kids out tonight. 5 sick and 2 injured. My purple gonna be just fine down the stretch. 👍
Ouch! Looking forward to the rematch...should be a good battle,
Agreed, narco! Grand Rapids a very talented roster and finally a head coach that gives a damn. 😶
“218 hockey” Boys of the NOrth ❤️

Usthockey13
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by Usthockey13 » Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:13 pm

Duluth East tied Prior Lake 3-3 shots 30-30. Hounds gave up late goal to tie

Edinahopkins
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by Edinahopkins » Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:54 am

The purple are going to have to put a win streak together now because it seems QRF doesn’t like the teams they play? They are sitting at the fifth seed right now.

Usthockey13
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by Usthockey13 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:30 am

They also have a tough end of the season schedule with Flake, Hermantown, Holy Family, Duluth East, White bear Lake and GR again.

Wet Paint
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Re: 7AA 2019-2020

Post by Wet Paint » Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:17 am

Edinahopkins wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:54 am
The purple are going to have to put a win streak together now because it seems QRF doesn’t like the teams they play? They are sitting at the fifth seed right now.
True right? If their QRF score is too low they don't make the playoffs and have a shot at it...……… no wait...………. everybody makes the playoffs so your QRF score is pretty much something the stats geeks can ooze over. Since you have to win your section to move on and if your team is good enough to go you should be able to beat all of the other teams in it, who cares? I know about last change and all of that stuff too from a seeding standpoint. I want to see the QRF modifier that takes all of the high school kid stuff into account. Which one is for sick kids? Which one is for the goalie having a rough night? How about the lazy the winger who takes the night off? If somebody schedules their games with an eye towards their QRF score they are missing the big picture. Set your schedule up to support the local hockey and them to play games to improve your team to give you the best chance to move on. Pretty sure that Greenway's QRF score probably was worse than Hermantown's was last year and yet they moved on.

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