White Bear Lake vs Hill Murray 12/22

[inthetwine]

If there is one thing that Section Playoff hockey is known for, it's upsets. Sure, the favorites carry it most of the time, but it is the possibility of an upset that fills the stands of whatever venue that game is being played at.

Depending on how one looks at it, hockey either sucks or is amazing because of the frequency of said upsets. From Duluth East over Edina to the other hundreds of famous upsets at all levels of hockey including the biggest upset in all of sports, no team should ever feel safe entering the playoffs.

I am happy to be a WBL fan this year because I would be terrified of playing this team. As they showed on Thursday night, this team has all of the ingredients to pull a rabbit or two out of their helmets in February. Solid goaltending, impressive defense, and an offense that can surprise you all add up to a very scary team to have to play. Not only a playoff game, I asked for a WB/Hill section final!

Are Hill-Murray and Stillwater more skilled? Possibly. Will they end WBL's season at Aldrich Arena? Probably, but not definitely. The way this Bears team is built, I will take "probably" at this point.

More questions will hopefully be answered when WBL plays Stillwater on January 14 in WBL and, get this, in their final regular season game in Stillwater February 16. There could be some serious seeding implications for that final game, and I'd imagine a good size crowd filling the St. Croix Valley Rec Center that night.

I asked for a White Bear Lake - Hill-Murray section playoff game for Christmas this year. Let's hope Santa comes through.

[inthetwine]

If there is one thing that Section Playoff hockey is known for, it's upsets. Sure, the favorites carry it most of the time, but it is the possibility of an upset that fills the stands of whatever venue that game is being played at.

Depending on how one looks at it, hockey either sucks or is amazing because of the frequency of said upsets. From Duluth East over Edina to the other hundreds of famous upsets at all levels of hockey including the biggest upset in all of sports, no team should ever feel safe entering the playoffs.

I am happy to be a WBL fan this year because I would be terrified of playing this team. As they showed on Thursday night, this team has all of the ingredients to pull a rabbit or two out of their helmets in February. Solid goaltending, impressive defense, and an offense that can surprise you all add up to a very scary team to have to play.
Are Hill-Murray and Stillwater more skilled? Possibly. Will they end WBL's season at Aldrich Arena? Probably, but not definitely. The way this Bears team is built, I will take "probably" at this point.

More questions will hopefully be answered when WBL plays Stillwater on January 14 in WBL and, get this, in their final regular season game in Stillwater February 16. There could be some serious seeding implications for that final game, and I'd imagine a good size crowd filling the St. Croix Valley Rec Center that night.

I asked for a White Bear Lake - Hill-Murray section playoff game for Christmas this year. Let's hope Santa comes through.

Not only a playoff game, I asked for a WB/Hill section final, but that probably won't happen, they will probably be the 2 and 3 seed.

[stpaul]

wbmd - Thank you for the corrections.

March 1, 1975 @ St. Paul Auditorium 8:00
White Bear Mariner 0 0 1 - 1
Hill-Murray 1 1 2 - 4
First Period HM, Jeff Whisler, 12:00.
Second Period HM, Jeff Whisler (Tom Conroy), 12:54.
Third Period
HM, Rod Romanchuk, 8:04.
WBM, Tim Hinueber (Jeff Faust), 8:26.
HM, Rod Romanchuk (Dave Reif, Mark Sheak), 14:56.
Shots by period
Hill-Murray 12 7 12 - 31
White Bear Mariner 5 6 6 - 17
Goalies Minutes GA Saves Result
HM - Steve Janaszak 45 1 16 W
WBM - Jim Gremore 45 4 27 L

Whisler (Providence), Romanchuk (Wisconsin) and Janaszak (Minnesota) all went on to great Division I college careers. Janaszak was the backup goalie for the 1980 USA Gold Medal team. Whisler coached HM to a state title in 1991, coached at Mahtomedi and is now their AD.

[wbmd]

wbmd - Thank you for the corrections.

March 1, 1975 @ St. Paul Auditorium 8:00
White Bear Mariner 0 0 1 - 1
Hill-Murray 1 1 2 - 4
First Period HM, Jeff Whisler, 12:00.
Second Period HM, Jeff Whisler (Tom Conroy), 12:54.
Third Period
HM, Rod Romanchuk, 8:04.
WBM, Tim Hinueber (Jeff Faust), 8:26.
HM, Rod Romanchuk (Dave Reif, Mark Sheak), 14:56.
Shots by period
Hill-Murray 12 7 12 - 31
White Bear Mariner 5 6 6 - 17
Goalies Minutes GA Saves Result
HM - Steve Janaszak 45 1 16 W
WBM - Jim Gremore 45 4 27 L

Whisler (Providence), Romanchuk (Wisconsin) and Janaszak (Minnesota) all went on to great Division I college careers. Janaszak was the backup goalie for the 1980 USA Gold Medal team. Whisler coached HM to a state title in 1991, coached at Mahtomedi and is now their AD.

Whisler hasn't been at Mahtomedi for close to five years now, maybe even longer. He is currently the Athletics/Activities Director at Roseville.

Ray Kirch is the A.D. at Mahtomedi.

[Sparlimb]

wbmd - Thank you for the corrections.

March 1, 1975 @ St. Paul Auditorium 8:00
White Bear Mariner 0 0 1 - 1
Hill-Murray 1 1 2 - 4
First Period HM, Jeff Whisler, 12:00.
Second Period HM, Jeff Whisler (Tom Conroy), 12:54.
Third Period
HM, Rod Romanchuk, 8:04.
WBM, Tim Hinueber (Jeff Faust), 8:26.
HM, Rod Romanchuk (Dave Reif, Mark Sheak), 14:56.
Shots by period
Hill-Murray 12 7 12 - 31
White Bear Mariner 5 6 6 - 17
Goalies Minutes GA Saves Result
HM - Steve Janaszak 45 1 16 W
WBM - Jim Gremore 45 4 27 L

Whisler (Providence), Romanchuk (Wisconsin) and Janaszak (Minnesota) all went on to great Division I college careers. Janaszak was the backup goalie for the 1980 USA Gold Medal team. Whisler coached HM to a state title in 1991, coached at Mahtomedi and is now their AD.

Whisler hasn't been at Mahtomedi for close to five years now, maybe even longer. He is currently the Athletics/Activities Director at Roseville.

Ray Kirch is the A.D. at Mahtomedi.

We went to Hill, so we don't worry about facts too much.