Duluth Marshall girls moving to varsity play next season

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HockeyStorm
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Duluth Marshall girls moving to varsity play next season

Post by HockeyStorm » Wed Jan 28, 2015 10:46 pm

Hilltoppers Girls Will Play Varsity in 2015-16

January 28, 2015

DULUTH, Minn. --- The Duluth Marshall girls' hockey team will begin play at the varsity level starting in the 2015-16 season, the school announced on Wednesday morning.
The team is currently in its first year of competition at the junior varsity level, posting a record of (17-3-1) thus far.
“We have a committed, talented group of players who have a great deal of experience in hockey, and we’ve had a strong first season together,” head coach Sean Storie said. “There will certainly be some challenges at the varsity level, but I’m confident we are ready to take the next step for Marshall girls hockey.”
Duluth Marshall head of school Kevin Breen says the administration is happy with the interest the girls' hockey program has drawn, and he anticipates a varsity team to add to that excitement.
“When I first arrived at Marshall last year it was clear there was a core group of student-athletes already at our school who were drawn to girls' hockey,” Breen said. “We are thrilled to be able to provide the type of extra-curricular opportunity about which our current and future Hilltoppers are passionate, while pairing hockey with our academic experience.”
The move has already been approved by the Lake Superior Conference and is expected to be accepted by the MSHSL.

MNHockeyFan
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Post by MNHockeyFan » Wed Jan 28, 2015 10:57 pm

Nice to see! This program has been through a lot of changes over the past few years. Hopefully they find some stability going forward.

goaline
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marshall

Post by goaline » Thu Jan 29, 2015 8:32 am

great for girls hockey to add a team. how soon before they go AA like their boys? 4 years, 6 years?

MNHockeyFan
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Re: marshall

Post by MNHockeyFan » Thu Jan 29, 2015 8:59 am

goaline wrote:great for girls hockey to add a team. how soon before they go AA like their boys? 4 years, 6 years?
goaline, their boy's team is Class A, and as far as I know are not considering a move to opt up to AA.

Froggy Richards
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Re: marshall

Post by Froggy Richards » Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:04 am

MNHockeyFan wrote:
goaline wrote:great for girls hockey to add a team. how soon before they go AA like their boys? 4 years, 6 years?
goaline, their boy's team is Class A, and as far as I know are not considering a move to opt up to AA.
Their boys team starts AA next season.

pepperpot
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Post by pepperpot » Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:07 am

This isn't the twin cities. There isn't big numbers up here. Where do you think they are getting their 20 players from? This will really hurt Duluth who is already low in numbers. I would bet that alot of those kids are coming from the Duluth girls hockey program. It doesn't look like they will have a JV either unless they rob more kids from their neighbors. If it's Minnesota high school they can't recruit, right? :roll: It's time the league gives the privates their own deal and make them play tier 1 or all AA.

goaline
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oh

Post by goaline » Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:45 am

pepperpot wrote:This isn't the twin cities. There isn't big numbers up here. Where do you think they are getting their 20 players from? This will really hurt Duluth who is already low in numbers. I would bet that alot of those kids are coming from the Duluth girls hockey program. It doesn't look like they will have a JV either unless they rob more kids from their neighbors. If it's Minnesota high school they can't recruit, right? :roll: It's time the league gives the privates their own deal and make them play tier 1 or all AA.
I like the idea of all privates going AA but to suggest the MSHSL and another playing option is about robbing or stealing players. Opportunities are great for young athletes. Duluth seems to have been hurting itself long enough now maybe this helps not hurts

observer
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Post by observer » Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:54 am

Where do you think they are getting their 20 players from? This will really hurt Duluth who is already low in numbers. I would bet that a lot of those kids are coming from the Duluth girls hockey program.
Is this true? Someone knows the numbers. Will girls change schools or are they already in school at Marshall. Obviously a certain # of their JV team returns. Will make it difficult for any solid U14 team.

Ok, looked at the site.

http://www.duluthgirlshockey.org/

A single 14 team. One 12B team and only 2 U10 teams? That's a problem. They keep trying to split Duluth girls hockey which is likely again selfishly motivated. One strong team is the way to go until they boost their youth numbers. My guess is they hope to grow the team with girls from around a 70 mile radius. Still think it's goofy.

pepperpot
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Post by pepperpot » Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:33 am

That's wrong observer. We didn't put out a 14 team and neither did Duluth. I doubt they will pull within a 70 mile radius either. More like Duluth area. Girls youth numbers are dropping in our area. It's a snowball effect. Struggling programs = "talented" kids moving which means they win less which means yonger kids go somewhere else. It isn't tough to figure out what will happen.

observer
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Post by observer » Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:42 am

We didn't put out a 14 team and neither did Duluth.
Who's we? Why is there more than one girls youth organization in Duluth? I see the U14 link doesn't work. That's another bad sign. 8th and 9th graders play U14 in strong organizations.

Their plan has to include a player from Hermantown, two from Superior, a couple from Two Harbors, etc. Proving goofy again.

pepperpot
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Post by pepperpot » Thu Jan 29, 2015 12:06 pm

YEs, sorry. Cloquet didn't have a 14 this year. And you are right. There is no question if it will hurt area girls hockey. It will. The question is what will the area youth and HS programs do to make themselves better? Good youth programs means plenty of players for the HS programs. Parents sniff a poor future pretty quickly. If they see trouble on the horizon, they leave for greener pastures. Marshall looks pretty green right now. Good for them bad for area programs that are struggling. Expensive grass too.

ShakestheClown
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Post by ShakestheClown » Thu Jan 29, 2015 12:29 pm

Pardon my ignorance, but what section are they going to be assigned to?

nine mile
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Post by nine mile » Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:10 pm

I can't see anything but section 7A

Nevertoomuchhockey
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Post by Nevertoomuchhockey » Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:45 pm

Did we all read the same article that opened this thread? They played jv this year and are 17-3-1. I saw them play down here during the holiday tourney and the roster had at least 18 kids, all 7th 8th 9th. They rolled over a much weaker southern MN Marshall. If the parents with the 14s and 12s at the IB tourney are correct, the association lost kids to both this team and the Northern Stars. Can't imagine they will get any older than 9th grade girls coming in who would give up their eligibility for a season. Unless they follow the "rent an apartment" recruiting predecessors. As a girls hockey enthusiast, I think it's great.

Nevertoomuchhockey
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Post by Nevertoomuchhockey » Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:59 pm

Does anyone know if their existing team (and school) still has girls who played there when Marshall had their Tier 1 team? Are the girls who played on that team mostly on the Stars? I always wondered if a school eliminates a program entirely how that affects eligibility.

observer
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Post by observer » Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:25 pm

A JV record means nothing. Most JV teams are made up of players that have never played at the A level. This is Duluth which is a big enough town to do a better job of recruiting 6 year old girls. Grow the number of U10 and U12 teams. Their biggest problem is, and has been, being divided. The model is for strong 7th graders to play U12A. All strong 8th graders playing U14A and all but 1-2 or 3 of the ninth graders play U14A too.

Nevertoomuchhockey
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Post by Nevertoomuchhockey » Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:27 pm

Whose model? 7th and especially 8th graders on nearly every varsity roster.

JohnnyBuck
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Post by JohnnyBuck » Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:48 pm

A couple of thoughts from the distance............ Marshall will compete at the A level. They have a good core of 6th, 7th and 8th graders. They would beat some local highs school teams right now. This will definately hurt Duluth and already has. It has been a mess in Duluth for sometime and current players/PARENTS are looking for options. North Shore is on the verge of shutting it down. Maybe get some girls from there? Superior girls coming over the brdige? Quite possible?

All in all it "creates opportunities for kids", which is another way of saying "foget the local rinks and growing a program, let's take our ball and go to another field". The last effort to do this by Marshall was a disaster and kids were hurt by the selfishness of some adults. I hope history does not repeat itself, for the kids sake anyways.

pepperpot
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Post by pepperpot » Thu Jan 29, 2015 3:14 pm

Nevertoomuchhotair, by now I think everyone knows you have the "answer" before you ask. Of course the model is to have healthy 12 and 14 programs. Any team that has a roster full of 7th and 8th graders on their JV at the expense of their youth program will struggle with their high school teams. Bucky is right.

Nevertoomuchhockey
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Post by Nevertoomuchhockey » Thu Jan 29, 2015 4:04 pm

pepperpot wrote:Nevertoomuchhotair, by now I think everyone knows you have the "answer" before you ask. Of course the model is to have healthy 12 and 14 programs. Any team that has a roster full of 7th and 8th graders on their JV at the expense of their youth program will struggle with their high school teams. Bucky is right.
Strange that you address me without really knowing what I said. My point is that many of the metro as well as outstate girls varsity hockey teams have 7th and 8th graders on them. Right or wrong, that's the status quo. Keeping 7 8 9th graders in 12s and 14s may be someone's ideal (like association boards) but that is not reality. Cloquet and Duluth both roster 12 and 14 eligible girls. Your earlier point that youth hockey has to fight for these players and offer a (real or perceived) better opportunity is completely true.
And other than three girls, I have no idea where the old Marshall team ended up. Feel free to share. Also, the current roster. Thank you.

JohnnyBuck
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Post by JohnnyBuck » Thu Jan 29, 2015 6:12 pm

I know of a few that landed in Hermantown/Proctor, at least one in Duluth, two to Superior and one to St. Paul United. I believe two of the girls are still playing there and one quit hockey all together. Cant speak for the rest.

observer
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Post by observer » Fri Jan 30, 2015 12:10 pm

many of the metro as well as outstate girls varsity hockey teams have 7th and 8th graders on them.
Only if they have a youth and HS numbers problem. It's a bad sign. I've seen crushed U14A programs when the girls skate JV instead. An awful decision with 20 questionable games no playoffs and few tourneys that benefits no one. Play youth!

I'm suggesting until numbers are big enough at youth leave the co-op HS team together so all the girls will have a better experience, and more success, at 10, 12 and 14, JV (10th and 11th graders that likely were never on an A team) and HS. Build from the bottom up with all girl hockey players in Duluth working together. One organization and brand.

A split at the top will not go well as experienced in Duluth previously. You will suck up 12s and 14s which is bad for player development and often ends up not being a great experience for the teams. You want the best players at 12A getting 45 games against same age competition. And you need two additional 12B teams, 2 full teams at 14, to hope to fuel a single HS (grades 10-12) hockey organization with varsity and JV teams. I can't imagine this is a majority decision. It's a bad one.

Froggy Richards
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Post by Froggy Richards » Fri Jan 30, 2015 1:18 pm

observer wrote:
many of the metro as well as outstate girls varsity hockey teams have 7th and 8th graders on them.
Only if they have a youth and HS numbers problem. It's a bad sign. I've seen crushed U14A programs when the girls skate JV instead. An awful decision with 20 questionable games no playoffs and few tourneys that benefits no one. Play youth!

I'm suggesting until numbers are big enough at youth leave the co-op HS team together so all the girls will have a better experience, and more success, at 10, 12 and 14, JV (10th and 11th graders that likely were never on an A team) and HS. Build from the bottom up with all girl hockey players in Duluth working together. One organization and brand.

A split at the top will not go well as experienced in Duluth previously. You will suck up 12s and 14s which is bad for player development and often ends up not being a great experience for the teams. You want the best players at 12A getting 45 games against same age competition. And you need two additional 12B teams, 2 full teams at 14, to hope to fuel a single HS (grades 10-12) hockey organization with varsity and JV teams. I can't imagine this is a majority decision. It's a bad one.
What do you mean by "keep the HS co-op together?" Duluth only has one High School team and I'm pretty sure they don't have a co-op with Marshall. Marshall used to co-op with Proctor/Hermantown but dropped out because they didn't have enough players.

observer
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Post by observer » Fri Jan 30, 2015 1:37 pm

This post is about Duluth adding a HS organization which usually means at least 30 female hockey players on two teams grades 10-12.

I'm positive that one single girls hockey organization, grades 1 through 12, is what would be best for the individual players and for growing the girls game in Duluth.

Froggy Richards
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Post by Froggy Richards » Fri Jan 30, 2015 2:05 pm

observer wrote:This post is about Duluth adding a HS organization which usually means at least 30 female hockey players on two teams grades 10-12.

I'm positive that one single girls hockey organization, grades 1 through 12, is what would be best for the individual players and for growing the girls game in Duluth.
I'm not really following you. Marshall is a private school. There was no co-op High School team with Duluth to "keep together" like you said. Girls grades 10-12 who attend Marshall didn't play Hockey for Duluth so Duluth isn't losing anyone.

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