Class AA QF: Wayzata vs. #1 Eden Prairie
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Class AA QF: Wayzata vs. #1 Eden Prairie
WAYZATA VS. #1 EDEN PRAIRIE
6:00 Thursday
-Two longtime Lake Conference rivals collide in a juicy first round rematch of last year’s title game. Eden Prairie won the regular season meetings 8-2 and 4-2, and this series is dead even at 5-5 in its last 10 installations.
Wayzata (10-17-1, #21, 3-seed in 6AA)
State appearances: 5 (2 in a row)
State championships: 1 (2016)
Key section win: 3-1 over #2 Edina
-The Trojans are one of the wackiest stories this season, as the defending state champs floundered to a 7-win regular season before rattling off three straight playoff wins, including an upset of Edina. They don’t have the forward depth of last season, but they do know how to play within Pat O’Leary’s signature defensive system, and Griffin Ness (22) and Colin Schmidt (3) can put the puck in the net. Andrew Urban (2) and Tyler Stevens (19) also had productive years. Grant Anderson (21), a Nebraska-Omaha recruit, is their star on defense, where Jack Carlson (20) also plays a leading role. Reid Waszczenko (1), despite a 1-win regular season, is a good goaltender who was the star of their run through sections. Stringing together enough wins to repeat will be a tall order, but it’s not too crazy to imagine them winning a game or two here.
Eden Prairie (21-4-2, #1, 1-seed in 2AA)
State appearances: 10 (4 in a row)
State championships: 2 (2009, 2011)
Key section wins: 2-1 over #15 Prior Lake, 4-3 over #5 Holy Family
-The Eagles enter this tournament on a mission, with 15 straight wins since Casey Mittestadt announced they’d run the table. Of course it all starts with Mittelstadt (11), the certain Mr. Hockey winner and a generational talent, but there are plenty of others worth watching in the stable. Sophomore Gopher recruit Jack Jenson (18) joins Mittelstadt on the top line, while steady Nolan Sullivan (12) and agitator Hunter Johannes (27) carry the load on the second. Notre Dame recruit Nick Leivermann (4) is prolific from the blue line, and the rest of the defense knows its role and doesn’t try to do too much. For all the top-end talent, this team’s season came together when they started rolling three deep lines and grinding other teams down; they feel much more like a team than last season’s runners-up. Speedy Spencer Olson (5) anchors the third line, and Nick Wiencek (30) will be in goal. Discipline remains the mild concern.
6:00 Thursday
-Two longtime Lake Conference rivals collide in a juicy first round rematch of last year’s title game. Eden Prairie won the regular season meetings 8-2 and 4-2, and this series is dead even at 5-5 in its last 10 installations.
Wayzata (10-17-1, #21, 3-seed in 6AA)
State appearances: 5 (2 in a row)
State championships: 1 (2016)
Key section win: 3-1 over #2 Edina
-The Trojans are one of the wackiest stories this season, as the defending state champs floundered to a 7-win regular season before rattling off three straight playoff wins, including an upset of Edina. They don’t have the forward depth of last season, but they do know how to play within Pat O’Leary’s signature defensive system, and Griffin Ness (22) and Colin Schmidt (3) can put the puck in the net. Andrew Urban (2) and Tyler Stevens (19) also had productive years. Grant Anderson (21), a Nebraska-Omaha recruit, is their star on defense, where Jack Carlson (20) also plays a leading role. Reid Waszczenko (1), despite a 1-win regular season, is a good goaltender who was the star of their run through sections. Stringing together enough wins to repeat will be a tall order, but it’s not too crazy to imagine them winning a game or two here.
Eden Prairie (21-4-2, #1, 1-seed in 2AA)
State appearances: 10 (4 in a row)
State championships: 2 (2009, 2011)
Key section wins: 2-1 over #15 Prior Lake, 4-3 over #5 Holy Family
-The Eagles enter this tournament on a mission, with 15 straight wins since Casey Mittestadt announced they’d run the table. Of course it all starts with Mittelstadt (11), the certain Mr. Hockey winner and a generational talent, but there are plenty of others worth watching in the stable. Sophomore Gopher recruit Jack Jenson (18) joins Mittelstadt on the top line, while steady Nolan Sullivan (12) and agitator Hunter Johannes (27) carry the load on the second. Notre Dame recruit Nick Leivermann (4) is prolific from the blue line, and the rest of the defense knows its role and doesn’t try to do too much. For all the top-end talent, this team’s season came together when they started rolling three deep lines and grinding other teams down; they feel much more like a team than last season’s runners-up. Speedy Spencer Olson (5) anchors the third line, and Nick Wiencek (30) will be in goal. Discipline remains the mild concern.
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Wayzata will be everyone's darling, but they didn't have a horrendous record because they were laying low. They had a bad record because they were terribly inconsistent and couldn't beat the better teams. They didn't outplay Edina, they just did better at taking advantage of their chances. I think EP will handle them, something like 5-2.grindiangrad-80 wrote:Eden Prairie is the deserving #1 this year but I have to believe that Wayzata is the team who could derail their weekend early. I think the Trojan defense keeps them in it and pulls it out. 4-2 with an empty net.
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Well if you have Sparlimbs vote of confidence...Sparlimb wrote:Wayzata will be everyone's darling, but they didn't have a horrendous record because they were laying low. They had a bad record because they were terribly inconsistent and couldn't beat the better teams. They didn't outplay Edina, they just did better at taking advantage of their chances. I think EP will handle them, something like 5-2.grindiangrad-80 wrote:Eden Prairie is the deserving #1 this year but I have to believe that Wayzata is the team who could derail their weekend early. I think the Trojan defense keeps them in it and pulls it out. 4-2 with an empty net.
I'll take Wayzata.
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I thought they outworked Edina, blocked a ton of shots, and got great goaltending.Sparlimb wrote:Wayzata will be everyone's darling, but they didn't have a horrendous record because they were laying low. They had a bad record because they were terribly inconsistent and couldn't beat the better teams. They didn't outplay Edina, they just did better at taking advantage of their chances. I think EP will handle them, something like 5-2.grindiangrad-80 wrote:Eden Prairie is the deserving #1 this year but I have to believe that Wayzata is the team who could derail their weekend early. I think the Trojan defense keeps them in it and pulls it out. 4-2 with an empty net.
Rematch of 2015 Finals
CM and the Eagles take step 1 for redemption. Ep 5 Wayzata 1
They did do all of those things and still had much fewer scoring chances. They needed a herculean effort from the goalie to stay in it. They have a chance in this game (obviously), but they still have warts that can't be erased.SEC Scotty wrote:I thought they outworked Edina, blocked a ton of shots, and got great goaltending.
i noticed it last year, and it looks like the EP kids are doing it again this year. whats the deal with when they skate to the bench they take their gloves off to high five their teammates after a goal is there some reason behind this? nothing wrong with it, just used to seeing most teams or kids keep their gloves on when they do it....
Last edited by sterfry9 on Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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This EP fan and alum was watching with nerves about as bad as the players on EP. Have to give credit to Wayzata. O'Leary came into the game with a solid plan. They kept Casey in check, and the defense played well. Screens and deflected shots is all it takes to turn a game from one side to the other. Eden Prairie needs to relax a bit - they're playing uptight hockey. Now that the first tourney game is in the books, hopefully they'll go back to playing the hockey they're accustomed with.