Thanks for the information. So they are essentially Rapids size. but don't opt up. I think there hockey program is growing so maybe in a few years they will take a shot at the AA level. Hope to see em up some year soon. Nice teamStang5280 wrote:Currently the smallest “true” AA team by enrollment is St. Louis Park at 1,240. Mahtomedi and Alexandria are at 1,136 and 1,120, respectively. So they are two of the larger Class A schools. Alex was previously AA in enrollment from 1993 to 2005, but the growth of exurban schools, I and opening of some new ones, pushed them back down to the A level.northwoods oldtimer wrote:I was wondering about that today watching the game. Have not been to Alexandria for over a decade but thought that town was pretty good sized population to be a single A team.defense wrote:Hermantown just played their first AA playoff game. Alex is for all intents and purposes a AA program youth on up to HS. They were a late hold out to go to class A.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see Alexandria to AA in two years. My two cents.
That said, the two schools would have to jump over a few fast growing ones, such as Sartell and Northfield, to reach the AA level for enrollment.
What in the world just happened to the Hermantown Hawks?
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
-
- Posts: 2679
- Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:01 pm
-
- Posts: 279
- Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2017 8:58 pm
Kind of sounds like we may have found one already in Alex. If so that didn’t take long. Like I said never ending cycle.rainier2 wrote:If one of those teams goes to 10 straight title games and three years without a loss to a single A team, then yes, the "whining" will continue.7TIMECHAMPS wrote:The whining about Hermantown will stop but the whining won’t stop. People will find someone else to whine about. Who has a good A program? Mahtomedi maybe? EGF has some decent teams coming up so maybe them? It won’t stop.
They’ve been to four state tournaments (not counting the Tier II one), with this being their third at the A level, and you’re calling for them to opt up? Geez man, let’s just enjoy this run and see how the Cardinals fare tomorrow. They hadn’t even won a game in the Class A tourney until this year.defense wrote:Alex should opt up. I don't care if their enrollment is on one side or the other. Their program is big and strong. They should be proud. And I think they will be proud.Stang5280 wrote:Currently the smallest “true” AA team by enrollment is St. Louis Park at 1,240. Mahtomedi and Alexandria are at 1,136 and 1,120, respectively. So they are two of the larger Class A schools. Alex was previously AA in enrollment from 1993 to 2005, but the growth of exurban schools, I and opening of some new ones, pushed them back down to the A level.northwoods oldtimer wrote: I was wondering about that today watching the game. Have not been to Alexandria for over a decade but thought that town was pretty good sized population to be a single A team.
That said, the two schools would have to jump over a few fast growing ones, such as Sartell and Northfield, to reach the AA level for enrollment.
Feel free to not read the "whining" posts. That's one way you could avoid it.7TIMECHAMPS wrote:Kind of sounds like we may have found one already in Alex. If so that didn’t take long. Like I said never ending cycle.rainier2 wrote:If one of those teams goes to 10 straight title games and three years without a loss to a single A team, then yes, the "whining" will continue.7TIMECHAMPS wrote:The whining about Hermantown will stop but the whining won’t stop. People will find someone else to whine about. Who has a good A program? Mahtomedi maybe? EGF has some decent teams coming up so maybe them? It won’t stop.
Let's just talk the stature of the program. Should be proud they are that substantial. Not whining, and I don't really care what they do. Just saying take a stock of the program once. AA caliber.Stang5280 wrote:They’ve been to four state tournaments (not counting the Tier II one), with this being their third at the A level, and you’re calling for them to opt up? Geez man, let’s just enjoy this run and see how the Cardinals fare tomorrow. They hadn’t even won a game in the Class A tourney until this year.defense wrote:Alex should opt up. I don't care if their enrollment is on one side or the other. Their program is big and strong. They should be proud. And I think they will be proud.Stang5280 wrote: Currently the smallest “true” AA team by enrollment is St. Louis Park at 1,240. Mahtomedi and Alexandria are at 1,136 and 1,120, respectively. So they are two of the larger Class A schools. Alex was previously AA in enrollment from 1993 to 2005, but the growth of exurban schools, I and opening of some new ones, pushed them back down to the A level.
That said, the two schools would have to jump over a few fast growing ones, such as Sartell and Northfield, to reach the AA level for enrollment.
Just to clarify. Alexandria is not AA at youth level. They play A hockey all the way up. They do schedule some AA games and tournaments, but they are A. To say that they should opt up during the first year of any success at state is absolutely ridiculous. Yes, the are one of the bigger A teams in terms of enrollment, but c'mon man. Let them enjoy it a bit before going down that road. There are at least 4 schools that should opt up before Alex.
Time to take a shot at Moorhead though. They dropped Alex off their schedule this year. They were happy to schedule Alex when it was a 4 goal drubbing. But beat them and tie them and they run away. How did that work out for you spuds? I root for them over the city schools, but still am a bit salty over them bailing on the schedule.
Time to take a shot at Moorhead though. They dropped Alex off their schedule this year. They were happy to schedule Alex when it was a 4 goal drubbing. But beat them and tie them and they run away. How did that work out for you spuds? I root for them over the city schools, but still am a bit salty over them bailing on the schedule.
-
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:31 pm
No one said they shouldn't enjoy, and by all means win today. And enjoy that and hang that banner with pride win or lose today. And celebrate it. But Alexandria is a AA caliber program. Same as Hibbing, same as Hermantown. Ultimate success be damned. Enrollment be damned. Youth level of play be damned. And no there is no whining about it, they may do what they chose. But I would love to see them in AA. Off the top of my head they played for the 8AA championship in 02 and 03. Jumped in 05?? I think. Yeah, they were sure being run over. In the days before youth hockey went to A and AS, Alexandria was regularly a power in D15 with Moorhead, Brainerd, Fergus Falls from time to time, Detroit Lakes.. Just because Minnesota hockey chose to go this way doesn't change the fact that at least three out of four teams playing today ( I know nothing of orono) could compete in AA. Alex rolled 3 lines and 6 D all year I heard. That statement says it all. Alex hockey is kind of a model program in their area.zooomx wrote:Just to clarify. Alexandria is not AA at youth level. They play A hockey all the way up. They do schedule some AA games and tournaments, but they are A. To say that they should opt up during the first year of any success at state is absolutely ridiculous. Yes, the are one of the bigger A teams in terms of enrollment, but c'mon man. Let them enjoy it a bit before going down that road. There are at least 4 schools that should opt up before Alex.
Time to take a shot at Moorhead though. They dropped Alex off their schedule this year. They were happy to schedule Alex when it was a 4 goal drubbing. But beat them and tie them and they run away. How did that work out for you spuds? I root for them over the city schools, but still am a bit salty over them bailing on the schedule.
-
- Posts: 2679
- Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:01 pm
defense wrote:No one said they shouldn't enjoy, and by all means win today. And enjoy that and hang that banner with pride win or lose today. And celebrate it. But Alexandria is a AA caliber program. Same as Hibbing, same as Hermantown. Ultimate success be damned. Enrollment be damned. Youth level of play be damned. And no there is no whining about it, they may do what they chose. But I would love to see them in AA. Off the top of my head they played for the 8AA championship in 02 and 03. Jumped in 05?? I think. Yeah, they were sure being run over. In the days before youth hockey went to A and AS, Alexandria was regularly a power in D15 with Moorhead, Brainerd, Fergus Falls from time to time, Detroit Lakes.. Just because Minnesota hockey chose to go this way doesn't change the fact that at least three out of four teams playing today ( I know nothing of orono) could compete in AA. Alex rolled 3 lines and 6 D all year I heard. That statement says it all. Alex hockey is kind of a model program in their area.zooomx wrote:Just to clarify. Alexandria is not AA at youth level. They play A hockey all the way up. They do schedule some AA games and tournaments, but they are A. To say that they should opt up during the first year of any success at state is absolutely ridiculous. Yes, the are one of the bigger A teams in terms of enrollment, but c'mon man. Let them enjoy it a bit before going down that road. There are at least 4 schools that should opt up before Alex.
Time to take a shot at Moorhead though. They dropped Alex off their schedule this year. They were happy to schedule Alex when it was a 4 goal drubbing. But beat them and tie them and they run away. How did that work out for you spuds? I root for them over the city schools, but still am a bit salty over them bailing on the schedule.
Good luck today to Alexandria area nice to have an outstate program doing a good job growing the game of hockey.
In my opinion, yesterday's game between Alexandria and Hermantown was a spitting image of the Alexandria/Cathedral game just a week prior, and pretty similar to the East/Edina game last night as well. Don't take anything away from Alexandria, this team is not a bunch of benders mucking it up and icing it the whole game. That said, they were probably less talented than the opposition, but far more willing to play the type of game necessary to win in the playoffs. Talented teams playing disciplined hockey are dangerous.
I guess I don't know how next year looks for Class A as a whole, but I do know that Section 6A will be even better represented next year. Alexandria and Cathedral each lose their top D, but both teams return practically everyone else.
I guess I don't know how next year looks for Class A as a whole, but I do know that Section 6A will be even better represented next year. Alexandria and Cathedral each lose their top D, but both teams return practically everyone else.
-
- Posts: 6462
- Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:03 pm
- Contact:
As others have noted, Hermantown was vulnerable this year. Anyone who shut down their top line was going to have a very good shot. Obviously, that's easier said than done, but sure enough, a team figured out how to do it, and sure enough, they won. The second line, not Watkins-Biondi-Herter, scored their lone goal. That's a real credit to Alexandria and the Doherty-Westlund line, which was matched with them often. And, of course, Powell stole the show yesterday too.
I also thought the Hawks really rode that top line to death in the 3rd period. I get it, they're the stars and you turn to them in a big situation, that's never an ideal formula. Even Grand Rapids last year got better minutes out of its lower lines. If there's a critique to be leveled at the Hawks, it's here. But they've been toying with fire in a lot of their recent playoff games against quality Class A competition, and sooner or later it was going to come back and bite them. But, the future is obviously bright for the Hawks, and while they'll miss Watkins in particular, they have a ton of talent coming up.
But right now, it's all about Alexandria. Congrats to the Cards on a great game plan and execution, and not clamming up when they had a late lead against the Hawks, as a few others have done. Should be a fun title game, and we'll crown a first-time champion this afternoon.
I also thought the Hawks really rode that top line to death in the 3rd period. I get it, they're the stars and you turn to them in a big situation, that's never an ideal formula. Even Grand Rapids last year got better minutes out of its lower lines. If there's a critique to be leveled at the Hawks, it's here. But they've been toying with fire in a lot of their recent playoff games against quality Class A competition, and sooner or later it was going to come back and bite them. But, the future is obviously bright for the Hawks, and while they'll miss Watkins in particular, they have a ton of talent coming up.
But right now, it's all about Alexandria. Congrats to the Cards on a great game plan and execution, and not clamming up when they had a late lead against the Hawks, as a few others have done. Should be a fun title game, and we'll crown a first-time champion this afternoon.
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 7270
- Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2002 8:33 pm
- Location: Proctor, MN
To a Class AA school: 6-1 vs Wayzata (11/29/13)rainier2 wrote:So we know Hermantown hadn't lost to a Class A team since the 2015 title game, and they hadn't lost in the quarters or semis of the A tourney since 2009, but, does anyone know the last time they lost by 5 or more goals?
To a Class A school: 8-2 vs Lake of the Woods (12/27/03)
Lee
Message Board arsonist since 2005
Egomaniac since 2006
Egomaniac since 2006
Of course there are two ENG in there.rainier2 wrote:So we know Hermantown hadn't lost to a Class A team since the 2015 title game, and they hadn't lost in the quarters or semis of the A tourney since 2009, but, does anyone know the last time they lost by 5 or more goals?
But on a better note, its nice to see ORONO and ALEX going at it.
go Cards!
-
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2017 11:10 am
So, the thought process seems to be that if an A sized school builds up their program to be successful against programs their size, their reward is that they need to jump a class and start over again at the bottom? Doesn’t make sense to me. A school of 1000 students trying to compete against the big boys is at a huge disadvantage. If the lesser programs that can’t seem to compete at the A level should lobby for a third class instead of engaging in class warfare against the programs who are successful.
Interesting yet, no. Alexandria hockey has been AA caliber since for as long as anyone here cares to remember. If they stay in A, fine. But they are AA caliber.Yoopskater wrote:So, the thought process seems to be that if an A sized school builds up their program to be successful against programs their size, their reward is that they need to jump a class and start over again at the bottom? Doesn’t make sense to me. A school of 1000 students trying to compete against the big boys is at a huge disadvantage. If the lesser programs that can’t seem to compete at the A level should lobby for a third class instead of engaging in class warfare against the programs who are successful.
-
- Posts: 540
- Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2012 9:04 pm
Are you seriously implying Moorhead dropped Alexandria from their schedule because they were afraid to play them? I don’t know Moorheads schedule real well personally but taking a quick glance it looks like they added Wayzata, Lakeville North, St Thomas Academy and Centennial to the schedule this year. From a distance.....that looks a lot more like jumping into the fire than running from it doesn't it?zooomx wrote:Time to take a shot at Moorhead though. They dropped Alex off their schedule this year. They were happy to schedule Alex when it was a 4 goal drubbing. But beat them and tie them and they run away. How did that work out for you spuds? I root for them over the city schools, but still am a bit salty over them bailing on the schedule.