7AA, Whose the top seed?

[Neutron 14]

After Forest Lake, who is the next top dog? Tornadoes? Hounds? Jacks?

[Neutron 14]

After Forest Lake, who is the next top dog? Tornadoes? Hounds? Jacks?

Rangers got your tongues?

[hockey59]

After Forest Lake, who is the next top dog? Tornadoes? Hounds? Jacks?

Rangers got your tongues?

Very funny Neutron...the Rangers will be about a 5 or 6 seed.

I have to give credit to the Cougars...they whipped the Tornadoes ARSES last night...if you were at the game last night...you may have noticed why shot's on goal stats are so misleading,,,the quality of Hanna's saves 11 more than offset the quality of Well's 24 saves...he stopped 2 Belisle semi-breakaways...another breakaway by O'Neill...a goal-mouth shot by Derks on a set-up by O'Neill...while the biggest save of the night was made by Brad Holt when he dove to stop an open net Belisle shot after he receiving a back-door pass from O'Neill (it would have closed the scoring gap to 3-2 late in the 2nd period)

The Cougars have a great hockey program...PERIOD...they are taught the same system from A Squirts on ...get to the red line...dump it in...forecheck like a demon...cycle, cycle, cycle...use your points...crash the net...ferocious stick work...play very physical....set-up plays down low by wearing out the other teams D...keep the puck away from the other teams star players....frustrate the opposition...take advantage of their mistakes...its pure team hockey...I don't believe it develops the best individually skilled players....but it wins games.

Through the years...Hanna has played every game vs. the Tornadoes and always come up big...and Tyler Strand (their number 2 goalie) would be the number 1 goalie on 90% of the other teams in MN...Hanna is a future D1 goalie in IMO.

Pitlick also showed last night why he will have a D1 deal by the end of his junior year.....he made several moves on some individual rushes into Anoka's zone that were very impressive...and basically turned a couple of the Anoka D inside out.

Anoka must lick their wounds and bounce back...I think they will...but for now...Centennial is clearly the early favorite to win the NWSC.

[hockey59]

One other note...Belisle played a GREAT game last night...he was Anoka's top player and scored both of Anoka's goals...and after O'Neill took a hard hit from a Centennial D following his breakaway...Scott went after and hammered the D...it was nice to see him stick-up for his teammate.

[Lumberjack]

Why is this even a topic of conversation. It's tough to judge a team this early in the year. Take East for example. They've lost some game to high caliber teams, but you know they will be there in the end.
Let's save this topic until February. Just my opinion.

[east hockey]

Why is this even a topic of conversation. It's tough to judge a team this early in the year. Take East for example. They've lost some game to high caliber teams, but you know they will be there in the end.
Let's save this topic until February. Just my opinion.

It's never too early to flip coins! Besides, ole Neut forgot to include this:



Assuming this is a serious thread, I say that as of now it's Anoka.

Lee

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

1. St. Francis
2. Cambridge-Isanti
3. Cloquet
4. Forest Lake
5. Grand Rapids

Does that answer your question Neut?

[wbmd]

1. St. Francis
2. Cambridge-Isanti
3. Cloquet
4. Forest Lake
5. Grand Rapids

Does that answer your question Neut?

Make Cambridge the top seed.

[carpenterguy]

Anoka will struggle to go deep in the playoffs. Centennial played 3 and sometimes four lines last night. It's tough to tell the difference between their lines. Anoka had a couple of good players but after that the talent really drops off. They played two lines most of the night. Anoka didn't sustain any pressure until halfway through the second period. Time of possession had to be 90% Centennial. They were clearly the deeper and better team.

If anything the shots made it look closer than the game actually was.

[Neutron 14]

They played two lines most of the night.

Which I think is really stupid and shortsighted in December. I noticed Aus didn't care, kept his 1,2,3 going. 4th line didn't see the ice until late.

[hockey59]

They played two lines most of the night.

Which I think is really stupid and shortsighted in December. I noticed Aus didn't care, kept his 1,2,3 going. 4th line didn't see the ice until late.

When your down 3-0 after 1 period...you pretty much have to go with 2 lines, especially when one on them is your 3 Elite League forwards...Anoka came close to getting the game to 3-2...but their goalie never made a big save all night and Cent kept extending the lead...next time they play, 3 of Anoka's top 5 defensmen will be back in action... 2 are currently injured and one was out with a drinking suspension...pretty tough to compete with the Cougars when your playing 2 JV D as top 4 D...and Anoka's top player is still recovering from a broken wrist sustained during week 6 of the Elite League ...when he was 4th in Elite League scoring...about 20 points ahead of any Centennial player.

With the exception of Pitlick, all the Centennial players just dump the puck in when they hit the red line like robots...like that's going to get you to the D1 level down the road...they have a deep team, but not much top level talent.

[karl(east)]

I think this is way too early to be talking about this. And frankly, no team has a great claim on the top spot.

Anoka was looking good until it got slaughtered by Centennial.
East's record is ugly but they've played well.
Cloquet started out ugly but just put up a big win against WBL.
Rapids does not look very good right now but tied CEC.
Forest Lake has the record now, but come on.
Elk River didn't look like a contender vs. Anoka.

We'll have a much better picture by the end of the month, as we have East-Cloquet and East-Anoka looming. How East handles Centennial will be interesting to watch as well.

[nipe 6]

Cambridge beat St. Francis...obviously moving them up to the number one spot in the section haha.

[carpenterguy]

They played two lines most of the night.

Which I think is really stupid and shortsighted in December. I noticed Aus didn't care, kept his 1,2,3 going. 4th line didn't see the ice until late.

When your down 3-0 after 1 period...you pretty much have to go with 2 lines, especially when one on them is your 3 Elite League forwards...Anoka came close to getting the game to 3-2...but their goalie never made a big save all night and Cent kept extending the lead...next time they play, 3 of Anoka's top 5 defensmen will be back in action... 2 are currently injured and one was out with a drinking suspension...pretty tough to compete with the Cougars when your playing 2 JV D as top 4 D...and Anoka's top player is still recovering from a broken wrist sustained during week 6 of the Elite League ...when he was 4th in Elite League scoring...about 20 points ahead of any Centennial player.

With the exception of Pitlick, all the Centennial players just dump the puck in when they hit the red line like robots...like that's going to get you to the D1 level down the road...they have a deep team, but not much top level talent.

This is high school hockey not Division 1. With that said you might want to check out how many kids are playing Division 1 right now from Centennial.
Flynn Gophers
Anderson Gophers
Gorowsky Wisconsin
Flynn Air Force
Vermeulen St. Lawrence
Montgomery UMD
Van Guilder will be with Alaska next year.

[boblee]

It is way too early to speculate about the seedings.

[elliott70]

Early speculation on how the vote will go:

1. East
2. Anoka
3. Cloquet
4. Forest Lake
5. Rapids
6. Elk River
7. Andover
8. Cambridge
9. St. Francis

[Neutron 14]

It is way too early to speculate about the seedings.

Like thats stopped us before!

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

This is high school hockey not Division 1. With that said you might want to check out how many kids are playing Division 1 right now from Centennial.
Flynn Gophers
Anderson Gophers
Gorowsky Wisconsin
Flynn Air Force
Vermeulen St. Lawrence
Montgomery UMD
Van Guilder will be with Alaska next year.

I love it how people put college hockey recruits and high school success in the same boat. I know it isn't completely the same, but does Florida have a bad college football program because their QBs & WRs don't amount to much in the NFL? And the UofMN has a great college football program because their RBs do something in the NFL? HS & college is a totally different game, players that are good in HS might not do much for hockey the rest of their lives, but they were damn good in HS. Take Brandon Martell for example, he's going to the Gophers next year, but does that make him that much better of a player? Not really, most everyone knows that his size is what is getting him to the D1 level. A kid that is 3 inches shorter might be better but his size limits his D1 potential so he stops after HS. D1 commitments don't mean jack when it comes to HS hockey. Ridiculous argument IMHO.

I know carpenterguy started with the right argument, but he fell into the trap of parading the D1 players. Totally different ballgame.

[elliott70]

Second (12/15) speculation on how the vote will go:

1. Cloquet
2. Anoka
3. Duluth East
4. Forest Lake
5. Rapids
6. Elk River
7. Andover
8. Cambridge
9. St. Francis

[hockey59]

FINAL:
ANOKA 4
NM 2

ANOKA -O'NEILL FROM BELISLE (PP) 1-0
ANOKA - OLSON FROM CAMPBELL 2-0
NM - NOT SURE (SH) 2-1
ANOKA - BELISLE FROM CAMPBELL AND DERKS 3-1
ANOKA - RUSH (UNASSISTED) EN GOAL 4-1
NM - NOT SURE (PP)...WITH 12 SECONDS TO GO 4-2

The goalie for NM (I believe it was Taylor Felton) was outstanding in goal and kept NM in the game. Brandon Burrell also showed why he is one of the best defenseman in the State...he played great and the entire NM team worked extremely hard throughout this game.

Tony Day also played very well in goal for Anoka and recorded his first varsity win.

Anoka's record improves to 4-1. They play Coon Rapids and Duluth East next week.

When all is said and done I predict the final seeding will be:

1. Anoka
2. Duluth East
3. Cloquet
4. Grand Rapids
5. Forest Lake
6. Elk River
7. Andover
8. Cambridge
9. St Francis

[STC18]

As of right now I'd say it's Cloquet, if the playoffs began tomorrow.

[ColdasIce]

As of right now I'd say it's Cloquet, if the playoffs began tomorrow.

please, they were outplayed by east in 2 of the three periods, and goalie kept them alive. east plays them at DECC, not in there rink, big difference. it's between anoka and east right now.

[STC18]

As of right now I'd say it's Cloquet, if the playoffs began tomorrow.

please, they were outplayed by east in 2 of the three periods, and goalie kept them alive. east plays them at DECC, not in there rink, big difference. it's between anoka and east right now.

It may be a different game, but Cloquet won the game didn't they? It's about results, not who outplayed who for two periods. And I don't know a whole lot about Anoka right now.

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

And the SERIOUS fans have to come and ruin all the fun...

[Can't Never Tried]

I'm leaning to the "East" now...... if ya catch my drift