Early look at 2008 FARGO SQUIRT Tournament

[O-townClown]

February 21-24

Who is playing and how likely are they to take down the much discussed Edina team?

CANADIAN:

Thunder Bay sends two teams, the West End Bruins and the Westfort Rangers. No idea how good these teams are.

NORTH DAKOTAN:

10 of the 48 in the field are from the home state. Can their best compete with Minnesota's best teams? We'll see. Last year the tournament was won by Wayzata.

NATIONAL:

5 teams from Colorado, the best of which is the Littleton Hawks. They are ranked #6 in Tier II nationally.

A few other states are represented. Some teams have low rankings but the Ontario Eagles of California are #10 in Tier II.

MINNESOTA:

Most of the field comes from Minnesota. Edina has already played some of the teams entered.

Burnsville 12-3 and 11-2
Prior Lake 9-0
Wayzata 9-1

Edina's closest game was against Lakeville North, but they aren't in the field; Lakeville South is.

The best chance for an Edina defeat comes from a pool of traditional powers that they have not yet played.

Jefferson
Eden Prairie
Moorhead
Roseau
White Bear Lake
Woodbury

I have no idea how this year's Squirt team is from those communities.

I'll go out on a limb and predict than in 6 weeks Edina will win the 48-team Fargo Squirt A tournament. I place the early line at 1:2 odds against.

No forecast for this group past this season though, I'll leave that to the experts.

[Messier]

Please read my post I put up on the Edina Squirt A Team. I think it will give you some insight.

[watchdog]

roseau is weak this year like no chance of beating edina...

[tomASS]

Ok, I'm revoking my short lived, self-imposed gag order on squirt hockey for this topic.

The best things about this tourney are (in no particular order):
1) the pin trading
2) the grilled burger and brats outside the arena
3) the parent parties and bonding of friendships that last a lifetime
4) chance to visit Mick's Office in Moorhead again for a Mickburger and a
cold one
5) the snow storm that usually hits on your trip back.

Failure to recognize and fully enjoy these elements of the tourney will ultimately cheat you out of some great memories.

[O-townClown]

I have been reading most of the post on the Edina Squirt A team, and yes I would say they are the best Squirt A team to date that I have seen. There are some other good teams out there. But I will say this somebody is going to beat this team this year and that team is going to play a great game vs. Edina. They are skilled, but the right team will beat them. I have seen Edina play 4 times and I KNOW they can be beat. Don't be surprised if they DON'T win Fargo. There is a team, I feel has the goalie and the palyers to beat Edina and I promise this, it will happen. Edina is very good and maybe the best Squirt A team put together in Minnesota, but some team out there is going to beat them. Mark my words. My Top 5 Squirt Teams this year are below. Any thoughts?
1. Edina
2. Wayzata
3. Eden Prairie
4. Lakeville North
5. Burnsville

Mess, great post. I remember around 1990 there was a monthly magazine (Inside Sports or SPORT, I can't recall which) that said, "Mike Tyson will be beat," and proceded to name who would beat Tyson - then assumed by most to be unbeatable... at least until his hair turned gray.

It didn't name Douglas, but it described someone with a huge reach advantage and talked about their style as a fighter and the kind of fight they'd wage.

One month later Douglas pulled the shocker. I'll never forget Tyson crawling around dazed trying to put his mouthguard in. I was stunned. Credit to the writer, he nailed it.

Now is hockey like boxing? Probably not, but at least you are providing some analysis.

Let me share how we beat Burnsville in Squirts the one time we did. Our record was 40-8 but I think we were 1-4 against our District 6 rival. Mark Osiecki went on to win a National Championship at Wisconsin and play for the Calgary Flames, and others on this team played on the 1985 and 1986 state champs, but the only player that changed the game was 1986 co-Metro Player of the Year Scott Bloom. He was big for Squirts and muscled his way past guys like me to do whatever he wanted. 125 goals in about 48 games of quality competition. Simply put, he was the best.

Our coach hatched a plan to put our best skater on Bloom to shadow him and it worked. He had one responsibility - follow Bloom. If a Center saw Bloom come onto the ice they had to get off so our Shadow could follow Bloom to keep him from getting the puck. As you probably remember, Scott wasn't a very good skater in high school or college, so it wasn't out of the question that a few kids could skate with him at that age level. Fortunately we had one of them.

Later we played them again and put our best player in the role of Shadow and it didn't work. He was much smaller and frankily, taking away his scoring reduced our chances further.

I don't know if our one win over Burnsville was the only one that season or if they lost 2 or 3 times. They couldn't have lost more than that. Clearly the upset by us was a testament to a coaching ploy and flawless execution.

We had the benefit of having been beaten by them already. Most of the teams Edina faces in Fargo will be playing them for the first time. Is it as simple as neutralizing one player? All accounts indicate that Edina has several that play very well. Is it even clear who their best player is?

Sounds like you think my 1:2 odds against winning are a little much. Maybe you think more like Even or 3:2. It'll be interesting. With Section Semis that week for HS hockey there won't be too much attention on the Fargo results, but I'll make a point to see who wins up there.

[OnFrozenPond]

I agree with tomASS. Fargo is one of THE best tournaments and it has little or nothing to do with what happens on the ice...Although that part is generally outstanding as well.

[O-townClown]

Ok, I'm revoking my short lived, self-imposed gag order on squirt hockey for this topic.

The best things about this tourney are (in no particular order):
1) the pin trading
2) the grilled burger and brats outside the arena
3) the parent parties and bonding of friendships that last a lifetime
4) chance to visit Mick's Office in Moorhead again for a Mickburger and a
cold one
5) the snow storm that usually hits on your trip back.

Failure to recognize and fully enjoy these elements of the tourney will ultimately cheat you out of some great memories.

Tom, that's what youth hockey is all about. As Squirts we (and other teams in the Rochester Holiday Inn) commanded use of all the elevators while we traipsed around the hotel. Too bad for the few guests staying there for visits at Mayo Clinic! The hotel even went so far to assign a guard to one of the elevators and keep kids off it so other guests had at least some chance to move around.

Then there's the Minit Mart story from Grand Rapids as Bantams. We don't talk about that in public! (Didn't involve me though.)

[tomASS]

Then there's the Minit Mart story from Grand Rapids as Bantams. We don't talk about that in public! (Didn't involve me though.)

That's not what the published newspaper report stated!

[boardmember]

Sounds like you think my 1:2 odds against winning are a little much. Maybe you think more like Even or 3:2. It'll be interesting. With Section Semis that week for HS hockey there won't be too much attention on the Fargo results, but I'll make a point to see who wins up there.

If you giving 3:2 I'll put $200 on the Hornet kids

[O-townClown]

Sounds like you think my 1:2 odds against winning are a little much. Maybe you think more like Even or 3:2. It'll be interesting. With Section Semis that week for HS hockey there won't be too much attention on the Fargo results, but I'll make a point to see who wins up there.

If you giving 3:2 I'll put $200 on the Hornet kids

No, I think the odds are 1:2. Mess thinks they are more beatable.

[NeilGuf-yb]

The Fargo Flyers Squirt A team is very good this year and are going to be tough to beat as well! I have not watched Edina but I'm looking forward to see them in the Fargo Tourney!

[Messier]

O-town,
I still Edina is the Favorite to win Fargo but after watching EP this past weekend I wouldn't be surprised that EP wins. They have a great goalie and I love what they do with there lines, and how they match up against more skilled teams.

[HockeyDadMN]

As I remember, the Edina squirt A team won Fargo 2 years ago and at the time some people were saying that was the best squirt team ever.

I imagine there may be some pressure on this years kids to win it too.

[GBOMBAY]

I watched the Edina Squirt B play in Fargo last year against the Omaha Galdiators. Omaha played fast and somewhat physical and beat that team. One kid for Omaha scored all 7 goals. Is this Edina A team this year a bunch of that B team from last year? The International can be a grind, it could be as a many as 5 games in 36 hours. I am looking forward to watching this Edina team.

[O-townClown]

I watched the Edina Squirt B play in Fargo last year against the Omaha Galdiators. Omaha played fast and somewhat physical and beat that team. One kid for Omaha scored all 7 goals. Is this Edina A team this year a bunch of that B team from last year? The International can be a grind, it could be as a many as 5 games in 36 hours. I am looking forward to watching this Edina team.

I believe Edina fielded five B teams last year. Yes, some of the kids from the team entered in Fargo probably are A players this year.

Instead of thinking of that team being a year older, take the 2 or 3 best players from it. Some A players this year are returning A players. A couple first-years made it too.

Edina has 1 A, 6 B, and 5 C teams this season. I believe each even has two goaltenders.

[GF Hockey #2]

I know EGF and the GF Blues have been doing very well this year.
How have they done against the Fargo Flyers?
Have they played any of the cities teams?

[egf hockey1]

I think EGF, GF Blues, Fargo Angels, Fargo Flyers are the only chance for a northern team to win the tournament this year. But like has been mentioned above, the International is a grind. To win you have to win 6 games in 3 days. Northern teams, for the most part, don't have the depth to hang on that long. Edina has 175 kids to chose from. All the northern teams have about 40 to chose from. The 3rd lines can hold their own for a game or two, but six is asking alot. The depth will always prevail in this type of grueling schedule.

The tournament is an absolute blast. The chance to play the teams you do and see some of the best players in the country at that age level is quite exciting. I have a feeling that the Edina pin is going to be the prized possesion this year.
MUST DO!!!! Burgers at the Coliseum or Famous Daves at the Fargo South High School Arena. Best part of the whole tournament!

[Messier]

The Pool Play and Brackets are out for this years Fargo Squirt A Tournament. I see Edina has a hard road to the finals. What are the toughts of most about who will win this Tournament and who will be in the Final Four.

[Hnut61]

My prediction:

Fargo Flyers and Edina on Sunday- rematch from 2 years ago.

[oronohockey]

edina squirt A is very good this year they have only lost to eden prarie but by only 1 every other game they have one by at least 5 or more orono squirt A is not very good this year i think they might be losing there best player and orono squirt B1 is very good this year i think they will do good

[oronohockey]

my predictions:


orono spartans 10 front range panthers 0


front range panthers 0 edina hornets 5


edina hornets 0 orono spartans 5

[O-townClown]

Edina hornets 0 orono spartans 5

Best of luck to Orono.

[oronohockey]

orono stinks so the score will be

edina 10 orono 0

orono just lost to wayzata 8 - 1

[O-townClown]

O-town,
I still Edina is the Favorite to win Fargo but after watching EP this past weekend I wouldn't be surprised that EP wins. They have a great goalie and I love what they do with there lines, and how they match up against more skilled teams.

And Messier looks like the smartest guy on the planet! Great that both Edina and Eden Prairie are in Fargo. There might be another meeting.

[oronohockey]

eden prarie only beat edina 1 - 0 and edina has been doing a lot better than them this season