1a predictions

[davey]

Agreed

RW could sneak into the top 3 possibly. I don't think it will happen, but who knows how some of the coaches will vote when not everybody has played each other. Does anyone know when the seeding will take place? NP has RW next week, but my guess is it is after the seedings.

[GinosAreGood]

1-Lourdes- (16-6) Beat West 4-3, AL 5-1, Red Wing 5-4
2-Mankato West (19-2) Split with AL Beat Owatonna 7-0 Superior Record
3-Albert Lea (18-4) Split with West, Lost to Owatonna 2-3
4-Red Wing (13-6-2) Big Loss to Shakopee 3-4
5-New Prague (16-6) Split with Northfield Beat Lourdes 5-4
6-Northfield (13-10) Split with New Prague Lost to Lourdes 4-8
7-Faribault (11-12)
8-LaCrescent (16-5-2)
9-St. Peter (7-13)
10-Waseca (5-13-1)
11-Mankato East (3-18-1)
12-Austin (1-19-2)

What does everyone think of this?

that's what i thought. maybe laCrescent ahead of Faribault due to their reecord but it doesn't really matter

[EaglehockeyI]

1-Lourdes- (16-6) Beat West 4-3, AL 5-1, Red Wing 5-4
2-Mankato West (19-2) Split with AL Beat Owatonna 7-0 Superior Record
3-Albert Lea (18-4) Split with West, Lost to Owatonna 2-3
4-Red Wing (13-6-2) Big Loss to Shakopee 3-4
5-New Prague (16-6) Split with Northfield Beat Lourdes 5-4
6-Northfield (13-10) Split with New Prague Lost to Lourdes 4-8
7-Faribault (11-12)
8-LaCrescent (16-5-2)
9-St. Peter (7-13)
10-Waseca (5-13-1)
11-Mankato East (3-18-1)
12-Austin (1-19-2)

What does everyone think of this?

probably the way its going to be, but red wing deserves the #2 seed. they've played the toughest schedule and beat 5 ranked teams: orono, mahtomedi, breck, ssp, and new prague. west and albert lea have beat each other and 1 other ranked team. plus they've played much easier schedules. if they played red wings schedule they'd have a few more losses each.

[SuperFan09]

1-Lourdes- (16-6) Beat West 4-3, AL 5-1, Red Wing 5-4
2-Mankato West (19-2) Split with AL Beat Owatonna 7-0 Superior Record
3-Albert Lea (18-4) Split with West, Lost to Owatonna 2-3
4-Red Wing (13-6-2) Big Loss to Shakopee 3-4
5-New Prague (16-6) Split with Northfield Beat Lourdes 5-4
6-Northfield (13-10) Split with New Prague Lost to Lourdes 4-8
7-Faribault (11-12)
8-LaCrescent (16-5-2)
9-St. Peter (7-13)
10-Waseca (5-13-1)
11-Mankato East (3-18-1)
12-Austin (1-19-2)

What does everyone think of this?

probably the way its going to be, but red wing deserves the #2 seed. they've played the toughest schedule and beat 5 ranked teams: orono, mahtomedi, breck, ssp, and new prague. west and albert lea have beat each other and 1 other ranked team. plus they've played much easier schedules. if they played red wings schedule they'd have a few more losses each.

Idiot!!!! I guess you haven't been paying any attention! AL split with Owatonna! Yes AL Lost the 1st Game to Owatonna in AL 3 to 2. However just 2 weeks ago AL Beat Owatonna in Owatonna 5 to 2!

[GinosAreGood]

1-Lourdes- (16-6) Beat West 4-3, AL 5-1, Red Wing 5-4
2-Mankato West (19-2) Split with AL Beat Owatonna 7-0 Superior Record
3-Albert Lea (18-4) Split with West, Lost to Owatonna 2-3
4-Red Wing (13-6-2) Big Loss to Shakopee 3-4
5-New Prague (16-6) Split with Northfield Beat Lourdes 5-4
6-Northfield (13-10) Split with New Prague Lost to Lourdes 4-8
7-Faribault (11-12)
8-LaCrescent (16-5-2)
9-St. Peter (7-13)
10-Waseca (5-13-1)
11-Mankato East (3-18-1)
12-Austin (1-19-2)

What does everyone think of this?

probably the way its going to be, but red wing deserves the #2 seed. they've played the toughest schedule and beat 5 ranked teams: orono, mahtomedi, breck, ssp, and new prague. west and albert lea have beat each other and 1 other ranked team. plus they've played much easier schedules. if they played red wings schedule they'd have a few more losses each.

Orono and Breck were ranked early and now both are at .500 or worse. Red Wing also lost to Shakopee. AL has an early loss to Owatonna which they avenged later on, then losses to I Falls in OT, Lourdes (#1 seed) and West. West only has two losses to Lourdes and AL each one goal games. I can't see Red Wing as the #2 seed, or maybe even the 3 seed. Coaches need to try and get more games with section opponents to make this easier. It's way too complicated with RW only playing 3 section opponents. I know it's hard to schedule games with such short notice but something needs to be done

[davey]

1-Lourdes- (16-6) Beat West 4-3, AL 5-1, Red Wing 5-4
2-Mankato West (19-2) Split with AL Beat Owatonna 7-0 Superior Record
3-Albert Lea (18-4) Split with West, Lost to Owatonna 2-3
4-Red Wing (13-6-2) Big Loss to Shakopee 3-4
5-New Prague (16-6) Split with Northfield Beat Lourdes 5-4
6-Northfield (13-10) Split with New Prague Lost to Lourdes 4-8
7-Faribault (11-12)
8-LaCrescent (16-5-2)
9-St. Peter (7-13)
10-Waseca (5-13-1)
11-Mankato East (3-18-1)
12-Austin (1-19-2)

What does everyone think of this?

probably the way its going to be, but red wing deserves the #2 seed. they've played the toughest schedule and beat 5 ranked teams: orono, mahtomedi, breck, ssp, and new prague. west and albert lea have beat each other and 1 other ranked team. plus they've played much easier schedules. if they played red wings schedule they'd have a few more losses each.

I too think they could get in the top 3 with the schedule they have played. How much emphasis the coaches put on their loss to Shakopee will determine if they get a top 3. I personally don't think that Lourdes is the best team in this Section at this time. I think there are 2-3 teams better than them, but they did beat most of the contenders head to head.
RW- early in the year
Al -before AL started playing their best hockey
West -with 2 of their top forwards out and Leivermanns first game back in a couple of weeks.
Lost to NP who is playing very well at this point.

[EaglehockeyI]

1-Lourdes- (16-6) Beat West 4-3, AL 5-1, Red Wing 5-4
2-Mankato West (19-2) Split with AL Beat Owatonna 7-0 Superior Record
3-Albert Lea (18-4) Split with West, Lost to Owatonna 2-3
4-Red Wing (13-6-2) Big Loss to Shakopee 3-4
5-New Prague (16-6) Split with Northfield Beat Lourdes 5-4
6-Northfield (13-10) Split with New Prague Lost to Lourdes 4-8
7-Faribault (11-12)
8-LaCrescent (16-5-2)
9-St. Peter (7-13)
10-Waseca (5-13-1)
11-Mankato East (3-18-1)
12-Austin (1-19-2)

What does everyone think of this?

probably the way its going to be, but red wing deserves the #2 seed. they've played the toughest schedule and beat 5 ranked teams: orono, mahtomedi, breck, ssp, and new prague. west and albert lea have beat each other and 1 other ranked team. plus they've played much easier schedules. if they played red wings schedule they'd have a few more losses each.

Idiot!!!! I guess you haven't been paying any attention! AL split with Owatonna! Yes AL Lost the 1st Game to Owatonna in AL 3 to 2. However just 2 weeks ago AL Beat Owatonna in Owatonna 5 to 2!

well SUPERASSCLOWN so your big claim to fame is owatonna? and who have they beaten out of conference this year, park? bfd. try playing aha twice a year. and both games were close this year. besides the 5 ranked teams red wing beat they also had close games with #2 sta and lourdes. in fact they beat more ranked teams than west or albert lea even played. if those two played aha twice, new prague twice, lourdes, sta, breck, ssp, orono, mahtomedi, tartan and hermantown how many losses would they have? try at least 6-7. schedules do matter.

[goldy313]

The Missota is better than the Big Nine, Albert Lea does have some good games out of the conference in a win against Denfield and an OT loss to Int. Falls. They also have had many more easy games than anyone in the Missota. West deserves to be hurt by playing a weak schedule at least Albert Lea went to a quality tournament and fared well. It's going to come down to 2 things, how much respect the Big Nine teams give the Missota teams and how much respect New Prague gets as they are the only team to beat Lourdes whom will be the top seed.

I also don't think Lourdes is the best team in the section, but on the ice they've won the games so they deserve the top seed. New Prague may be the best team in the section right now and the team I'd least want to face.

[davey]

The Missota is better than the Big Nine, Albert Lea does have some good games out of the conference in a win against Denfield and an OT loss to Int. Falls. They also have had many more easy games than anyone in the Missota. West deserves to be hurt by playing a weak schedule at least Albert Lea went to a quality tournament and fared well. It's going to come down to 2 things, how much respect the Big Nine teams give the Missota teams and how much respect New Prague gets as they are the only team to beat Lourdes whom will be the top seed.

I also don't think Lourdes is the best team in the section, but on the ice they've won the games so they deserve the top seed. New Prague may be the best team in the section right now and the team I'd least want to face.

Goldy, I don't think West should be hurt by their schedule. Reason is they have taken care of business in every game. Their two losses were to ranked teams by one goal, one game to Lourdes in which they were missing two of their top forwards, the other by a goal to AL in their barn. AL, RW and NP all have bad losses to either Northfield Owatonna or Shakopee. AL seems to me to be the most consistent team in the Section.

[nickel slots]

As they sit in section standings per follow the puck:

Albert Lea 18-4-0
Quality Wins: 6 (New Ulm, Century (2x), Denfeld, split w/West & Mayo)
Quality Losses: 2 (Ifalls, Lourdes)
Bad Losses: 1 (Owatonna)


Rochester Lourdes 16-6-0
Quality Wins: 7 (RW, Northfield, AL, Alexandria, Blake, Breck, MW)
Quality Losses: 4 (Ifalls, Cathedral, Little Falls, NP)
Bad Losses: 2 (Denfeld, STA) - these are bad losses only because they got blown out, not because they're not quality opponents.


Mankato West 19-2-0
Quality Wins: 4 (NP, Northfield, Mayo, split w/AL)
Quality Losses: 2 (Lourdes, split w/AL)
Bad Losses: 0 to West's credit, they have taken care of business against the teams the 'should' beat


Red Wing 13-6-2
Quality Wins: 6 (NP, Northfield 2x, Orono, Breck, So St Paul)
Quality Losses: 5 (AHA 2x, STA, Lourdes, Tartan)
Bad Losses: 1 (Shakopee)
Ties: their ties are a wash... one good tie against Mahtomedi, one not so good against Prior Lake

New Prague 16-6-0
Quality Wins: 5 (Orono, Denfeld, Delano, Lourdes, split w/Northfield)
Quality Losses: 5 (RW, AHA 2x, Eau Claire Memorial, Northfield)
Bad Losses: 1 (MW) again because of the margin, not because of the level of competition

Northfield 13-10-0
Quality Wins: 1 (NP)
Quality Losses: 7 (AHA, RW 2x, NP, Denfeld, Lourdes, MW)
Bad Losses: 3 (Faribault, Shakopee, Richfield)

Since not all of these teams have played each other, and the only quality common opponent for all these teams is Lourdes - albeit with very mixed results - let's try to put a point system in place that rewards quality wins and losses, but severely handicaps for bad losses.

Something like this?
Win = 5 points
Quality Win = 10 points
Quality Loss = 5 points
Bad Loss = -10 points

Team Wins QW QL BL Total
Albert Lea 18 6 2 1 150
Roch Lourdes 16 7 4 2 150
Mankato West 19 4 2 0 145
Red Wing 13 6 5 1 140
New Prague 16 5 5 1 140
Northfield 13 1 7 3 80

I was going to try to extrapolate this out over the rest of the season, but let's just see how things shake out. AL as one more quality opponent (Mayo), Lourdes has 2 (Totino-Grace and Mound Westonka), Mankato West has 1 (Century), Red Wing has 2 (Hermantown, NP), NP has 1 (RW), and Northfield has 1 (AHA). Since Quality Wins are so heavily weighted (as are bad losses), Lourdes has to be in the driver's seat, but any one of the top 5 could still conceivably be the #1 seed... using this system.

[SEMinnHockeyNut]

The seedings will take care of themselves..
The quarterfinals will be important because the #1 and #2 teams will likely face Faribault and LaCrescent - two teams that you can't look past, but are not as likely to pull off the upset (but I still think it could happen even if it shouldn't).

The 3rd seed and 4th seed will have tough opponents and should be very good games.

If a team survives after that, it gets a bit more interesting because the semi-finals are at the Rec Center - which is neutral ice for all four teams. The arena is a great place to watch a game, but not to play - it is warm/hot, the ice is slow, the boards create strange bounces, etc.
Also, the 1st game is at Noon....I think it is to West and AL's advantage to NOT be the top seed since they would have to wake up earlier for the 1st semi-final game, whereas Lourdes is right in town. The other game is at 6PM...the bad thing there is that the building will be even warmer and perhaps the ice even slower since it will have been filled up most of the day w/ the 1A and 1AA games before it.

[Jacketfan06]

im pulling for mankato west or albert lea.. make me proud boys

[tpshockey30]

The Missota is better than the Big Nine, Albert Lea does have some good games out of the conference in a win against Denfield and an OT loss to Int. Falls. They also have had many more easy games than anyone in the Missota. West deserves to be hurt by playing a weak schedule at least Albert Lea went to a quality tournament and fared well. It's going to come down to 2 things, how much respect the Big Nine teams give the Missota teams and how much respect New Prague gets as they are the only team to beat Lourdes whom will be the top seed.

I also don't think Lourdes is the best team in the section, but on the ice they've won the games so they deserve the top seed. New Prague may be the best team in the section right now and the team I'd least want to face.

Rite on goldy.

[stud-lee]

Nickle,

Not sure how you can count New Ulm as a quality win. They lost to Winona. Using this logic would MW get two more quality wins for twice beating winona?

[Puckhandler]

Nickle,

Not sure how you can count New Ulm as a quality win. They lost to Winona. Using this logic would MW get two more quality wins for twice beating winona?

Which would then mean A.L. would get two more quality wins because they beat Winona once, and will polish them off again next Friday.

[futureeagle]

so you know what impreses me about this section that the numbers 1-5 seed could have a really good showing at state its amazing and i am pulling for lourdes to make it i think they will get the one cause they beat west and al we will see though section tourney will be a good one this year

[hockeydad]

Interesting developments tonight

Lourdes loses 3-0 to Mound, despite putting 60 shots on the Mound goalie
Mayo beats Albert Lea (sorry, don't remember the score)
New Prague beats Red Wing 6-3. (3-3 going into 3rd, last goal was EN)
Haven't heard the West score from tonight yet.

[EaglehockeyI]

Interesting developments tonight

Lourdes loses 3-0 to Mound, despite putting 60 shots on the Mound goalie
Mayo beats Albert Lea (sorry, don't remember the score)
New Prague beats Red Wing 6-3. (3-3 going into 3rd, last goal was EN)
Haven't heard the West score from tonight yet.

west wins over century 4-2. new prague might be a player for a top 3 spot. lourdes losing to new prague earlier makes for some tough choices.
lourdes beat west, albert lea and red wing head to head. new prague splits with red wing. albert lea and west split. west beat new prague early on and will probably be the big-9 champs. right now you could make a case for 5 teams in just about any order.

[dipseydoodle17]

I cant wait to see the seeding for this section...I wish the coaches good luck.

[goldy313]

Albert Lea did themselves no favors tonight. You can't lose to mediocre teams like Mayo and Owatonna. Lourdes is still #1, West won the Big Nine and will be #2, because of their conference losses, I'd drop AL and make Red Wing #3, New Prague #4, Albert Lea #5, and Northfield #6. I wouldn't be to suprised if La Crescent fell in at #6 given their record.

[LetsPlayHockey]

Big win for Mankato West tonight because AL lost and so did Red Wing. Congratulations to West for winning the Big 9! The first time in their history. Ricky Litchfield also had 4 points and is now currently the leading scorer in the state. What happened to Albert Lea tonight? If someone was there let me know how Albert Lea lost that game! What does everyone think the section seeds look like now???

[EaglehockeyI]

Big win for Mankato West tonight because AL lost and so did Red Wing. Congratulations to West for winning the Big 9! The first time in their history. Ricky Litchfield also had 4 points and is now currently the leading scorer in the state. What happened to Albert Lea tonight? If someone was there let me know how Albert Lea lost that game! What does everyone think the section seeds look like now???

1) lourdes (head to head wins)
2) west ( big-9 champs)
3) albert lea ( still 2nd in big-9)
4) new prague ( coming on strong)
5) red wing (needed to beat hermantown and new prague, but didn't)
6) northfield
7) faribault
8) lacrescent ( coaches in missota and big-9 won't vote them very high)
9) waseca
10) lesueur/st peter
11) east
12) austin

[SEMinnHockeyNut]

What happened to Albert Lea tonight? If someone was there let me know how Albert Lea lost that game!

AL got outplayed. Mayo had a nice game plan and did not allow the Tigers to sustain a forecheck. The Spartans skated hard, played the body, moved the puck well and finished their chances.
Goldy might call them mediocre....I would say this is the team that should have been there all year long. The best part was there was no 3rd period letdown like Buffalo and LS.

It is still a 5 team race in 1A - don't count any of the big five out. I am just glad I don't have to seed this section!!!

[doubleOHseven]

New Prague beats Red Wing 6-3. (3-3 going into 3rd, last goal was EN)

Do you know if Red Wing's #12 Ryan Kesti was DQ'd for checking from behind in the their game against HTown, or was he part of the line-up for tonight?

[hockey McLovin]

no he only got a 2 and 10 for that he played defense tonight