Metro Player of the Year (Star Trib)

[hockey????]

Isn't it just shocking that all the girls that made first team All Metro played on the National team. What a shock. I am glad that the StarTribune really took the time to go to all the games and watch all the girls.

[chickendance]

Please...

Do you really honestly believe that there are only 18 great, good or deserving players in the metro? They picked three "teams" it is pretty obvious someone will get left out. I can't argue that the ones they named aren't deserving though either. Although I know many of you can.

As for the cidiots...according to the definition offered by State Champ 97 ("Having an over-inflated sense of self importance") I think they exist outstate too. In fact I know some of them. Hmmm...

I think the Bemidji Pioneer does an all area team in several sports, as does the St Cloud Times, Fargo Forum, Marshall Independent, Mankato Free Press, etc etc...

I think it's called selling papers. Duh...

[offsides]

Please...

Do you really honestly believe that there are only 18 great, good or deserving players in the metro? They picked three "teams" it is pretty obvious someone will get left out. I can't argue that the ones they named aren't deserving though either. Although I know many of you can.

As for the cidiots...according to the definition offered by State Champ 97 ("Having an over-inflated sense of self importance") I think they exist outstate too. In fact I know some of them. Hmmm...

I think the Bemidji Pioneer does an all area team in several sports, as does the St Cloud Times, Fargo Forum, Marshall Independent, Mankato Free Press, etc etc...

I think it's called selling papers. Duh...

Amen, chickendance, amen. I've been waiting all day far a "selling papers" post. Finally. Your other points are right on, too.

[xwildfan]

Isn't it just shocking that all the girls that made first team All Metro played on the National team. What a shock. I am glad that the StarTribune really took the time to go to all the games and watch all the girls.

Regarding the National Team; Wild, Grogan, and Bacon were on that team. Smith, Seeler, and Feste were not on the team.

Regarding the StarTribune staff going to all the games; pretty unrealistic. Of course, they don't know all of the good players. Whether we girls fans want to admit or not, girls hockey is way, way down on the totem pole of outside fan and local media interest. The only people interested in girls hockey are those who are directly involved: basically parents, relatives, friends, and coaches. The X will never come close to being full for a Girls State Tourney.

The people involved with girls hockey know who the top players are; and there are probably a pool of at least thirty players who could be considered for the All-Metro team.

Perhaps the StarTribune realized that their staff could not see all of the players and relied somewhat on the fact that perhaps any player who made the National Team, probably was good enough to be placed on the All Metro team. There were after all, several try-outs for the Nat. Team: Phase 1,2; a week of evaluations in Lake Placed; another week in Lake Placid for the Select Team; a three game series in Ottawa; and finally a week long Holiday Camp in Dec. 2007. I think any player who survived these evaluations should be strongly considered for the All Metro team, unless some really weird set of occurences happened in the HS season.

And I am sure the same disagreements will surface when the All State teams are selected. But it really doesn't make any difference because as mentioned before, the people involved with girls hockey know who the good ones are. Then the argument comes up about public recognition of the top players. Again, the general public couldn't care less about our sport. You could approach 100 people in Minnesota and ask them to name two top girls players and 99.9% of the general public wouldn't have a clue.

But all that being said; hockey is by far the best team sport for girls.

[twowayplay]

If you want an All-State team, go to the post that has D1 committments and read the list. That's probably your team + maybe 10 or so more. End of story. I think the amount of time spent by college scouts recruiting would make this a very valid list. Then we could argue all day about which 18 are the best.

Keep selling papers!

[MNHockeyFan]

xwildfan, great post - could not agree more with all of your points.

The other group I would add to the ranks of the "informed" would be the college coaches. They MUST know who the better players are, because their continued employment depends on it. If I were at the StarTribune and was one of those assigned to the task of selecting players to these teams, yet I couldn't get out to see all of the players being considered, I would definitely consult with some of the coaches (both D1 and D3) who do get out and see them. As a rule they are very good judges of talent.

[iceit]

my comment about the U18 team was not ment to be a shot at them! Only I wish we could've been part of it too, it seems to make a big difference in the general public knowing who you are and what you do and what you're good at. I totally agree if you are a U18 team player there is no question you deserve this recognition and probably more. It was kinda for me at least an "i wish" statement stupid i know.