Rapids at DE

[dulutheastfan]

6-2. Rapids scored with about 1 min left.

good win for them good job hounds

[grindiangrad-80]

I think East will be too much for the Indians.
Rapids will have to play better than they have lately.
6-2 Hounds.
Hope I am wrong.

I guess I wasn't wrong.
Congrats to East.
On to Greenway.

[karl(east)]

Another solid showing by the Hounds. Maybe that Century loss did its job and made them realize they can't take things for granted.

From the utterly useless fact department: this win clinches Duluth East's 56th consecutive winning season. Not bad.

[grindiangrad-80]

Another solid showing by the Hounds. Maybe that Century loss did its job and made them realize they can't take things for granted.

From the utterly useless fact department: this win clinches Duluth East's 56th consecutive winning season. Not bad.

That is impressive. Is there many other teams with a streak like that?

[Indians forever]

Another solid showing by the Hounds. Maybe that Century loss did its job and made them realize they can't take things for granted.

From the utterly useless fact department: this win clinches Duluth East's 56th consecutive winning season. Not bad.

That's amazing!!! Nice Job!!!

[karl(east)]

Another solid showing by the Hounds. Maybe that Century loss did its job and made them realize they can't take things for granted.

From the utterly useless fact department: this win clinches Duluth East's 56th consecutive winning season. Not bad.

That is impressive. Is there many other teams with a streak like that?

Not sure. I just counted them up in the Duluth East program, which has their won-lost records for every year of East hockey in it.

A lot of the suburban programs haven't been around that long, and a lot of the programs that were good back when this streak started have fallen off quite a bit. Maybe Roseau or Warroad; they seem the most likely. I wouldn't be the one to know, though.

[grindiangrad-80]

I wouldn't think there would be many. 56 years is a long time.

[Indians forever]

I wouldn't think there would be many. 56 years is a long time.

Tell me about it!!!!!!!!

[grindiangrad-80]

The more I think about that, the more impressive it sounds.

[karl(east)]

What I find most amazing about that run is that, aside from one strong run of about 6 years in the late 50s/early 60s and one random berth in the 70s, all of their state-level success has come during the Randolph Era. That's a lot of winning seasons with not much to show for them during the first 35 years of the streak.

[grindiangrad-80]

Who was in their section back then?

[east hockey]

Who was in their section back then?

Prior to the 1974-75 season, they were lumped in with the Iron Range teams.

I'll give you an example of what those years were like; in 1974, the top four North teams played against the top four South teams. In every case, the North team won. East, as the #1 south seed, lost to Virginia, the #4 North seed. That's what those years were like. Not often did a south team in Region 7 break through to the Region championship game. From 1966-74, the Region final was always between two North teams. The Duluth area was shut out.

Starting in the 1974-75 season (and going on through the 1990-91 season), the Duluth teams including Cloquet were placed in Region/Section 2 (by the way, does anyone know what season they stopped calling them regions and started calling them sections?). Section 2 was shared by the St. Cloud schools and some north suburban Twin Cities teams such as Anoka, Irondale, Columbia Heights, Kellogg, Alexander Ramsey, Roseville (merger of Kellogg and Ramsey), etc. Every so often a Duluth area team would break through; Cloquet in 1982, Denfeld in 1986, 1987 & 1989 and finally East in 1991. East had a string of fifteen seasons without a state tournament appearance. They had a winning record each season but could never seem to get "over the hump".

Man, those years were bad. Happily a distant memory. (Unless something happens this season in which case we're reliving the pain).

More info than you probably wanted, I'm sure but hey...only one game statewide tonight so I'm bored.

Lee

[karl(east)]

Lee or others probably know this stuff better than I do, as they were alive for it. Randolph started at DE before I was born.

Anyways, I can say that they were in Section 7 for the 4 tourney berths from 58-64, though twice they took that odd back-door route into it (including the year they won the title). In 1975, for their next appearance, they were in Section 2. This might be completely wrong, but I think this was their first year in the conference, considering this was the first year of private schools and therefore required a major realignment, including the end of the back-door way in for the North. They were in Section 2 until the A/AA split, dealing with teams like Mounds View, Irondale, Cloquet, Denfeld, Anoka...it was sort of an awkward north metro/St. Cloud/Duluth section, and its teams never won a state title or did much of anything. East was still in Section 2 when they jumped onto the state scene in 91 (the last year of 1-class hockey). Since then it's been 7AA.

[Lucia4President]

Another solid showing by the Hounds. Maybe that Century loss did its job and made them realize they can't take things for granted.

From the utterly useless fact department: this win clinches Duluth East's 56th consecutive winning season. Not bad.

I was looking at that in tonight's program, too. Just as impressive, I was talking to one of the parents, and she mentioned that the win over Denfeld this year was the 1000th win in the program's history.

As for the game, East played pretty well. I thought the 3rd line played great again tonight, getting some points and playing solid defensively. Hopefully they keep it up down the stretch. For Rapids, Rendle was solid. He made a few very smart defensive plays. One that stands out in my mind was the play he made on the 2 on 1, keeping Tardy to the outside and eliminating the pass across. He is a very skilled player.

[grindiangrad-80]

Thanks for the info fellas.
As for being bored, I know what you mean.
When the score hit 5-1 I was getting a little sleepy.

[GR3343]

Was a joke from start to finish. East was clearly better although didn't look great. 27 is hands down their best player. GR played like they didn't have a chance and knew it and never competed. Was an embarrassment to witness. Not all their players seemed like they wanted to be there and only a few seemed to give their all. If they're afraid to get hit or play a better team, find a new sport. As for the game itself, it never had any flow and was not a good game to watch.

[northwoods oldtimer]

Congrats to the Hounds for showing metal and ripping through a gutless Thunderhawk team. Too bad the current team was not as fiesty as its fans it might have actually been a game. Sounds like a complete drubbing of a gutless team by the Hounds.

[TheHockeyDJ]

I feel bad for Sam Rendle, that kid brings his game every day and looks like his sophmore year was the only year he had others around him willing to work as hard.

[Bigcat99]

East was clearly better...

GR played like they didn't have a chance and knew it and never competed...

Not all their players seemed like they wanted to be there...

As for the game itself, it never had any flow and was not a good game to watch.

After watching this game, I agree on all these accounts. Most of the GR team did not show up ready to play a better team last night, and therefore got the drubbing. They still have a lot of growing to do, but right now it doesn't look like they will do it in time to compete with the teams like East come playoffs.

For Rapids fans, let's just hope they show up to play in Coleraine tonight.

[Bigcat99]

I feel bad for Sam Rendle, that kid brings his game every day...

Agree.

One player cannot beat a team though. Consistency across the lineup has to be there night in and night out for a team to be successful. These are good kids, and they just have to keep working hard every day.

[PuckTime]

I feel bad for Sam Rendle, that kid brings his game every day and looks like his sophmore year was the only year he had others around him willing to work as hard.

How are you able to judge Rendle from where you're at? How are you able to judge anyone or how hard they work?
You have no idea who does and doesn't show up to play and to lump the whole team into that category is just plain wrong.
It's about the orange and black, not about just Rendle. It's about needing the whole team and teaching team unity and trusting your teammates.
Maybe one of these days the coaches will pull their heads out and see that. They are not going to win with this team trying to build it around a few players. They need to utilize every player and let them play their roles. EACH of them, not just the supposed "studs" on the team.

[TheHockeyDJ]

What is the outlook for Grand Rapids next season?

[Indians forever]

I feel bad for Sam Rendle, that kid brings his game every day and looks like his sophmore year was the only year he had others around him willing to work as hard.

One thing for sure Rendle is the straw that stirs the drink for this team!

[TheHockeyDJ]

I feel bad for Sam Rendle, that kid brings his game every day and looks like his sophmore year was the only year he had others around him willing to work as hard.

How are you able to judge Rendle from where you're at? How are you able to judge anyone or how hard they work?
You have no idea who does and doesn't show up to play and to lump the whole team into that category is just plain wrong.
It's about the orange and black, not about just Rendle. It's about needing the whole team and teaching team unity and trusting your teammates.
Maybe one of these days the coaches will pull their heads out and see that. They are not going to win with this team trying to build it around a few players. They need to utilize every player and let them play their roles. EACH of them, not just the supposed "studs" on the team.

Woe, don't get me wrong, I'm not an expert, but everyone who was at the game was saying the effort wasn't there, so what am I supposed to conclude? BTW, who are you to judge the coaches? Hypocrite???

[PuckTime]

I feel bad for Sam Rendle, that kid brings his game every day and looks like his sophmore year was the only year he had others around him willing to work as hard.

How are you able to judge Rendle from where you're at? How are you able to judge anyone or how hard they work?
You have no idea who does and doesn't show up to play and to lump the whole team into that category is just plain wrong.
It's about the orange and black, not about just Rendle. It's about needing the whole team and teaching team unity and trusting your teammates.
Maybe one of these days the coaches will pull their heads out and see that. They are not going to win with this team trying to build it around a few players. They need to utilize every player and let them play their roles. EACH of them, not just the supposed "studs" on the team.

Woe, don't get me wrong, I'm not an expert, but everyone who was at the game was saying the effort wasn't there, so what am I supposed to conclude? BTW, who are you to judge the coaches? Hypocrite???

The team was no doubt flat last night and half didn't look like they cared to even be there - HALF - so to say that Rendle is the only one who brings his game every night is not true. To say he doesn't have people around him willing to work as hard, not true. There are others on that team that work their arses off too - every shift, every game. They are not "Rendle" type players, but you can't take away work ethic because of that.

As far as the coaches - how am I a hypocrite? I don't think they are utilizing the talent and skills of all the kids on the team. They are trying to win with about 7-8 kids and those kids don't have enough talent for it to work the same way it worked a few years ago.
They are actually being forced to COACH now and I don't think they've done a good job this year. Most of the time they are too busy matching lines to even really watch a game.
I may be wrong, but I've been around hockey my whole life and that's how I see it.