Upper Midwest Elite Girls High School League Season II 2009

[observer]

They should not be using subs. With these fat rosters they should go with what they got and I agree on your point regarding the ones that paid. 9 skaters and goalie and go for it.

[joehockey]

We missed the action this weekend how were the 10/3-4 games?

[joehockey]

East 3 West 0 in first game Saturday.

Not sure how the SSM vs Outstate went?

[joehockey]

Saturday
East 3 West 0
Shattuck 13 Outstate 3

Sunday
West 2 Outsta 1
Shattuck 7 East 6

East 3 Outstate 2 OT
West 4 Shattuck 1

So half way through the season (3) weekends there has been greeat hockey and a lot more parity than a year ago with the HS Girls competing well with SSM versus a year ago.

[joehockey]

So going into the final weekend here are the standings. There is one game missing for Shattuck the Thunder Bay Game they won at St. Cloud so these standing probably should have SSM on top.

Team Standings
Team Name GP W L T PTS GF GA PIM LAST 5 STREAK
Metro West 9 6-3-0 12 26 18 98 3-2-0 2-0-0
Shattuck 8 5-1-2 12 38 18 34 4-1-0 0-1-0
Metro East 9 5-3-1 11 27 17 90 3-2-0 1-0-0
Outstate 9 1 6-2-4 16 45 62 0-5-0 0-6-1

Shattuck is off somewhere this weekend and the MN Crunch are playing as a guest. Great opportunity for the Crunch who are the Post Grad U19 program out of Grand Rapids.

For Next Weekend Two All Star Teams will be picked at the end of this weekend (so instead of three teams there will be 2) plus Shattuck will play 5 other Junior Guests in the Bauer National Invitational Tournament at New Hope. Last year there was a single HS All Star Team that won the Tournament. Does anyone know who the 5 other teams are?

[gogogophers35]

The teams and schedule are listed in Let's Play Hockey.

[joehockey]

East Metro 2 MN Crunch 1 OT

Wild game East outshot Crunch more than 2 to 1 but was tied at the end of regulation and after 5 min overtime. Bethany Brausen and Hannah Brandt scored for the East and Ali McKeever shut out the Crunch shooters. The Crunch program has stepped up a lot over a year ago.

[Media]

The Minnesota Crunch goal was scored by Carly Kuhbander from St Louis Park Minnesota. Brianna Schulz (Prior Lake) was again spectacular in goal giving up just 1 goal in her last three games.

[joehockey]

East Metro 2 MN Crunch 1 OT

Wild game East outshot Crunch more than 2 to 1 but was tied at the end of regulation and after 5 min overtime. Bethany Brausen and Hannah Brandt scored for the East and Ali McKeever shut out the Crunch shooters. The Crunch program has stepped up a lot over a year ago.

Sorry Brandt and Brausen scored in shoot out. Meghan Lorence scored first goal of the game for East Metro

[joehockey]

Saturday Night

East 2 Crunch 1 OT SO
West 5 Outstate 2

Sunday Morning

West 6 Crunch 0 (shots 63 to 13)
East 5 Outstate 3

[joehockey]

Final Sunday Afternoon Games

Outstate 6 Crunch 0 (Again very lop sided shots like 60 to 10)
West 3 East 0

The MN Crunch although improved over season one still have a ways to go - but it is a great MN option for girls who want to play post grad hockey. They really had a hard time staying out of the box and were no match 5-4. The Crunch fans are certainly a vocal support group - you know when they are in the building.

The Two All Star Teams were posted for next weekend there are two teams but not balanced as most had assumed. The Red Team is stacked and should win the Tournament. The White Team is good and should compete. Balmoral Hall is a top team from Winnipeg, Chicago Mission features Kendal Coyne one of the top US players in the class of 2010. Shattuck features Amanda Kessel - the other top player in class of 2010. Little Ceasars (MI) has 5 top D1 players and won the NAHA tournamnet 5-0 over the Ice Cats. So great weekend of Hockey next weekend at the two New Hope rinks hopefully a lot of people will turn out to see the best HS age hockey in the state (sorry yes better than the MN State HS tourney will be next Feb). Gate - Adults $6 Kids 4-17 $4 or weekend pass for $15. Kids wearing a MN Youth Assoc Jersey get in free (not sure if team jersey will be out for all Assoc yet but great idea)

Friday Oct 23
10-11:30 Shattuck vs Chicago Mission (exhibition game)
11:45-1:15 PM Little Ceasars (MI) vs Balmoral Hall (CDN)
6:30-8 PM MN Red vs. Little Ceasars (MI)
6:45-8:15 PM Shattuck vs Balmoral Hall
8:15-9:45 PM MN White vs Mission

Saturday Oct 24
10-11:30 MN Red vs Mission
11:45-1:15 PM MN White vs. Balmoral Hall
11:45-1:15 PM Little Ceasars (MI) vs Shattuck (exhibition game)
6:30-8 PM MN Red vs Shattuck
6:45-8:15 PM Mission vs Balmoral Hall
8:15-9:45 PM MN White vs Little Ceasars (MI)

Sunday Oct 25
8:30 5th Place game
10:15 3rd Place Game
10:15 Championship Game

Great job on the evolution of the League in season 2 for all involved. It will be fun to see the League evolve in future years.

[SportsMa]

What are the rosters for the two all star teams?

[gogogophers35]

[/quote]The Two All Star Teams were posted for next weekend there are two teams but not balanced as most had assumed. The Red Team is stacked and should win the Tournament. The White Team is good and should compete.

So they picked the the All-Star teams the same way they set the league up did you expect them to do anything diffrent.The East and West teams were stacked while the outstate team was short changed.No practices and
coaches who did not teach anything.I would not recomend this league to anyone as a Development League because there was no development for the Outstate team. [/quote]

[observer]

How could that be? There are actually metro girls on the outstate team to fill out the roster. It's tough to have the same opportunities outstate as the metro as the metro girls have the convenience of easy travel and unlimited amount of off season development opportunities. Very difficult for the small town player to keep up. The metro also has several more one sport athletes with huge dedication to a single sport. A strong girl athlete, and hockey player, from a smaller town is much more likely to be needed on the soccer team, volleyball, etc. than any particular metro girl. Although you gotta like Buie (I've never seen her play) considered one of the top hockey players in her class and also the top metro soccer scorer. Participating in the Elite League too. That's impressive. But even that duel schedule is more difficult outstate.

[Melvin44]

I feel the problem is that this isn't boy's elite and won't have the outstate numbers to properly represent outstate. Make 3 even teams, don't worry about putting all outstate together and make sure you get up front dates girls won't be attending. Also it seems Outstate players are outstanding hockey players but do have a tendency to hold onto the puck a little longer because they have to for their HS teams. I do feel they adjusted and got better each week. East and West had many players who have played together and it made a difference.

Outstate always had at least 5 players missing for every game. I heard some where missing because of concerts, bowling, school dances, just didn't feel like playing. This is wrong. Yes it's important to do things other than hockey but this league is I think for girls wanting to play at the next level and when you have 5 elite players missing it's hard to do this. Some players missed 7-8 games! East rarely had players missing.

Let the coaches/organizers know before the teams are picked if you're not going to attend. or don't take a spot of someone who really wants to be there.

My daughter hates to lose but did have a good experience and met new friends. I thought outstate coaches did a great job with what they had to work with.

I also feel the teams aren't even for this weekend. In hockey anything can happen and it will be a good experience for the girls. Maybe they will switch some players around?

[hockeya1a]

I also feel the teams aren't even for this weekend. In hockey anything can happen and it will be a good experience for the girls. Maybe they will switch some players around?

and also as we have seen in the past sometimes the team that looks good on paper is not the best,

[royals dad]

Is this really a development league? I always thought this was more about having games with the top skill level kids. When this league first started on the boys side it was a response to the kids who were leaving MN HS early to get the opportunity to be seen by scouts, play on lines with higher caliber talent, and increase game count. I think it has worked well on the boys side, a least it has slowed the pace of change down. Is the mission much different on the girls side, is the league working for the girls?


Are the all star rosters posted somewhere? Should be a good weekend of hockey in New Hope.

[bghockey]

The outstate had an uphill battle from the start with a number of northern player's not participating and being replaced by alternates. After seeing how the teams were set up and some of the other things that went on, along with fall sports, college visits, a number of girls quit coming. This league is its own worst enemy. It should be set up to further building skills and less worry about playing games. The attendance on Saturday evenings wasn't very good and the girls that did show up often didn't want to be there. I think you'll see more of the top girls skip this league next fall. There are better ways to spend your $$ and your time than playing on a team of four lines and getting 3-4 shifts a period while alternates are out there skating around. Just an opinion

[Melvin44]

This should not be only about development. This league should be about helping girls get to another level of hockey. There were many college scouts in attendence and a better format than last year.

This league is for giving a elite player the chance to play with other elite girls and hopefully a opportunity to play college hockey. There are many other programs designed for development.

Just make all teams even. Don't invite the Crunch unless they change their attitude. Make sure players know attendence is important! Maybe state you must play in a min of 9 games to make the allstar team?

[hockeya1a]

This should not be only about development. This league should be about helping girls get to another level of hockey. There were many college scouts in attendence and a better format than last year.

This league is for giving a elite player the chance to play with other elite girls and hopefully a opportunity to play college hockey. There are many other programs designed for development.

Just make all teams even. Don't invite the Crunch unless they change their attitude(very vulgar language). Make sure players know attendence is important!

Also if that is the case, "to be seen by scouts" then maybe those that have already committed somewhere should not play in the league. if there are any.
That way there would be other opportunities for those that might need it.

[Melvin44]

This should not be only about development. This league should be about helping girls get to another level of hockey. There were many college scouts in attendence and a better format than last year.

This league is for giving a elite player the chance to play with other elite girls and hopefully a opportunity to play college hockey. There are many other programs designed for development.

Just make all teams even. Don't invite the Crunch unless they change their attitude(very vulgar language). Make sure players know attendence is important!

Also if that is the case, "to be seen by scouts" then maybe those that have already committed somewhere should not play in the league. if there are any.
That way there would be other opportunities for those that might need it.

Good point but that might water down the talent. I think the college scouts come out to see their recuits and new possibilities. We want the best teams possible to show we can play with anyone.

Maybe pick the allstar teams based by Jr's and Sr's? I know there's always???

[bghockey]

A better combination of skills and games is my suggestion. The boys have a weekend of skills and evaluation to begin their league. I don't buy the performing in front of scouts argument. Once we got to October the number of scouts at games dwindled. This past weekend there was one Div. 3 scout on Saturday and Yale, UMD and Wisconsin Eau Claire represented yesterday. The weekend before about the same. Once the colleges start their seasons and play on Saturday's they're not sending anyone to scout. A number of parents yesterday suggested not playing on a couple of the Saturdays at all. This would give a break to fall athletes and probably help attendance of the player's, especially during the first two weekends of October, which are usually Homecoming at a number of high schools. They have to be kids too. Four weekends in a row is a lot to ask.

[Melvin44]

A better combination of skills and games is my suggestion. The boys have a weekend of skills and evaluation to begin their league. I don't buy the performing in front of scouts argument. Once we got to October the number of scouts at games dwindled. This past weekend there was one Div. 3 scout on Saturday and Yale, UMD and Wisconsin Eau Claire represented yesterday. The weekend before about the same. Once the colleges start their seasons and play on Saturday's they're not sending anyone to scout. A number of parents yesterday suggested not playing on a couple of the Saturdays at all. This would give a break to fall athletes and probably help attendance of the player's, especially during the first two weekends of October, which are usually Homecoming at a number of high schools. They have to be kids too. Four weekends in a row is a lot to ask.

Not if they love the game or want to play at the next level. I'll bet there will be scouts this weekend.

[iceage]

On the Elite II side of things, this was purely a money raising thing. It cost the Elite II girls $100.00 dollars more to play than the Elite I girls and there were 90 girls. Many girls have not shown up for games and some teams had to give players to the opposing team and some games went four-on-four. One game had six players on one side and seven players on the other. Something has to be done to make it easier on the out-state players. In most games that I saw it seemed like the refs just wanted to get the game over with. Very rough play. Very unfair to the smaller quicker players. In a sense though it is good experience trying to carry a puck in these conditions. I did not see all games so I can't judge the ones I did not see. But for the ones that I did, I have to shake my head. But this was the first year so I should probably wait to see if any changes come about.

[wild77]

This has been asked several times in this thread, but I will try it one more time. Are these teams posted on a website anywhere or can someone post the teams?