WHAFightingSaints wrote:It's been fun jostling back and forth on the SEC Tie Fest topic with PPG and others, let's hear some other opinions.
Is the SEC better because of the balance, or is the CLC better because of the top two teams and their routine trips in March to St. Paul?
Alot of blowouts in the CLC are a nightly occurence, alot of ties and 1 goal games are a common in the SEC.
What's better?
PPG, I expect a witty commentary on this very important subject
CLC?
CSC = Classic Suburban Conference... Just what I've seen and use too.
IMO HM and STA would be the top teams in the SEC as well. You may dispute that but its just how I see it.
With that out of the way, the SEC is a lot more competitive thus making it more fun. That's what I enjoy. People may disagree; PPG probably likes the CSC because his team (HM) is in that conference. So there are going to be slight biases (like everything else).
I am an SEC fan through and through. It is fun because on any given night, the top team might lose. Every game seems like a rivalry game which IMO makes hockey fun to watch. HM and STA are fun teams to watch come section time because of all the talent they have, but with the SEC the talent is much more balanced rather than having it concentrated to two or three teams in the CSC.
So regular season: SEC
Section/State: CSC (aka HM and STA)
Just_Another_Fan wrote:I am an SEC fan through and through. It is fun because on any given night, the top team might lose. Every game seems like a rivalry game which IMO makes hockey fun to watch. HM and STA are fun teams to watch come section time because of all the talent they have, but with the SEC the talent is much more balanced rather than having it concentrated to two or three teams in the CSC.
So regular season: SEC
Section/State: CSC (aka HM and STA)
WHAFightingSaints wrote:It's been fun jostling back and forth on the SEC Tie Fest topic with PPG and others, let's hear some other opinions.
Is the SEC better because of the balance, or is the CLC better because of the top two teams and their routine trips in March to St. Paul?
Alot of blowouts in the CLC are a nightly occurence, alot of ties and 1 goal games are a common in the SEC.
What's better?
PPG, I expect a witty commentary on this very important subject
CLC?
CSC = Classic Suburban Conference... Just what I've seen and use too.
IMO HM and STA would be the top teams in the SEC as well. You may dispute that but its just how I see it.
With that out of the way, the SEC is a lot more competitive thus making it more fun. That's what I enjoy. People may disagree; PPG probably likes the CSC because his team (HM) is in that conference. So there are going to be slight biases (like everything else).
If Hill and STA were in the SEC, they would be at the top along with WBL and Stilwater. However, you would not see the double didgit blowouts you are seeing in the CSC.
Last edited by formerlybackofnet on Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
WHAFightingSaints wrote:It's been fun jostling back and forth on the SEC Tie Fest topic with PPG and others, let's hear some other opinions.
Is the SEC better because of the balance, or is the CLC better because of the top two teams and their routine trips in March to St. Paul?
Alot of blowouts in the CLC are a nightly occurence, alot of ties and 1 goal games are a common in the SEC.
What's better?
PPG, I expect a witty commentary on this very important subject
CLC?
CSC = Classic Suburban Conference... Just what I've seen and use too.
IMO HM and STA would be the top teams in the SEC as well. You may dispute that but its just how I see it.
With that out of the way, the SEC is a lot more competitive thus making it more fun. That's what I enjoy. People may disagree; PPG probably likes the CSC because his team (HM) is in that conference. So there are going to be slight biases (like everything else).
If Hill and STA were in the SEC, they would be at the top along with WBL and Stilwater. However, you would not see the double didgit blowouts you are seeing in the CSC.
I would say not as many. MV, ER, and Park would be decent bets.
What's nice about the CSC is that the top teams make some noise at the X in march(ie Hill Murray, St.Thomas, Mahtomedi)...while it seems to me that the SEC is a mediocre conference that has recently only put out Cretin as a contender at State.
north*hockey wrote:What's nice about the CSC is that the top teams make some noise at the X in march(ie Hill Murray, St.Thomas, Mahtomedi)...while it seems to me that the SEC is a mediocre conference that has recently only put out Cretin as a contender at State.
That was their best year ever (2006), and they took advantage of it. IMO
The CSC has both #1 ranked teams in the state. HM & STA are way ahead of everyone else in the conference. Mahtomedi is down this year after beating STA twice last year and playing HM tight both games. However SSP, NSP & Tartan are not bad teams. All 3 of those teams were hurt alot by their best players leaving early for junior hockey.
WBL & Stillwater are just not that much better than the rest of the conference. Park & East Ridge are not that much worse than everyone else. It certainly makes for more entertaining and competitive games.
I think the CSC is a better conference. They are better at the top, just as good in the middle and worse on the bottom than the SEC. The CSC is 6-1 against SEC teams so far this year. East Ridge over Henry Sibley is the only win for the SEC. Upcoming games between North St. Paul and Stillwater and NSP-Mounds View will help with the comparisions.
A 6-1 reacord isn't really saying much here. Outside of the 3 to 0 shutout of HM over WB, the losses are 1 goal games. Two wins are owned by STA, 1 HM, and the rest are the bottom feeders duking it out. Nobody from the CSC played Roseville, Stillwater, Forest Lake or Woodbury. I think the mid level teams would have a good chance of beating anyone below Hill or STA. Hands down, the SEC has a higher quantity of competitive teams.
Hill probably stays in the Classic Suburban Conference because of their other sports. Probably true of STA also.
Hill certainly schedules some tough out of conference teams when completing their season.
Classic Suburban is made up of smaller big schools and bigger small schools. Graduating classes at WB and SW are two or three times that of most CSC schools.
HM and STA have 12 practice/scrimmages on their schedule every season. while SEC teams have knock down dragouts from start to finish. Being rested and healthy at playoff time plus having the ability to tweak things helps HM and STA. While WBL licks thier wounds from STillwater they have to get ready for CDH and vise versa and up and down the SEC. SEC has a few eaker teams but Park and ER are at the bottom this season and they would handle every team but Hill and STA in the CSC. Mahotmedi had a couple good years but for the most part those teams Tartan, NSP, SSP might have played them tough for a game a season but were never really a threat. If Hill and/or STA played tougher competition from start to finish you would see a different ending.............just my thought.
First people say playing in the CSC is a "knock" on the Pioneers. Playing against weak competition overinflates how good they are and they will get exposeed in the post season. Now the thought process is playing in the CSC benefits HM and that is the reason they are successful come playoff time. Interesting. I don't hear too many Lake conference teams complaining about having to compete night in/out & yet, they seem to do just fine in post season games. Chronic losers always make make excuses.
eastside hockey wrote:I think the mid level teams would have a good chance of beating anyone below Hill or STA. Hands down, the SEC has a higher quantity of competitive teams.
I think that middle is what changes from year to year. Last year & the year prior SSP was solid, though this year they are not as strong, but they are still having a good year. Mahtomedi is down this year, but the last two years ended up winning sections. Tartan had a strong team the last two years, but they are a little down this year. North St. Paul was pretty solid the last two years, but is also down this year. Henry Sibley, Simley & Richfield just seem to live in the basement each year.
In general terms, the CSC top third seems to be better each year in large part due to HM & STA, middle third of both conferences changes every 2-3 years, bottom third seems to be pretty equal.
Might come as a shock to many on this site, but it is football and not hockey that is the number one HS sport in Minnesota.
Many D1 hockey recruits play football or would play if the recruiting college coach did not advise them to stop.
Again HM and STA do not dominate other sports and in fact most often fall into the middle somewhere - although they are certainly stregthening in baseball. The HM and STA athletic directors will not put their other sport athletes into a non competitive situation.
youngblood08 wrote:HM and STA have 12 practice/scrimmages on their schedule every season. while SEC teams have knock down dragouts from start to finish. Being rested and healthy at playoff time plus having the ability to tweak things helps HM and STA. While WBL licks thier wounds from STillwater they have to get ready for CDH and vise versa and up and down the SEC. SEC has a few eaker teams but Park and ER are at the bottom this season and they would handle every team but Hill and STA in the CSC. Mahotmedi had a couple good years but for the most part those teams Tartan, NSP, SSP might have played them tough for a game a season but were never really a threat. If Hill and/or STA played tougher competition from start to finish you would see a different ending.............just my thought.
Which would those be? I count 4 this year (6 in the past). Simley, Sibley and Richfield. Two years ago Tartan and SSP tied HM for 2nd in the conference; that same year Richfield beat Hill Murray.
I wouldn't say one is necessarily better. St Thomas beat both WBL (#1) and CDH (#5) each by a goal. My guess is they'd win the SEC in hockey, but would have some a couple more competitive games than they have now.
As is the discussion with other teams/conferences, they are where they are because of all sports. St Thomas dominates swimming and alpine skiing, HM doesn't any that I know but both are good as baseball.
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