Eagan @ H-M 1/31

[HappyHockeyFan]

I'll be honest, I had very high hopes for this Hill-Murray team, and there problem this season is what has typically been their strength, their depth. 1.5 lines deep MAYBE at the forwards, and Heinrich is out about every other shift. Dugas is a very good, and very capable goalie, but the team has no depth. Their offseason losses of Herlofsky, Johnson, and Wood hurt them a ton, as well as losing Voltin. They could've had a great team this year but without those guys they are a very shallow team.

Don't get me wrong, I think that Eagan has a nice team, good defensive core and some good offensive players, but there is a very fine line between them and the elite teams in the state. They had a nice run last year at the Xcel but their record is deceptive this year. Fortunately for them they have a pretty weak section so they most likely will be at the X come March, but they won't be able to knock off a Duluth East, or a Minnetonka, or an Edina team.

Sorry but, your so wrong, there isnt a single team Eagan can't beat and its ridiculous to think otherwise.

It's High School hockey, most teams can beat almost any team on a given night. Obviously there are exceptions to that. You could start by listing some significant wins by your squad so far this season. Really tough Holiday tournament that they battled through.... Wins against a roller coaster ride Burnsville squad, and limping past Kloos and Lakeville South, really impressive. Like I said, they've got a nice squad, but Hill-Murray is the first team in the top 10 that they've beaten all season.

Do you have amnesia or been hit in the head with a puck recently?? This is the same group of players that won 3rd place at State a season ago, they have losses to two very good teams by a combined 3 goals. This squad is more than capable of winning State, You think they cant beat East?? East barely got by Superior WI tonight, you obviously either dont like Eagan for some personal reason or have no ability to judge talent. Anybody reasonable on this site will tell you that Eagan has a ton of talent, several that will go on to play D1 college hockey. You have NO credibility. You should quit posting to save from embarrasing yourself anymore.

[PuckU126]

Do you have amnesia or been hit in the head with a puck recently?? This is the same group of players that won 3rd place at State a season ago, they have losses to two very good teams by a combined 3 goals. This squad is more than capable of winning State, You think they cant beat East?? East barely got by Superior WI tonight, you obviously either dont like Eagan for some personal reason or have no ability to judge talent. Anybody reasonable on this site will tell you that Eagan has a ton of talent, several that will go on to play D1 college hockey. You have NO credibility. You should quit posting to save from embarrasing yourself anymore.

GrumpyHockeyFan

[mnhockfan99]

I have no horse in the race here but I've seen Eagan and many of the top teams this season multiple times..I think Eagan is darn good and would be in my top 4 with East, Tonka and MapleGrove. They have mulitple top-end skill guys who can hurt you, team depth, good seniors, and mutiple guys who will play competiive hockey after high school...those are some of the characteristics of teams who generally win titles...not saying they will, but I think they have the ability to. I think this year's tourney could be as great as wev'e seen in a long time because each section has a team(s) who depending on who comes out of them could beat any other team in a one game setting. Couldn't say that in other year's....

[BogeyMan]

How much fun would this be on Thurs March 8th......I dont care what combination of teams playing each other. Game on!!

L South
Tonka
Eagan
Hill Murray
Maple Grove
Edina
Duluth East
Moorhead

[UntouchableFlow]

How much fun would this be on Thurs March 8th......I dont care what combination of teams playing each other. Game on!!

L South
Tonka
Eagan
Hill Murray
Maple Grove
Edina
Duluth East
Moorhead

As even and as deep as a State tournament has been for quite a while.

[Pioneerprideguy]

How much fun would this be on Thurs March 8th......I dont care what combination of teams playing each other. Game on!!

L South
Tonka
Eagan
Hill Murray
Maple Grove
Edina
Duluth East
Moorhead

That would mean sections would be void of an upset of a top seed. The Tourney is fun but the real excitement is the journey getting there. This field would be nice, but history indicates it won't happen.

[Rich Clarke]

.[/quote]Do you have amnesia or been hit in the head with a puck recently?? This is the same group of players that won 3rd place at State a season ago, they have losses to two very good teams by a combined 3 goals. This squad is more than capable of winning State, You think they cant beat East?? East barely got by Superior WI tonight, you obviously either dont like Eagan for some personal reason or have no ability to judge talent. Anybody reasonable on this site will tell you that Eagan has a ton of talent, several that will go on to play D1 college hockey. You have NO credibility. You should quit posting to save from embarrasing yourself anymore. [/quote]

Unbelievable. You are so threatened with the facts that you get hysterical when faced with some objectivity. What did he say do you disagree with? That Eagan's only win over a top ten team this year was a close win over no. 10 Hill Murray? That's a fact. That they struggled past a decent but not outstanding Lakeville South team not once but twice? Fact. That they barely beat a terrible Woodbury team? Fact. I get it that Eagan is much better than their weak schedule has allowed them to demonstrate--that's why everyone has them in the top five. From what I read in the comments you blasted, so would the writer of those comments. But you don't get to simply anoint yourself an elite team. You have to prove it and Eagan has played three top ten teams and lost two, including to a team ranked behind them. It may not be the team's fault that they don't play the top teams, but in the rare cases when they get the opportunity they need to prove themselves. Unlike Minnetonka, who can lay an egg against Edina or EP and prove themselves the next game against Duluth East or Wayzata, Eagan has to be judged on what they do when they get the rare opportunity. And so far their actual results are far less impressive than those of EP, Edina, and perhaps even Moorhead. And yet even those who point this out acknowledge that the Wildcats have the talent to possibly play with the elite. It's not the fault of those voicing reality that Eagan has failed thus far to play up to the hype.

And what's the hype based on? The fact that this is the same group of players who took third place last year? Really? Eagan was the tenth ranked team that managed to get through an easy section with a 1-0 win over an unranked Apple Valley team. It then beat an unranked Moorhead team before getting thoroughly outclassed 5-1 by an Eden Prairie team who was a good and deserving champion, but who also didn't blow out decent teams (in addition to needing three overtimes to beat East, the Eagles were 3-1-2 against Edina, Minnetonka, and Wayzata, outscoring them only 19-18 in six games). They had no such problems with Eagan. Finally, in the third-place game Eagan beat Edina 5-3 with an empty-net goal after the Hornets had lost an overtime semifinal game and played the Eagan game like they didn't want to be there. Eagan's playoff run in 2011 hardly justifies anyone declaring the older 2012 team to be anything more than another top ten team in the mix. For them to go from there to elite status, they need to beat the top teams. Until they do, your suggestion that people questioning their status must have been hit in the head by a puck speaks poorly of you.

This year, Eagan will again have a cakewalk in section three. Their schedule all but ensures that they won't lose another game during the regular season, so they almost certainly will be a seeded team. The first real test if they are truly an elite team will come in the semis, likely against Duluth East, Maple Grove or Minnetonka. On a given night, they may be capable of beating any of those teams. But I doubt many people wouldn't legitimately see Eagan as a clear underdog. Of course, if we don't get upsets in the sectionals this year, they'll still have to get past a team like Moorhead, Edina, Hill Murray, or Lakeville South. Given the close games they've played against the weaker two of those four teams, Eagan may have a tough time avoiding Mariucci.

My point? I don't hear anyone saying Eagan is not a very good team. What I hear from you is hysteria that people want to see Eagan prove that they belong with the likes of East, Maple Grove, and Minnetonka. Those people are hardly being unreasonable or deserving of your insults.

[UntouchableFlow]

.Do you have amnesia or been hit in the head with a puck recently?? This is the same group of players that won 3rd place at State a season ago, they have losses to two very good teams by a combined 3 goals. This squad is more than capable of winning State, You think they cant beat East?? East barely got by Superior WI tonight, you obviously either dont like Eagan for some personal reason or have no ability to judge talent. Anybody reasonable on this site will tell you that Eagan has a ton of talent, several that will go on to play D1 college hockey. You have NO credibility. You should quit posting to save from embarrasing yourself anymore.

Unbelievable. You are so threatened with the facts that you get hysterical when faced with some objectivity. What did he say do you disagree with? That Eagan's only win over a top ten team this year was a close win over no. 10 Hill Murray? That's a fact. That they struggled past a decent but not outstanding Lakeville South team not once but twice? Fact. That they barely beat a terrible Woodbury team? Fact. I get it that Eagan is much better than their weak schedule has allowed them to demonstrate--that's why everyone has them in the top five. From what I read in the comments you blasted, so would the writer of those comments. But you don't get to simply anoint yourself an elite team. You have to prove it and Eagan has played three top ten teams and lost two, including to a team ranked behind them. It may not be the team's fault that they don't play the top teams, but in the rare cases when they get the opportunity they need to prove themselves. Unlike Minnetonka, who can lay an egg against Edina or EP and prove themselves the next game against Duluth East or Wayzata, Eagan has to be judged on what they do when they get the rare opportunity. And so far their actual results are far less impressive than those of EP, Edina, and perhaps even Moorhead. And yet even those who point this out acknowledge that the Wildcats have the talent to possibly play with the elite. It's not the fault of those voicing reality that Eagan has failed thus far to play up to the hype.

And what's the hype based on? The fact that this is the same group of players who took third place last year? Really? Eagan was the tenth ranked team that managed to get through an easy section with a 1-0 win over an unranked Apple Valley team. It then beat an unranked Moorhead team before getting thoroughly outclassed 5-1 by an Eden Prairie team who was a good and deserving champion, but who also didn't blow out decent teams (in addition to needing three overtimes to beat East, the Eagles were 3-1-2 against Edina, Minnetonka, and Wayzata, outscoring them only 19-18 in six games). They had no such problems with Eagan. Finally, in the third-place game Eagan beat Edina 5-3 with an empty-net goal after the Hornets had lost an overtime semifinal game and played the Eagan game like they didn't want to be there. Eagan's playoff run in 2011 hardly justifies anyone declaring the older 2012 team to be anything more than another top ten team in the mix. For them to go from there to elite status, they need to beat the top teams. Until they do, your suggestion that people questioning their status must have been hit in the head by a puck speaks poorly of you.

This year, Eagan will again have a cakewalk in section three. Their schedule all but ensures that they won't lose another game during the regular season, so they almost certainly will be a seeded team. The first real test if they are truly an elite team will come in the semis, likely against Duluth East, Maple Grove or Minnetonka. On a given night, they may be capable of beating any of those teams. But I doubt many people wouldn't legitimately see Eagan as a clear underdog. Of course, if we don't get upsets in the sectionals this year, they'll still have to get past a team like Moorhead, Edina, Hill Murray, or Lakeville South. Given the close games they've played against the weaker two of those four teams, Eagan may have a tough time avoiding Mariucci.

My point? I don't hear anyone saying Eagan is not a very good team. What I hear from you is hysteria that people want to see Eagan prove that they belong with the likes of East, Maple Grove, and Minnetonka. Those people are hardly being unreasonable or deserving of your insults.

^^ I like this guy. Very good post. Some High School hockey fans don't know how to separate hype from proven results. If Eagan knocks off a top team in the State besides a struggling Hill-Murray, I"ll give them all of the respect that they deserve, but until then, I don't buy the hype.

[HappyHockeyFan]

.Do you have amnesia or been hit in the head with a puck recently?? This is the same group of players that won 3rd place at State a season ago, they have losses to two very good teams by a combined 3 goals. This squad is more than capable of winning State, You think they cant beat East?? East barely got by Superior WI tonight, you obviously either dont like Eagan for some personal reason or have no ability to judge talent. Anybody reasonable on this site will tell you that Eagan has a ton of talent, several that will go on to play D1 college hockey. You have NO credibility. You should quit posting to save from embarrasing yourself anymore.

Unbelievable. You are so threatened with the facts that you get hysterical when faced with some objectivity. What did he say do you disagree with? That Eagan's only win over a top ten team this year was a close win over no. 10 Hill Murray? That's a fact. That they struggled past a decent but not outstanding Lakeville South team not once but twice? Fact. That they barely beat a terrible Woodbury team? Fact. I get it that Eagan is much better than their weak schedule has allowed them to demonstrate--that's why everyone has them in the top five. From what I read in the comments you blasted, so would the writer of those comments. But you don't get to simply anoint yourself an elite team. You have to prove it and Eagan has played three top ten teams and lost two, including to a team ranked behind them. It may not be the team's fault that they don't play the top teams, but in the rare cases when they get the opportunity they need to prove themselves. Unlike Minnetonka, who can lay an egg against Edina or EP and prove themselves the next game against Duluth East or Wayzata, Eagan has to be judged on what they do when they get the rare opportunity. And so far their actual results are far less impressive than those of EP, Edina, and perhaps even Moorhead. And yet even those who point this out acknowledge that the Wildcats have the talent to possibly play with the elite. It's not the fault of those voicing reality that Eagan has failed thus far to play up to the hype.

And what's the hype based on? The fact that this is the same group of players who took third place last year? Really? Eagan was the tenth ranked team that managed to get through an easy section with a 1-0 win over an unranked Apple Valley team. It then beat an unranked Moorhead team before getting thoroughly outclassed 5-1 by an Eden Prairie team who was a good and deserving champion, but who also didn't blow out decent teams (in addition to needing three overtimes to beat East, the Eagles were 3-1-2 against Edina, Minnetonka, and Wayzata, outscoring them only 19-18 in six games). They had no such problems with Eagan. Finally, in the third-place game Eagan beat Edina 5-3 with an empty-net goal after the Hornets had lost an overtime semifinal game and played the Eagan game like they didn't want to be there. Eagan's playoff run in 2011 hardly justifies anyone declaring the older 2012 team to be anything more than another top ten team in the mix. For them to go from there to elite status, they need to beat the top teams. Until they do, your suggestion that people questioning their status must have been hit in the head by a puck speaks poorly of you.

This year, Eagan will again have a cakewalk in section three. Their schedule all but ensures that they won't lose another game during the regular season, so they almost certainly will be a seeded team. The first real test if they are truly an elite team will come in the semis, likely against Duluth East, Maple Grove or Minnetonka. On a given night, they may be capable of beating any of those teams. But I doubt many people wouldn't legitimately see Eagan as a clear underdog. Of course, if we don't get upsets in the sectionals this year, they'll still have to get past a team like Moorhead, Edina, Hill Murray, or Lakeville South. Given the close games they've played against the weaker two of those four teams, Eagan may have a tough time avoiding Mariucci.

My point? I don't hear anyone saying Eagan is not a very good team. What I hear from you is hysteria that people want to see Eagan prove that they belong with the likes of East, Maple Grove, and Minnetonka. Those people are hardly being unreasonable or deserving of your insults.

^^ I like this guy. Very good post. Some High School hockey fans don't know how to separate hype from proven results. If Eagan knocks off a top team in the State besides a struggling Hill-Murray, I"ll give them all of the respect that they deserve, but until then, I don't buy the hype.

Decent post with some interesting facts, although I tend to interpret some of them differently than you. I am not going to go into detail about all that happened last season other than to say 3rd place is 3rd place and I dont buy all the crap about Edina not wanting to be there and didnt try, do you think Eagan wanted to be there?? They came, they played, they won the game. As for this year, I will agree that they havent had the same schedule that some other teams have had but they have the same core player 3rd place team back from last year, they have played EP and Tonka very close and that tells me that if they played 10 times each they would probably split. Eagan has a minimum of 6 players that will play D1 next year, that alone is indicitive of their talent regardless if they havent played the toughest of schedules or not. This team is as elite as any team ahead of them in the standings. Thats why they have been rock solid at #4 all season long by every legitimate rankings out there regardless of there schedule, because the people that do these rankings understand that this is an elite team and they are a very legitimate contender for the State Title. You criticize them for having two close wins over Lakeville South?? Thats ridiculous considering they have Kloos/Harvey and a decent supporting cast. What about Duluth East barely getting by Superiour the other night? Give me a break, you obviously havent seen Eagan play or at least not very much. I have seen them play a dozen games at least this year along with seeing every other team in the top 10 or 12 to compare them with and trust me, they are every bit as good as East, Tonka and MG. Your in denial if you think other wise.

[Rich Clarke]

If the best you can say is that your team loses games to good teams closely, you're the denial expert. A lot of teams do that--like Superior. Actually winning is another thing. And counting division one players does not make a great team. Those players have to produce under big game pressure, not just light up the board against average teams. When they actually do, I'll tip my hat. But if I were you I'd show some respect for the other teams in the top ten and keep your hat on--at least until Eagan accomplishes something.

But I guess Edina, Wayzata, Moorhead,and Eden Prairie must be better than Eagan since they actually beat teams Eagan could only get close to. And Lakeville South? Edina beat them by four, and Breck and EP beat LS by two. Eagan played them twice and squeaked by both times.

And I love the third place game comment. Maybe a program like Eagan gets excited about playing for third place. Maybe Edina should have. But when they played in the regular season when it mattered Edina jumped to a 5-1 lead before coasting. Your boys took advantage and to their credit tied it up. But how long did it take Edina to turn things back on and retake a two goal lead? Was it even a full minute? Whatever.

Teams like Duluth East, Edina, and Eden Prairie (and Hill Murray, one of the teams in this post) have all demonstrated that they can actually win it all, often times without six division one players. Eagan has demonstrated that they can lose close games. And that tells you they'd beat teams like Minnetonka and Eden Prairie half the time? East too? That's a lot of wishful thinking for a team whose biggest actual accomplishment is convincing you what they CAN do, as opposed to what they have actually done. But keep it up. If the team shares your overconfidence they may well be celebrating another good loss while they prepare for their next game at Mariucci.

[HappyHockeyFan]

If the best you can say is that your team loses games to good teams closely, you're the denial expert. A lot of teams do that--like Superior. Actually winning is another thing. And counting division one players does not make a great team. Those players have to produce under big game pressure, not just light up the board against average teams. When they actually do, I'll tip my hat. But if I were you I'd show some respect for the other teams in the top ten and keep your hat on--at least until Eagan accomplishes something.

But I guess Edina, Wayzata, Moorhead,and Eden Prairie must be better than Eagan since they actually beat teams Eagan could only get close to. And Lakeville South? Edina beat them by four, and Breck and EP beat LS by two. Eagan played them twice and squeaked by both times.

And I love the third place game comment. Maybe a program like Eagan gets excited about playing for third place. Maybe Edina should have. But when they played in the regular season when it mattered Edina jumped to a 5-1 lead before coasting. Your boys took advantage and to their credit tied it up. But how long did it take Edina to turn things back on and retake a two goal lead? Was it even a full minute? Whatever.

Teams like Duluth East, Edina, and Eden Prairie (and Hill Murray, one of the teams in this post) have all demonstrated that they can actually win it all, often times without six division one players. Eagan has demonstrated that they can lose close games. And that tells you they'd beat teams like Minnetonka and Eden Prairie half the time? East too? That's a lot of wishful thinking for a team whose biggest actual accomplishment is convincing you what they CAN do, as opposed to what they have actually done. But keep it up. If the team shares your overconfidence they may well be celebrating another good loss while they prepare for their next game at Mariucci.

You are correct, Eagan is not a traditional State hockey power, how dare us have thoughts of winning it all. How dare we have thoughts that we might be as good as East or Edina and really what right did we have beating Hillmurray the other night?? We should be ashamed of these horrible thoughts right?? Whatever...I apologize that our non-traditional team has had the gall to step on the toes of some of the traditional powers that be...NOT!! You bring up some close games that Eagan has won but ignore the other teams..like how about the fact that D.East only beat Burnsville 4-2 and Eagan won 8-2, D.East only beat Class A STA by a goal and Superior by a goal, Edina only beats CDH 3-2, STA 3-2, WBL 3-2 and Burnsville 3-2, again, Eagan beat them 8-2...Teams have off games or sometimes other teams come in with great game plans and execute them well or in a couple of your examples of Eagan they faced a really hot goalie, they put 50 shots on net against both EP and Woodbury, it happens. Judging team talent is so much more than just comparing scores, its going to the rink and watching them play, and I have done alot of that this season, having been at the rink to watch over 35 games. I have seen them all play, can you say that?? And I am not just talking about watching a live stream on the internet. Trust me, Eagan is just as talented as the top three. Will they win it all? Who knows, Can they win it all? Yes, without a doubt. And because you keep bringing up last year and the loss to EP in semifinal, lets not forget that Eagan beat them earlier in the year and maybe, just maybe Eagan wasnt quite ready for the pressure of that Semifinal game. Eagan was a mostly junior team with all those players playing in their first ever State Tourney, EP had a team full of Seniors that many had played in the tourney a couple years before. They were probably much more prepared for that type of game. So yeah, I do see a difference between last year 3rd place team and this years team. And you know what, we are proud of our 3rd place finish as an up and coming program, its really sad that some teams cant appreciate it because no matter how much you degrade it, it takes one hell of a good season to accomplish it.

[PuckU126]

[keepyourheadup]

" a minimum of six guys playing D1 next year"

Happy, be careful with statements like that. I think it likely will be just one. Zajac will go straight in and that is one of the reasons he chose Princeton...to avoid juniors. Its my understanding his other options all would have included time in the ushl. May is already committed to juniors for next year. While there might be four or more players beyond these two that some day play D1 hockey I'd bet the farm it won't be next year. I appreciate your passion for your team but statements like the one above don't really help your credibility.

[HappyHockeyFan]

" a minimum of six guys playing D1 next year"

Happy, be careful with statements like that. I think it likely will be just one. Zajac will go straight in and that is one of the reasons he chose Princeton...to avoid juniors. Its my understanding his other options all would have included time in the ushl. May is already committed to juniors for next year. While there might be four or more players beyond these two that some day play D1 hockey I'd bet the farm it won't be next year. I appreciate your passion for your team but statements like the one above don't really help your credibility.

I guess I meant that they would commit to a D1 school and eventually play, but yeah obviously not all next season.

[green4]

If the best you can say is that your team loses games to good teams closely, you're the denial expert. A lot of teams do that--like Superior. Actually winning is another thing. And counting division one players does not make a great team. Those players have to produce under big game pressure, not just light up the board against average teams. When they actually do, I'll tip my hat. But if I were you I'd show some respect for the other teams in the top ten and keep your hat on--at least until Eagan accomplishes something.

But I guess Edina, Wayzata, Moorhead,and Eden Prairie must be better than Eagan since they actually beat teams Eagan could only get close to. And Lakeville South? Edina beat them by four, and Breck and EP beat LS by two. Eagan played them twice and squeaked by both times.

And I love the third place game comment. Maybe a program like Eagan gets excited about playing for third place. Maybe Edina should have. But when they played in the regular season when it mattered Edina jumped to a 5-1 lead before coasting. Your boys took advantage and to their credit tied it up. But how long did it take Edina to turn things back on and retake a two goal lead? Was it even a full minute? Whatever.

Teams like Duluth East, Edina, and Eden Prairie (and Hill Murray, one of the teams in this post) have all demonstrated that they can actually win it all, often times without six division one players. Eagan has demonstrated that they can lose close games. And that tells you they'd beat teams like Minnetonka and Eden Prairie half the time? East too? That's a lot of wishful thinking for a team whose biggest actual accomplishment is convincing you what they CAN do, as opposed to what they have actually done. But keep it up. If the team shares your overconfidence they may well be celebrating another good loss while they prepare for their next game at Mariucci.

You are correct, Eagan is not a traditional State hockey power, how dare us have thoughts of winning it all. How dare we have thoughts that we might be as good as East or Edina and really what right did we have beating Hillmurray the other night?? We should be ashamed of these horrible thoughts right?? Whatever...I apologize that our non-traditional team has had the gall to step on the toes of some of the traditional powers that be...NOT!! You bring up some close games that Eagan has won but ignore the other teams..like how about the fact that D.East only beat Burnsville 4-2 and Eagan won 8-2, D.East only beat Class A STA by a goal and Superior by a goal, Edina only beats CDH 3-2, STA 3-2, WBL 3-2 and Burnsville 3-2, again, Eagan beat them 8-2...Teams have off games or sometimes other teams come in with great game plans and execute them well or in a couple of your examples of Eagan they faced a really hot goalie, they put 50 shots on net against both EP and Woodbury, it happens. Judging team talent is so much more than just comparing scores, its going to the rink and watching them play, and I have done alot of that this season, having been at the rink to watch over 35 games. I have seen them all play, can you say that?? And I am not just talking about watching a live stream on the internet. Trust me, Eagan is just as talented as the top three. Will they win it all? Who knows, Can they win it all? Yes, without a doubt. And because you keep bringing up last year and the loss to EP in semifinal, lets not forget that Eagan beat them earlier in the year and maybe, just maybe Eagan wasnt quite ready for the pressure of that Semifinal game. Eagan was a mostly junior team with all those players playing in their first ever State Tourney, EP had a team full of Seniors that many had played in the tourney a couple years before. They were probably much more prepared for that type of game. So yeah, I do see a difference between last year 3rd place team and this years team. And you know what, we are proud of our 3rd place finish as an up and coming program, its really sad that some teams cant appreciate it because no matter how much you degrade it, it takes one hell of a good season to accomplish it.

edina might play down to some of its competition but hey they still win not to mention they have beat the teams Eagan has lost to... take away the one bad game against tonka and there 3-1 with a O.T loss to the teams that beat Eagan

[HappyHockeyFan]

If the best you can say is that your team loses games to good teams closely, you're the denial expert. A lot of teams do that--like Superior. Actually winning is another thing. And counting division one players does not make a great team. Those players have to produce under big game pressure, not just light up the board against average teams. When they actually do, I'll tip my hat. But if I were you I'd show some respect for the other teams in the top ten and keep your hat on--at least until Eagan accomplishes something.

But I guess Edina, Wayzata, Moorhead,and Eden Prairie must be better than Eagan since they actually beat teams Eagan could only get close to. And Lakeville South? Edina beat them by four, and Breck and EP beat LS by two. Eagan played them twice and squeaked by both times.

And I love the third place game comment. Maybe a program like Eagan gets excited about playing for third place. Maybe Edina should have. But when they played in the regular season when it mattered Edina jumped to a 5-1 lead before coasting. Your boys took advantage and to their credit tied it up. But how long did it take Edina to turn things back on and retake a two goal lead? Was it even a full minute? Whatever.

Teams like Duluth East, Edina, and Eden Prairie (and Hill Murray, one of the teams in this post) have all demonstrated that they can actually win it all, often times without six division one players. Eagan has demonstrated that they can lose close games. And that tells you they'd beat teams like Minnetonka and Eden Prairie half the time? East too? That's a lot of wishful thinking for a team whose biggest actual accomplishment is convincing you what they CAN do, as opposed to what they have actually done. But keep it up. If the team shares your overconfidence they may well be celebrating another good loss while they prepare for their next game at Mariucci.

You are correct, Eagan is not a traditional State hockey power, how dare us have thoughts of winning it all. How dare we have thoughts that we might be as good as East or Edina and really what right did we have beating Hillmurray the other night?? We should be ashamed of these horrible thoughts right?? Whatever...I apologize that our non-traditional team has had the gall to step on the toes of some of the traditional powers that be...NOT!! You bring up some close games that Eagan has won but ignore the other teams..like how about the fact that D.East only beat Burnsville 4-2 and Eagan won 8-2, D.East only beat Class A STA by a goal and Superior by a goal, Edina only beats CDH 3-2, STA 3-2, WBL 3-2 and Burnsville 3-2, again, Eagan beat them 8-2...Teams have off games or sometimes other teams come in with great game plans and execute them well or in a couple of your examples of Eagan they faced a really hot goalie, they put 50 shots on net against both EP and Woodbury, it happens. Judging team talent is so much more than just comparing scores, its going to the rink and watching them play, and I have done alot of that this season, having been at the rink to watch over 35 games. I have seen them all play, can you say that?? And I am not just talking about watching a live stream on the internet. Trust me, Eagan is just as talented as the top three. Will they win it all? Who knows, Can they win it all? Yes, without a doubt. And because you keep bringing up last year and the loss to EP in semifinal, lets not forget that Eagan beat them earlier in the year and maybe, just maybe Eagan wasnt quite ready for the pressure of that Semifinal game. Eagan was a mostly junior team with all those players playing in their first ever State Tourney, EP had a team full of Seniors that many had played in the tourney a couple years before. They were probably much more prepared for that type of game. So yeah, I do see a difference between last year 3rd place team and this years team. And you know what, we are proud of our 3rd place finish as an up and coming program, its really sad that some teams cant appreciate it because no matter how much you degrade it, it takes one hell of a good season to accomplish it.

edina might play down to some of its competition but hey they still win not to mention they have beat the teams Eagan has lost to... take away the one bad game against tonka and there 3-1 with a O.T loss to the teams that beat Eagan

Those might be facts, but here is another fact, every poll out there has Eagan over Edina because YOUR facts dont tell the whole story and those that know hockey understand that Eagan is an elite team and should be ahead of Edina. We were better than Edina last year and we are better than Edina this year.

[keepyourheadup]

There you go again Happy, just because you believe something to be true does not make it fact. Better this year and last year? That may or may not be true but it is not FACT. Basing all that on the outcome of one game played against each other is an awfully small sample to draw that conclusion. What did we all think when East beat up Tonka in their first meeting? I'll say it again....Eagan is a very good team. Time will tell just how good. To proclaim one team better than another based on your opinion is not fact.

[Rich Clarke]

It's just terrifying for some people to be forced to earn respect as opposed to have it handed to them based on the fact that they think they deserve it. And what a terrible insult for Happy to bear! The thought that Eagan may not be any better than bottom feeders Edina, Eden Prairie, Moorhead, and Wayzata. And if they don't win it all this year? Not relevant. Losing close is just as good as a win. And if the other team's goalie plays well? How can you expect a top team to overcome that? I'll say it again--winning programs don't make excuses after they lose (you don't see any Edina fans bragging about "almost" beating Minnetonka Saturday). Teams finding their self worth in close losses just keep coming up short. If Eagan does anything at state this year, it'll be because the coaches and players are entirely dissatisfied with their play thus far against good teams--not because they're defending their "right" to a top four spot regardless of their accomplishments.

[almostashappy]

It's just terrifying for some people to be forced to earn respect as opposed to have it handed to them based on the fact that they think they deserve it.

I always love it when commentators conflate teams with their supporters...unless you are suggesting that Happy is the official team spokesperson, with views and opinions that actually are those of the Wildcat players and coaches?

If Eagan does anything at state this year, it'll be because the coaches and players are entirely dissatisfied with their play thus far against good teams...

So, are you a mind-reader, the Wildcat's team psychologist, or a fly on the wall of their locker room?

I am fairly certain that Eagan's team goals, expectations, and motivations are no different at this point in the season than they were back at the start (i.e. before those two losses). I also think that should they repeat as Sec3 AA champs, that any loss-related motivations in St. Paul will be driven far more by last year's loss to EP than this year's loss.

But I could be wrong, seeing how I am neither the team's spokesperson, a mind-reader, the team's psychologist, or a fly on the wall of their locker room.

[Big Daddy]

If the best you can say is that your team loses games to good teams closely, you're the denial expert. A lot of teams do that--like Superior. Actually winning is another thing. And counting division one players does not make a great team. Those players have to produce under big game pressure, not just light up the board against average teams. When they actually do, I'll tip my hat. But if I were you I'd show some respect for the other teams in the top ten and keep your hat on--at least until Eagan accomplishes something.

But I guess Edina, Wayzata, Moorhead,and Eden Prairie must be better than Eagan since they actually beat teams Eagan could only get close to. And Lakeville South? Edina beat them by four, and Breck and EP beat LS by two. Eagan played them twice and squeaked by both times.

And I love the third place game comment. Maybe a program like Eagan gets excited about playing for third place. Maybe Edina should have. But when they played in the regular season when it mattered Edina jumped to a 5-1 lead before coasting. Your boys took advantage and to their credit tied it up. But how long did it take Edina to turn things back on and retake a two goal lead? Was it even a full minute? Whatever.

Teams like Duluth East, Edina, and Eden Prairie (and Hill Murray, one of the teams in this post) have all demonstrated that they can actually win it all, often times without six division one players. Eagan has demonstrated that they can lose close games. And that tells you they'd beat teams like Minnetonka and Eden Prairie half the time? East too? That's a lot of wishful thinking for a team whose biggest actual accomplishment is convincing you what they CAN do, as opposed to what they have actually done. But keep it up. If the team shares your overconfidence they may well be celebrating another good loss while they prepare for their next game at Mariucci.

You are correct, Eagan is not a traditional State hockey power, how dare us have thoughts of winning it all. How dare we have thoughts that we might be as good as East or Edina and really what right did we have beating Hillmurray the other night?? We should be ashamed of these horrible thoughts right?? Whatever...I apologize that our non-traditional team has had the gall to step on the toes of some of the traditional powers that be...NOT!! You bring up some close games that Eagan has won but ignore the other teams..like how about the fact that D.East only beat Burnsville 4-2 and Eagan won 8-2, D.East only beat Class A STA by a goal and Superior by a goal, Edina only beats CDH 3-2, STA 3-2, WBL 3-2 and Burnsville 3-2, again, Eagan beat them 8-2...Teams have off games or sometimes other teams come in with great game plans and execute them well or in a couple of your examples of Eagan they faced a really hot goalie, they put 50 shots on net against both EP and Woodbury, it happens. Judging team talent is so much more than just comparing scores, its going to the rink and watching them play, and I have done alot of that this season, having been at the rink to watch over 35 games. I have seen them all play, can you say that?? And I am not just talking about watching a live stream on the internet. Trust me, Eagan is just as talented as the top three. Will they win it all? Who knows, Can they win it all? Yes, without a doubt. And because you keep bringing up last year and the loss to EP in semifinal, lets not forget that Eagan beat them earlier in the year and maybe, just maybe Eagan wasnt quite ready for the pressure of that Semifinal game. Eagan was a mostly junior team with all those players playing in their first ever State Tourney, EP had a team full of Seniors that many had played in the tourney a couple years before. They were probably much more prepared for that type of game. So yeah, I do see a difference between last year 3rd place team and this years team. And you know what, we are proud of our 3rd place finish as an up and coming program, its really sad that some teams cant appreciate it because no matter how much you degrade it, it takes one hell of a good season to accomplish it.

Not taking sides here BUT it does seem that some programs, regardless of the skill level, get consistent hype based upon previous years' accomplishments, i.e., East, Tonka, Edina, and more recently EP. Eagan is good this year and were good last year. Are they as good as the teams factored above them, we can't say because they haven't/don't play them consistently. HHF is a little over zealous BUT after years of hearing the same old hype about the same old teams someone really vocal may be what's needed to quiet the noise and get someone to look at another team. There have been past teams, Woodbury Moorhead with equally impressive records as the typically hyped schools but were never given any credence because they weren't playing those teams. My point is that none of this really matters until the rubber meets the road in March and the winners and losers are determined. It just helps get someone other than the usual suspects noticed...just saying....

[UND]

Agree with keepyourheadup. There are very few Kyle Rau type players that can go directly from HS to D1 hockey. If you check history, there are more failures that successes.

[auld_skool]

Agree with keepyourheadup. There are very few Kyle Rau type players that can go directly from HS to D1 hockey. If you check history, there are more failures that successes.

I found this informative:
http://www.asha.pointstreaksites.com/fi ... uickly.pdf

[gitter]

From an unbiased outsider, let me sum it up. I've seen Eagan play and they are a very skilled, physical team.

They will be competitive in the Tournament (if they don't fall into a coma in Sections). Whether that translates into a championship, 3rd place, or 6th place, who knows. We'll find out in March. But they will provide entertaining games.

[gitter]

Agree with keepyourheadup. There are very few Kyle Rau type players that can go directly from HS to D1 hockey. If you check history, there are more failures that successes.

I found this informative:
http://www.asha.pointstreaksites.com/fi ... uickly.pdf

While I normally agree with most of Blatherwick's material, his Crosby example isn't entirely true. He didn't go to Shattuck to dominate at the prep level and build his skills. He went there because he was ineligible for the Q, as his 16th birthday was not before Dec 31, 2002 - the requirement for him to play that season there.

But by and large, yes, many kids these days aren't necessarily "dominating" at their current level and are in a hurry to play the next one. There are plenty of examples that don't need to be brought about here.

[auld_skool]

From an unbiased outsider, let me sum it up. I've seen Eagan play and they are a very skilled, physical team.

They will be competitive in the Tournament (if they don't fall into a coma in Sections). Whether that translates into a championship, 3rd place, or 6th place, who knows. We'll find out in March. But they will provide entertaining games.

I agree. I really like this team and I expect to see them at the Xcel in March, more than likely in the championship game.