Edina Girls Vasity - Is something Wrong in girls hockey

Hard to be a Hornet · Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:55 am

I find it very interesting that the EHS girls team is barely treading above 500% for the year. With a hockey culture and the ability to have an abundance of girls to choose from year in and year out how does this happen year over year? These are girls who generally have the means and money to train as much as they want, skate as much as they want, play for the best summer teams, etc.

Is it wrong to say their girls program is more interested in winning championships at the youth level versus the HS level? Has this mentality and overall leadership at EHA stymied Edina's ability to develop a larger pool of potential candidates for the HS level?

When has the EHS girls won a State Championship? Yet this group of current girls has had their success at the youth level year in and year out, but can not put it together at the varsity level. Do the naysayers say; "yeah we would win if so and so did not leave for a private school." Maybe that is the reason you do not have a top team and lower team? Why would you want to have a top team full of girls who may never play at the HS level for the local HS? A better approach is to have equal teams and not worry about a youth championship? Even with two equal teams I am sure the girls would be in the hunt for a youth championship when you consider the numbers they have participating in girls hockey.

Maybe it is time for their association to stop managing their program through parents/parent coaches with multiple agendas and focus on truly developing their girls for the HS level. From recent scores posted both at U14 and U12 levels it shows the parents/coaches won the great debate and teams were not equally split. Do girls that consistently win by double digit margins really develop? Is this good for girls hockey to have one dominant team that crushes the majority of their opponents? Do these girls have the game time experience learning to play from behind? How is this developing girls for the next level? It appears to be more important to win a championship at the U12 and U14 level than to truly develop their girls in Edina. Practice is not a substitute for developing game instincts, especially with girls.

Their current EHS Varsity team clearly demonstrates a number of these points and issues. Keep winning your U10, U12, U14 Championships and have your entire program dictated by parents/coaches posing as involved board members. These are the same individuals responsible for only developing a select few versus the entire girls program.

In the current state of EHA girls hockey Edina High School girls varsity will continue to be passed by all those other programs who actually develop their girls for the right reasons and win the HS Championship your community so desires.

"Hard to be a Hornet

observer · Post by **observer** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:16 pm

They're a pretty darn good team. I don't think a lot of people are feeling real sorry for you.

But, I'll guess, lots of bodies and training without natural athleticism. Top female players in the State train hard but are also natural athletes. After athleticism comes game sense. Top teams don't have much of a drop from top to bottom.

D6 Girls Fan · Post by **D6 Girls Fan** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:34 pm

First off, they're pretty good, with their best years ahead of them. And let's not forget they played in the championship last year.

Second of all, they have lost a few good kids over the years to Privates and transfers. There are Edina girls helping quite a few other programs now.

Third, things are changing. In earlier years it was almost a given that freshmen would return to 14s. Last year they took a few, and this year have even taken an 8th grader. Maybe if they would take the best players more quickly there would be less of a rush for girls to leave and play earlier elsewhere. Maybe they should have had equal A teams during the boom. That way, when they lose to privates, they'll have a more developed group ready to go. But things are changing.

Finally, I would bet that if the Hornets don't win this year, that they will in one of the next two. Too many good players, too deep a pool of good incoming kids. If they keep on doing what they're doing, they'll be fine.

oag · Post by **oag** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:24 pm

The top team in the state right now doesn't have much drop from top to bottom because they are the top players from other programs. The year Eden Prairie won "their state championship" where did those girls come from? Think the same person responsible for the Benilde line up might have had something to do with that.

Looking at scores on Hockey Hub, Edina lost to Benilde by the same score Tonka did last night. They had a recent string of 3 losses by 4 goals.
In the last 3 years they finished 2nd, 2nd, and 3rd in state. Must be "hard to be a hornet".

The references to youth hockey make one curious about your ability to see things objectively.

Nimrod · Post by **Nimrod** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 4:01 pm

I think the better question is how does a .500 team stay ranked in the top 5 in the state in some of the polls?

Rocketwrister · Post by **Rocketwrister** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:23 pm

Nimrod wrote:I think the better question is how does a .500 team stay ranked in the top 5 in the state in some of the polls?

THIS!

rinkrat11 · Post by **rinkrat11** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:16 pm

Rocketwrister wrote:
Nimrod wrote:I think the better question is how does a .500 team stay ranked in the top 5 in the state in some of the polls?
THIS!

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the EHS girls take 2nd, 3rd, 2nd and 3rd in the last four State Tournaments. Hard to be a Hornet...I think their youth program and HS program are doing ok afterall.

MNHockeyFan · Post by **MNHockeyFan** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 12:40 am

rinkrat11 wrote:
Rocketwrister wrote:
Nimrod wrote:I think the better question is how does a .500 team stay ranked in the top 5 in the state in some of the polls?
THIS!
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the EHS girls take 2nd, 3rd, 2nd and 3rd in the last four State Tournaments. Hard to be a Hornet...I think their youth program and HS program are doing ok afterall.

Agreed, just about every other team would LOVE to have Edina's recent post-season success.

Lots of things have to go right, but assuming their very strong youth program continues, with the numbers they have playing in their program, I think it's only a matter of time before their high school team wins State.

Bleedinred · Post by **Bleedinred** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:19 pm

Nothing wrong with the program in general...they rock at all levels. The difference may be in the goaltending. If a goalie matures or develops in an environment where they don't have to live on the edge (of their abilities) all that often and later finds themself at in that position, it may be hard to adapt or catch up.

I've seen a bunch of Edina youth goalies watching their team trounce the opponent. Feels great in the short term, but probably not the best in the long term.

Bluewhitefan · Post by **Bluewhitefan** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 11:56 pm

Bleedinred wrote:Nothing wrong with the program in general...they rock at all levels. The difference may be in the goaltending. If a goalie matures or develops in an environment where they don't have to live on the edge (of their abilities) all that often and later finds themself at in that position, it may be hard to adapt or catch up.

I've seen a bunch of Edina youth goalies watching their team trounce the opponent. Feels great in the short term, but probably not the best in the long term.

Their problem is hardly goaltending. Offense built around one player who may not be able to carry the team is the issue.

sinbin · Post by **sinbin** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 12:06 am

Agreed, most teams would love to be in Edina's skates during one of their "down" seasons. Plus, it's who's playing best at the end of the season combined with the hot goalie. BSM and/or Tonka will likely win the next two years, but then it's open to everyone else, including Edina, after that.