Notes from the Moorhead-East conference, which took so long that I watched Hurley's goal for Edina on a TV while waiting for the elevator back up from the dungeons of the X.
Moorhead's Coach Cullen on the Uglem injury: "We relied a lot on our big four [Carey, Herdt, the Uglems] this year. It hurts, and we had to scramble." Carey added that he, Herdt, and the remaining Uglem were "tired, but didn't really feel it" by the end of the game.
While Coach Cullen said Moorhead hasn't really talked about Michael Bitzer much with this year's goalies, Dittmer said he'd talked worked with Bitzer some last summer, and talked to him before the game today. He said Bitzer gave him advice on how to play the bounces and the corners in the X, among other things. He also said he felt quite a bit of pressure coming in, as he "didn't want to let the city of Moorhead down." That's quite the mantel to carry, and he performed admirably. But, added Coach Cullen with a laugh, "we don't want it to go to his head."
East, meanwhile, talked a lot about their emphasis on defense, limiting chances, and the fact that they've been in a lot of games like this one. Randolph said both teams were "tighter than a drum. It was kind of an ugly game, but we're kinda used to it, and we're kinda ugly," which got a good laugh. "We can play a lot better than we played today."
There was a lot of talk about last year's East team, too. Randolph said "we're not last year's team. We're completely different." Meirs Moore: "We took it for granted last year. We were too tight and hesitant...this year, we preached, 'no Mariucci.'" Ryan Lundgren added that he wasn't sure last year's team could have pulled out a 1-0 game like this.
Dylan Parker: "It's easy to feel comfortable when you have a good defense in front of you." Did Coach tell you off after the Denfeld game/some early lossses in which you weren't very focused? "Yeah, definitely," he replied, with a sheepish grin. Randolph said that "mentally, being into it is very difficult" when a goalie only faces one shot in the first period, and that Parker has "learned to deal with it."
Jack Kolar explained his line's role and the passing play that set up his goal, and added that he "shot for the middle of the net," which earned a long pat on the back from Randolph, who said, "I love it when he says that. There's a good sales job."
Bigger-picture notes from a very measured Coach Randolph: He said he'd been "fortunate to coach a lot of great teams," and that this is a special one; he "can't remember any whining or finger-pointing on the bench." Someone asked if Randolph has changed as a coach since his last title in 1998, and his answer was, "yeah, a lot." He explained that he now "sees the regular season more as a learning curve" and also talked about the adjustments he's had to make now that so many players skate year-round. He's had to "back off on conditioning to peak them at the right time, and find the happy medium." He talked about the need to "keep the love of the game" in finding balance between year-long skating and development and rest time.
Live from the Press Box...
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
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karl(east)
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My apologies; I went for food instead of staying for the North-Edina press conferences. (The Savoy pizza was delicious, though I'm feeling very fat right now.) Curt Giles doesn't exactly put on a thrilling show, though, and I doubt North had much of note to say after that game.
Also, I nearly took out Ken Pauly on the way out of an elevator. The people I was with told me I should've finished the check and said, "that one's for Alec Baer!"
Settling in for the evening session now.
Also, I nearly took out Ken Pauly on the way out of an elevator. The people I was with told me I should've finished the check and said, "that one's for Alec Baer!"
Settling in for the evening session now.
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karl(east)
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Notes from Eastview-Hill.
Not much from Eastview; they made of the things you might expect, such as their mishaps in the own zone, their inexperience, and the "distraction of the bright lights," according to Mitch Beattie. Beyond that, they gave Hill credit and said it was a good building block for their program.
For Hill, Lechner said the team was never fully comfortable, though they remained comfortable. When asked if they had a specific game plan for Driscoll, the answer was an immediate yes; he said they tried to generate more traffic and crash the net, and that was how they scored their first few goals. Lechner credited Eastview with creating a few wrinkles, including their unique faceoff set-up and their attempts to spring some breakaways, but said it "didn't affect" the Pioneers. John Dugas said the team simply had to "weather the storm," while Zach LaValle repeatedly focused on their need to stick to their systems.
When asked about Joey Anderson playing as an 8th grader, LaValle (who also saw some ice time when he was in 8th grade) said Anderson is "way more skilled" than he was, and said it was just fun to watch him play.
And, for those who were wondering, Mitch Slattery calls his celly the "Statue of Liberty." I was surprised by how soft-spoken he was. It can be funny how players' off-ice personalities are so unlike their persona on the ice (within the context of a press conference, at least).
Not much from Eastview; they made of the things you might expect, such as their mishaps in the own zone, their inexperience, and the "distraction of the bright lights," according to Mitch Beattie. Beyond that, they gave Hill credit and said it was a good building block for their program.
For Hill, Lechner said the team was never fully comfortable, though they remained comfortable. When asked if they had a specific game plan for Driscoll, the answer was an immediate yes; he said they tried to generate more traffic and crash the net, and that was how they scored their first few goals. Lechner credited Eastview with creating a few wrinkles, including their unique faceoff set-up and their attempts to spring some breakaways, but said it "didn't affect" the Pioneers. John Dugas said the team simply had to "weather the storm," while Zach LaValle repeatedly focused on their need to stick to their systems.
When asked about Joey Anderson playing as an 8th grader, LaValle (who also saw some ice time when he was in 8th grade) said Anderson is "way more skilled" than he was, and said it was just fun to watch him play.
And, for those who were wondering, Mitch Slattery calls his celly the "Statue of Liberty." I was surprised by how soft-spoken he was. It can be funny how players' off-ice personalities are so unlike their persona on the ice (within the context of a press conference, at least).
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karl(east)
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Lou Nanne may be 71, but the man can still move. I was in a packed elevator with him after the Eastview-Hill game, and when we got down to the arena floor level, he somehow wormed his way out from the back and went shooting out ahead of the press corps, hurrying off down some hallway deep in the bowels of the X. No idea what he was up to, but by the time I was back upstairs, he was back in the booth.
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East Side Pioneer Guy
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Karl: Its nice to get some inside dope. Thanks for the effort.
How's the view from up in the Al Shaver press box. It looks like it's a looooong way up there. Your modern day professional sports franchise has figured out that it is better to sell expensive tickets offering good sight lines than to waste that valuable commodity on a bunch of media hacks.
How's the view from up in the Al Shaver press box. It looks like it's a looooong way up there. Your modern day professional sports franchise has figured out that it is better to sell expensive tickets offering good sight lines than to waste that valuable commodity on a bunch of media hacks.
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karl(east)
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Thanks, ESPG.East Side Pioneer Guy wrote:Karl: Its nice to get some inside dope. Thanks for the effort.
How's the view from up in the Al Shaver press box. It looks like it's a looooong way up there. Your modern day professional sports franchise has figured out that it is better to sell expensive tickets offering good sight lines than to waste that valuable commodity on a bunch of media hacks.
I kinda like the view from the press box...yes, it's waay up there, and you miss a lot of the little things you enjoy when you're down near the ice. But when you're up there you can really see everything, watch plays unfold and develop, and get a better sense of the systems teams are trying to run. As someone who appreciates that side of the game, I really like it. One thing I don't like is not being able to see large parts of the crowd due to banners and the scoreboard or them being directly under the press box--it can be a little more difficult to drink in the atmosphere.
The row of TV monitors on a 10-second delay sure help, too. Between that and the scoreboard, I get plenty of looks at replays.
I'm off to the X now--I'll post my notes on Wayzata-Centennial when I get there.
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ShakestheClown
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The speed of the game slows way down from up there as well.East Side Pioneer Guy wrote:Karl: Its nice to get some inside dope. Thanks for the effort.
How's the view from up in the Al Shaver press box. It looks like it's a looooong way up there. Your modern day professional sports franchise has figured out that it is better to sell expensive tickets offering good sight lines than to waste that valuable commodity on a bunch of media hacks.
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karl(east)
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Centennial-Wayzata notes.
Bucking the usual order, the winning team came out for the first press conference. Coach O'Leary saw the 2nd period breakaway saved by Dingmann as the turning point, and with Centennial packing it in in the 3rrd period and OT, the Trojan points were wide open, and they took full advantage. He called his team the "best third period team in the state," as they play three lines and 6 D equally, and they pushed the pace in OT. Someone asked about O'Leary's OT experience, which apparently he has a bit of (something about a Maine-Minnesota game a few years back?
); and he said "I'm not gonna tell you the secret" about overtime games. Though he did add that "The team that has been on the gas lately usually wins."
Chase Heising, on the winning goal: "I saw it sitting there and was like, I'm gonna go bury that. So I did."
Aaron Dingmann, on the goal-line call that was reviewed: "To be honest, I don't know if it went in at all." Also, he said that he "wasn't phased by the physicality," though he was "knocked over pretty blatantly, and I was down there flailing around. I kinda enjoyed it." Yep, he's a goalie, alright.
O'Leary, on the Centennial forwards running into Dingmann: "You don't go out there and tell your goalie, 'expect to get run over tonight.' It's hard to tell guys not to react to that...the refs did a good job of calling it early."
Also, when someone mentioned a tweet of Dingmann's from before the game, when he described how "amped" he was, O'Leary said "he's gonna re-tweet his own tweet now."
Centennial was, as you might expect, pretty sober after the loss; Coach Menne had "no opinion" on the no goal and talked about the importance of shot blocking, while Patrick Munson talked about teams getting the right bounces at the right times, and Andrew Bertrand talked about the team's efforts to re-group after the late tying goal.
Munson did get a good laugh when someone asked if he knew about Centennial not having allowed a goal at State before. "Yeah," he said, "[Former Centennial Coach Erik Aus] kept telling me over the last few weeks, 'Hey 33, remember: we don't let in goals in the Tourney.'"
Bucking the usual order, the winning team came out for the first press conference. Coach O'Leary saw the 2nd period breakaway saved by Dingmann as the turning point, and with Centennial packing it in in the 3rrd period and OT, the Trojan points were wide open, and they took full advantage. He called his team the "best third period team in the state," as they play three lines and 6 D equally, and they pushed the pace in OT. Someone asked about O'Leary's OT experience, which apparently he has a bit of (something about a Maine-Minnesota game a few years back?
); and he said "I'm not gonna tell you the secret" about overtime games. Though he did add that "The team that has been on the gas lately usually wins."Chase Heising, on the winning goal: "I saw it sitting there and was like, I'm gonna go bury that. So I did."
Aaron Dingmann, on the goal-line call that was reviewed: "To be honest, I don't know if it went in at all." Also, he said that he "wasn't phased by the physicality," though he was "knocked over pretty blatantly, and I was down there flailing around. I kinda enjoyed it." Yep, he's a goalie, alright.
O'Leary, on the Centennial forwards running into Dingmann: "You don't go out there and tell your goalie, 'expect to get run over tonight.' It's hard to tell guys not to react to that...the refs did a good job of calling it early."
Also, when someone mentioned a tweet of Dingmann's from before the game, when he described how "amped" he was, O'Leary said "he's gonna re-tweet his own tweet now."
Centennial was, as you might expect, pretty sober after the loss; Coach Menne had "no opinion" on the no goal and talked about the importance of shot blocking, while Patrick Munson talked about teams getting the right bounces at the right times, and Andrew Bertrand talked about the team's efforts to re-group after the late tying goal.
Munson did get a good laugh when someone asked if he knew about Centennial not having allowed a goal at State before. "Yeah," he said, "[Former Centennial Coach Erik Aus] kept telling me over the last few weeks, 'Hey 33, remember: we don't let in goals in the Tourney.'"
No mention of the most action packed nail biter of the night?
What about the Little Chippers?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYJIZf0Gn-w
What about the Little Chippers?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYJIZf0Gn-w
Buy ya a soda after the game!
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karl(east)
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The orange team was so crushed by their loss that they skipped their press conference and went running straight for the Expo. And the goal-scorer on the blue team was also unavailable, as he was waylaid by someone in a green jacket inviting him to a "pizza party" in a suite for the 3rd period.Ogie wrote:No mention of the most action packed nail biter of the night?
What about the Little Chippers?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYJIZf0Gn-w
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GoldenBear
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karl(east)
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grandmeadowhockeyfan
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karl(east)
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Bonehead wrote:Maybe if you just stay there the rest of us can get a Phil break?karl(east) wrote:From the TMI Department: every time I've ventured into the bathroom up here today, Phil Housley has been there also.
And, judging by the giant stock of pop and snacks in the KSTC booth, Phil may well be making a run at the title of most free snacks consumed.
The leader in my row is at 20 pops and 15 cookies.
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karl(east)
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Coach Larson, Breck: "The best they can do is the best they can do. We have to accept losing, and that may be the best thing about this game...dealing with adversity."
After the penalty shot, instead of relief, he "had steam coming out of [his] ears," though he admitted he may have been seeing the call through tinted glasses. He also cited special teams as a reason his team couldn't quite break through.
Plante quotes to come on the Plante thread.
After the penalty shot, instead of relief, he "had steam coming out of [his] ears," though he admitted he may have been seeing the call through tinted glasses. He also cited special teams as a reason his team couldn't quite break through.
Plante quotes to come on the Plante thread.
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karl(east)
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I am backlogged. First, EGF-STA notes.
Coach Palmiscno was, in a word, shellshocked. "I didn't expect that." Was it their talent? Nerves? "All of the above."Even when it was close in the first, he said they were under pressure, and he was "not sure anything really worked well." The team will "see how much pride [they] have tomorrow morning," and will evaluate their season from there.
Greg Vanelli, on the other hand, called the first period "pretty dead-even," and thought Novak's individual play was the difference-maker. As the score went ever higher, the coaches told the team to "keep working good habits," and added that the "puck seems to be bouncing right" for the Cadets right now. When asked about the match-up with Hermantown, he said they are sure to have their hands full, and that the Hawks are "very capable of winning." They take pride not in how many goals they've scored in this tournament, but in their zero goals allowed so far.
There was a little bit of talk about the decision to move up to AA, in which Vanelli reflected on how far the STA program has come since he and his brother took over, and how things evolve over time. He concluded by calling East Grand Forks "real classy."
Gunnar Regan: The team "comes every day to work, and little things make big things work." There was also a fair amount of Tom Novak praise going about.
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Now, East-Edina notes.
For East, Randolph found East's puck management to be their downfall; he said they also tended to struggle out of breaks and TV time-outs. Edina has good players who are "finding their game at the right time," and in the end, it "was a great game." Edina had "a great game plan to wear us down," and has "good players that put it away." As the third went on, the Hounds left several Hornets "with the puck on their stick with nobody around. You can't do that."
Alex Toscano called the third Edina goal a "dagger to the heart," a sentiment that Randolph and Meirs Moore echoed, and there just wasn't enough time after Moore's goal to equalize. Being one down they could manage; two that late in a game was just a little too much.
"Third place in this tournament is not too bad," Randolph added.
For Edina, Tyler Nanne began by looking back to the December meeting between East and Edina, when East "ran us out the building" with their physicality, and the Hornets "had to take the body" to win tonight. The formula was a simple "get the puck in deep and start banging them," according to Andy Jordahl.
Parker Reno said Edina is "peaking right now," while Dave Langevin (filling in for Giles, who was MIA) said they're "close to peaking," citing the first few minutes of the game as something in need of improvement. According to Langevin, that aggressive forecheck "is the best way to play," and the Hornets could see the Hounds "were starting to tire." "Eventually someone's going to get one," he was thinking on the bench, and "once we tied the game, it was over."
Coach Palmiscno was, in a word, shellshocked. "I didn't expect that." Was it their talent? Nerves? "All of the above."Even when it was close in the first, he said they were under pressure, and he was "not sure anything really worked well." The team will "see how much pride [they] have tomorrow morning," and will evaluate their season from there.
Greg Vanelli, on the other hand, called the first period "pretty dead-even," and thought Novak's individual play was the difference-maker. As the score went ever higher, the coaches told the team to "keep working good habits," and added that the "puck seems to be bouncing right" for the Cadets right now. When asked about the match-up with Hermantown, he said they are sure to have their hands full, and that the Hawks are "very capable of winning." They take pride not in how many goals they've scored in this tournament, but in their zero goals allowed so far.
There was a little bit of talk about the decision to move up to AA, in which Vanelli reflected on how far the STA program has come since he and his brother took over, and how things evolve over time. He concluded by calling East Grand Forks "real classy."
Gunnar Regan: The team "comes every day to work, and little things make big things work." There was also a fair amount of Tom Novak praise going about.
************
Now, East-Edina notes.
For East, Randolph found East's puck management to be their downfall; he said they also tended to struggle out of breaks and TV time-outs. Edina has good players who are "finding their game at the right time," and in the end, it "was a great game." Edina had "a great game plan to wear us down," and has "good players that put it away." As the third went on, the Hounds left several Hornets "with the puck on their stick with nobody around. You can't do that."
Alex Toscano called the third Edina goal a "dagger to the heart," a sentiment that Randolph and Meirs Moore echoed, and there just wasn't enough time after Moore's goal to equalize. Being one down they could manage; two that late in a game was just a little too much.
"Third place in this tournament is not too bad," Randolph added.
For Edina, Tyler Nanne began by looking back to the December meeting between East and Edina, when East "ran us out the building" with their physicality, and the Hornets "had to take the body" to win tonight. The formula was a simple "get the puck in deep and start banging them," according to Andy Jordahl.
Parker Reno said Edina is "peaking right now," while Dave Langevin (filling in for Giles, who was MIA) said they're "close to peaking," citing the first few minutes of the game as something in need of improvement. According to Langevin, that aggressive forecheck "is the best way to play," and the Hornets could see the Hounds "were starting to tire." "Eventually someone's going to get one," he was thinking on the bench, and "once we tied the game, it was over."
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East Side Pioneer Guy
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karl(east)
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Tourney exhaustion is setting in. I skipped out on the press conference after the late game yesterday, and the 3rd place Class A game this morning. I'll be at the last three, though.
Also, I have an all-tourney team vote, and while I have some idea of who I'm going with, feel free to throw out names or your own ballot.
Also, I have an all-tourney team vote, and while I have some idea of who I'm going with, feel free to throw out names or your own ballot.
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OGEE OGELTHORPE
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karl(east)
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That did actually cross my mind. But do the goalies really deserve it when they see 5 shots a game?OGEE OGELTHORPE wrote:karl(east) wrote:
Also, I have an all-tourney team vote, and while I have some idea of who I'm going with, feel free to throw out names or your own ballot.
Top 2 lines,4 dmen and both goalies from STA.