3AA/2AA

[alcloseshaver]

Can someone explain why section 3AA has 10 teams and section 2AA has 7 teams? Most of the AA sections are in the 8-9 range. Why didn't the MSHSL look to balance it out when they did their classification this year?

[blueblood]

Al:

New Ulm was originally assigned to 2AA.

They dropped some of their HS co-ops where they were not getting any players to drop back to Section 3A.

As it stands, the #1 seed in 2AA will get a bye to the Super Saturday semifinals at Braemar or BIG.

[alcloseshaver]

Thanks, How is the 10 team section going to work? 2 play in games?

[east hockey]

Thanks, How is the 10 team section going to work? 2 play in games?

7 vs 10, 8 vs 9 in the first round, then the two winners join 1-6 for the quarterfinals.

Lee

[alcloseshaver]

How does a 6-team quarterfinal round? don't you need to get to 8?

[alcloseshaver]

The MSHSL web site shows only 1 play-in game which works for a 9-team section. They could have 2 byes and 2 play-in games.

[alcloseshaver]

Got it, thanks.

[almostashappy]

Al:

New Ulm was originally assigned to 2AA.

They dropped some of their HS co-ops where they were not getting any players to drop back to Section 3A.

As it stands, the #1 seed in 2AA will get a bye to the Super Saturday semifinals at Braemar or BIG.

Even if New Ulm had stayed in 2AA, you would have had 8 there, and 10 in 3AA. They could have placed STA in 2AA or put Woodbury in 4AA (which has eight) or put Hastings in 1AA (which has 8 as well). But that would be too logical for MSHSL.

They're all about geography, so hard to shift STA as it sits in between CDH and Eagan. Good reasons to keep Woodbury and East Ridge in same section, so I would have voted for Hastings in 1AA. They're more of a 1AA team than either of the Lakevilles

[HShockeywatcher]

They're all about geography, so hard to shift STA as it sits in between CDH and Eagan. Good reasons to keep Woodbury and East Ridge in same section, so I would have voted for Hastings in 1AA. They're more of a 1AA team than either of the Lakevilles

The issue is likely how the MSHSL arrives at the numbers they do. I was thinking it would be that they put 8 teams in each section, then subtracted teams like New Ulm and added the opt ups, but 3AA has 9 teams naturally in AA based on size while a section like 7AA has only 7, so why they would leave sections like this is odd.

Anyone with more info on how they sections are formed?

[almostashappy]

Anyone with more info on how they sections are formed?

If you look back, there was a large thread or two on this topic last Spring, when new section assignments were announced. I seem to recall somebody posting a link to MSHSL page describing process. They start at the corners of the state, and work inward. Section 1 from the SE, Section 2 from SW, 7 from NE and 8 from NW (this is why New Ulm was initially placed in 2AA). Once they get to 8 in these four sections, they divvie up what's left (3 is SE metro, 4 NE, 5 NW, and 6 SW metro).

At least that's how it's supposed to work. I don't know how Elk River and St. Michael-Albertville could geographically be placed in 7AA, since they're northwest of Mpls/StPaul (see map of sections here: http://mshsl.org/mshsl/googlemap_new.as ... &dclass=AA). For single A, looks like same process except that 3A is one that starts from SW corner of state.

As for why they only have 7 teams in 2AA...maybe they were expecting Kennedy to opt up?

[alcloseshaver]

7AA has 9 teams

[Slammer]

As an East fan, it would've been nice to have Elk River move to a different section this year.

[almostashappy]

As an East fan, it would've been nice to have Elk River move to a different section this year.

One geographical swap would replace St. Michael+#2 Elk River in 7AA with #5 Blaine and #19 Centennial...a fair trade on balance, although I can see how you'd rather face ER than the Bengals this year. And if you moved St. Michael and ER out of 7AA, the best geographic fit would be 8AA...which would set up the possibility of an all-Metro AA State Tourney.

[green4]

Anyone with more info on how they sections are formed?

If you look back, there was a large thread or two on this topic last Spring, when new section assignments were announced. I seem to recall somebody posting a link to MSHSL page describing process. They start at the corners of the state, and work inward. Section 1 from the SE, Section 2 from SW, 7 from NE and 8 from NW (this is why New Ulm was initially placed in 2AA). Once they get to 8 in these four sections, they divvie up what's left (3 is SE metro, 4 NE, 5 NW, and 6 SW metro).

At least that's how it's supposed to work. I don't know how Elk River and St. Michael-Albertville could geographically be placed in 7AA, since they're northwest of Mpls/StPaul (see map of sections here: http://mshsl.org/mshsl/googlemap_new.as ... &dclass=AA). For single A, looks like same process except that 3A is one that starts from SW corner of state.

As for why they only have 7 teams in 2AA...maybe they were expecting Kennedy to opt up?

Kennedy just opted down thats why its 7 instead of 8. As for how the sections are placed i don't think its an exact science in the way you had explained or else EP should switch with edina as they are southwest of edina.

[almostashappy]

Kennedy just opted down thats why its 7 instead of 8. As for how the sections are placed i don't think its an exact science in the way you had explained or else EP should switch with edina as they are southwest of edina.

You would think that MSHSL would know which teams are going to opt up to AA before they did AA section reassignments. But as you say, it's obviously not an exact, impartial, and technically defensible process.

[gitter]

Kennedy just opted down thats why its 7 instead of 8. As for how the sections are placed i don't think its an exact science in the way you had explained or else EP should switch with edina as they are southwest of edina.

You would think that MSHSL would know which teams are going to opt up to AA before they did AA section reassignments. But as you say, it's obviously not an exact, impartial, and technically defensible process.

No kidding. Especially when you petition to move DOWN a class.