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No B2 teams @ the Bantam level - too much travel to find other B2 teams to play. So the two B1 teams must be evenly split -- second year now they have done this -- terrible idea, but teams like Silver Bay (that don't have an A team) love it because they make it out of districts many years. Superior did that last year (no A team, B team won a ton of games).

Duluth East beat Silver Bay 3-0 in the championship game today to earn the number one seed. By reading the last few posts, Duluth East Red should obviously should have been an A team this year too, right? The only league games they lost were to Silver Bay. I have seen both of these teams play alot this winter. Each of them have about 3 kids that would be on A teams anywhere in the northern half of the state. Then about 6-8 definate B players. Then a handful of players that are B-2 caliber or lower. So do you put a team like this at the A level and get your ass kicked around all season? Or do you put them at the B-1 level and let them enjoy some success? Funny when a small town succeeds people are quick to say they are sandbaggers. When a storied program like Duluth East makes it to a Regional Tournament, everybody thinks they deserved it.

rockcrusher wrote:Duluth East beat Silver Bay 3-0 in the championship game today to earn the number one seed. By reading the last few posts, Duluth East Red should obviously should have been an A team this year too, right? The only league games they lost were to Silver Bay. I have seen both of these teams play alot this winter. Each of them have about 3 kids that would be on A teams anywhere in the northern half of the state. Then about 6-8 definate B players. Then a handful of players that are B-2 caliber or lower. So do you put a team like this at the A level and get your ass kicked around all season? Or do you put them at the B-1 level and let them enjoy some success? Funny when a small town succeeds people are quick to say they are sandbaggers. When a storied program like Duluth East makes it to a Regional Tournament, everybody thinks they deserved it.

You missed my point. IF it's really about the competition, then let Hermantown and Duluth East have their B teams without making them split them evenly. Why vote to split the B teams evenly? If you are going to opt out of an A team, then be willing to play a TRUE B1 team. Otherwise, play A where you belong.

West Region

Sartell vs OMG Crimson
Edina Green vs St. Cloud

Wayzata Blue vs Eden Praire
Edina White vs MAML

ahastars03 wrote:West Region

Sartell vs OMG Crimson
Edina Green vs St. Cloud

Wayzata Blue vs Eden Praire
Edina White vs MAML

One could argue that this is a State Tournament within itself, as you've got what should be considered the top 4 teams in the State playing here, and EP is not too far behind.

I think if you have seen the two Duluth East teams play, you would realize these are not even teams. The score was close when they played last weekend, but the shots on goal were a large margin and the play was in the Black's team most of the game. Can you say hot goalie. Talk to some of the Black's teams parents and you start a very hot topic. Hermantown also changed both their B team rosters just before the end of the year, one was much better than the other. East Red had 3 losses in league play, so they were 14-3, and Silver Bay was 17-0. That is a big difference? East pounded the weak teams just like Silver Bay did, big deal. So when Silver Bay lost in OT to OMGHA Black, should they be an A team too then? Silver Bay also beat Moundwestonka. East also beat some Lets Play Hockey top 20 teams. Seems to me that Silver Bay and East Red are on par with some of the Cities B-1 teams. Could it be that District 11's B-1 teams just weren't very good this year. I think so...

South region

Woodbury Black vs Marshall
Mankato vs Woodbury Royal

Windom vs Albert Lea
Rochester Black vs Eagen

East region

Mounds View vs Silver Bay
Elk River Black vs Highland

East Red vs Chisago Lakes
Centennial vs Stillwater Red

rockcrusher wrote:I think if you have seen the two Duluth East teams play, you would realize these are not even teams. The score was close when they played last weekend, but the shots on goal were a large margin and the play was in the Black's team most of the game. Can you say hot goalie. Talk to some of the Black's teams parents and you start a very hot topic. Hermantown also changed both their B team rosters just before the end of the year, one was much better than the other. East Red had 3 losses in league play, so they were 14-3, and Silver Bay was 17-0. That is a big difference? East pounded the weak teams just like Silver Bay did, big deal. So when Silver Bay lost in OT to OMGHA Black, should they be an A team too then? Silver Bay also beat Moundwestonka. East also beat some Lets Play Hockey top 20 teams. Seems to me that Silver Bay and East Red are on par with some of the Cities B-1 teams. Could it be that District 11's B-1 teams just weren't very good this year. I think so...

I'm not saying they should play A -- no where near good enough. Neither of them will make it out of regions. However, IMHO, if they want to play B1, they should man up and play TRUE B1 teams in the district instead of voting to make them evenly split their teams. Maybe then, they could compete at regions. Did they get better beating up on everyone?

You did say, "Otherwise play A where you belong." Maybe SB and East are the only true b-1 teams in district 11. Did you see many district games, how about the range district teams? East and SB pounded the range teams too, and yet they lost to some cities b-1 teams. But they also beat some ranked cities b-1 teams. So who is farther away from being a TRUE b-1 team? Is it Proctor, Cloquet, Ashland, the 2 EVEN Hermantown teams? Maybe the cities teams with 4,5,6 bantam teams should have more than one A team? Like I said earlier, the little towns have some success and they get frowned upon as sandbaggers. Seems like I read something similar about Chisago Lakes b-1 team on this forum not too long ago.

My sincere apologies. So you admit East stacks one team in order to compete, while Hermantown makes moves to even up their teams late in December? Perhaps Hermantown should bend the rules so they, too, can have a TRUE B1 team. I really have no beef with East --- I do have a problem with teams in the division wanting to play B1 instead of A and then having the kahones' to ask a small organization like Hermantown to split their B teams evenly so they can beat up on them. That's all. Based on this season (and last) I would say that Proctor, Ashland and one Hermantown and one East team should be B2. The rest B1. And yes, this year, East and Silver Bay had the only B1 teams. Too bad, they would have had much better development if they had the opportunity to play better quality teams -- would have been fun to watch a Hermantown B1 team compete against either of them.

North region

Mesabi East vs Moorhead Orange
Lake of the Woods vs Eveleth

Moorhead Black vs Roseau
Bemidji vs Grand Rapids

At the district meeting last year, it was the bigger organizations (East, Herm) who wanted to make 2 even teams. I don't consider Hermantown, East, Cloquet a small organization, ( they have 3 bantam teams ). Small is the towns with only enough kids to field a team. SB has big numbers this year because of the kids that come from up the shore and the 3 they inherited from Two Harbors, who dragged all their bantams up to the high school team. SB would probably only have about 8 kids if it wasn't for the co-op between all those other towns. One of their goalies lives 58 miles up the Gunflint Trail. I totally agree that these teams would have been better by playing better teams, and they played a few in tourneys here and there. But, I just think district 11 was weak at the b-1 level this year.

rockcrusher wrote:At the district meeting last year, it was the bigger organizations (East, Herm) who wanted to make 2 even teams. I don't consider Hermantown, East, Cloquet a small organization, ( they have 3 bantam teams ). Small is the towns with only enough kids to field a team. SB has big numbers this year because of the kids that come from up the shore and the 3 they inherited from Two Harbors, who dragged all their bantams up to the high school team. SB would probably only have about 8 kids if it wasn't for the co-op between all those other towns. One of their goalies lives 58 miles up the Gunflint Trail. I totally agree that these teams would have been better by playing better teams, and they played a few in tourneys here and there. But, I just think district 11 was weak at the b-1 level this year.

Wow...I find that interesting about Hermantown voting for the 2 even teams - I didn't know that. Agreed, district 11 was weak at the B1 level this year. Good luck at regions -- would be nice to see a northern team do well.

Woodbury Black 3 Eagan 1
Woodbury Royal and Eagan will play
Tuesday, 6PM at Cottage Grove West
for South #2 Seed to State
(Game was originally scheduled for 4:15PM today at Worthington!)

State Bracket

Elk River vs Edina White
Eveleth vs Woodburry Black

OMG Crimson vs Chisago Lakes
Lake of the Woods vs Eagan/Woodburry Royal pending tonights game

Predictions? Upsets?

I haven't seen Lake of the Woods or Eveleth so don't know much about them. Crimson and Edina White have been the top dogs all year but 1 and done anything could happen.

ahastars03 wrote:State Bracket

Elk River vs Edina White
Eveleth vs Woodburry Black

OMG Crimson vs Chisago Lakes
Lake of the Woods vs Eagan/Woodburry Royal pending tonights game

Predictions? Upsets?

I haven't seen Lake of the Woods or Eveleth so don't know much about them. Crimson and Edina White have been the top dogs all year but 1 and done anything could happen.

My predictions being
Elk River over Edina
Woodbury Black over Eveleth
I would love to say chisago over OMG Crimson but just dont see it happening
Lake of the Woods over either team that makes it here

Eveleth and Lake of the Woods would not even be quality B2 teams in the metro.