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Right now:

1. Duluth East
-A win over Flake on Tuesday should clinch the top seed.
2. Grand Rapids
-With the Benilde win, they've done enough outside the section to climb to #2. Yes, those two losses are bad, but they did beat ER, tie Cloquet twice, and lose by one to East.
3/4. Cloquet/Elk River
-This is really a toss-up, and they're near dead-even in most of the computer rankings, too. With CEC tying GR twice and ER losing to GR, there's a decent case to be made for CEC as the #3. If they beat Andover this week, I'd be inclined to put them there. If CEC were to beat East later in the season, they would shoot up to #2, but I don't think they could dislodge the Hounds from the top spot unless East loses to Forest Lake as well. If CEC loses to Andover then Elk River is the clear #3 and CEC is down to 5, and that would probably be how it ends, even if CEC beats East in a few weeks.
5. Andover
-Beating Cloquet would lift them to #4, and probably lock them in there.
6. Forest Lake
-A win over East would get them to #5, but probably no higher. Even if they lose to East and Andover can't get a win of any magnitude down the stretch, they'd have a decent case for #5, given their somewhat better record and the win over GR.
7. St. Francis
-Locked in here with comfortable wins over STMA and Cambridge
8. STMA
-Beat Cambridge this past week, which should secure them home ice in the play-in game.
9. Cambridge

Very well put.

I will be out of town. Is that when the section playoffs typically are? How many games will I miss?

After seeing both teams play this week on TV, I like GR to beat East in the finals.

Pioneerprideguy wrote:After seeing both teams play this week on TV, I like GR to beat East in the finals.

That is sort of my prediction, also.

Lee

east hockey wrote:

Pioneerprideguy wrote:After seeing both teams play this week on TV, I like GR to beat East in the finals.

That is sort of my prediction, also.

Lee

I like Cloquet to beat East in OT in the semifinals.

Maybe Forest Lake can pull of the upset Tuesday up in Duluth. They have been playing good lately and easy seems to have goaltending problems.??
If FL were to win....maybe home ice for sections.

kniven wrote:I will be out of town. Is that when the section playoffs typically are? How many games will I miss?

Just the final. The play-in game is on 2/16, the quarters are on 2/19, and the semis are on 2/23. The final is 2/28.

karl(east) wrote:

kniven wrote:I will be out of town. Is that when the section playoffs typically are? How many games will I miss?

Just the final. The play-in game is on 2/16, the quarters are on 2/19, and the semis are on 2/23. The final is 2/28.

Semifinals are scheduled to begin at Noon again this year. I'm planning on driving up from MSP Friday afternoon and spending the night somewhere I can walk to the arena from the skywalk. Should be a blast! I hope CEC or East bring their band for this years semifinals. Back in 04 both bands came. GR has a policy their band unfortunately doesn't go to semis for any sport, only home quarters and section finals/state. The southern teams never seem to bring their band or very many fans for that matter either.

MNhockey29 wrote:Maybe Forest Lake can pull of the upset Tuesday up in Duluth. They have been playing good lately and easy seems to have goaltending problems.??
If FL were to win....maybe home ice for sections.

They would have to do more than beat East, though that would certainly be an attention getter seedings aside. Forest Lake had a good start with the win over GR then proceeded to totally bury themselves in 3+ goal losses over an over to unranked teams. I just think in terms of seeding Forest Lake has way too many ugly losses to recover. However, they are certainly capable of winning on the road in the quarters IF they play up to their potential.

Just because Forest Lake fans aren't active here laying out excuses for losses, doesn't mean that team hasn't struggled with some of the same issues other teams have this season. Flu bugs, whooping cough, key seniors out of games....they've happened to every team this season, and sometimes they result in ugly losses. Why should that cost one team more than another come seeding day?

DustytheDuster wrote:Just because Forest Lake fans aren't active here laying out excuses for losses, doesn't mean that team hasn't struggled with some of the same issues other teams have this season. Flu bugs, whooping cough, key seniors out of games....they've happened to every team this season, and sometimes they result in ugly losses. Why should that cost one team more than another come seeding day?

Every team has those issues, still Forest Lake has far too many losses with a weaker schedule than Grand Rapids or Elk River. It isn't costing anyone more than another team, you're simply trying to make excuses for Forest Lake and ignore the many wins Grand Rapids and other teams have piled up. Logically Forest Lake is going to end up #6 and there is nothing they can do about it now. I'm amazed at how you fans can't see it clearly and on a 25 game schedule you want to hang your hat on one victory back in the first week of the season and get a pass on the other 24 games.

I see East/ERat noon and GR/CEC at 2 in the semis.

I just hope we play Rapids.

old goalie85 wrote:I just hope we play Rapids.

I think Grand Rapids would love that! Bring it on!!!

I would think they play head to head section games to help determine the quality of each team so you don't have to say one conference is better than the other or one team played a stronger schedule. It's not the only criteria, but head to head should carry the most weight. The lose to FL early probably means less, but the loss to SF really should hurt. Also, the record against all section opponents should be highly considered. Does anybody know the section records?

Usthockey13 wrote:I see East/ERat noon and GR/CEC at 2 in the semis.

I don't think ER will get the 4th seed.

I am thinking East and CEC ina semi and
GR and ER in the other one.
Assuming GR can get by Forest Lakeor SMA.

elliott70 wrote:

Usthockey13 wrote:I see East/ERat noon and GR/CEC at 2 in the semis.

I don't think ER will get the 4th seed.

I am thinking East and CEC ina semi and
GR and ER in the other one.
Assuming GR can get by Forest Lakeor SMA.

It would be interesting if GR beat St. Francis and Forest Lake upset Elk River putting GR and FL against each other in the semifinals.

Well GR beat ER and CEC has tied GR twice, so if CEC beats Andover tomorrow. Then I think it could come out
1East
2GR (win vs BSM helps)
3 CEC
4 ER

elliott70 wrote:

Usthockey13 wrote:I see East/ERat noon and GR/CEC at 2 in the semis.

I don't think ER will get the 4th seed.

I am thinking East and CEC ina semi and
GR and ER in the other one.
Assuming GR can get by Forest Lakeor SMA.

Usthockey13 wrote:Well GR beat ER and CEC has tied GR twice, so if CEC beats Andover tomorrow. Then I think it could come out
1East
2GR (win vs BSM helps)
3 CEC
4 ER

elliott70 wrote:

Usthockey13 wrote:I see East/ERat noon and GR/CEC at 2 in the semis.

I don't think ER will get the 4th seed.

I am thinking East and CEC ina semi and
GR and ER in the other one.
Assuming GR can get by Forest Lakeor SMA.

Yup, it could.

One thing I'd like to know, is who has the better fan base between Elk River, Forest Lake, and Andover? Which group would bring the largest crowd to Amsoil Arena on Feb. 23?

TheHockeyDJ wrote:One thing I'd like to know, is who has the better fan base between Elk River, Forest Lake, and Andover? Which group would bring the largest crowd to Amsoil Arena on Feb. 23?

No doubt it is Elk River.
They have the best fan base in Section 7AA.
They just don't go to games.

elliott70 wrote:

TheHockeyDJ wrote:One thing I'd like to know, is who has the better fan base between Elk River, Forest Lake, and Andover? Which group would bring the largest crowd to Amsoil Arena on Feb. 23?

No doubt it is Elk River.
They have the best fan base in Section 7AA.
They just don't go to games.

Wow look at all the posturing, but gotta love the passion. As Karl said north doen't just vote north now.

Gr's wins a fun game in the elements and BSM doesn't move down in ratings, but GR moves up(?) Somehow ER has now gotten worse and CEC has gotten better, because they tied a inconsistent GR team(?)

And now we want to insult the fans.

Bronc wrote:

elliott70 wrote:

TheHockeyDJ wrote:One thing I'd like to know, is who has the better fan base between Elk River, Forest Lake, and Andover? Which group would bring the largest crowd to Amsoil Arena on Feb. 23?

No doubt it is Elk River.
They have the best fan base in Section 7AA.
They just don't go to games.

Wow look at all the posturing, but gotta love the passion. As Karl said north doen't just vote north now.

Gr's wins a fun game in the elements and BSM doesn't move down in ratings, but GR moves up(?) Somehow ER has now gotten worse and CEC has gotten better, because they tied a inconsistent GR team(?)

And now we want to insult the fans.

Well, I really wanted to insult you, but could not bring myself to do it to a guy named 'Bronc'.

Duluth schools are closed tomorrow due to the bitter cold, so tomorrow's East-Flake game will have to be postponed or canceled. There are options for make-up dates; neither team plays again until Saturday, and they both only have one game in the final week of the season. We'll see if Cloquet-Andover is similarly affected.

As for the question about bands, Duluth is always on break the weak of Semifinal Saturday, so the Hounds won't be bringing one. I can't ever remember a band coming to Semifinal Saturday anyway.