E-please must be pretty proud of themselves get a clue two A teams. I'd be willing to bet their B teams could compete with 90% of MN A teams.
Rock on rock on. Must be fun! Winning blown out every game
2007-2008 the juggernaut E-P Thank god Shako will compete
There will come a time when MN hockey will have to say enough is enough!
And they’re not the only ones. All mega associations
Of course that’s why their High School win every year oops never mind
Now folks on this board may begin to really understand why kids from Minnesota leave to play for Shattuck and the FIRE. They only want a chance to play TIER I hockey. EP is a Tier I team playing in a Bantam "A" program. This is no one's fault but only the result of the sheer size of the EP community and therefore the number of kids in the program. If you want to play TIER I hockey you need to live in EP or move to Faribault (SHATTUCK) or tryout for the FIRE. Saying this is fair in the state tournament is like putting an "A" team up against "B" teams all year and then wondering why the "A" team wins the state tournament every year and calling it fair... This is not intended to in any way demean the good kids, coaches and parents of EP but rather a math equation that is what it is... and will be until someone changes it... TIER I hockey is cut by skill level and community hockey is cut by geographic boundary. Large communities generally (Roseau exception) have advantage in community hockey but not in TIER I. TIER I has travel issues but is generally pretty very evenly matched by skills within a team and across teams... Both systems clearly have pluses and minuses. It just depends on whats important to you...
I didnt realize that Ep was the "dominant" program. The last statement has to be a parent that doesnt know a damn thing. Ep is Tier 1 Hockey just because of the size of their community??? It will be interesting to see the same comments next season when Ep is off the radar...the hockey people know what they have coming....not much.
You missed the point. I didn't say EP was the dominant program. It happens to be the dominant Bantam program this year but if you read the post I am talking about the larger communities like EP. The point has been made and reinforced many times on this Board... The large associations like Duluth East, Wayzata, Edina, Eden Prairie, etc. are playing in special leagues (Elite), tournaments (Shattuck, Edina, Eden Praire) and playing Tier I teams like Shattucka and the Fire. They are TIER I teams and can play with TIER I teams. Most if not all Mid and Small associations Bantam "A" teams (other than Roseau) can't in general compete at the TIER I level.
you are right most can't compete with Ep,Wayzata,Edina,WBL,Centennial,Shattuck,Moorhead,Duluth E,Blaine, except the best 20-25 teams in the state...so what. You assume because they have "big numbers" that is why they are good. wrong again. It appears to the outsider they are the programs that work the hardest year in and year out. By the way stop giving Roseau an exception.. they dont need it. I will bet the HS State runner up the last 2 years doesnt need help either. Grand Rapids. Having numbers guarantees nothing see every other program in the metro. ex: Woodbury,Maple Grove, Champlin, just to name a few. bigger numbers than most of those listed above.
You missed the point. I didn't say EP was the dominant program. It happens to be the dominant Bantam program this year but if you read the post I am talking about the larger communities like EP. The point has been made and reinforced many times on this Board... The large associations like Duluth East, Wayzata, Edina, Eden Prairie, etc. are playing in special leagues (Elite), tournaments (Shattuck, Edina, Eden Praire) and playing Tier I teams like Shattucka and the Fire. They are TIER I teams and can play with TIER I teams. Most if not all Mid and Small associations Bantam "A" teams (other than Roseau) can't in general compete at the TIER I level.
Go lay down by your dish. Get your facts straight first and pull up the past three years records of "tier 1" teams against bantam teams in Minnesota. I agree the bottom end of a Bantam A team from a small community may be the difference, but to lay out a blanket that they "can't compete" is ignorant. In the years that Shattuck has had a national championship caliber Tier 1 team, they may have won more games against Minnesota Bantam teams but to frame it as complete domination is wrong.
The Shattuck team this year is 5-3 against Minnesota Bantam A teams this year and they have not played all of the "best" teams either. Lets not be Jim Jones here.
How come Champlain and Grand Rapids ever get invited to the top Bantam tournaments (Shattuck, EP, Edina, Elite)... not because they for sure will lose but because on average they will lose.
Keep sticking your head and the sand and saying the "community size doesn't matter". Simple math that in general bigger communities have an advantage. If you keep arguing that I got some condos in Florida I would love to show you...
Since you appear to be "flatontheice" again with respect to your facts look again and by the way thank you for making my point. Shattick TIER I team only plays the large associations which as I said above are in my opinion TIER I teams. So they are 7-2 against the Minnesota large community teams Bantam "A" (TIER I). They are playing those teams who they believe can challenge them. I don't know what you mean by "compete" but other than the large associations the rest of the Bantam "A" teams would lose 9 of 10 contensts with them and they know it. It's funny I don't seem to see Champlain, Grand Rapids or Shakopee on their schedule...
because on average they will lose? someone has to lose right? invite the best of everything but the fact is someone will lose....EP i dont even know why they play hockey this year. they should just hang up there skates for the season and hope everyone else can catch up. i mean really they already know their gonna win the game so why even play. i know maybe they could get some exahbition games with some d1 college programs just for alittle challange. i dont know what i would do if i was on the ep bantam team. playing down all year wow how would i deal with that. i suppose id probley run to russell stovers or something. its a tuff call but ultimatly you have togo with something to improve personal skills. its gona cost atleast 5 kids on that team nhl contracts playing down all year and wasting themselves and their talent on these other pathetic teams across minnesota. i just dont know this has to be the tuffest debate yet on this board! i got it triple a! they should just go triple a thats where the real deal is. how did i not think of that!!!???? how stupid of me... they could save their season with that solid move. its the answer all the hockey gods know that. i am loosing touch with whats real in the hockey world. so where would they rank in that league? not very good they would really have to work then!! oh wow what if they were the best team ther too? now what would they do? we could try to pool up the best bantams in the united states and canada for a eight team tourney featuring mighty ep as the untouchables. i here on this board day in and day out that you just cant be a good hockey player because little johnny is so good he has no compatition. i cant find a place for him to play we need something for my little stud. so how is it possible for this tiny little town (roseau) with thirty kids total trapped in hockey mediocrity manage to come down to gods country and win? how can that be possible? really lets look at all the angels first they have only 30 players than and this is the BIG ONE who can they play. they play all these teams all year that the mighty ones wouldnt waste their time playing but yet some how in the end their the best? how does that happen. i cant figure it out its way to complicated.
Last edited by watchdog on Fri Nov 09, 2007 9:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Looks like you got up on the wrong side of the bed. Read your whole post but can't seem to find your point... If you read the first post the point simply is that there are clearly two classes of hockey: TIER I and Bantam "A" similar to the concept of Bantam "B" and Bantam "C". I am not advocating one vs. the other only they are different programs that meet different needs.
Where are the scores?! Please start another thread to vent. Looking for some score from around the state not bickering. Come on guys play nice in the score thread and argue in a new thread.
yeah north should go triple a for some compatition!!! lol no scores to post it all starting this weekend... ill be back to post some scores thank you..
northwoods oldtimer wrote:Where are the scores?! Please start another thread to vent. Looking for some score from around the state not bickering. Come on guys play nice in the score thread and argue in a new thread.
Exactly right. Leave this topic to scores and reviews only. Take complaints and whining elsewhere, they only clog this topic up and it's a pain to sift through to get to what the topic is about.
northwoods oldtimer wrote:Where are the scores?! Please start another thread to vent. Looking for some score from around the state not bickering. Come on guys play nice in the score thread and argue in a new thread.
Exactly right. Leave this topic to scores and reviews only. Take complaints and whining elsewhere, they only clog this topic up and it's a pain to sift through to get to what the topic is about.
Very close game, shots were about even and teams had equal scoring chances, Faribault just got that extra lucky bounce (pass bounced off a DC defender and went in with 2 seconds left in 2nd period).
Dodge County: Only 10 skaters, but very solid and fast team that could make some noise this year.
Faribault: Great puck control team, and although they dont have a ton of speed they pass the puck real well and keep the mistakes to a minimum.
Look for both of these teams to be top teams from the south. Faribault also knocked off the Rochester A1 team but then tied the A2 team
