2010-2011 Section 3A predictions

GopherPuck15 · Post by **GopherPuck15** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:32 pm

I attended the NU/LDC game in New Ulm..Come playoffs, I'd bet we see those two playing again in the final. New Ulm is a more solid, rounded team, but as we all know in hockey, you don't have to be the best team to win. LDC will only struggle with goaltending. He was solid for two periods, but in the middle frame he struggled a little bit, and that hurt the Dragons in the end. Another thing that makes New Ulm the clear cut #1? Burgau. the kid is very good, and he's the backbone of that New Ulm team. LDC just didn't really have a true scorer that could bury the puck tonight. Should be fun to see how this section turns out!

Bettman's Bender · Post by **Bettman's Bender** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:03 am

I respect the luverne hockey team.. You can respect a team and still want to beat them.

Austin Maxwell. great kid. great player.super nice family, great people...best player on his team.solid D-man even at high level summer Maverick AAA hockey... thoughts and PRAYERS with him, his family, and his team.

I live in a real world. New Ulm is the best team in this section. Hutch, Litch, Marshall, Luverne all follow behind them. Luverne always gives marshall a run, just as marshall always gives New Ulm a run. Even though Marshall isnt as talented as New Ulm, just as Luverne isnt as talented as Marshall. Its just one of those rivalries.

the road to the X goes through New Ulm. That being said, it wouldnt be super surprising if there was an upset there.. By any of the other top teams in this section.

luverne could be dangerous. Tragedy could bring this team together. Lets see if they play inspired hockey for Austin.

BuffaloRidgeHockey · Post by **BuffaloRidgeHockey** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:39 am

Just a quick note on Luverne played at Worthington last night. They were dominate winning the game 12 to 1.

But what an amazing finish. With about 15 seconds left in the game the cardinals were able to find Austin Maxwell at the point who buried a puck from the point. He then pointed to the sky and skated over to his bench and collapsed in tears in his teammates arms as the time ran out.

The most emotional touching moment I have ever been apart of at a hockey rink. The pain and suffering that he is going through and to get a goal and to be able to express his love for his fallen father just put things in perspective for this hockey fan.

Been a very tragic week for the Luverne Hockey community down here. Lots of tears shed last night. Worthington was a class act with their fans and team giving Maxwell a standing ovation after he scored. Just one of those special moments I will never forget. Just thought I would share it with all.

timcorbin21 · Post by **timcorbin21** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:58 am

New Ulm is still number one. They won last nite but they didn't beat Litch in periods 1 & 3
Litch played a tough schedule this week beat Mound in ot. In N/U second period they essentially played without their first line due to a penalty and an injury. All in all not bad
Marshall probably thought they could walk over Luverne. I don't think anyone from Marshall would be happy with the way they played.
Hutch didn't play horrible but not well. Maybe some more games at home will help.
Luverne, made up a little for the way things went in Willmar.
Redwood Falls, What a difference a couple of days makes

thirdmanin · Post by **thirdmanin** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:38 pm

New Ulm is playing strong - plays solid lines, best kids rotated on the ice, core players doing well for the team
Goalie is taking charge for them and keeping them in the number one spot
many skilled players on this team
Litch has two solid lines also - strong legs, move the puck well, but struggling with a goalie sometimes; not a lot of depth, but the first lines can carry them through a game
Marshall was playing well, not sure what happened to them; they need to play like they did before Christmas. Disappointing goals in the Luverne game and inconsistent play on the ice. Sounds like they never got in a groove and are playing the whole bench and not always the skill players
Luverne - good skill players on the ice most of the game; lack depth, but hustle well; they will be better in the future; freshman goalie will improve for next year
Windom- disappointment against Redwood - was Eisenminger a no show?
Redwood - can one man really carry the team there??? We'll see how they stack up against Marshall
Sleepy Eye loses another
Morris???
New Ulm is still top, but could tumble if the goalie breaks

bardown27 · Post by **bardown27** » Sat Jan 08, 2011 5:09 pm

Hutch 2
Litch 1

OT

Section 3A HockeyScout · Sun Jan 09, 2011 7:02 pm

Greetings Section 3A Followers,

Well it was a big week at the top of Section 3A. New Ulm is solidifying itself as the clear cute #1 one team. After that it becomes a mess. Should be fun as we head down the stretch to see how things end up.

Section 3A Rankings (1-9-2011)
1. New Ulm (9-1-2)
2. Hutchinson (4-6-1)
3. L-D-C (7-2-1)
4. Marshall (7-4-1)
5. Redwood Valley (6-6-1)
6. Luverne (5-5-0)
7. Sleepy Eye (4-4-0)
8. Windom (3-7-0)
9. Fairmont (1-9-0)
10.Worhtington (0-8-0)

New Ulm- Looks very solid right now. Plays Windom tomorrow night that will be ugly. Right now the Eagles are in the driver’s seat.

Hutchinson- Not a very good record but they have beaten both Marshall and Litch and played New Ulm to the Wire this team will be dangerous come playoff time. Tigers seem to be coming around.

L-D-C- Two tough losses this week to the top two teams in the section puts them at three. They need to get back on track this week.

Marshall- Had trouble with Luverne…. If they can pick it up by Hutch beating Litch that opens up the 3 seed possibly down the road for the tigers. Marshall can win out with their remaining schedule.

Redwood Valley- Got hammered by Morris (9-1) then hammered Windom (8-0) then barley squeaked by Fairmont (3-2). This team is very hard to get a read on.

Luverne- Been a very emotionally tough week for Luverne…Thought and prayers go out to you guys.

Sleepy Eye- Losing to a bad Austin drops these guys back to 7 seed. Maybe got to high on them early….

Windom- Has three wins all against the two teams below them still looking for a victory against someone of more quality.

Fairmont- Looks to be playing better hockey of late almost knocked off Redwood.

Worthington- Another tough week for these guys.

Section 3A Big Games
Sleepy Eye vs Redwood
The Indians could move back into the 5 seed with a big here.

Redwood vs. Luverne
Rematch of the section quarterfinal upset

Marshall vs. Sleepy Eye
Sleepy Eye looking for respect has a big week ahead.

Hope we have another good week.

letsgowild · Post by **letsgowild** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 6:47 pm

New Ulm got a little scare from Austin last night. N.U. was down 2 to 1 after 1, but N.U. came out with a win. score 5--2

IT CAN STOP SNOWING ANYTIME NOW!!!

Section 3A HockeyScout · Sun Jan 16, 2011 1:35 pm

Greetings Section 3A Followers,

Another week that was affected by weather. Can’t wait for this snow to be over with so we can get my high school hockey in. Should be another great week ahead!

Section 3A Rankings (1-16-2011)
1. New Ulm (11-1-2)
2. Hutchinson (5-7-0)
3. Litchfield Dassel Cokato (8-3-1)
4. Marshall (9-4-1)
5. Luverne (7-5-0)
6. Redwood Valley (7-7-2)
7. Sleepy Eye (4-6-0)
8. Windom (3-7-0)
9. Fairmont (2-9-0)
10. Worthington (0-10-0)

1. New Ulm- The clear favorite is showing some dents though key injuries to leading scorer Loose and top defenseman Hoffman could leave the Eagles in trouble the next few weeks.

2. Hutchinson- There wins over Marshall and LDC give the Tigers the two spot even with a less then impressive overall record.

3. LDC- Is struggling a bit need to get back on track. The Dragons have a big one vs. New Ulm at the end of the week.

4. Marshall- They will not be challenged in the Conference only scare was Luverne SW Conference Champs….

5. Luverne- Good week beat Redwood and Mankato East maybe Luverne is starting to come together …..

6. Redwood- Beat Sleepy Eye but got beat by Luverne and tied St Peter team has a huge game vs Marshall on Monday.

7. Sleepy Eye- Tough week for the Indians need to rebound this week.

8. Windom- talk about rusty Windom has not played a game since Jan. 6th !!

9. Fairmont- Has two wins both against Worthington….

10. Worthington- The long season continues…..

Big Section 3A Games
Redwood vs Marshall: Redwood needs a big win here I just don’t see that happening.

Litchfield vs. New Ulm Rematch here the Eagles are beat up could the Dragons take advantage ??

Another good week Ahead!!

thirdmanin · Post by **thirdmanin** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:39 pm

I would have to say hockey scout is pretty close on his rankings.

New Ulm - clearly the leader; goalie is outstanding and will be tough to beat

Hutch - have to put them second, although honestly, they are probably best suited for the 3 or 4 seed, but a couple wins puts them here. I think Marshall really blew the game against them by having too many kids in the penalty box. If they would play Hutch now, it would be a completely different game.

Litch - probably third, but I think they are about as even as Marshall. You have to go by wins and losses, but I think they are also a better team than Hutch. Litch could easily be two and Marshall three, but Hutch came up big against the two of them.

The only thing that could make it interesting is if Marshall beats New Ulm. Not sure they can pull that off with Burgau in the net.

Luverne will be playing with a lot of heart; sorry to say, but they clearly are not as talented as the top four but emotion could pull them through.

Redwood - couple big games against Marshall coming up. If Marshall blows one of them, well, then that will be a big disappointment.

Glad to see Sleepy Eye improving and getting some wins. Good for them.

Worthington - wow - give those guys credit for coming out night after night - takes a lot of character!!

letsgowild · Post by **letsgowild** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 7:50 pm

Does New Ulm have to watch out for chickens on the ice when they go to Litch on sat. (what is up with that anyway ???)

letsgowild · Post by **letsgowild** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 9:16 am

New Ulm is heading to Litch today with a few key injuries, not sure if these kids are playing.

Any predictions....i'll say Litch - 4 and N.U. - 3 (HOPE I'M WRONG)

Going with Litch because there at home, and N.U. has some injuries.

Section 3A HockeyScout · Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:05 pm

Greetings Section 3A Followers,

What a week we had a few big games that shook up the rankings some. This Section is going to be very interesting come playoff time any of the top four teams have a shot to win this section.

Section 3A Rankings (1-23-11)
1. New Ulm (12-2-2)
2. L-D-C (10-4-1)
3. Hutchinson (5-10-0)
4. Marshall (11-4-2)
5. Luverne (9-5-0)
6. Redwood Valley ( 7-9-2)
7. Fairmont (3-10-0)
8. Sleepy Eye (4-8-0)
9. Windom (3-10-0)
10. Worthington (0-12-0)

New Ulm- Took their first section lost losing to LDC in OT. This is still the best team in the section but they are showing that on any given night they are very beatable.

L-D-C- Huge win over the Eagles The Dragons will get the two seed if they can the rematch with Hutch. Litch has a dangerous first line that can carry them with really solid defenseman.

Hutch- Ugly record but with a win over Marshall and a possible sweep of Litch they will be a lock for a two seed.

Marshall- What happened against Morris???? …. They are a lock at the 4 seed come sections.

Luverne- The best of the rest….. not saying much

Redwood Valley- Wow has this program crashed fast…

Fairmont_ team on the up swing they could knock off Luverne Tuesday and really shake things up…

Sleepy Eye- Losing star senior net minder Robert Reagan has really hurt their chances …..

Windom- I know I know …. They destroyed Fairmont but they haven’t beat anyone else to this point and lost to Sleepy Eye A rematch with both could really help this team’s stock.

Worthington- give the kids credit they play clean and hard all you can ask….
Section 3A Games to Watch

Fairmont vs. Luverne- Fairmont could really shake up the bottom of this section with a win here…

Windom vs Sleepy Eye- another big game win looking at who will host a playoff game for the Play-In Games

Redwood vs Marshall- Last chance for Redwood to get in the discussion when talking about teams with a chance in 3A

Well here we go with another week!!

Cujo · Post by **Cujo** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:17 am

The eagles need Hoffman and Loose back. Don't think they can come out of the section without Hoffman anchoring the D. Lucky they have Burgau in net otherwise the score against litch could have been a lot different.

Props to Litch for the W. I also think they Dragons are lucky to have Impola anchoring their D core. Very solid player!

timcorbin21 · Post by **timcorbin21** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:50 am

New Ulm- still number one but Litch won this one and won in periods one and three the last time these teams met. New Ulm won the first game scoring 4 goals in the second period while most of LDCs 1st line was sitting.

Litch- had a nice win and has to feel like their in a pretty good spot. Contends for the number one seed if things roll their way

Hutch- Ugly record is right but they beat marshall and litch. lost to new ulm 0-1 on a fluke goal they could be number two

Marshall- Has moved out of the defensive zone this year, across the neutral zone and has been taking lots of shots. But haven't been able to find the back of the net when playing the tough end of their schedule. Is it too late to learn how to shoot/rebound.

gr8hkymind · Post by **gr8hkymind** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:23 am

Litch played a solid game against New Ulm. However, keep in mind Hoffmann is still out and Loose played 1/3 of the game on a regular shift. Also, at the horn of the 2nd period a goal was disallowed when the puck was clearly in the net B4 the horn sounded! The official was not in position what so ever! Also, the Dragons are not going to get away with the sticks to the helmet in a Section Final Game! They got away with a few of those late in the 3rd period. The Eagles need Loose back! He does all the work on that line. Juntanan and Petersen did not play well in this game! They stood around and the players that stood in for Loose for the 1st period(JV Players) aren't even close to being regular shift Varsity players. If NU doesn't get healthy by the time Marshall rolls into town and the Eagles lose...Litch could claim 1st seed!

We'll see what happens!

thirdmanin · Post by **thirdmanin** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:18 pm

Very interesting things going on now...

Let's face it - the section games are going to be great! There will be upsets. The top four teams are going to battle it out.

Yes - New Ulm is good, but they have issues. Still have the best goalie in the section. Talented players, strong lines, but they can be beat. Loose is a big loss now BUT they should have other kids that can carry that spot - they don't play a deep bench, so no one able to step in when needed.

Agree on Hutch - got some lucky wins which will rank them high, but I beleive they will get knocked out by Marshall, Litch or NU in the section play offs. They may get the 2 or 3 seed, but don't see them making it out of the section alive or to the section finals.

Litch - really carried by one strong player. They are good - but no depth. If Impola was not there, they couldn't do it. They can be beaten as well.

Marshall - usually don't agree with corbin, but they can't score! 47 shots on an average Morris goalie? Really? Lines are starting to come around, but weak kids on the ice there too. Some strong players, but they need someone to score!

Luverne could surprise someone - and I mean SURPRISE. They are not close to the top four, but you never know when sections come around.

Barry McConell · Post by **Barry McConell** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:45 pm

thirdmanin,
you obviously seem close to marshall. who are the weak players on that team? who are the ones that should be scoring? and what is with them in the games with tougher opponents? they never seem to get it done. any insights?

thirdmanin · Post by **thirdmanin** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:25 pm

barry - woulnt be polite to name names BUT, maybe look at who is on the ice when the goals go in for the other team...look at who is on the ice when the goals are scored for Marshall - who gets beat?...they play a deep bench which is great when you play the weaker teams, but don't you think the stronger players should be on the ice when you play a more quality team? New Ulm - short bench - Morris - short bench - litch - short bench - Marshall - plays all lines. Nice to save legs, but in tight games, weaker players give it up. There are some great passers and team players, but need to get that puck in the net. Some of them can do it if they are out there playing and getting some flow on the ice...just saying, there are some great players and they need to be out their more often...you dont sit good kids on the bench - this is just my small opinion

Bettman's Bender · Post by **Bettman's Bender** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:00 pm

thirdmanin wrote:barry - woulnt be polite to name names BUT, maybe look at who is on the ice when the goals go in for the other team...look at who is on the ice when the goals are scored for Marshall - who gets beat?...they play a deep bench which is great when you play the weaker teams, but don't you think the stronger players should be on the ice when you play a more quality team? New Ulm - short bench - Morris - short bench - litch - short bench - Marshall - plays all lines. Nice to save legs, but in tight games, weaker players give it up. There are some great passers and team players, but need to get that puck in the net. Some of them can do it if they are out there playing and getting some flow on the ice...just saying, there are some great players and they need to be out their more often...you dont sit good kids on the bench - this is just my small opinion

I agree in part with this.. Marshall's depth has been great for them all year long. They have 4 pretty solid lines. Their scheme is pretty smart. They are able to match any of their 4 lines with any other teams top line and dont usually have to worry about getting scored on.. (forward wise, D depth in M-town is a little shaky) marshalls Defensive depth is only 2 lines... But then marshall can put out their more skilled lines against the opponents 2nd and 3rd lines without having to match their first with the opponents first line.... However i do agree that when you are in the third period or so of a tight game it would be advantageous to run exclusively the most skilled 2 lines of forwards and 4 D and maybe work in a 3rd line of forwards or a 5th D here and there. The top two lines shouldnt be winded if you run 4 lines all game long.

other news.. WILLMAR is red hot. good thing they arent in this section anymore. I believe they just beat a 6th ranked little falls team. along with W over Detroit lakes, fergus, Sauk Rapids.

Barry McConell · Post by **Barry McConell** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:09 pm

thirdmanin and bettman's bender,
i assume you were at the morris game then, what happened? how come marshall couldnt put up more than 2 goals? maybe they scored to many against the swc teams and the goals have all dried up. i see they have redwood tomorrow night. they played luverne tough, maybe they will give the tigers all they can handle

Edger · Post by **Edger** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:29 pm

So, let me get this straight, play very few guys?
That way, when you run into the inevitable injuries, like a Loose, or even worse, a Juntanen, goes down, your season is over?
Get a kick out of this "play the studs only" mentality. NU can, because they have a bunch of them. Litch has a couple. Does Marshall?
I haven't heard of anyone game-planning to stop so-and-so from Marshall. They should be using "having numbers" to their advantage, instead of whining about playing too many.
Their seniors have played forever, and they DO get more ice time. A lot more. Its not like they run them 1-2-3-4 in tougher games.
Even if you run 3 equal, thats a lot of ice time to get something done. Should be 6, 7, to 8 shifts a period. If you can't get it done in that much time, stop whining about who's playing and who's not.
2 goals against M-B? Thats on the guys who played and didn't get it done.
Didn't Marshall have a tiny class a couple years ago, something like 3 or 4 kids? Looks now like they have great numbers at HS, why not use them? Lots of seniors who play, lots of juniors too. That means you better get it done, now. You've got to use your strengths. They aren't more talented, they aren't bigger. they aren't faster, than the top teams they play against, but they do have better numbers. It's their only hope for being different.

thirdmanin · Post by **thirdmanin** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:07 pm

Edger wrote:So, let me get this straight, play very few guys?
That way, when you run into the inevitable injuries, like a Loose, or even worse, a Juntanen, goes down, your season is over?
Get a kick out of this "play the studs only" mentality. NU can, because they have a bunch of them. Litch has a couple. Does Marshall?
I haven't heard of anyone game-planning to stop so-and-so from Marshall. They should be using "having numbers" to their advantage, instead of whining about playing too many.
Their seniors have played forever, and they DO get more ice time. A lot more. Its not like they run them 1-2-3-4 in tougher games.
Even if you run 3 equal, thats a lot of ice time to get something done. Should be 6, 7, to 8 shifts a period. If you can't get it done in that much time, stop whining about who's playing and who's not.
2 goals against M-B? Thats on the guys who played and didn't get it done.
Didn't Marshall have a tiny class a couple years ago, something like 3 or 4 kids? Looks now like they have great numbers at HS, why not use them? Lots of seniors who play, lots of juniors too. That means you better get it done, now. You've got to use your strengths. They aren't more talented, they aren't bigger. they aren't faster, than the top teams they play against, but they do have better numbers. It's their only hope for being different.

No - don't play very few guys - not so smart BUT play to win in the tight games which means some kids aren't out there no matter what grade they are in.
good points- numbers work in average games and to help at times in the tough ones
don't want to bag on some kids that try hard and want to win, but this isn't youth hockey anymore - time to play to win I don't see Impola, juntanan, krogens (old marshall hockey) or other strong players watching the game for 3 shifts before they see the ice...agree with betman - 4 -5 D - that is an issue, and 3 lines...pearson is a great coach and knows more then the rest of us, so he will work his magic when he takes charge
agree - could someone find the back of the net in these challenging games? teamwork, passing, and good hockey sense is what will make this team win
hey bettman - too bad they don't have that goalie from last year - do you know him?????

Barry McConell · Post by **Barry McConell** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:44 pm

sounds like they did play to win against morris. was anyone at the game? if marshall can't handle morris then maybe they get upset by luverne in the 4-5 game. luverne IS do to beat them. new ulm is still number 1 even with a loss to litch right now. if hutch beat litch and marshall beats new ulm then that's really going to be an interesting shake down for seedings. should be fun down the stretch. and don't forget about the cards from fairmont!! maybe they'll get the 5 and upset the tigers!!

Cujo · Post by **Cujo** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:12 pm

Its about time the fourm woke up! To shake it up more, what about the refs in the Litch-NU game?

A missed goal at the end of the second and the ref called no goal at the blue line while people behind the net were putting their hands in the air?hmmm

The two hander over the head at the end of regulation and the missed offsides in OT where the Litch player dumped in it and it hit their guy while he was in the zone, witch lead to the Litch goal.. Poor Officiating!

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