HighSchoolHockeyForums.com

How will Wayzata be this year. Who is the strength of the team?

No Joe Howe in goal. No scoring. Disinterested coach. = Long season.

Let’s see, you have the second largest in enrollment / attendance for a MN school in the state.

What it does mean; You have the SECOND LARGEST CHEARING OR BOOING SECTION!

You would expect much more would be my guess.


HHMMMM????

They still have a solid junior goalie who will pick up the slack and do quite well. The second goalie is the big question. The team will be primarily seniors, but nobody that's a true goal scorer. They'll need every player pitching in on a regular basis to stay in most games.

It boggles my mind how Wayzata does not regularly field elite teams. Can anyone think of a more accomplished youth system? If not the best, they are in the top 5. With a feeder system like that, it's a shame they don't have better varsity teams. IMO, it all comes down to coaching, and it is time for a change at Wayzata.

Yeah it's a great feeder system for Wayzata and every private school in the area.

It does make you wonder, the kids in the youth program are always near or at the top at every age level. In theory they should be playing against the same kids once they move to the high school level. Could it be they suddenly forget how to play the game? There are two constants, good players moving from the successful youth program to the high school and the same high school coaches.....

The seniors had only limited success in youth hockey and the juniors haven't won at any level. Wouldn't expect anything different from them as HS players.

Reality Check wrote:Yeah it's a great feeder system for Wayzata and every private school in the area.

There is your answer.

Reality Check wrote:Yeah it's a great feeder system for Wayzata and every private school in the area.

...Okay, just wonder if as many kids would leave with a first class coaching staff at the varsity level.

Also, do as many kids leave EP, Blaine, Elk River (all quite successful over the past decade)? Why not? It's not as if they are without private school options.

It usually is the same answer, they have allot of seniors, that is because they probly have the largest junior gold program too for the sophomores and juniors.

hockeyxprt1 wrote:

Reality Check wrote:Yeah it's a great feeder system for Wayzata and every private school in the area.

...Okay, just wonder if as many kids would leave with a first class coaching staff at the varsity level.

Also, do as many kids leave EP, Blaine, Elk River (all quite successful over the past decade)? Why not? It's not as if they are without private school options.

EP has been successful? The 2 other teams you mention HAVE won a State title in the last 10 years. EP........not so much.
If you didn't notice, I'm not the biggest EP fan. I think the Eagles would be lumped in with Wayzata before Blaine and ER. Just my opinion.

Parents from Elk River can't afford to send their kids to private schools. Not because of the money, they just can't afford to lose them on the farms.

EP has lost the following " impact" players in the last few years:

DeZellar - AHA
Carew - Benilde
Kristo - USNTDP
Wetmore - AHA

Not alot, but significant.....

Lopresti wrote:No Joe Howe in goal. No scoring. Disinterested coach. = Long season.

Why would you say Coach Davis is disinterested?

Since when has EP been any good?

In regards to Davis...... I've seen him coach for years, I've seen him during games, between periods, and after games. He rarely goes into the locker room between periods. I've also talked to people very close to the team the last couple years, and the one-word description I keep coming up with is "disinterested." This is just my opinion, maybe this year he can prove me wrong.

I don't know anything about Davis, but the only reason they got most of the wins they did last year (including Edina) was because of Howe, so his loss is an absolute killer. There was no offense to speak of last year, and I don't know where it's coming from this year.

wayzata is in trouble this year and they may have trouble with the class a teams on their schedule

rickwardo44 wrote:wayzata is in trouble this year and they may have trouble with the class a teams on their schedule

No offense Wayzata fans, I can't think of any dynamo hockey types coming out of Wayzata in recent years. Any Elite League players or USHL types in recent years? Yes, I know about Howe...........who else?

With the numbers that association kicks out there should be several outstanding players coming out of that area every year.

As for Mr. Davis, how can you produce great teams when you don't have outstanding talent to work with.

Not this year but talent is on the way for Davis. He should be able to get "interested" soon.

No offense Wayzata fans, I can't think of any dynamo hockey types coming out of Wayzata in recent years. Any Elite League players or USHL types in recent years? Yes, I know about Howe...........who else?

With the numbers that association kicks out there should be several outstanding players coming out of that area every year.

As for Mr. Davis, how can you produce great teams when you don't have outstanding talent to work with.

Wehrs, Lucia, Miller, Wheeler, Fong, Kaufman, Stevens, Davis...

Kaufman is from Armstrong not Wayzata

It looks like the only Wayzata player playing in the HS Elite League is Fahnhorst - a big defenseman.

I can only think of three kids who would be on the 07 team who have opted to go to private schools or USHL. Obviously, the biggest loss will be Joe Howe. Joe Rehkamp went to Breck and Tom McCarthy to Benilde. While both of these guys are good hockey players, I don't think their absence will make that much of a difference. Wayzata just doesn’t have enough kids who can get the puck in the net.

Do not think it is Davis except for his not being able or willing to make changes in their association. Everyone in Wayzata blames Davis or the private schools, they have losts of very, very good players in Mites and Squirts. They have good coaches. Unfortunately, the player development group and folks in "power" are listening to the wrong people (and not listening to their true bosses- their parents) when is comes to the structure of their program. Until you have more boys playing A hockey (2 teams an A1 and A2) they will only help a small percentage of their players reach their potential. Who cares if you come in 1st in 2nd at the B level. That would only be great if they have two(2) A teams in place, but not when you are holding back kids and only having 10% of your players play A hockey at each level. Could go on and on........................lot's and lot's of players are becoming the best B players in STATE. It is a shame.