First round results are in:
#1 seed North St. Paul vs. #8 seed Stillwater, NSP wins 7 - 4
#2 seed White Bear Lake vs. #7 seed Tartan, WBL wins 4 - 3
#3 seed Moundsview vs. #6 seed Mahtomedi, Mndsv wins 4 - 0
#4 seed Forest Lake vs. #5 seed Roseville, Rsvl wins 3-0
Tomorrow's matchups are:
NSP vs. RV
Mndsv. vs. WBL
Stw. vs. FL
Maht. vs. Tartan
D2 PeeWee A playoff
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
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frederick61
- Posts: 1039
- Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:54 pm
The Tartan Ice Arena is at the junction of 694/494 and 94; at least within a mile or two of that connection. It is part of Oakdale, but the high school is called Tartan. The arena (both sheets) are behind the school, in the south west corner. The first sheet is set up for high school, a comfortable arena with nice sight lines and seating. The second sheet is a bubble, one of the few remaining bubbles left in the twin cities area, complete with revolving doors.
District 2 playoffs at Tartan are all the playoffs, bantams, peewees and girls. Of the 12 D2 playoff tourneys, most of the bantam A/B and peewee A/B games and all of the 12UA and !2UB games are played there. Saturday morning, the peewee A quarterfinals were played.
Two of the more interesting games were White Bear Lake/Tartan and North St. Paul/Stillwater. These teams were seeded at the opposite ends of the seeding process, 2 versus 7 and 1 versus 8. Normally, one would expect the higher seed to dominate, but not in D2 this year. I looked for close games and was not disappointed. The four games overlapped. So I focused on these two games and watched what I could of Moundsview/Mahtomedi and Roseville/Forest Lake.
The White Bear Lake game started the playoffs and the game started slow. The play was hampered by a series of offsides calls resulting in numerous stoppages. The play should have pitted Tartan size against White Bear Lake’s speed. But it wasn’t that kind of game. As the period moved on, White Bear started to apply pressure in the Tartan zone. They jumped to a 1-0 lead only to have Tartan tie it. The period ended 1-1.
In district playoffs, ice is cleaned every two periods. The second consecutive period played in a district playoff game is always a test of endurance. At the 11 minute mark, Tartan drew a penalty and White Bear went into their power play. It assumes the opposition plays a four man box on defense and will not adjust if they put their center on the center blue line to act as a “switch” to control the puck movement. It worked with the Tartan defense sagging low, they sniped in an angled shot from the left faceoff to go up 2-1. But their lead was short lived. Four minutes later, the Tartan scored from the center blue line. They screened the goalie moving the screen to the right and the defenseman from center blue line fired the puck in high and to the left. This play must be popular in D2, it was successfully used in the other peewee games. Both teams looked tired as the second period ran out.
The period ended 2-2 and the final period looked to be a barn burner. White Bear continued to apply pressure and finally at the 6 minute mark scored to take a 3-2 lead. Tartan seemed to go flat and the play slowed until with a little more then two minutes to go, Tartan drew a penalty. White Bear went into their three on top power play and scored again with two minutes left in the game. That goal seemed to ignite Tartan, they came back to score within thirty seconds, leaving the score 4-3. Tartan pulled their goalie and put tremendous pressure on the White Bear net nearly tying the game multiple times in the last minute of play. But they couldn’t score. White Bear won 4-3.
This game was in the bubble, standing only. So it was a relief to sit and watch the end of the Roseville/Forest Lake game. Roseville is the enigma of peewee A teams. When you think they should win, they lose. When you think they should lose, they win. When you think that zero under the opponent on the scoreboard, means great defense, you are amazed to see them outshot by 2-1 as the an opponent forward splits their defense like it wasn’t on the ice only to lose control on the shot and the opportunity to score. That describes the third period of the game. They won 3-0, but how?
The North St. Paul/Stillwater game was played in the “main” arena with seats and heat. And it started off with a bang, Stillwater scored from the top of the faceoff circle 16 seconds into the game and led 1-0. The center faceoff following the goal was knocked to the board and batted around for a few seconds and the ref blew a NSP penalty at 16 seconds. An excited parent on the clock was all that I could think.
When I saw NSP play in Polar Arena a month ago, their first line was uneven. They hadn’t learned to use each other. But no longer is that the truth. The center and both wings played together and got results. It started with a poke in. The ref looked before he blew and saw the puck at the Stillwater goalie’s feet. No whistle and the NSP first line rapped the puck several times till it went in. At the 7 minute mark, they scored again and at the 4 minute mark added other to make the score 3-1. The Moundsview game in the bubble began to look more interesting.
Fortunately, Stillwater surprised the crowd by scoring a shorthanded goal at the end of the period to close the score to 3-2. Now we have a game. NSP skates only twelve players (one is injured). The ice was cleaned between the first and second period meaning the final two periods would be played consecutively. NSP could have its hands full.
The second period became and up and down affair with a lot of physical hitting along the boards. If it had been played elsewhere, the refs would be wearing out their whistle on every hit and the game would be penalty marred. These refs judged the hits accordingly. Few penalties were called. Just under four minutes, NSP broke through scoring on a power play to take a 4-2 lead. Then it became a dual between the two centers. It was triggered when something happened to the Stillwater center and he became visibly angry. Stillwater was on the power play and he grabbed the puck off the faceoff and out of anger drilled in their third goal. A minute later, a NSP forward was ejected from the game reducing NSP to seven forwards. The second period ended 4-3. Things were looking tough for the Polars, playing with a short bench in a tight playoff game and in the second consecutive period of the game.
The third started. The NSP center seemed bent on answering the Stillwater goal and skated through the defense less then two minutes into the period to put the Polars up 5-3. Less then 30 seconds later, the angry Stillwater center answered back maneuvering through the Polar defense to make the score 5-4. The game settled down for a minute until with a little less then 12 minutes to go, NSP drew a penalty. Stillwater seized the opportunity and attacked but lost the zone and worst drew a faceoff to the left of their goal. The NSP center caught the Stillwater center off guard and knocking the puck forward and then over to his wing who rapped in an easy goal making the score 6-4. With 11 minutes to go, that took the wind out Stillwater. NSP added a goal at the 9 minute mark to end the scoring 7-4.
It was a good game, but I wonder how NSP will be affected by having a player ejected in the second period. Sunday’s semifinal game is critical. The winner gets a seed to the regionals, the loser has to play back to get a seed. They will play Roseville in a game that the Polars should win, but I already told you about Roseville, they win when they shouldn’t.
Moundsview did their typical blue collar job on Mahtomedi, winning 3-0. They play tough and look for opportunities. That’s how they win. White Bear will show up with their penalty kill, but what they need is for their defense to finish their rushes by creating opportunity or scoring. They have three defensemen who can really rush the puck from inside their blueline to inside the offensive zone, but they all seem to end those rushes in a surprise, now what?
The semifinals will be two good games.
District 2 playoffs at Tartan are all the playoffs, bantams, peewees and girls. Of the 12 D2 playoff tourneys, most of the bantam A/B and peewee A/B games and all of the 12UA and !2UB games are played there. Saturday morning, the peewee A quarterfinals were played.
Two of the more interesting games were White Bear Lake/Tartan and North St. Paul/Stillwater. These teams were seeded at the opposite ends of the seeding process, 2 versus 7 and 1 versus 8. Normally, one would expect the higher seed to dominate, but not in D2 this year. I looked for close games and was not disappointed. The four games overlapped. So I focused on these two games and watched what I could of Moundsview/Mahtomedi and Roseville/Forest Lake.
The White Bear Lake game started the playoffs and the game started slow. The play was hampered by a series of offsides calls resulting in numerous stoppages. The play should have pitted Tartan size against White Bear Lake’s speed. But it wasn’t that kind of game. As the period moved on, White Bear started to apply pressure in the Tartan zone. They jumped to a 1-0 lead only to have Tartan tie it. The period ended 1-1.
In district playoffs, ice is cleaned every two periods. The second consecutive period played in a district playoff game is always a test of endurance. At the 11 minute mark, Tartan drew a penalty and White Bear went into their power play. It assumes the opposition plays a four man box on defense and will not adjust if they put their center on the center blue line to act as a “switch” to control the puck movement. It worked with the Tartan defense sagging low, they sniped in an angled shot from the left faceoff to go up 2-1. But their lead was short lived. Four minutes later, the Tartan scored from the center blue line. They screened the goalie moving the screen to the right and the defenseman from center blue line fired the puck in high and to the left. This play must be popular in D2, it was successfully used in the other peewee games. Both teams looked tired as the second period ran out.
The period ended 2-2 and the final period looked to be a barn burner. White Bear continued to apply pressure and finally at the 6 minute mark scored to take a 3-2 lead. Tartan seemed to go flat and the play slowed until with a little more then two minutes to go, Tartan drew a penalty. White Bear went into their three on top power play and scored again with two minutes left in the game. That goal seemed to ignite Tartan, they came back to score within thirty seconds, leaving the score 4-3. Tartan pulled their goalie and put tremendous pressure on the White Bear net nearly tying the game multiple times in the last minute of play. But they couldn’t score. White Bear won 4-3.
This game was in the bubble, standing only. So it was a relief to sit and watch the end of the Roseville/Forest Lake game. Roseville is the enigma of peewee A teams. When you think they should win, they lose. When you think they should lose, they win. When you think that zero under the opponent on the scoreboard, means great defense, you are amazed to see them outshot by 2-1 as the an opponent forward splits their defense like it wasn’t on the ice only to lose control on the shot and the opportunity to score. That describes the third period of the game. They won 3-0, but how?
The North St. Paul/Stillwater game was played in the “main” arena with seats and heat. And it started off with a bang, Stillwater scored from the top of the faceoff circle 16 seconds into the game and led 1-0. The center faceoff following the goal was knocked to the board and batted around for a few seconds and the ref blew a NSP penalty at 16 seconds. An excited parent on the clock was all that I could think.
When I saw NSP play in Polar Arena a month ago, their first line was uneven. They hadn’t learned to use each other. But no longer is that the truth. The center and both wings played together and got results. It started with a poke in. The ref looked before he blew and saw the puck at the Stillwater goalie’s feet. No whistle and the NSP first line rapped the puck several times till it went in. At the 7 minute mark, they scored again and at the 4 minute mark added other to make the score 3-1. The Moundsview game in the bubble began to look more interesting.
Fortunately, Stillwater surprised the crowd by scoring a shorthanded goal at the end of the period to close the score to 3-2. Now we have a game. NSP skates only twelve players (one is injured). The ice was cleaned between the first and second period meaning the final two periods would be played consecutively. NSP could have its hands full.
The second period became and up and down affair with a lot of physical hitting along the boards. If it had been played elsewhere, the refs would be wearing out their whistle on every hit and the game would be penalty marred. These refs judged the hits accordingly. Few penalties were called. Just under four minutes, NSP broke through scoring on a power play to take a 4-2 lead. Then it became a dual between the two centers. It was triggered when something happened to the Stillwater center and he became visibly angry. Stillwater was on the power play and he grabbed the puck off the faceoff and out of anger drilled in their third goal. A minute later, a NSP forward was ejected from the game reducing NSP to seven forwards. The second period ended 4-3. Things were looking tough for the Polars, playing with a short bench in a tight playoff game and in the second consecutive period of the game.
The third started. The NSP center seemed bent on answering the Stillwater goal and skated through the defense less then two minutes into the period to put the Polars up 5-3. Less then 30 seconds later, the angry Stillwater center answered back maneuvering through the Polar defense to make the score 5-4. The game settled down for a minute until with a little less then 12 minutes to go, NSP drew a penalty. Stillwater seized the opportunity and attacked but lost the zone and worst drew a faceoff to the left of their goal. The NSP center caught the Stillwater center off guard and knocking the puck forward and then over to his wing who rapped in an easy goal making the score 6-4. With 11 minutes to go, that took the wind out Stillwater. NSP added a goal at the 9 minute mark to end the scoring 7-4.
It was a good game, but I wonder how NSP will be affected by having a player ejected in the second period. Sunday’s semifinal game is critical. The winner gets a seed to the regionals, the loser has to play back to get a seed. They will play Roseville in a game that the Polars should win, but I already told you about Roseville, they win when they shouldn’t.
Moundsview did their typical blue collar job on Mahtomedi, winning 3-0. They play tough and look for opportunities. That’s how they win. White Bear will show up with their penalty kill, but what they need is for their defense to finish their rushes by creating opportunity or scoring. They have three defensemen who can really rush the puck from inside their blueline to inside the offensive zone, but they all seem to end those rushes in a surprise, now what?
The semifinals will be two good games.
NSP 6 vs. Rsvl. 3
WBL 6 vs. Mndsv. 0
NSP and WBL on to Regions. (winner of their game next Sat. #1 seed)
FL 7 vs. Stw 6
Maht. vs. Tart. (to be played Tues.)
Friday:
F.L. vs. Mndsv.
Winner (Maht. vs. Tart) vs. Roseville
Winner of these two games play Sat., winner of that game earns bearth at Regions. Plays loser of WBL vs. NSP for #2 seed.
WBL 6 vs. Mndsv. 0
NSP and WBL on to Regions. (winner of their game next Sat. #1 seed)
FL 7 vs. Stw 6
Maht. vs. Tart. (to be played Tues.)
Friday:
F.L. vs. Mndsv.
Winner (Maht. vs. Tart) vs. Roseville
Winner of these two games play Sat., winner of that game earns bearth at Regions. Plays loser of WBL vs. NSP for #2 seed.
I personally think that Tartan is not a bad team
frederick61 wrote:The Tartan Ice Arena is at the junction of 694/494 and 94; at least within a mile or two of that connection. It is part of Oakdale, but the high school is called Tartan. The arena (both sheets) are behind the school, in the south west corner. The first sheet is set up for high school, a comfortable arena with nice sight lines and seating. The second sheet is a bubble, one of the few remaining bubbles left in the twin cities area, complete with revolving doors.
District 2 playoffs at Tartan are all the playoffs, bantams, peewees and girls. Of the 12 D2 playoff tourneys, most of the bantam A/B and peewee A/B games and all of the 12UA and !2UB games are played there. Saturday morning, the peewee A quarterfinals were played.
Two of the more interesting games were White Bear Lake/Tartan and North St. Paul/Stillwater. These teams were seeded at the opposite ends of the seeding process, 2 versus 7 and 1 versus 8. Normally, one would expect the higher seed to dominate, but not in D2 this year. I looked for close games and was not disappointed. The four games overlapped. So I focused on these two games and watched what I could of Moundsview/Mahtomedi and Roseville/Forest Lake.
The White Bear Lake game started the playoffs and the game started slow. The play was hampered by a series of offsides calls resulting in numerous stoppages. The play should have pitted Tartan size against White Bear Lake’s speed. But it wasn’t that kind of game. As the period moved on, White Bear started to apply pressure in the Tartan zone. They jumped to a 1-0 lead only to have Tartan tie it. The period ended 1-1.
In district playoffs, ice is cleaned every two periods. The second consecutive period played in a district playoff game is always a test of endurance. At the 11 minute mark, Tartan drew a penalty and White Bear went into their power play. It assumes the opposition plays a four man box on defense and will not adjust if they put their center on the center blue line to act as a “switch” to control the puck movement. It worked with the Tartan defense sagging low, they sniped in an angled shot from the left faceoff to go up 2-1. But their lead was short lived. Four minutes later, the Tartan scored from the center blue line. They screened the goalie moving the screen to the right and the defenseman from center blue line fired the puck in high and to the left. This play must be popular in D2, it was successfully used in the other peewee games. Both teams looked tired as the second period ran out.
The period ended 2-2 and the final period looked to be a barn burner. White Bear continued to apply pressure and finally at the 6 minute mark scored to take a 3-2 lead. Tartan seemed to go flat and the play slowed until with a little more then two minutes to go, Tartan drew a penalty. White Bear went into their three on top power play and scored again with two minutes left in the game. That goal seemed to ignite Tartan, they came back to score within thirty seconds, leaving the score 4-3. Tartan pulled their goalie and put tremendous pressure on the White Bear net nearly tying the game multiple times in the last minute of play. But they couldn’t score. White Bear won 4-3.
This game was in the bubble, standing only. So it was a relief to sit and watch the end of the Roseville/Forest Lake game. Roseville is the enigma of peewee A teams. When you think they should win, they lose. When you think they should lose, they win. When you think that zero under the opponent on the scoreboard, means great defense, you are amazed to see them outshot by 2-1 as the an opponent forward splits their defense like it wasn’t on the ice only to lose control on the shot and the opportunity to score. That describes the third period of the game. They won 3-0, but how?
The North St. Paul/Stillwater game was played in the “main” arena with seats and heat. And it started off with a bang, Stillwater scored from the top of the faceoff circle 16 seconds into the game and led 1-0. The center faceoff following the goal was knocked to the board and batted around for a few seconds and the ref blew a NSP penalty at 16 seconds. An excited parent on the clock was all that I could think.
When I saw NSP play in Polar Arena a month ago, their first line was uneven. They hadn’t learned to use each other. But no longer is that the truth. The center and both wings played together and got results. It started with a poke in. The ref looked before he blew and saw the puck at the Stillwater goalie’s feet. No whistle and the NSP first line rapped the puck several times till it went in. At the 7 minute mark, they scored again and at the 4 minute mark added other to make the score 3-1. The Moundsview game in the bubble began to look more interesting.
Fortunately, Stillwater surprised the crowd by scoring a shorthanded goal at the end of the period to close the score to 3-2. Now we have a game. NSP skates only twelve players (one is injured). The ice was cleaned between the first and second period meaning the final two periods would be played consecutively. NSP could have its hands full.
The second period became and up and down affair with a lot of physical hitting along the boards. If it had been played elsewhere, the refs would be wearing out their whistle on every hit and the game would be penalty marred. These refs judged the hits accordingly. Few penalties were called. Just under four minutes, NSP broke through scoring on a power play to take a 4-2 lead. Then it became a dual between the two centers. It was triggered when something happened to the Stillwater center and he became visibly angry. Stillwater was on the power play and he grabbed the puck off the faceoff and out of anger drilled in their third goal. A minute later, a NSP forward was ejected from the game reducing NSP to seven forwards. The second period ended 4-3. Things were looking tough for the Polars, playing with a short bench in a tight playoff game and in the second consecutive period of the game.
The third started. The NSP center seemed bent on answering the Stillwater goal and skated through the defense less then two minutes into the period to put the Polars up 5-3. Less then 30 seconds later, the angry Stillwater center answered back maneuvering through the Polar defense to make the score 5-4. The game settled down for a minute until with a little less then 12 minutes to go, NSP drew a penalty. Stillwater seized the opportunity and attacked but lost the zone and worst drew a faceoff to the left of their goal. The NSP center caught the Stillwater center off guard and knocking the puck forward and then over to his wing who rapped in an easy goal making the score 6-4. With 11 minutes to go, that took the wind out Stillwater. NSP added a goal at the 9 minute mark to end the scoring 7-4.
It was a good game, but I wonder how NSP will be affected by having a player ejected in the second period. Sunday’s semifinal game is critical. The winner gets a seed to the regionals, the loser has to play back to get a seed. They will play Roseville in a game that the Polars should win, but I already told you about Roseville, they win when they shouldn’t.
Moundsview did their typical blue collar job on Mahtomedi, winning 3-0. They play tough and look for opportunities. That’s how they win. White Bear will show up with their penalty kill, but what they need is for their defense to finish their rushes by creating opportunity or scoring. They have three defensemen who can really rush the puck from inside their blueline to inside the offensive zone, but they all seem to end those rushes in a surprise, now what?
The semifinals will be two good games.
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slapshot88
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 7:02 pm