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Stillwater is a good team with some pretty good seniors who are dieing to get to those Bears. Goaltending situation is goofy but Defiel seems to be working out fine. I haven't seen NSP play much but I heard Rubbelke is the real deal and they are very crisp when moving the puck. Plus they have played quality teams very well this season.

Stillwater-4
NSP-3

North in O.T.

NSP is my upset pick to win the section.

They'll win 3-1 in this one.

Sparlimb wrote:NSP is my upset pick to win the section.

They'll win 3-1 in this one.

This is a bad draw for the Ponies in the first round, I'd be nervous.

Game of the day in Section 4.
North St. Paul 3 Stillwater 2 OT
Key for the game is if North St Paul stays out of the penalty box. If they don't Stillwater by 1. North St Paul has lost 6 games by 1 goal. NSP averages 5.1 goals a game. Stillwater 3.5.

chester1991 wrote:Game of the day in Section 4.
North St. Paul 3 Stillwater 2 OT
Key for the game is if North St Paul stays out of the penalty box. If they don't Stillwater by 1. North St Paul has lost 6 games by 1 goal. NSP averages 5.1 goals a game. Stillwater 3.5.

well it is easy to score goals when you play weak teams. They haven't scored many goals against the teams that above them in conference. The large majority of their goals comes from Richfield, Sibley, and Simely.

gophs16 wrote:

chester1991 wrote:Game of the day in Section 4.
North St. Paul 3 Stillwater 2 OT
Key for the game is if North St Paul stays out of the penalty box. If they don't Stillwater by 1. North St Paul has lost 6 games by 1 goal. NSP averages 5.1 goals a game. Stillwater 3.5.

well it is easy to score goals when you play weak teams. They haven't scored many goals against the teams that above them in conference. The large majority of their goals comes from Richfield, Sibley, and Simely.

Also Stillwater has only let up more then 4 goals 3 times and those were to teams like Minnetonka, Benilde(rough one), and Flake. Which are all good teams

6-5 stilly in ot

NSP ahead 11 to 2 in the polls.

I'll have to agree...

NSP 6 Stillwater 5 in OT

gophs16 wrote:

Sparlimb wrote:NSP is my upset pick to win the section.

They'll win 3-1 in this one.

This is a bad draw for the Ponies in the first round, I'd be nervous.

Gophs... I agree with you. I think the fact that NSP has to play conference games against St. Thomas, Hill and Mahtomedi, will make the Polars better prepared to play against a good - not a very good - team in our beloved Ponies. I state the emphasis on conference games, because the majority of us have seemed to agree that conference rivalries produce pretty intense games. So, NSP will know what it takes to play against the Ponies.

The history of the association says that NSP can play an awfully physical game, so I would believe that carries over to the HS level, so I feel that this will be a hard-hitting, tight-checking, physical game.

NSP has been pretty darn solid vs the three highly ranked teams, losing twice to Mahtomedi 5-4 (one in OT), losing to H-M 5-4 and 4-2, and to STA 4-3 and 4-2, so they have enough goaltending and solid defensive play to with anyone.

Going with the truly untested goalie in Deifel versus Cotter or Pennella may haunt Stillwater. I hope not.

This will be a battle.

3-1 w EN...... My gut says 52% Stillwater vs 48% NSP.

Sparlimb wrote:NSP is my upset pick to win the section.

They'll win 3-1 in this one.

You're picking against your Pioneers?

While anything is possible, I'm not sure how you vote against SW on this one. They've beat Mounds View twice since Jan 9th, and NSP just dropped one to MV three days ago. It may have only been a 1 goal loss, but SW won both games vs MV by 2 goals, and Defiel was in the net for the last. If the Ponies come to play they should take this one by 2. I’ll predict a score of 5 – 3.

Spooge wrote:While anything is possible, I'm not sure how you vote against SW on this one. They've beat Mounds View twice since Jan 9th, and NSP just dropped one to MV three days ago. It may have only been a 1 goal loss, but SW won both games vs MV by 2 goals, and Defiel was in the net for the last. If the Ponies come to play they should take this one by 2. I’ll predict a score of 5 – 3.

I am surprised at the time I type this that NSP has a 12-4 lead in voting. Not sure why SW isn't getting more respect. They are the #3 seed, after all.

When I did my prediction on this game earlier, I didn't catch that MV win over NSP until I did my research on the MV-Tartan game.

However, MV ranks up there as one of the most headscratching teams in SEC. For every two games they look underachievingly bad, they look very good for one. The inconsistently consistent MV team may have just had the "good" game versus NSP.

But the NSP loss to MV, makes me change my thought process to the same 3-1 score, but my head tells me now it's 70%-30% in favor of Ponies.

I'll be rooting for NSP - but I'm going to have to go with Stilly on this one.

4-3 OT

I'm just scared for WBL in the semis (assuming they beat roseville) vs. stilly. It's hard to beat a decent team 3 times..

Just wondering if someone with knowledge of the goaltending situation in Stillwater can tell me whats going on there... I know the last few years Cotter and Pennella have been the goalies and now all of a sudden this year two other goalies have made starts "defiel and cates" was this just to give some underclassman time? Who will be making the play-off start?one of the seniors? or did an underclassman beat those two out?

Thehockeyplaya wrote:Just wondering if someone with knowledge of the goaltending situation in Stillwater can tell me whats going on there... I know the last few years Cotter and Pennella have been the goalies and now all of a sudden this year two other goalies have made starts "defiel and cates" was this just to give some underclassman time? Who will be making the play-off start?one of the seniors? or did an underclassman beat those two out?

Here is the scoop. Cotter and Pennella are two good goalies and are incredibly inconsistent. Cotter has had some decent performances and one great cretin game but other then that hes been pretty badand Pennella's Woodbury game was just something ive never seen before it was brutal. On the other hand Cotter in the Cretin game was better then any goalie I've seen and Penella has really stood on his head in many of the games he has played in. Defiel is the unsung jv hero and is a very consistent goalie but with little experience. Housley decided to keep on playing goalies that win but once you lose its the other kids turn. Which should have been something to try out in the beginning of the season. I just don't think Defiel is ready and I would put in Penella.

I like the Red & White in this game. They struggled early in the year but seemed to have re-grouped and have proved they can play with the best teams in their conference. I look for Big Red to advance & take on the Bears in the semis.

I heard that NSP looked good early against MV then flattened out. Out shot MV but couldn't finish it. Maybe looking past MV a little bit for a toss up seeding in Sections. I m going with wishful thinking and give it to NSP.

Pioneerprideguy wrote:I like the Red & White in this game. They struggled early in the year but seemed to have re-grouped and have proved they can play with the best teams in their conference. I look for Big Red to advance & take on the Bears in the semis.

Big Red??? I thought that's what the Stillwater faithful call their Red Pony mascot. I'm sure the Ponies appreciate the support from PPG and all the HM fans

Good luck Ponies.

Go Stillwater! MUST ROOT FOR THE UNDER RATED S.E.C

I think this will come down to Coaching.
Polars could win if Diebel lets everyone play and doesn't get his top players tired by the middle of the game. 5-2 Polars[/b]

Im going to have to say ponies 3-1 on this one.

wblhockeyfan8 wrote:NSP ahead 11 to 2 in the polls.

I'll have to agree...

NSP 6 Stillwater 5 in OT

I dont think this will be a high scoring game

salmonwheels wrote:I think this will come down to Coaching.
Polars could win if Diebel lets everyone play and doesn't get his top players tired by the middle of the game. 5-2 Polars[/b]

Agree. I hope Rubbelke, McCarver & Hinz are getting their rest. Diebel will have them each out there 2/3 of the game tomorrow. I think the Polars will win this game.