Grand Rapids and the IRC

[PuckRanger]

Any of the Grand Rapids faithful know why Grand Rapids does not have Eveleth-Gilbert/Mesabi East on their schedule this year? How can they compete in the Iron Range Conference (and how could Eveleth for that matter) without these four points?

[rainier]

Any of the Grand Rapids faithful know why Grand Rapids does not have Eveleth-Gilbert/Mesabi East on their schedule this year? How can they compete in the Iron Range Conference (and how could Eveleth for that matter) without these four points?

In the Hibbing paper there was a note by the standings that said the IRC title will be decided by winning % this season.

[PuckRanger]

Any of the Grand Rapids faithful know why Grand Rapids does not have Eveleth-Gilbert/Mesabi East on their schedule this year? How can they compete in the Iron Range Conference (and how could Eveleth for that matter) without these four points?

In the Hibbing paper there was a note by the standings that said the IRC title will be decided by winning % this season.

Interesting... Not a great idea though. Hibbing is at an immediate disadvantage because they only play Eveleth once, while Virginia and I Falls play them twice.

Its a bad precedent to set if this is true. What's to stop Hibbing or Virginia from removing Grand Rapids from their schedule next year in order to bolster their winning percentage by playing Eveleth twice instead?

I understand that Grand Rapids and Eveleth wouldn't be much of a game this year, but all of the other conferences in the state have games like this and they play them out.

Maybe we are seeing the beginning of the end of the conference. The signal I get from this is that Grand Rapids wants out.

[mnmouth]

Any of the Grand Rapids faithful know why Grand Rapids does not have Eveleth-Gilbert/Mesabi East on their schedule this year? How can they compete in the Iron Range Conference (and how could Eveleth for that matter) without these four points?

In the Hibbing paper there was a note by the standings that said the IRC title will be decided by winning % this season.

Interesting... Not a great idea though. Hibbing is at an immediate disadvantage because they only play Eveleth once, while Virginia and I Falls play them twice.

Its a bad precedent to set if this is true. What's to stop Hibbing or Virginia from removing Grand Rapids from their schedule next year in order to bolster their winning percentage by playing Eveleth twice instead?

I understand that Grand Rapids and Eveleth wouldn't be much of a game this year, but all of the other conferences in the state have games like this and they play them out.

Maybe we are seeing the beginning of the end of the conference. The signal I get from this is that Grand Rapids wants out.

Cannot believe that they would drop Rapids just to gain percentage points to win the IRC. The IRC, as with most things on the Range, ain't what it used to be

[rainier]

Yeah, there really isn't much prestige in winning the IRC anymore, but people still get into the rivalries. Hibbing has probably only beaten Rapids two or three times in the past ten years, but I think both teams still look forward to the matchup.

Rapids usually has bigger fish to fry, but I can't see them not playing Hibbing, Virginia, and I-Falls. The games are competitive enough that it is all the teams' interests to keep them going.

[mnmouth]

Yeah, there really isn't much prestige in winning the IRC anymore, but people still get into the rivalries. Hibbing has probably only beaten Rapids two or three times in the past ten years, but I think both teams still look forward to the matchup.

Rapids usually has bigger fish to fry, but I can't see them not playing Hibbing, Virginia, and I-Falls. The games are competitive enough that it is all the teams' interests to keep them going.

Agreed.

[northwoods oldtimer]

Conference play has very little meaning with the A/AA split and that is a fact state wide boys.

[TheHockeyDJ]

Like Dave Esse said, get rid of conferences all together and play every section opponent twice and determine section seedings based on standings not a meeting.

[mnmouth]

Like Dave Esse said, get rid of conferences all together and play every section opponent twice and determine section seedings based on standings not a meeting.

What Esse said, should have been done a long time ago, but plenty of folks in Grand Rapids, Hibbing and Falls surely love those rivalries. No reason why those would have to go completely.

[defense]

Like Dave Esse said, get rid of conferences all together and play every section opponent twice and determine section seedings based on standings not a meeting.

What Esse said, should have been done a long time ago, but plenty of folks in Grand Rapids, Hibbing and Falls surely love those rivalries. No reason why those would have to go completely.

I think it makes sense.
Make every team play a home and away against all section teams. A majority of games will now have a lot more meaning. This will create rivals, and still actually mean something. Sections can be the New conferences.
only problem is that sections get adjusted regularly.

[TheHockeyDJ]

Like Dave Esse said, get rid of conferences all together and play every section opponent twice and determine section seedings based on standings not a meeting.

What Esse said, should have been done a long time ago, but plenty of folks in Grand Rapids, Hibbing and Falls surely love those rivalries. No reason why those would have to go completely.

Time to let go of the past and move on.

[rainier]

Like Dave Esse said, get rid of conferences all together and play every section opponent twice and determine section seedings based on standings not a meeting.

What Esse said, should have been done a long time ago, but plenty of folks in Grand Rapids, Hibbing and Falls surely love those rivalries. No reason why those would have to go completely.

Time to let go of the past and move on.

I think the proximity of the teams will keep the games going. With school budgets strapped, a quick trip to Hibbing or Virginia makes more financial sense than heading to the TC. (I-Falls is a haul though.)

If the games were all 12-0 blowouts, then it might make more sense, but most of the GR vs Hibbing-Virginia-I-Falls matchups are competitive enough to justify continuing them.