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What is your take on this game tonight? I here these two teams already met in tryouts?... Should be a good battle of the 1st years from the State Tournament last year. Will some one please inform me of the score once the game is over. Thanks

I think PL should be model for other non-traditional assc. What ever they are doing should be copied. I know we [FL] should take a look @ them.

Their primary "model" had been growth. It seems to have leveled though as they have 5 teams at bantam, 5 at PW and 5 at Squirt which is unusual. Normally an association with 5 bantam teams should have 6-8 at PW and 10-12 at Squirt. The bubble seems to be at bantam level which isn't great for their future. The 5 Squirt teams could easily shrink to 3 bantam teams in 4 years.

Forest Lake has 4 at bantam, 4 at PW and 5 at Squirt.

More new mites is the only solution to every problem.

Last year we had the most new mights in the state. [per LPH] We just don't seem to develope those top end teams. Maybe in the future. We started a "intro to hockey" for 100.00 a kid can try it for one year. His/her first year no matter age. This is the 2nd year so we won't know how that works for awhile. I just see PL winning and it's made me wounder. I thought for awhile it was the AAA program they have down there.

You've got to factor in that beautiful facility at Mystic Lake -- IMO, it's no accident that PL's success coincides with the building of those two sheets. Proximity, quality, and quantity of ice pays off. It draws hockey families, good coaching, and new recruits -- and it keeps them around. We're about two or three years away from seeing the Lakers win a state high school title, in my opinion.

How does FL compare??? Maybe that's the missing piece, though of course FL facility is nice too... but really 1.5 sheets, and maybe (as you suggest) FL summer hockey is limited by summer ice.

Kind of a chicken/egg question, but interesting nonetheless.

Having to compete in D6, and determination to do so, is a factor as well.

In large associations numbers are the first step but then with strong numbers they also outwork you so they can make the top team.

At Wayzata, Edina and some of the others the players work extremely hard to make the top team. Very competitive.

endthelockout wrote:What is your take on this game tonight? I here these two teams already met in tryouts?... Should be a good battle of the 1st years from the State Tournament last year. Will some one please inform me of the score once the game is over. Thanks

Well if you have to ask you attention seeking bantam parent here our my thoughts.

This early season scrimmage means nothing and you will get nothing out of this game. Some teams are still looking to cut a player or two. Lower players and lesser goalies are getting more ice time than they usually would in a tournament or district games. So the result of tonights game or any early season scrimmage has no bearing on the end result come Districts, Regions and State.

So just relax, go to the game and enjoy two top level programs playing a scrimmage game that means nothing.

Ask this same question if they meet in State

PL has a good thing going out there, but it might not be built to last. They have some very talented 98's & 99's, but the younger groups are not even close to being as strong as those years. Pankratz and Bianchi have taken a lot of what they've learned growing up in Jefferson and applied it to PL (The current Jefferson powers that be could take note!). They just have to make sure to try and keep those star players there in HS, and hope they don't leave to SSM or a private area power. Once you get past that group at Bantams, the depth and talent is top 20 program level, not top 5.

ThePuckStopsHere wrote:

endthelockout wrote:What is your take on this game tonight? I here these two teams already met in tryouts?... Should be a good battle of the 1st years from the State Tournament last year. Will some one please inform me of the score once the game is over. Thanks

Well if you have to ask you attention seeking bantam parent here our my thoughts.

This early season scrimmage means nothing and you will get nothing out of this game. Some teams are still looking to cut a player or two. Lower players and lesser goalies are getting more ice time than they usually would in a tournament or district games. So the result of tonights game or any early season scrimmage has no bearing on the end result come Districts, Regions and State.

So just relax, go to the game and enjoy two top level programs playing a scrimmage game that means nothing.

Ask this same question if they meet in State

Puck

Have you lost it man? Early season scrimmages are good guages as to early progress. Most teams were picked two weeks ago, so they probably have had several practices. And, I seriously doubt anyone will get cut at this point.

Bluewhitefan wrote:

ThePuckStopsHere wrote:

endthelockout wrote:What is your take on this game tonight? I here these two teams already met in tryouts?... Should be a good battle of the 1st years from the State Tournament last year. Will some one please inform me of the score once the game is over. Thanks

Well if you have to ask you attention seeking bantam parent here our my thoughts.

This early season scrimmage means nothing and you will get nothing out of this game. Some teams are still looking to cut a player or two. Lower players and lesser goalies are getting more ice time than they usually would in a tournament or district games. So the result of tonights game or any early season scrimmage has no bearing on the end result come Districts, Regions and State.

So just relax, go to the game and enjoy two top level programs playing a scrimmage game that means nothing.

Ask this same question if they meet in State

Puck

Have you lost it man? Early season scrimmages are good guages as to early progress. Most teams were picked two weeks ago, so they probably have had several practices. And, I seriously doubt anyone will get cut at this point.

My understanding is that OMG "AA" is carrying an extra two players a month into the season and then moving two players down to the "A" team so it does sound like they are going to make some other cuts. The OMG team lost a goalie to Little Ceasars or Compuware or some AAA team in MI. OMG lost one player to HS but I am not sure if either of them played in the tryout scrimmage a few weeks ago.

Prior lake does a good job with their program. No one can take that away. Keep in mind they also have players moving in from other programs which impacts the program.
Like it or not. They also decided to offer the famous Squirt B1 teama few years ago. This caused some uproar within D6 and PL but in hind-sight it looks like it was a great decision.

If Pankratz and Bianchi model the PL program after Bloomington Jefferson you cannot go wrong.

WBL AA just pulled up a kid from B1 yesterday.

Lakeville should look at what's going on in PL.

Seems we all should look at what PL is doing. They seem to be implementing development from the mites, with good coaching and skills., at all levels.