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Ok is it possible that STA could be one of the top 3 teams in the state at either level ?? I mean Holy Family lost to Edina 7-2 and 2 of the goals Edina scored were on a 5 minute power play and you may even be able to say that 2 other goals were due to the momentum swing due to the 5 minute penalty. Thru 2 periods of that game Holy Family skated with Edina until the major penalty late in the second period when it was a 1 goal game. Now last night Holy Family loses to STA 6-1, now I didnt see the game or even take the time to look at the box score but this would indicate to me that STA is at or even above the level of Edina, and Edina appears to be at a very high level. Perhaps someone could give me and others some insight as to what happened in this game and is STA really playing at that level. I know the debate over STA playing Class A has been beat to death a 100 times over, but if STA is truly this good it has got to be time for the state to step in and make some changes as its getting out of hand.

Ah yes, the famous transitive function of hockey scores. Perhaps the most misleading theory in sports. A beat B by 4 goals and C beat B by 5 goals, therefore C is better than A.

As long as STA is at the A level who cares......

Okay - Well I will take a crack at this one. STA is not better than Edina - Very good team, but No, they are not better.

At the HF game last night We (HF) were out shooting them after 2. Score was 0-0 after 1 and after 2 periods it was 3-1. Pretty even back and forth game. STA scored on 2 breakaways and a PP. Edina game we were getting creamed in shots and had fewer scoring chances in that game

3rd period seems to be HF's problem just like the Edina game. HF had Ton of penalties in the 3rd - (2) 5 min majors, (2) full 5 on 3's and got out shot 20-5 in 3rd - hence 3 goals in the 3rd

Zevnick made some nice saves in the 1st & 2nd to keep HF from not getting a couple more. LaCombe did a decent job, but needed to play better.

I would not rank STA as one of the TOP 3 in AA. According to the first 2 periods last night it was a very back and forth tight game.I would say, for sure, they are atleast a top 10 team. The 3rd period debacle is hard to judge cause HF was shorthanded most of the 3rd. STA did take advantage, as good teams do, and closed it out.

Don't they play in the Schwan's Cup?

Mite-dad wrote:Don't they play in the Schwan's Cup?

Ya round 1. So I guess we'll get some closure about who the better team is. Not that it matters because of the class difference.

Doesn't there have to be an urge to go up to AA at STA though? They have basically ran the table for so long at A that it is not even really question mark anymore. I would think that within STA and their boosters that they would start to look at where they are and say that they need to make a move and go up. Pretty obvious from the scores and such that they are going to roll through the class A again and might or might not get a game someplace along with way from either Breck or Hermantown but even then it will be a pretty boring season and state tourney for them. What kind of a prep talk does their coach give them in the locker room before a game??? "OK, guys, we are playing (insert name of team here) and we want to set a new scoring record tonight. In order to do this we need to have a goal every 30 seconds..................."

Class A is a very good class of hockey to have for those teams who fit into it. On the surface it is designed to give those smaller schools a shot at something in much the same way that the other high school sports are broken down into classes to make it competitive. There are some teams that are going to have to go up for the same reasons that STA is going to have to, Hermantown, Breck, possibly SCC. I think that looking at the big picture the Arrowhead Hilltoppers are a flash in the pan that is not going to be the big bright flash that they are hoping for due to the fact their fishing pond (Duluth and the rest of the north) is (with the exception of Hermantown) dwindling away from a hockey standpoint so the numbers just won't be there to recruit from. They might make a run this year or next but after that they will start to drop off as their prime feeder program (Duluth East's youth program) is dropping off now. In neither case will they make it past round 1 of the tourney on the winning side of the bracket. They had their hands full with Hibbing last night and unless they can start to pull from Hermantown or Grand Rapids the quality of available players is just not going to be there. I don't see them pulling top players out of either Grand Rapids or Hermantown unless one of those programs shoots themselves in the foot and given the fact that their youth programs are turning out some very good kids it is safe to say that they will be stable in the long run. All in all STA is now a big fish in a medium sized pond that is drying up quite rapidly that is going to wind up land locked and beached if they are not careful.

Just a few rambling thoughts.

Where did the private school trash talk thread go by the way?

The Enlightened One wrote:Doesn't there have to be an urge to go up to AA at STA though? They have basically ran the table for so long at A that it is not even really question mark anymore. I would think that within STA and their boosters that they would start to look at where they are and say that they need to make a move and go up. Pretty obvious from the scores and such that they are going to roll through the class A again and might or might not get a game someplace along with way from either Breck or Hermantown but even then it will be a pretty boring season and state tourney for them. What kind of a prep talk does their coach give them in the locker room before a game??? "OK, guys, we are playing (insert name of team here) and we want to set a new scoring record tonight. In order to do this we need to have a goal every 30 seconds..................."

Class A is a very good class of hockey to have for those teams who fit into it. On the surface it is designed to give those smaller schools a shot at something in much the same way that the other high school sports are broken down into classes to make it competitive. There are some teams that are going to have to go up for the same reasons that STA is going to have to, Hermantown, Breck, possibly SCC. I think that looking at the big picture the Arrowhead Hilltoppers are a flash in the pan that is not going to be the big bright flash that they are hoping for due to the fact their fishing pond (Duluth and the rest of the north) is (with the exception of Hermantown) dwindling away from a hockey standpoint so the numbers just won't be there to recruit from. They might make a run this year or next but after that they will start to drop off as their prime feeder program (Duluth East's youth program) is dropping off now. In neither case will they make it past round 1 of the tourney on the winning side of the bracket. They had their hands full with Hibbing last night and unless they can start to pull from Hermantown or Grand Rapids the quality of available players is just not going to be there. I don't see them pulling top players out of either Grand Rapids or Hermantown unless one of those programs shoots themselves in the foot and given the fact that their youth programs are turning out some very good kids it is safe to say that they will be stable in the long run. All in all STA is now a big fish in a medium sized pond that is drying up quite rapidly that is going to wind up land locked and beached if they are not careful.

Just a few rambling thoughts.

The Holy STA faculty would rather PILLAGE from the small town peasants than risk not being as successful and losing money at the AA level. It's simply a crooked business plan.

thestickler07 wrote:Where did the private school trash talk thread go by the way?

Right here: http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29547

Guess we were so excited about the start of hockey season that we forgot to bash private schools for a few weeks.

Now let's limit this thread to discussion of the 2012-2013 Cadets team. Anything else should be put on that thread.

Sticking to the STA 2012 - 2013 team, way too early to suggest that they are better than a top 5 Edina team.

I would say though that it was impressive to keep two explosive Holy Family skaters off the scoresheet. If I recall, Gersich and Peterson had no points.

STA goal tending and defense seem to be very strong this year. Tonka game on Thursday will be a good one.

Who cares about STA is right. Not a top 20 AA team.

Other than some very poor reffing Minneapolis beats Holy Family last year so they're not that good either.

The Enlightened One wrote:Doesn't there have to be an urge to go up to AA at STA though? They have basically ran the table for so long at A that it is not even really question mark anymore. I would think that within STA and their boosters that they would start to look at where they are and say that they need to make a move and go up. Pretty obvious from the scores and such that they are going to roll through the class A again and might or might not get a game someplace along with way from either Breck or Hermantown but even then it will be a pretty boring season and state tourney for them. What kind of a prep talk does their coach give them in the locker room before a game??? "OK, guys, we are playing (insert name of team here) and we want to set a new scoring record tonight. In order to do this we need to have a goal every 30 seconds..................."

You must not have looked at their schedule...they play a normal CSC schedule (Simley/Richfield/Sibley x1, HM/Maht/Tartan/SSP/NSP x2), Schwan's Gold Cup, BSM, Tonka, CDH, HM, DM, Breck, TG, and Shattuck. Outside of the games they have to play, and CDH of course, which are the push over games you are referring to?\

My guess is that if there was a class move in the future, outside of maybe one or two games during the season [like maybe the addition of AHA], the only real change to their schedule would be in the post season. I could be wrong, but the private schools tend to play each other in their free games and the only non-private, non-conference game they play is this Thursday against Tonka.

Holy Family looked quite good last night. As was stated, the Fire looked slightly better in the first period outshooting the Cadets 14-6. Forwards were doing a good job of getting into the zone and getting the puck on net, although I don't know that the quality scoring chances were much more than St Thomas'. The Cadets defense looked really good. I'd give the period to the Fire, but not by a lot.

The second period shots were even; the period was quite physical and after the Cadets scored, the Fire responded right away with a goal of their own. Two more goals by the Cadets, but overall a pretty even period. Despite the score difference, I would call this period a tie.

The third period is where the momentum changed I'd say. The Cadets took off, another early goal, the Fire got chippy and after the fight late in the period, there were two more Cadet goals. This one went to St Thomas.

I hadn't seen Shane Gersich play before. In the first period I saw a glimpse of the amazing player he's advertised to be, but I was surprised by how someone that amazing was able to be neutralized so easily. Maybe it's the defense, maybe him, not sure.

All in all, it's still early. St Thomas isn't a AA team, so where they'd be doesn't really matter, but considering they play Tonka, Edina, BSM, HM and hopefully East, we will get a clear picture of where they'd rank statewide in the next month or so. It'll be fun to see it all develop.

As for the opting issue, as I've commented on before, change seems to happen in the MSHSL when enough people are unhappy.
Instead of supporting proper tackling/penalty calling or a system where you have to qualify for the playoffs, we added an additional class in football this year.
There are semi-legitimate reasons on both sides of the debate, but most fall apart when you apply them equally to all others who qualify for them. It would be great if there were suggestions to actually "fix" the issue instead of simply get particular schools who are successful within the system to be out of it.

Okay, I'm done. Thanks for reading.

HShockeywatcher wrote:My guess is that if there was a class move in the future, outside of maybe one or two games during the season [like maybe the addition of AHA], the only real change to their schedule would be in the post season. I could be wrong, but the private schools tend to play each other in their free games and the only non-private, non-conference game they play is this Thursday against Tonka.

That's the only place it actually matters.

If sta moved up they would only get better. Some of the best kids don't like the idea of playing A hockey .

looking at STA's schedule is mind boggling...i question why they schedule the amount of AA schools they do but then they do not elect to play AA come tournament time? have some self respect and at least offer an explanation publically on the matter. No metro private school should be allowed to play at the A level. I love private schools, i went to one and my kid goes to one, i also love watching class A hockey but i like a balanced playing field. i also love watch AA hockey and and public and private schools...but when you have the amount of success any school has had in the smaller class you do the right thing and move up...whether you are private or public school. its called integrity, and STA doesnt have it.

northern_guy wrote:looking at STA's schedule is mind boggling...i question why they schedule the amount of AA schools they do but then they do not elect to play AA come tournament time? have some self respect and at least offer an explanation publically on the matter. No metro private school should be allowed to play at the A level. I love private schools, i went to one and my kid goes to one, i also love watching class A hockey but i like a balanced playing field. i also love watch AA hockey and and public and private schools...but when you have the amount of success any school has had in the smaller class you do the right thing and move up...whether you are private or public school. its called integrity, and STA doesnt have it.

That's saying it nicely.