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Looks like for the first time in years, that I can remember, EP has NO boys teams ranked in the TOP 10 in rankings

Boys Team out of the TOP 10
High School Varsity - were 9th but will drop this week
Bantam AA
Bantam A
Bantam B
PeeWee AA
PeeWee A
PeeWee B
Squirt A
Squirt B

Total of 9 teams:

http://youthhockeyhub.com/staff-ranking ... r-17-2012/.

It is early in the season, but is EP slipping...???? Is it the Coaching, selection process, players, association. What could it be.........

SuperStar wrote:Looks like for the first time in years, that I can remember, EP has NO boys teams ranked in the TOP 10 in rankings

Boys Team out of the TOP 10
High School Varsity - were 9th but will drop this week
Bantam AA
Bantam A
Bantam B
PeeWee AA
PeeWee A
PeeWee B
Squirt A
Squirt B

Total of 9 teams:

http://youthhockeyhub.com/staff-ranking ... r-17-2012/.

It is early in the season, but is EP slipping...???? Is it the Coaching, selection process, players, association. What could it be.........

You should ask their association?? Maybe other teams are just getting better...rankings really don't mean squat until end of the season anyway. Also, LPH has EP rated #7 for Bantam AA and 6th for Pee Wee AA

Atleast someone has them ranked. Don't want to see my beloved Eagles fall, but again, it is early in the season.

Our staff rankings at Bantam AA and PeeWee AA are spot on.

But to suggest that they are a dying is a stretch.

EP PWAA is probably 11 and 12-15 in Bantam AA.

The real problem that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is Holy Family. That school is plucking their best players similar to how Holy Angels plucked the best Jefferson player in the early 2000s.

Just my .02

YouthHockeyHub wrote:Our staff rankings at Bantam AA and PeeWee AA are spot on.

But to suggest that they are a dying is a stretch.

EP PWAA is probably 11 and 12-15 in Bantam AA.

The real problem that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is Holy Family. That school is plucking their best players similar to how Holy Angels plucked the best Jefferson player in the early 2000s.

Just my .02

At squirt and peewee levels? How many private schools have teams at squirt and peewee levels?

Holy Family would have little to zero effect on the success of EP youth hockey teams. Maybe a few bantams. HF is in Victoria so they draw mostly Chaska/Chan families.

It's because suburbs grow, youth hockey teams rise and then fall. Jefferson won multiple titles and isn't the same. Kennedy had tourney appearance before Jefferson hit their peak. Apple Valley, Burnsville, Roseville and others aren't what they once were as the communities grew. Now we're seeing Lakeville, prior to their split, Prior Lake, Maple Grove, Farmington and Rosemount grow and improve.

observer wrote: It's because suburbs grow, youth hockey teams rise and then fall. Jefferson won multiple titles and isn't the same. Kennedy had tourney appearance before Jefferson hit their peak. Apple Valley, Burnsville, Roseville and others aren't what they once were as the communities grew. Now we're seeing Lakeville, prior to their split, Prior Lake, Maple Grove, Farmington and Rosemount grow and improve.

So Edina is the only one with any consistency?

So Edina is the only one with any consistency?

It's part of the culture in Edina. Edina is a "hockey community."

Maybe Wayzata to a lesser degree although they draw from a huge area.

Very interesting discussion and I'm sure there are stats around about average age of communities as they grow, young families move in and raise their kids. Probably a lot of generalizations but that's the primary theme we're seeing. I met an Apple Valley athlete once that played in the State tourney in hockey, baseball and football in their hay day. That isn't happening again in Apple Valley. Apple Valley is actually a relatively small community that grew fast with a lot of families moving in during a short period. Suburbs turn over as the empty nesters move out and are replaced by younger families but never a total new community like Jefferson and Apple Valley were when they were first built and all the new families moved in at once. White Bear was probably one as well. I believe their second high school, Mariner, made a tourney appearance during their growth spurt. They don't even have a second high school anymore. Armstrong is another that had several D1 players as they grew and the pictures on the wall in their arena are something we've all seen. Several other examples like that as well. Families used to average 4 kids and now 2 per family has had an impact as well.

As I've often said, the only solution is recruiting with a consistent pro-active effort. Kids used to just show up in the old growth days but as the number of children fall it takes a bigger recruiting effort to attract the same number of kids. To be a solid program in the metro you need 30-50 new mites, combined boys and girls, each year.

They do seem weaker than usual at the Peewee level. Usually they are a tough beat, not so much this year. I think the extra level this year has exposed the lack of depth in some programs where it wouldn't have been noticed before. Still, kinda surprised about EP's showing. Maybe things will pick up later in the year.

They don't have the same numbers they used to have. I'm not sure if the enrollment numbers are declining or that they aren't getting kids to come out and play.

This thread talks about it a little.

http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 9a047b1cc8

Mnhockeys wrote:

YouthHockeyHub wrote:Our staff rankings at Bantam AA and PeeWee AA are spot on.

But to suggest that they are a dying is a stretch.

EP PWAA is probably 11 and 12-15 in Bantam AA.

The real problem that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is Holy Family. That school is plucking their best players similar to how Holy Angels plucked the best Jefferson player in the early 2000s.

Just my .02

At squirt and peewee levels? How many private schools have teams at squirt and peewee levels?

Was meant more toward the high school, not youth

YouthHockeyHub wrote:

Mnhockeys wrote:

YouthHockeyHub wrote:Our staff rankings at Bantam AA and PeeWee AA are spot on.

But to suggest that they are a dying is a stretch.

EP PWAA is probably 11 and 12-15 in Bantam AA.

The real problem that hasn't been mentioned in this thread is Holy Family. That school is plucking their best players similar to how Holy Angels plucked the best Jefferson player in the early 2000s.

Just my .02

At squirt and peewee levels? How many private schools have teams at squirt and peewee levels?

Was meant more toward the high school, not youth

I know that HF took a goalie from EP this year. Not thinking that altered EP's destiny thus far. EP has lost impact players in the past (even during the current dynasty) to Benilde and even Shattuck. So this particular point isn't a new phenomenon.

Ep bantam aa list top goalie, eighth grader to HF, that hurt. Lost a peewee aa player, that has not had an impact on that team. Peewee aa has some top end talent, 3-4 kids. They have other issues. I know some of those from the summer hockey scene. We have played them twice now and I can't figure them out. How do you not win having scored seven goals going into the third?
Tonka is another association struggling at peewee aa and bantam aa.

snowpuck wrote:Ep bantam aa list top goalie, eighth grader to HF, that hurt. Lost a peewee aa player, that has not had an impact on that team. Peewee aa has some top end talent, 3-4 kids. They have other issues. I know some of those from the summer hockey scene. We have played them twice now and I can't figure them out. How do you not win having scored seven goals going into the third?
Tonka is another association struggling at peewee aa and bantam aa.

Do not count either EP or Minnetonka out this year. Bet they will do fine in region and state at both pwaa and baa levels! They still have very top players and nice coaching.

EP isn't really known for Hockey, it's known for football. So while they had a good "suburban growth" period that fostered great teams it's changing. Ask any Squirt or Pee Wee parent and they will tell you the numbers are down and it's not a hockey town. Lee Smith does a great job so you'll see people move there for high school hockey but at the youth level it's all about numbers.
As for Edina, they have excellent schools and young wealthy people have moved back into that community. MN Made has helped them climb back to the top. Money, Training, Tradition = success. Others will compete but it's not easy when they field 10 or 11 teams at multiple levels. wow..

Which players have been plucked from EP other than last years BA goalie to go to HF?

Last years PA goalie is @ HF now. [Very good goalie]

The Goalie that went to HF would have been a first year Bantam AA, not a Peewee AA, he is in 8th grade. They also lost another Varsity goalie to HF. Yes EP is a football town but so is Wayzata and they seem to have numbers staying steady.. explain that? Hard to believe those young kids do not remember EP winning two State Championships in hockey. How about financial? I know people who steer their kids away from hockey because of the cost.

Aimforthefivehole wrote:As for Edina, they have excellent schools and young wealthy people have moved back into that community. MN Made has helped them climb back to the top. Money, Training, Tradition = success. Others will compete but it's not easy when they field 10 or 11 teams at multiple levels. wow..

Another factor that can't be forgotten is that it is a hockey town to the core. Dads who played for Edina when they were kids sign their sons and daughters up for hockey. They show their kids the State champion team banners that they participated in on the ceiling at Braemar South. They spare no expense (money, time, and encouragement) to get their kids the best training possible.

This type of "keeping up with the Joneses" trickles down to residents who didn't grow up there or never played hockey. Kids have friends that play, then they want to play. And once your kid begins hockey, you want them to keep up with his friends, right? So begins the AAA, off ice training, early morning off season lessons, etc. This type of unspoken internal competition continues to drive Edina and has led it to posess outstanding talent and depth.

Replace the word "Edina" with "Eden Prairie," and "hockey" with "football" and that is why long term EP is the superior football town and Edina the superior football town.

Jimmy401 wrote:Which players have been plucked from EP other than last years BA goalie to go to HF?

I know PWA level gained an outstate kid - probably enough of a player to offset the kid that went to CC. They are also using a squirt age goalie at PWA which may be a factor. This group will be just fine and are top 10 IMO (or at least 11/12).

The last 15 years EP Bantam A has had 10 State Appearances and 5 State Championships. Not bad for a football town.

BTW, you have to go all the way back to the 50's, 60's, and early 70's to find Eveleth & Edina, the only other programs to have that kind of Bantam success.

I do agree Edina is a hockey town but that's not the subject here!

That success at bantams was because of the excellent coaching... You are spot on peskycardinal. We all know Edina and their rich histoy but you are correct this is not what this thread is about. The Eagles will be fine... I think the more pertinent question is what is going on with their varsity team??? I know not on this thread. The peewee aa team needs big performances from their older goalie to be successful.

Well..The season is over and I did notice that NO EP Boys team made State. I assume that hasn't happened in 10/12 years maybe..?


Varsity - Done
Junior Gold A - Done
Bantam AA - Done
Bantam A - Done
Bantam B - Done
PeeWee AA - Done
PeeWee A - Done
PeeWee B - Done

EP has plenty of talent. Just sucks to see NO ONE got to State. So my question: Is this the start of the EP slide? Coaching changes needed?

On a side note - I do think the EP Bantam AA are the best coaches around - but outside of that crew, I think EP is in trouble when it comes to coaches.

Maybe they should start with returning to their policy of non-parent coaches at the top two level teams for PeeWee and Bantam. This year the Board member in charge of finding coaches, parent coached at the PeeWeeA level.

Wow. Very interesting. And, I think you're right, probably a first.

Appear to be shrinking as it's not uncommon for a healthy association to have twice as many Squirt teams as bantams.

EP,
5 teams at bantam
6 teams at peewee
5 teams at Squirt

For the size of the community 5 squirt teams spells doom in D6.

Do you know about the girls?