Live from the Press Box...

[karl(east)]

I'm in the press box for the Tourney again this year, and will be posting updates to this thread on such things as press conferences, all-tournament teams, and random observations (some insightful, some less so). I'll try to answer any questions you might have, too.

Observation #1: Is Breck aware they are in the State Tournament? Because based on their fan support, it doesn't look that way.

[jeffpv]

Over-confidence by both the team and the fans, perhaps?
Do I smell the makings of a monumental upset?!



...right, I didn't think so either. Would make a cool story though

[Mailman]

I'm in the press box for the Tourney again this year, and will be posting updates to this thread on such things as press conferences, all-tournament teams, and random observations (some insightful, some less so). I'll try to answer any questions you might have, too.

Observation #1: Is Breck aware they are in the State Tournament? Because based on their fan support, it doesn't look that way.

Fwiw, I've never seen much in the way of fans for Breck.

[Doc Holliday]

Why does nearly everyone say "Hi Mom?" Aren't most of their moms at the game?

[karl(east)]

At least they were color-coordinated last year, if memory serves. This year, they seem to have an odd mix of pastel colors going.

Throw out the Breck JV team, and the Hermantown student section is bigger than Breck's right now.

[Ogie]

I'm in the press box for the Tourney again this year...

I hate you again this year.

[karl(east)]

I'm in the press box for the Tourney again this year...

I hate you again this year.

Sorry about that. Except not.

The shot chart after the first period is so crowded that there's barely any room on it. Breck attempted 43 shots in that period. (10 blocked, 13 missing the net, 2 hitting the pipe)

[summer]

I'm in the press box for the Tourney again this year, and will be posting updates to this thread on such things as press conferences, all-tournament teams, and random observations (some insightful, some less so). I'll try to answer any questions you might have, too.

Observation #1: Is Breck aware they are in the State Tournament? Because based on their fan support, it doesn't look that way.

Not like they have a town to support them as Class "A" was intended.

[celly93]

How's the pop corn?

[starmvp]

Karl, do you have room for a guest visit up there?

[karl(east)]

How's the pop corn?

Tasty, as always.

My row is keeping a tally on how many of the free pops and cookies we go through in the week. (1 and 3 for me so far.)

Time to head down for the first press conference...

[starmvp]

Ask Breck coach when he's gonna go class AA

[karl(east)]

Well, Marshall was the happiest school I've ever seen after a 6-1 loss.

Jeremiah Barker: "I couldn't believe myself, I just scored a goal at the Xcel Energy Center!"
Had he had any scoring chances before this season? "Yeah, a couple of open nets..."

Mason Campion: "Even if we just lost, I don't care...we're here." Did "better than expected"

Coach Larson, Breck: "I didn't have a problem with our 1st period. I had a problem with our 2nd period..."we come in with high expectations, but there's a fine line with what we can control...what we can control is effort, and I was disappointed in the 2nd period. But the other tea has a lot to do with that. 3A wasn't weaker [than the other sections] today. We're gonna have to ramp it up."

Thomas Lindstrom: "Might have been caught off guard a little bit. We played alright, but we gotta move forward now. There's a little disappointment, but we gotta move on."

Ask Breck coach when he's gonna go class AA

Well, someone did ask what Coach Larson thought of STA moving up. He said they're "definitely good enough, and their enrollment will support it." They hope to continue to schedule them, and it's great for them, though they will miss the rivalry.

[Mailman]

Well, Marshall was the happiest school I've ever seen after a 6-1 loss.

Jeremiah Barker: "I couldn't believe myself, I just scored a goal at the Xcel Energy Center!"
Had he had any scoring chances before this season? "Yeah, a couple of open nets..."

Mason Campion: "Even if we just lost, I don't care...we're here." Did "better than expected"

Coach Larson, Breck: "I didn't have a problem with our 1st period. I had a problem with our 2nd period..."we come in with high expectations, but there's a fine line with what we can control...what we can control is effort, and I was disappointed in the 2nd period. But the other tea has a lot to do with that. 3A wasn't weaker [than the other sections] today. We're gonna have to ramp it up."

Thomas Lindstrom: "Might have been caught off guard a little bit. We played alright, but we gotta move forward now. There's a little disappointment, but we gotta move on."

Ask Breck coach when he's gonna go class AA

Well, someone did ask what Coach Larson thought of STA moving up. He said they're "definitely good enough, and their enrollment will support it." They hope to continue to schedule them, and it's great for them, though they will miss the rivalry.

Very cool karl, thanks.

[karl(east)]

Sorry for the delay on the second press conference notes; Cossetta's was calling.

Brendan Flaherty: Hermantown "kept very tight gaps and allowed few second looks. We struggled around our own net." He said physicality was a key to this game, as Marshall "gave away about thirty pounds per player...I thought we could beat them skating. We did in the first, but not in the second. We couldn't penetrate." Caden Flaherty "had to be too good." But he also noted that they are very young, and that "I think we'll be back."

Bruce Plante deserves his own thread, which will be along shortly.

[thestickler07]

Did Plante comment on his team winning their 4th consecutive title today?

And I'm gonna need a full breakdown of the Cossetta meal of course.

[karl(east)]

Did Plante comment on his team winning their 4th consecutive title today?

And I'm gonna need a full breakdown of the Cossetta meal of course.

Someone flat-out asked him about winning the public school title...though I think he's holding off on claiming it until we see what EGF does.

Cossetta's was excellent, of course. I just went for the pizza. Looks like they're opening up a new dining area in a bit? I didn't look to closely, but the area to the right of the doors isn't open, and has some other name.

Not too crowded, either. Attendance for the first session was under 4,000 for the first time in years.

[thestickler07]

Someone flat-out asked him about winning the public school title...though I think he's holding off on claiming it until we see what EGF does.

Cossetta's was excellent, of course. I just went for the pizza. Looks like they're opening up a new dining area in a bit? I didn't look to closely, but the area to the right of the doors isn't open, and has some other name.

Not too crowded, either. Attendance for the first session was under 4,000 for the first time in years.

Classy move by Plante to keep the champagne on ice until the end of the night session.

Can't go wrong with the pies. Michael really gave the place a face lift, different more "refined" kind of feel but the same good grub.

[karl(east)]

Apollo didn't have any players in their press conference. (Not that I blame them at all.) It was very short; Coach Matanich just said they need to come back tomorrow and restart, and that they were happy to get there, having lost 15 seniors off last year's team. He said they'd watched some video of STA and "knew we'd struggle getting across the blue line." That about sums this one up.

Coach Vannelli was asked if this sort of game is tougher on the winner than the loser; it was an odd question, and didn't really have an answer. "It's not comfortable for either team," he said. They focused on making sure they were still doing things like being the first man on the puck and backchecking hard. He said they pulled back some in the third and "practiced some other things."

Alex Johnson, when asked about the "this one's over" chant on the first shift: "We know they're here to have fun, and we try to tune it out."

Jack Dougherty: "You never wish a team to not have a shot."

Well-handled press conferences for both teams, given the result of the game.

[TheNightman]

Sounds like we had a very similar day Karl, except I went through 5 cookies . Got Cossetta's after the first period of the STA game because I could sense where that one was going.

I was live scoring for the Hub and doing a little interviewing and transcribing from the press conferences for the first two games and I'll be back at it tomorrow.

My highlight of the day was definitely the Plante press conference. When asked what the kids will do tomorrow, "I'll take them over the U of M campus to get food so they can check out all the chicks over there. We'll try to stay away from the alchies and drunks, that place we were at last year was like Mardi Gras."

[Ogie]

We have any YouTube of that yet?

[karl(east)]

Sounds like we had a very similar day Karl, except I went through 5 cookies . Got Cossetta's after the first period of the STA game because I could sense where that one was going.

I was live scoring for the Hub and doing a little interviewing and transcribing from the press conferences for the first two games and I'll be back at it tomorrow.

My highlight of the day was definitely the Plante press conference. When asked what the kids will do tomorrow, "I'll take them over the U of M campus to get food so they can check out all the chicks over there. We'll try to stay away from the alchies and drunks, that place we were at last year was like Mardi Gras."

Darn, I'm stuck on 4 cookies. Went for another one before the start of this game, but they've run out. Had to settle for the bagel I'd smuggled in.

FYI, I'm proably sitting right behind you...I'm the second one in on the row just above all the Hub people.

[TheNightman]

Sounds like we had a very similar day Karl, except I went through 5 cookies . Got Cossetta's after the first period of the STA game because I could sense where that one was going.

I was live scoring for the Hub and doing a little interviewing and transcribing from the press conferences for the first two games and I'll be back at it tomorrow.

My highlight of the day was definitely the Plante press conference. When asked what the kids will do tomorrow, "I'll take them over the U of M campus to get food so they can check out all the chicks over there. We'll try to stay away from the alchies and drunks, that place we were at last year was like Mardi Gras."

Darn, I'm stuck on 4 cookies. Went for another one before the start of this game, but they've run out. Had to settle for the bagel I'd smuggled in.

FYI, I'm proably sitting right behind you...I'm the second one in on the row just above all the Hub people.

I'm not there anymore, but I was the guy wearing the red plaid shirt.

[karl(east)]

FYI, I'm proably sitting right behind you...I'm the second one in on the row just above all the Hub people.

I'm not there anymore, but I was the guy wearing the red plaid shirt.[/quote]

Okay, stop by and say hi tomorrow...I should be in the same spot. (Except during the East game; I'll probably be abandoning the press box for that one, as the MSHSL would probably frown upon me pacing and yelling things from up here.)

[karl(east)]

A few notes from the late-night game; nothing too out-of-the-ordinary here, but I'll pass it along.

Coach Spaniol of Lourdes: "We missed the net a lot in the first...the first period dictated the flow." Still, they "never stopped believing, and I've never been more proud" of a team. Jason Samuelson "thought we had it" near the end, and "could tell they were back on their heels," but it just didn't happen.

Coach Palmiscno, EGF, on Lourdes' third period rally: "it's what you expect...they made a couple plays." He "expected to come out with more jitters" and was very pleased with their start to the game. The team was "loose all day, and didn't seem fazed."

Kolton Aubol: The Green Wave's goal was to get the puck out and deep, and keep it under the dots. As for STA, their goal is to "keep them off the board for 51 minutes."