2019 MN State Hockey Tourney

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DeathClutch

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7/8 teams have advanced to the state tourney with one more section being decided tonight. Should be an entertaining tournament since there is no one real dominant team. I honestly believe any team but Lakeville South can win it all.

Edina
Blaine
St. Thomas Academy
Eden Prairie
Duluth East
Moorhead
White Bear Lake/Hill-Murray
Lakeville South
 

If they don't have to play Duluth East, I would take Edina. Most balanced and deep. But no dominant team this year.
 

Section2 said:
If they don't have to play Duluth East, I would take Edina. Most balanced and deep. But no dominant team this year.
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Does Duluth East have any ambidextrous shots? If so, I would pick them too.
 

I'll watch some games but sure miss the one class tourney. So watered down now with 2 classes; no David vs. Goliath with a Warroad, Roseau, Int'l Falls with a shot at the one class tile.
 

Section2 said:
If they don't have to play Duluth East, I would take Edina. Most balanced and deep. But no dominant team this year.
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I got Blaine. They are riding a 17 game win streak, have the most potent top line led by probable Mr. Hockey, Bryce Brodzinski and they also have pretty good goaltending as well.
 


LesBolstad said:
I'll watch some games but sure miss the one class tourney. So watered down now with 2 classes; no David vs. Goliath with a Warroad, Roseau, Int'l Falls with a shot at the one class tile.
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I personally would have almost for sure played in a class A tournament - had there been a 2 class system. If I magically had been able to make that change at the time, there's no way I would have. It completely ruined the tournament. It was the event of the year in the state at the time. We watched the games in our classrooms. It was essentially the "Hoosiers" of hockey. Unique enough to have a full spread article written about it in Sports Illustrated in the 80s. Now it's just another state tournament.
 

So hockey is still a thing in Minnesota?
 

LesBolstad said:
I'll watch some games but sure miss the one class tourney. So watered down now with 2 classes; no David vs. Goliath with a Warroad, Roseau, Int'l Falls with a shot at the one class tile.
Click to expand...

Get over it. The one class tourney hasn't been around for over a quarter of a century and it's not coming back.
 
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Matchups:

2. Blaine vs. WBL
3. Eden Prairie vs. Lakeville South
1. Edina vs. Moorhead
4. St. Thomas vs. 5 Duluth East

Eden Prarie gets pretty lucky in drawing Lakeville South.

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Cruze said:
Get over it. The one class tourney hasn't been around for over a quarter of a century and it's not coming back.
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Yep...and Intl Falls hasn't been good since 1972...[emoji41]

On a side note, a Facebook friend from the Range just said that the Virginia and Eveleth school districts voted to merge and build a new school for the region. Watch out for a new "Grand Rapids" in the future.
 

MennoSota said:
Yep...and Intl Falls hasn't been good since 1972...[emoji41]

On a side note, a Facebook friend from the Range just said that the Virginia and Eveleth school districts voted to merge and build a new school for the region. Watch out for a new "Grand Rapids" in the future.
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I am surprised that didn't happen a decade or two ago. The combined Virginia/Eveleth school district will cover a lot of territory and their hockey team should be able to compete regularly with the best schools in northern Minnesota if not the state. If Grand Rapids and Coleraine (Greenway) ever merge their combined hockey team will become an annual fixture at the state tournament.
 
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Cruze said:
I am surprised that didn't happen a decade or two ago. The combined Virginia/Eveleth school district will cover a lot of territory and their hockey team should be able to compete regulary with the best schools in northern Minnesota if not the state. If Grand Rapids and Coleraine (Greenway) ever merge their combined hockey team will become an annual fixture at the state tournament.
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Right. But, those old ethnic politics run deep on the Range.
Now, if Eveleth, Virginia, Mt Iron and Mesabi East all merged, the level of skill would go up in every sport imaginable. Politics won't ever let that happen, however.
 

GopherJake said:
Does Duluth East have any ambidextrous shots? If so, I would pick them too.
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They have a 6-5 245 pound badass left wing on the first line that people are comparing to you Jake.


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GopherJake said:
I personally would have almost for sure played in a class A tournament - had there been a 2 class system. If I magically had been able to make that change at the time, there's no way I would have. It completely ruined the tournament. It was the event of the year in the state at the time. We watched the games in our classrooms. It was essentially the "Hoosiers" of hockey. Unique enough to have a full spread article written about it in Sports Illustrated in the 80s. Now it's just another state tournament.
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Wait, you’ve been bragging about being a Hockey star and would have played CLASS A?? Lol!!


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"The Legend of Gopher Jake" [emoji970]
 

Had to look. the two-class system has been in effect since 1994. For some reason I thought it started earlier than that.

All I know is that I went to college with a number of guys from the Iron Range - Hibbing, Mt Iron, Chisholm, etc. During the State Tournament, if they couldn't get tickets, they would basically buy enough beer to sink a battleship, and park themselves in front of a TV for three days.

As far as the format, there have been Class A teams that could have played with the AA schools in certain years, but most years, I think the AA schools would have dominated.

I know people romanticize the plucky small school beating the big Twin Cities powerhouses, but I just don't think it would happen very often in today's game. I can live with two classes. Now, you can certainly question some of the other sports. I would have no problem going back to 3 classes for basketball, and cutting back on the number of classes in football. But, that is not where we're headed. In fact, some of the remaining two-class sports are pushing to go to three classes. My brother is a track and cross-country coach, and he is not in favor of three classes, but he says there is a lot of pressure coming from some coaches to go to three classes in the running sports.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Had to look. the two-class system has been in effect since 1994. For some reason I thought it started earlier than that.

All I know is that I went to college with a number of guys from the Iron Range - Hibbing, Mt Iron, Chisholm, etc. During the State Tournament, if they couldn't get tickets, they would basically buy enough beer to sink a battleship, and park themselves in front of a TV for three days.

As far as the format, there have been Class A teams that could have played with the AA schools in certain years, but most years, I think the AA schools would have dominated.

I know people romanticize the plucky small school beating the big Twin Cities powerhouses, but I just don't think it would happen very often in today's game. I can live with two classes. Now, you can certainly question some of the other sports. I would have no problem going back to 3 classes for basketball, and cutting back on the number of classes in football. But, that is not where we're headed. In fact, some of the remaining two-class sports are pushing to go to three classes. My brother is a track and cross-country coach, and he is not in favor of three classes, but he says there is a lot of pressure coming from some coaches to go to three classes in the running sports.
Click to expand...

Roseau and Grand Rapids compete.



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short ornery norwegian said:
Had to look. the two-class system has been in effect since 1994. For some reason I thought it started earlier than that.

All I know is that I went to college with a number of guys from the Iron Range - Hibbing, Mt Iron, Chisholm, etc. During the State Tournament, if they couldn't get tickets, they would basically buy enough beer to sink a battleship, and park themselves in front of a TV for three days.

As far as the format, there have been Class A teams that could have played with the AA schools in certain years, but most years, I think the AA schools would have dominated.

I know people romanticize the plucky small school beating the big Twin Cities powerhouses, but I just don't think it would happen very often in today's game. I can live with two classes. Now, you can certainly question some of the other sports. I would have no problem going back to 3 classes for basketball, and cutting back on the number of classes in football. But, that is not where we're headed. In fact, some of the remaining two-class sports are pushing to go to three classes. My brother is a track and cross-country coach, and he is not in favor of three classes, but he says there is a lot of pressure coming from some coaches to go to three classes in the running sports.
Click to expand...
Yes, a lot has changed. The Range used to have a second team come in through the "backdoor" when there were only 7 regions and a need for 8 teams. Now there is enough teams and the smaller schools can't produce 3 quality lines to compete at the top level.
I don't agree with the four division basketball or baseball system. It's too watered down. Minnehaha Academy could probably win big school this year. They won't even be challenged at 2A.
The AAA division in baseball is a joke. It's there just for the bigger schools who suck. In the first year, Henry Sibley won the AAA championship, but was dead last in their conference that season.
 

GopherJake said:
Lake Hiawatha Park, Thursday night. Identify yourself. Then we will see. If I were you, helmet and a mouth guard.
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Howie, this is an actual internet tough guy. Poor little Jake


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MennoSota said:
Yep...and Intl Falls hasn't been good since 1972...[emoji41]

On a side note, a Facebook friend from the Range just said that the Virginia and Eveleth school districts voted to merge and build a new school for the region. Watch out for a new "Grand Rapids" in the future.
Click to expand...

So they’ll go from class A non contenders to AA state tournament appearances just by combining the 2 schools? Gettin’ a little excited there.


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Some Day...Maybe said:
So they’ll go from class A non contenders to AA state tournament appearances just by combining the 2 schools? Gettin’ a little excited there.


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Click to expand...

Enrollment cap for Class A boys hockey is 1245. Eveleth-Gilbert listed attendance is 266; Virginia is 374. So they can combine and be well under the limit. they'll still be a class A team for Boys hockey.
 

Section2 said:
Howie, this is an actual internet tough guy. Poor little Jake


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Click to expand...

Only makes sense as he gets tougher with age. The freshman co-captains on his senior year team voted him most improved player.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Enrollment cap for Class A boys hockey is 1245. Eveleth-Gilbert listed attendance is 266; Virginia is 374. So they can combine and be well under the limit. they'll still be a class A team for Boys hockey.
Click to expand...
Right. The Range has lost a lot of people. Many of the former greats from the Range live here in the Twin Cities.
If the two schools can overcome politics, they could have a chance to compete in Section 7A. Hermantown is always the beast that has to be beat. Top of the Hill cake eaters.
 

Female announcer for class a is terrible.
 

Good luck to anyone trying to get to the state tournament on Saturday.
 

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