JakeLove

All I know is this team plays better with Littler in than with Littler out. He brings an intangible that just works.

Glad I am wrong about the host! Makes the UND path to Sioux Falls easier. The NC$$ should want that attendance bonanza to happen. we are all glad the Omaha meatheads are out.

The reply is to Yzerman19 for convenience of the discussion not as a rebuttal. Both GF schools would be very competitive in MN AA everywhere except the metro lakes conference and between a smattering of other superlative metro area teams that accumulate talent through open enrollment. Even then they would be very credible and competitive. I would propose that all large ND cities HS teams would be competitive at MN A. I would propose that all small ND towns would do well against their peer small towns in MN. I am not saying these ND teams would win a state MN HS tournament every year (or even often) but they would be in the mix to make the tournament. the larger point is let’s focus on what ND can do if we all chose to make the whole thing better. ps - the coaching thing is generally true especially at Minot. The head guy is nothing, Grubb has a decent head but not enough to overcome the head guy, and the third is by all first hand knowledgeable accounts a dud.

Augastana as the host team has to be placed in the Sioux Falls regional. augustanas seeding will likely dictate if UND will be in Sioux Falls. Augustana will get in, UND will get in, and the next two games for each team will determine where UND goes. best case scenario- UND is #1 overall, Augie is #12, both end up in Sioux Falls.

The kids actions should have ended his season. The officials should have penalized the actions.

If your goal is NC$$ D1 on scholarship at a top team that sounds spot-on. there are hopefully still NCAA D3 (maybe low end D1 under fortuitous circumstances) and ACHA of various available for players not on the blue chip level you describe. Even this is harder now with CHL eligible in NC$$. Just an opinion - those kids on that blue chip level should leave ND HS for sure. kids not on that blue chip level with an 18u, 19u, 20u eligibility after HS graduation should in my opinion stay home. a kid with only a 19u and 20u eligibility after graduation leaving as a HS junior if they can meaningfully play at NAHL or USHL or CHL are a more delicate decision. These are only opinions from an old guy. I don’t claim to be a hockey insider on these topics.

Amen, brother. Take the Walter Payton approach, kids.

And almost everyone leaving is a fool running a fools errand. This has been a perverse unintended consequence of establishing the Bantam AA league. Never underestimate the ego factor for parents who like to say their kid is playing “out east” for the Cleveland Barons or whatever or whatnot team. MN holds it together with their quality for sure but the open enrollment and kids moving to and fro is a big part of why their “community” hockey is still working so well. Just don’t say that to the Roseau’s, I Falls, Willmar’s Bloomington Kennedy’s, etc because it’s not working as well for them ND can still keep our thing going if Team ND continues and if we believe in ourselves a lot more. I may be a naive Pollyanna but I do wish we felt more confident.

And volleyball, and basketball, and baseball, and wrestling, and probably speech, band, orchestra etc. - more than one level of play.

The announcers have mentioned the 2 girls semifinal games many time, BUT HAVE YET TO MENTION THE WINNERS

Yep I was wrong. BFD

Settle in at Bells Brewery and enjoy that vibe for a pre game. There are some other joints but that place stuck (it might have been the dice games and beer) as far as parking, use Uber - a driver was always available and cheap.

Was he not something like 4G 4A +7 for the tournament? Sounds like a Captain stat line

Me

Based on independent (I.e. mine) observations. the games will tell the story.