SiouxScore

Central would be one of the top contenders to win Minnesota class A this season but it would be a battle with Hermantown and Breck or Delano. AA if they were in 8AA I don't think they would get out of the section. I've watched both Central and Moorhead a few times each this year and think Moorhead would beat them but it would be kind of a coin flip game although basically everything in 8AA has been a coin flip aside from Moorhead in the 2nd half of the season. All quarterfinal games except for the Moorhead/Rogers game were 1 goal games including a OT and 2 OT game. Moorhead is the best team in 8AA and should get to state but strange things happen at playoff time. The past few years 8AA has been very good at the top but this year there is much more depth to the section and still a very good team at the top. Moorhead can compete if they get to state too. Their top line is very good and does the majority of the scoring they also have a solid goalie and a very good defensive group. Moorhead is also a pretty young team and has some very talented kids coming up so they might be a team that is really a year away from being a state championship contender if all of their talent stays in Moorhead. They have played some good AA schools and had success beating the #2 team in the state Holy Family 6-1, Minnetonka 9-5, Grand Rapids 4-0, and Hill Murray 4-3. I just hope Roseau can win at Albertville today and Moorhead beats Brainerd today to set up another great battle at The Little Ralph in Thief River Wednesday. Roseau would maybe be the favorite in this section this year if Ben Helgeson who is committed to Wisconsin I believe stayed in Roseau instead of transferring to Hill Murray. You are completely right about 8A being real down this year. I don't know if the section has ever lost a 1st round game in the state tournament but this year that may be in jeopardy. EGF has the most talent but is a pretty inconsistent team and nobody in the section really has a player or goalie that can take over the game which has been pretty common the last few seasons. If the top seeds win each of the sections it looks like EGF would be in the 4/5 game likely facing St.Cloud Cathedral who they tied earlier this season.

Jost

Saw that last night and knew EGF would dominate but I don't think I've ever seen a team not at least get a shot or 2 on net. I'm sure the Bagley team and fans were still just pretty happy to be there. I played in 8A and have continued to follow it at least somewhat and I don't think Bagley had ever even made it to the quarterfinals before this season.

Definitely seems like there are some towns in that area who have put a lot of effort and are investing into improving the quality but there are still some that are pretty down and that kind of still holds back the teams that have been better and trying to take the next step. They don't get as much competition as they need and would probably like to keep improving the quality at the pace they want to. The other part is it just takes some time like you said hockey just isn't as big of focus in that area as it is in other parts of the state it has certainly grown and having players like the Gopher commit Jaxon Nelson of Luverne will help increase youth participation and build more excitement about hockey in SW Minnesota because young kids will want to be the next Nelson.

There really is no comparison between high school hockey in Minnesota and North Dakota. Minnesota has so much more depth and so many more elite programs that a lot of the top AA programs play a schedule where you don't get a night off. While North Dakota has what like 18 teams total and some of them really struggle. When you look for elite programs in North Dakota really only 2 come to mind Central and Red River. Both states have some bad teams, in Minnesota you have some that really struggle especially in the southwest part of the state. Looking at a couple teams that weren't great in either state Breckenridge/Wahpenton was the #9 seed in section 6A and played Bottineau earlier this year and beat them 5-2. They also played Wadena who they lost to 6-1 and Wadena was the #7 seed in section 6A. Worthington who was 2-20 this year and plays in a weak section and is usually one of the worst teams in the state also played Breckenridge/Wahpenton and lost 5-2. Looking at a couple ND state tournament teams Devils Lake beat the #6 seed in a weaker than usual section 8A Lake of the Woods 2-1 this year and Minot also played Lake of the Woods in that same Christmas tournament and tied them 2-2. Both Devils Lake and Minot also faced Roseau in that tournament who is the #3 seed in 8AA this year and they each lost 6-2.

Jackson Jutting (Prior Lake) Jarred Moe (Holy Family) Shane LaVelle (Chaska) Matt Gleason (Cretin Derham Hall) Hunter Johannes(Eden Prairie)

This is kinda what I'm thinking too. Even if we only lose Boeser and Jost up front I think I'd still bring in Mismash, Jones, Adams, Mattson, and maybe Kawaguchi too. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a transfer or 2 up front and that may be the best for both sides. Defensively there really doesn't seem to be a whole lot of choices to make. You lose Ausmus and Poolman and bring in Bast, Kiersted, and Rieger.

Gersich

Another disappointing loss. Had chances but didn't finish well enough. Some will say the officials let them play and they like to see that but I'll say they did a very poor job. They let tons of hooking and holding go as well as cheap hits all night long which is what Western Michigan does best. Step up and make the calls and officiate the game the way it is supposed to be. Murray is gonna whine all game no matter what you do. I know Western is having a pretty decent year but I still don't think they are a real good team. They need officials to let them play a style where nothing is called otherwise they will be in trouble.

Poganski

Can't remember for sure think it was Greg Flugaur. I know the Twitter name was shared on GopherIllustrated but he gives more information on there than on Twitter.

Yeah he has me believing. When he started the PJ Fleck thing I thought it was just a joke and somebody hoping it would happen but he was right on the money with pretty much everything that played out and he started putting out the information before the bowl game. I don't know who his sources are but they certainly seem to be pretty good.

They need to find a little discipline too if they want to be a tournament team. Don't know how they could really argue any of the calls, maybe the last major could have been a minor instead. They were more worried about putting Gophers through the boards whether it was legal or not than winning the game and it cost them against a team with a very good powerplay.

No not really skinny. Room to add some weight but looked pretty well put together already.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=444997 has him as 6'1" but watching him the last time they played Red River I would have guessed closer to 6'3".

Couple of goalies recently followed by the UND hockey tradition account on twitter. Riley Morris-Okotoks Oilers http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=176238 Adam Scheel-USNTDP http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=187566

I think those are the 2 I would choose as well but really as long as the 2 come from the group of Simonson, Wilkie, Olson, or Hoff I'm fine with it. If everyone is healthy for Western Michigan I'd try a lineup of: Gersich-Jost-Boeser Smith-Gardner-Poganski Yon-Bowen-Gornall Janatuinen-Hoff-Olson

Very big win tonight! Played pretty decent for the most part and battled through some bad calls. The Gardner penalty was terrible Borgen was holding his stick and he pushed him down either take both or don't take anybody. The Boeser call was pretty bad too I hate refs that reward a guy for turning at the last second. I thought the guys played with a lot more of an edge tonight and were more physical. Tonight was maybe the most physical game I've seen from Boeser in his year + with the Sioux. Good time for a week off to get some guys healthy. Would think Jost and Janatuinen will both be back for Western Michigan and I hope it will be 2 from the group of Simonson, Olson, Wilkie, and maybe Hoff coming out of the lineup and not Smith or Gornall that is for sure.

There isn't a whole lot I like about how this team is playing right now. Very soft, bunches of careless turnovers, losing board battles, losing puck races, whole lot of shots blocked, can't count on your goalie to come up with a save, rarely get chances between the circles instead happy to just play on the perimeter, and too many guys standing around waiting for someone else to do it. There is maybe 5 guys on this team playing to the level they're capable of right now and that is the most disappointing thing. This team needs to find a sense of urgency real quick and start playing Fighting Sioux hockey.

Really hate to see him decommit. Very athletic big goalie who I think has a very bright future. Hope we find another one like him to fill his spot.

Ryan Ullan the other NTDP goalie from Hibbing could be a possibility as well.

Recently followed the Minnesota hockey account.

Yeah definitely looks like he is. I really like his potential and I think he only turns 17 towards the end of February. I know him and another guy missed a few games because of some disciplinary issue my guess is a missed curfew or something like that but he got a start this past weekend.

Terrible loss no way around it and I'm sure it will hurt in the pairwise. CC's goalie was good and lucky but way too much perimeter play from the Sioux. CC's goal was a gift from Johnson. First the terrible giveaway drop pass in the corner when he had the easy breakout pass available and then it goes off his skate and in. When does it change from Wilkie not getting puck luck and he just needs one to go in to breakout to maybe he just isn't gonna be a scorer at this level? I've already moved him into the Mitch MacMillan and Wade Murphy category not sure why he still sees PP time I'd much rather put Bowen or Yon in his place.

Rousemiller takes the PWO at Minnesota. Eric Rousemiller ‏@BigBoyRouse55 16m16 minutes ago Extremely excited to say that I will be continuing my Education and Football career at the University of Minnesota! #SkiUMah #RTB