jloos

That is a good point about defensive forwards like Prpich. However, it seems whenever Massen got a chance he was put on the 3rd or 4th line, in a checking role. It's hard to produce offensively in a defensive role. I'd like to see Massen play, but I'm not going to question Blais, he obviously knows something we don't.

Being this is the last home series should Blais play all of the seniors? Or should he keep the same lines that played so well in Duluth? Palmiscno is the only senior that doesn't play much, I think the classy thing to do is to dress him for the weekend. How about Massen? Personally I'd like to see him dress this weekend, although I don't no who I would leave off.

Tom Reid's? Chipolte is the best fast mexican food you will ever eat (after the RP of course). There is a Chipolte right off Kellogg. Tom Reid's is an ok place, not very much seating and it is owned by Tom Reid. Famous Daves is right down 7th. Wild Things is an ok bar and grill. The problem is there is not very many watering holes in downtown St. Paul. There is some good bars on Grand just West of downtown - college crowd but should be less crowded during the day. IMO the best place would be to get a hotel room at the Holiday Inn across the street and set up your own bar, it is much cheaper.

I have two student tickets for Sat's game. I'm assuming your not a student, and security is bastards about having student ID, anyone else that could use them let me know.

Rumor is, Blais gave the Green light for a certain player to throw down if Scott is willing. Read the previous sentence for a clue to the players identity. Normally I don't give much credit to rumors, but the source is reliable. I don't see the Tech coach giving Scott the go being he has at least one match penalty for fighting Hale, I believe the rule is 1 game for 1st fight, 2 for second, after that there is meetings with commissioners.

Central was a good team, but there is no way this many kids are going to play D1. After Marto, Moreland, Lamoureux, McIntyre and Dvorak the talent level drops off. Stengel and Lindgren are good ND high school players, but they are no where near the level of players like Lee and Oshie. After a few years of juniors they may develop to the D1 level, but I don't see them ever playing for the Sioux. D1 teams are going to start getting burned by recruiting kids that are only 16 years old. Hockey players often peak at an early age. When I was in high school Toby Schneider (Andy's brother) was a hockey god - better player than either Panzers. He had a full beard in the 9th grade, played varsity hockey when he should have been a bantam, but looked like he was 30. I think he ended up playing for Concordia, we all know where the Panzers ended up. My point is not every kid that shows potential lives up to it.

Blais is also talking to a forward on Moorhead. Don't want to say who until its made public. Sioux assistants have also talked to a total of 6 players from Moorhead. Obviously all of these kids are not going to sign, but look for 2 or 3 playing for the Sioux in the next 2-4 years. Becker's dad played for the Sioux (and the Rangers) he is a very skilled player, lacking in size, but he's only a junior. Look for one of the Sioux assistants to be gone for the playoff games, the MN State tourny is that weekend. It is a good chance to get a look at the HS players playing under pressure and against good competition.

I forgot about the AHC. I thought they and the CHA switched auto-bids every other year. I have no idea why I thought that, after a little research I was wrong. Both the AHC and CHA get an autobid, that would bump CC out as it stands right now, assuming the autobids from HE, CCHA and the WCHA would get in anyway becuase of pwr.

1 North Dakota .6198 2 24-6-3 .7727 1 .5689 1 .5896 8 .5274 0 0 1 2 Boston College .6106 1 26-4-4 .8235 5 .5397 10 .5424 1 .5341 1 1 0 3 Maine .5790 3 24-7-3 .7500 21 .5221 21 .5199 9 .5263 0 2 0 4 Minnesota-Duluth .5752 6 22-10-3 .6714 3 .5431 4 .5483 3 .5327 0 0 0 5 Michigan .5712 5 23-10-1 .6912 13 .5312 9 .5424 26 .5089 0 0 0 6 Minnesota .5618 15 20-13-3 .5972 2 .5500 2 .5601 5 .5298 1 0 1 7 Wisconsin .5564 7t 20-9-7 .6528 17 .5242 18 .5223 6 .5281 1 0 0 8 New Hampshire .5531 14 18-11-5 .6029 8 .5365 6 .5457 17 .5180 0 1 0 9 Ohio State .5502 17t 20-14-0 .5882 6 .5375 3 .5532 28 .5061 0 1 0 10 Denver .5452 7t 21-10-5 .6528 27 .5093 31 .4975 2 .5329 0 1 0 11 St. Cloud State .5435 17t 18-12-4 .5882 15 .5285 15 .5304 12 .5248 0 1 0 12 Notre Dame .5407 16 17-11-4 .5938 18 .5230 16 .5302 27 .5088 2 1 0 13 Miami .5395 11 19-11-4 .6176 25 .5134 26 .5133 23 .5136 0 0 0 14 Colorado College .5355 20t 18-13-3 .5735 19 .5228 19 .5221 14 .5243 0 0 0 15 Providence .5317 25 15-11-7 .5606 20 .5221 20 .5204 10 .5255 0 0 0 16 Massachusetts .5307 26 14-11-6 .5484 16 .5248 17 .5256 15 .5233 0 0 0 17 Michigan State .5304 22 20-15-1 .5694 22 .5173 24 .5181 18 .5158 0 0 1 18 Cornell .5252 10 15-8-6 .6207 36 .4933 37 .4916 36 .4966 0 2 0 19 Colgate .5213 9 19-10-5 .6324 41 .4843 42 .4788 38 .4954 0 0 0 20 Mass.-Lowell .5194 33 14-16-6 .4722 10 .5351 8 .5452 21 .5149 0 0 0 In theory the top 16 should make it. CHA, and ECAC don't have any teams in the top 16 so here top 14 would make it plus winners of CHA and ECAC playoffs. It looks like if CC avoids being swept at Denver and can have a strong showing in their playoff matchup they are in. A lot depends on what MSU, Prov and MA due the rest of the season. I'm surprised to see Notre Dame OH and Miami so high, looks the CCHA should have at least 4 teams. As it stands WCHA 7 teams Hockey East 3 teams CCHA 4 teams CHA 1 team ECAC 1 team I don't know if the NCAA has to abide by the formula like Football of if it like BB. I'm sure PCM or someone with a better understanding of the NCAA knows.

I'd like to see CC there - just because I'd like to see 7 WCHA teams in the NCAA's. The team I'd like to see us play the most, WI - for obvious reasons.

I can't remember when the final week of play will determine so many seedings. The top seven seeds are up for grabs this weekend. The Sioux are probably the easiest to predict, winning first. If we sweep Tech, Tech will be back the next weekend for another ass-kicking. CC/Denver UMD/WI and SCSU/MN are huge series, it would be fun to sit in a sports bar and watch them all on TV. If the Sioux get up big early, I may have to do just that. Notre Dame swept MI (Fargo's McLean had a couple of goals), a Duluth sweep next weekend pretty much gives them a #1 seed in the NCAA's. Trying to predict the West is very difficult. There are 7 teams I could see winning the WCHA and 5 teams winning the CCHA. If MI doesn't win the CCHA it is going to be them and whoever does from the CCHA in the NCAA's, that should be it. If CC sweeps Denver, it would be hard to keep them out, but I don't see them getting an invite unless they make it to the FF and win at least one game there and MI wins the CCHA. I hope Duluth gets the other #1 seed, beating a good team like them 5 times in a season is tough, I don't like the odds trying to beat them for a sixth.

That BC game was more rockin than any game I've been to, old or new REA. The writer had some good points, but I'd agree with PCM that using one game (Sat CC) to sum up the season sensationalizes the issue a little. My opinion: the hockey fans are being punished for the football fans' sins. Only one of the Pres' letters addressed hockey, and we all know who wrote that letter. The REA is not going to kick anyone out for cheering. The admin. has done a very poor job handling the issue, but so have the students. It's called COMMON SENSE, if you use it you will be fine.

Yes we could by them last Mon and Tues for $25 per ticket. Gotta love how students are encouraged to attend by jacking up the price 400% for the playoffs.

RR has a good goalie, anything can happen with a hot goalie. RR already beat Central this year, I don't see them doing it again, but it would be nice to see. Think of what Central would be like if they had the other Lamoureux's and Simonson this year I agree the west had a great showing. Jechort had a ton of chances against South, BC just didn't have the depth. South has 3 good lines and a solid D, their goalie is starting to come around after missing most of the season injured. I'm going to predict South over Central in the championship game 5-3. I saw South play Bismarck earlier this year, they dominated them, don't see Bismarck having much of a chance. Minot had a very good showing, they don't lose too many Seniors and as noted before, they have a good group of 9th/10th graders. Minot could see their second championship game in the next couple of years.

This is why the majority of Duluth fans rule. For those Sioux fans lucky enough to be in Duluth this weekend, win or lose hook up with the Duluth fans after the game, a good time will be had. Duluth seems to produce fun drunks, not like SCSU, Minny and Kato that only seem to produce violent drunks. Homer: "Son, when you participate in sporting events, its not whether you win or loose, its how drunk you get."

Monticello had a number of kids out with the flu. Morinville required 3 passes before they could shoot after the 1st period. Gifford was on the ice to set up players who haven't had much ice time during the season - notice he only had 1 goal and 8 assists. Morinville also asked for running time in the second period, the ref's refused. Moorhead was so much better there was really nothing else they could do except purposely not shoot the puck at all, which would be more of an insult to Monticello. I agree even with these excuses 27 goals was a bit excessive. I believe Moorhead plays Roseau at 7 on Sat night, same time as the Sioux I was hoping Bemidji would win so I could see a rematch of the WWF/Ultimate fighting game a couple of weeks ago.

http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archiv...o/goto_0226.htm

At least they are not going to try and force an East/West matchup like they have the past few years. I believe the West and Midwest winners will be in opposite games in the FF. It would be even better to beat the Gophers in the championship game.

Not sure if that would help much, the classes are based on school size, not ability of teams. Overall AA is stronger, but from what I've seen Monticello would have been spanked by most A teams in the state. Look at what A Warroad did to AA Roseau earlier this year (15-1). If their school is above the max allowed for A they have to play AA, they need to build up their youth programs. I wonder if the nuclear plant somehow stunts their players from getting better? Maybe in a few years it will help, they could have players that literally have 'eyes in the back of their heads'. Marge : I'm not sure about the people Bart's working for. I think they're criminals. Homer : A job's a job. I mean, take me. If my plant pollutes the water and poisons the town, by your logic, that would make me a criminal.

West Regional: 15 Holy Cross vs. 3 North Dakota 11 Ohio State vs. 6 Minnesota Midwest Regional: 13 Notre Dame vs. 4 Minnesota-Duluth 12 Denver vs. 5 Michigan East Regional: 14 Colgate vs. 2 Maine 9 Miami vs. 7 Wisconsin Northeast Regional: 16 Bemidji State vs. 1 Boston College 10 St. Cloud State vs. 8 New Hampshire You'll have to visit USCO for the explanation. Jayson Moy teaches math at the college level, so I can't follow his reasoning. How great would it be to knock the Gophers out of the NCAA's. If Duluth sweeps this weekend I would think they could flip with the Sioux, leaving us in the dreaded Midwest Regional with Michigan. This weekend is big for determining where the Sioux land.

I saw them play in the select tourny (boys selects). When I played youth hockey in Fargo the best player in the city was a girl until bantams when the boys caught up to her. The Lamoroux twins don't have the power she had, but they are incredible skaters and are still the best I've seen at their age. They could help the Sioux womens program in a few years, maybe even crack the olympic roster. I haven't watched girls hockey in a few years, so I'm not sure how much above other girls they are talent wise. However they are condidered to be among the best boys players their age (select invitations), so I'd assume they would be at a level above the other girls their age. Skateshattrick: Your knowlege of area hockey is supreme, your presence humbles me.

My bad, I thought Grafton had a good group last year, they seem to have huge swings in youth hockey, nature of a small town I guess. Is the Red Army team a AAA team? Does GF still have a Bantam AAA program? I know they started a bantam AAA team a few years back, watering down the Sugar and Wheat Kings. I believe South's JV team was undefeated this year, including a win over Moorhead. They should catch North in State Titles the next couple of years, they only need one. W Hopefully ND can work on keeping top players in HS - participating in Elite Fall league is a start. They need to increase the # of games played. I'm not saying they should play a 80 game junior like schedule, but they need flexibility in scheduling more games. I think 10 or 15 more is realistic.

I agree the West has some decent teams, but for the past 10+ years they have had on/off years. I have nothing against the West, I'm not trying to sound like too much of a homer, but I still don't think they are 'catching up to the East'. GF and Fargo schools play 100's of MN teams at every level. The West simply cannot schedule like the East can. That said I think Minot is easily the #2 hockey town in the State. They currently have at least 3 former players playing D1. I'm not really in the youth hockey loop, but I thought Grafton won Bantam A last year? I was talking to a relative from Grafton at EDC, his son is on the Pee-Wee A team that is undefeated. Look for GPR to be on the same level as RR and Central the next few years.

Here is Monticello's schedule this year. OUCH! I wonder what Rodgers feels like (the team they beat). Note they lost to Kittson Central and Morris two teams that play Whap/Breck every year for some competition. Maybe Morinville was just trying to one-up Totino Grace (24-0) L 2- 8 Windom 0- 1-0 11-28 Away L 2- 8 Fairmont 0- 2-0 11-29 Away L 2- 4 St. Michael-Albertville 0- 3-0 12- 2 Away L 1- 9 New Prague/ 0- 4-0 12- 6 Home Montgomery-Lonsdale L 0- 9 Robbinsdale Cooper 0- 5-0 12- 9 Away L 0- 6 River Lakes 0- 6-0 12-13 Home L 0- 7 Delano/Rockford/ 0- 7-0 12-16 Away Watertown-Mayer L 1- 3 en Holy Family Catholic/Waconia 0- 8-0 12-18 Home Roseau Tournament L 0-12 Roseau 0- 9-0 12-29 Roseau L 1-14 Mound-Westonka 0-10-0 12-30 Roseau L 1- 8 Kittson Central 0-11-0 12-31 Roseau L 1- 4 St. Francis 0-12-0 1- 6 Home L 1- 4 Buffalo 0-13-0 1- 8 Buffalo L 0- 7 Cambridge-Isanti 0-14-0 1-10 Home L 1- 9 Spring Lake Park 0-15-0 1-15 Away L 0-18 Centennial 0-16-0 1-17 Home L 4- 8 Morris/Benson Area 0-17-0 1-20 Home L 2- 9 St. Francis 0-18-0 1-23 Away L 2- 4 Minneapolis Edison 0-19-0 1-29 Home L 0-24 Totino-Grace 0-20-0 1-31 Away L 1- 8 Rogers/Zimmerman 0-21-0 2- 3 Home L 1-13 Irondale 0-22-0 2- 6 Home L 1- 6 Cambridge-Isanti 0-23-0 2-10 Away W 2- 0 Rogers/Zimmerman 1-23-0 2-13 Away

That is something you do in squirts not high school, especially in a playoff game. Besides putting Lee and Ammerman at forward would not reducet he scoring Shots were 87-3 the 60 was the saves for the Monticello goalies. Morinville replaced some of the underclassmen on the top lines with seniors that see limited ice time in the second and third periods. Some JV players also saw ice time. Running the score up this bad (this is the worse I've ever heard of) is normally a very classless move, but this is the playoffs. Central beat B/W 16-0 in the EDC, I'm sure they didn't back off. Minnesota plays 17 min periods this year, but runs the time in the 3rd with a 8 goal lead - I hate to think what the score would have been had they not had running time.