East Region Race

[Siouxhockey78]

I am not from Fargo. Ok smart guy. You explain how it goes from a descent called game to every check was a plenty with like 9 minutes left in the game and RR being down 2-0. Totally obvious they started refeeing in favor of RR. Hell they even called a inference plenty on North when the guy still had the puck. I am just saying that having the west come here and refee the regional may put a end to dicussions like this. Not sure how the State is refeed but they should have a east and west refee in each calling plenties.

[ND Pride]

Another Grand Forks hockey conspiracy, this stuff gets old coming from Fargo people every year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, the kids who play these games, especially the top players from different schools are team mates in the off season for select teams and also on some AAA teams. I think eveyone just wants to see good hockey and let the best team win. I do not believe in any Grand Forks conspiracy type of garbage. There are good and balanced refs all over - but there are some that are simply poor. I think any hometown team could come up with one or more hometown refs that they would not like to have. My opinion is simply that it was a terrible job. There is a lot more behind these penalties and I was told that the ref apologized after the game for a penalty he called. The game is for the kids, lets get officials who have that level of professionalism as a priority. Congrats to all of the teams and good luck at state.

[Fedorov]

Another Grand Forks hockey conspiracy, this stuff gets old coming from Fargo people every year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only having hockey to live for, it is the same thing from Grand Forks people all the time.

[Billy the Kid]

You are all a bunch of idiots. How can u say the refs gave them the games when RR had baout 4 penaltes in the last 10 min. RR had as many or close to as many as Fargo North did. The game should have never been this way had it not been for Welk getting lucky on almost everysave he made. And also RR should have never been playing against North had the refs not lost the game for them the noght before.

[ND Pride]

You are all a bunch of idiots.

[Fedorov]

Is Schmitt reffing the games, or does he only do state?

[ND Pride]

Is Schmitt reffing the games, or does he only do state?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You mean Randy Schmitt? I am not sure.

[WWPKD]

I was at the RR/North game and the refes sure gave the game to RR. They called a bunch of interferences that weren't even close to one enorder to get RR into the game and the win. Typical refees for a gf game. Pretty sad when it was so obvious that was happening. I know most of you one hear won't agree with me because you are prolly from Forks. I have seen this for years now. I think during tourny's the west should come here to refee and the east should go there. Just my thoughts..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If u think the refs favored RR then how do u explain Old Redbeard disallowing the goal that had already been called a goal. Not to mention the consecutive bad calls on a particular RR defensemen at the start of the 3rd on sat. night. Ur wrong. U just got served. Thats it im done!

[Siouxhockey78]

If u think the refs favored RR then how do u explain Old Redbeard disallowing the goal that had already been called a goal. Not to mention the consecutive bad calls on a particular RR defensemen at the start of the 3rd on sat. night. Ur wrong. U just got served. Thats it im done!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you want some cheese with the wine.....obviously i was not the only one that noticed it on sat night with 8 minutes left and the goal on friday was not allowed because the the play was called dead before the puck rolled into the net. Go butter the other side of the taste for the refes in the state tourney

[ND Pride]

If u think the refs favored RR then how do u explain Old Redbeard disallowing the goal that had already been called a goal. Not to mention the consecutive bad calls on a particular RR defensemen at the start of the 3rd on sat. night. Ur wrong. U just got served. Thats it im done!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's easy to explain. Some refs are not biased, they just make bad calls from time to time regardless of their geographic relation to the home team. In short, sometimes they make bad calls against teams from their own area. It is the nature of being a ref - those goal situations are sometimes especially difficult as the ref may only have a partial view of the situation.

[Fedorov]

You mean Randy Schmitt? I am not sure.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mike Schmitt, not Randy Schmidt

[jloos]

I'm going to guess that LaDucer had something to do with the RR-North game. I could go on a very long tirade about that idiot, but why bother

I'm not infering he favored RR - just that the game was poorly reffed - if in fact he was the ref.

[Siouxhockey78]

I hear that one. He was up in the crowd I believe during the RR loss to Grafton on Friday and he was already getting a ear when I left the game by the whinning parents which prolly reflected the out come of Sat. game considering he by surprise he was the ref of the game. The world wouldn't have came to a end if RR didn't make state but they couldn't let the happen so the ref's took it apon themselves to ref a great game up until the last 8 minutes when RR was still down 2. I would beat a million dollars if you had some ref's from some where else not the east or from some other state ref grand fork games they wouldn't win as many as they do. It's kind of weird when gf teams are down by at least 2 the penalties start coming out of nowhere until they catch up. I have seen this way to many times and if the Forks fans can't see that they are blind. Something needs to be done about it.

Laducer is a clown anyways!!!!!!!!!

[ND Pride]

I'm going to guess that LaDucer had something to do with the RR-North game.  I could go on a very long tirade about that idiot, but why bother  

I'm not infering he favored RR - just that the game was poorly reffed - if in fact he was the ref.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jloos - someday I would be interested in hearing your tirade - but not on this site. If you were not there you missed a great game and the championship as well. The theme I have been hearing from various people across the EDC is that we need a better system for refs. It is a tough job and you take abuse but we need more quality young people from all over giving back to the game in that way. Maybe the North Dakota High School Activities Association needs to see some sort of proposal for ref teams in Regional and State competiton.

[Siouxhockey78]

I to would love to hear jloos tirade too. The championship game was a great and well refeed to I think. They let them play like they should. Sure there was a lot none calls but it went both ways keeping it a even playing field. Who would be interested in getting a proposal going about refee's

[Wilbur]

I had a couple of friends at the game, and they said exactly the same things that some people on the board have been referring too. Laducer is a HORRIBLE official, not bad, not really bad, HORRIBLE. He gave me a penalty one time for asking him why a face off ended up in our zone instead of neutral ice. I know for a fact that he is the one official that every coach worries about when he is assigned to do one of their games. Its a sad situation when the Red River parents complain to him about the officiating in a game which leads to him having a possible outcome in the next game they play...

[Billy the Kid]

First of all, what DaveK said right their is completely irrelevent to anything being discussed and from reading what all of you "know it alls" have to say, and how you think the refs determine the winner of the games, maybe we should just save everyone the trouble and instead of having a state tournament we should have all the refs get together and decide who they want to win all the games...just my proposal... but then all of you would just find somthing else to whine about

[ND Pride]

I to would love to hear jloos tirade too. The championship game was a great and well refeed to I think. They let them play like they should. Sure there was a lot none calls but it went both ways keeping it a even playing field. Who would be interested in getting a proposal going about refee's

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had several people from different schools - pushing that idea after the North/RR game. Interesting that the strongest proponents came from people not having kids in that game. The group includes some people who are heavily involved in North Dakota hockey. I wonder what the best logistics for this would be?

[UND92,96]

I'm only a casual high school hockey fan, and forgive me for taking this thread on a tangent, but have any other schools in ND consistently lost top players to the USHL/other junior leagues/Shattuck-St. Mary's besides Central and Red River? Would Central have been the favorite this year with Mario Lamoureux in the lineup? It's hard for me to imagine what sports like football and basketball would be like in ND if the top talent routinely left after their sophomore or junior year.

[ND Pride]

I'm only a casual high school hockey fan, and forgive me for taking this thread on a tangent, but have any other schools in ND consistently lost top players to the USHL/other junior leagues/Shattuck-St. Mary's besides Central and Red River? Would Central have been the favorite this year with Mario Lamoureux in the lineup? It's hard for me to imagine what sports like football and basketball would be like in ND if the top talent routinely left after their sophomore or junior year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, Cory Loos left North High to play at Moorhead - basically the same idea as going to juniors - getting into a top developmental program. John Halstensen went to the FM Jets this year and Elliot Okland, the goalie with the top save % in the USA Hockey National Select Festival went to the F/M Jets and passed up his last two years at North. Two other players left North for Moorhead believing that the developmental grass was greener. And of course the greatest move of all, Danny Irmen playing for North and then going to Red River - again not juniors but moving up to a program with a great tradition. There are other stories like this if you want to do the research on it. You did take this thread on a tangent but maybe this is helpful. Bismarck Century lost a top defenseman to Shattuck St. Mary's a couple of years ago. Really, the issue here, at least in the last few exchanges, is how the quality of refs impacts fair outcomes. I think there is a problem. I want to see North Dakota hockey thrive in Bismarck, Grafton, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Mandan, West Fargo etc etc, everywhere. Let's focus on doing the best for hockey and not worry so much about what town is the best this year. Good coaching, good referees, developmental programs, etc are all part of it. Let's develop the players we have and feed as many as we can to the D-I progams - UND and wherever they are wanted.

[Wilbur]

Minot has lost a handful of players to the junior leagues. Namely Quinn Fylling, Brian Haaland (Nebraska-Omaha), Eric Helstedt (Uconn), Ben Keup (LSSU), and a couple of other kids that just left because of the coaching.

[ND Pride]

Minot has lost a handful of players to the junior leagues.  Namely Quinn Fylling, Brian Haaland (Nebraska-Omaha), Eric Helstedt (Uconn), Ben Keup (LSSU), and a couple of other kids that just left because of the coaching.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nick Krebsbach left Minot for Red River and was there at the same time as Danny Irmen.

Maybe what North Dakota needs is some sort of "Hockey Summit" where the best minds in the local game, and some regional consultants get together and examine how we can improve the development of this great sport in our home state. Minnesota has had some activities in that direction. Maybe the administration of North Dakota Amateur Hockey Association and the staff with the North Dakota Select and Elite programs could work on this.

[star2city]

Uhhh, this just in... the South Bruins own the GF schools this year and from what I've seen in the youth programs will most likely continue to own them for many years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Looking at the rosters at http://www.gfparks.org/ndaha/, it seems a number of the state tournament teams are still quite young, namely: South, Minot, Grafton, and Williston. With eastern teams like North and Jamestown also returning substantial offensive firepower, next year would seem even more of a challenge for GF teams to make state. Is there much talent expected to move up next year for either GFC or GFRR?

[ND Pride]

Looking at the rosters at http://www.gfparks.org/ndaha/, it seems a number of the state tournament teams are still quite young, namely: South, Minot, Grafton, and Williston. With eastern teams like North and Jamestown also returning substantial offensive firepower, next year would seem even more of a challenge for GF teams to make state. Is there much talent expected to move up next year for either GFC or GFRR?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The GFC and GFRR teams for next year are tough to project. One thing to keep in mind is coaching. The Grand Forks coaches do a good job. If you have watched the progress of those two teams from the Jamboree onwards you have to respect the coaching staff. I am sure they will do a good job developing the talent that they have as good coaches everywhere do. The Grand Forks pipeline is normally well stocked. Check the records of their bantam teams on the NDAHA site and that should give some indication of the future. Clearly, though, South, Minot and Grafton are going to be tough as nails next year.

[Wilbur]

A lot for Minot depends on a couple of key players: Willert, Dittus, and Kelly. If those kids stay Minot should be pretty good. But I'm sure that those three could play juniors next year if they chose to...