Thursday, January 31, 2008
Poll Hockey Playoffs!: Results: Section 4AA & 4A - First Round
Top 4 qualifies for Round II (Semifinals):
Hill-Murray: 148 votes (91%)
White Bear Lake: 99 votes (61%)
Roseville Area: 84 votes (52%)
Tartan: 52 votes (32%)
Stillwater: 36 votes (22%)
Mounds View: 13 votes (8%)
St. Paul Johnson: 9 votes (5%)
North St. Paul: 3 votes (1%)
St. Paul Como Park: 3 votes (1%)
161 total voters
Section 4A Results:
Top 4 qualifies for Round II (Semifinals):
St. Thomas Academy: 123 votes (85%)
Totino-Grace: 84 votes (58%)
Mahtomedi: 83 votes (57%)
South St. Paul: 70 votes (48%)
Minnehaha Academy: 13 votes (9%)
Spring Lake Park: 8 votes (5%)
Chisago Lakes Area: 6 votes (4%)
St. Paul Academy/MPA: 5 votes (3%)
St. Paul Saints: 3 votes (2%)
Simley: 2 votes (1%)
Poll Question: Game of the Day: Thursday, January 31st
Poll Results:
Minnetonka vs. Edina: 121 votes (67%)
Rochester Lourdes vs. Mankato West: 22 votes (12%)
Duluth Marshall vs. Duluth Denfeld: 12 votes (6%)
International Falls vs. Hibbing/Chisholm: 11 votes (6%)
Osseo vs. Blaine: 4 votes (2%)
Red Wing vs. Holy Angels: 3 votes (1%)
Hermantown vs. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton: 2 votes (1%)
Forest Lake vs. White Bear Lake: 1 vote (0%)
Hill-Murray vs. South St. Paul: 1 vote (0%)
Hutchinson vs. New Prague: 1 vote (0%)
St. Thomas Academy vs. Tartan: 1 vote (0%)
179 votes
Poll Hockey Playoffs!: Results: Section 3A & 3AA - First Round
Top 4 qualifies for Round II (Semifinals):
Rosemount: 127 votes (70%)
Eastview: 89 votes (49%)
Woodbury: 83 votes (45%)
Cretin-Derham Hall: 72 votes (39%)
Eagan: 29 votes (16%)
Apple Valley: 26 votes (14%)
Hastings: 11 votes (6%)
Henry Sibley: 6 votes (3%)
Park (Cottage Grove): 6 votes (3%)
181 total voters
Section 3A Results:
Top 4 qualifies for Round II (Semifinals):
Marshall: 76 votes (57%)
Hutchinson: 64 votes (48%)
New Ulm: 62 votes (46%)
Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato: 37 votes (27%)
Willmar: 37 votes (25%)
Fairmont: 14 votes (10%)
Luverne: 13 votes (9%)
Sleepy Eye Area: 13 votes (9%)
Windom Area: 11 votes (8%)
Redwood Valley: 7 votes (5%)
Worthington/RL-B: 4 votes (3%)
133 total voters
Round II for Section 3AA & 3A will be February 11th.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Poll Hockey Playoffs!: Results: Section 2AA & 2A - First Round
Section 2AA Results:
Top 4 qualifies for Round II (Semifinals):
Edina: 135 votes (77%)
Bloomington Jefferson: 90 votes (51%)
Academy of Holy Angels: 89 votes (50%)
Burnsville: 84 votes (48%)
Chaska: 6 votes (3%)
Shakopee: 6 votes (3%)
Prior Lake: 2 votes (1%)
Bloomington Kennedy: 1 vote (0%)
175 total voters voted
Section 2A Results:
Top 4 qualifies for Round II (Semifinals):
Breck School: 84 votes (57%)
Blake School: 81 votes (55%)
Mound-Westonka: 52 votes (35%)
Orono: 49 votes (33%)
Holy Family Catholic: 22 votes (15%)
Richfield: 21 votes (14%)
St. Louis Park: 14 votes (9%)
Providence Academy: 12 votes (8%)
Delano/Rockford: 7 votes (4%)
St. Michael-Albertville: 3 votes (2%)
146 total voters voted
Round II for Section 2AA & 2A will be February 8th.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
2007 Minnesota State Boys High School Class A Champions: Hermantown Hawks: Schedule & Results

3-0-0 | W | 5-3 | 12/02/06 Sauk Rapids-Rice
4-0-0 | W | 10-1 | 12/08/06 Princeton
5-0-0 | W | 5-3 | 12/09/06 Hopkins
6-0-0 | W | 10-1 | 12/12/06 Superior (WI)
7-0-0 | W | 10-2 | 12/14/06 Proctor
8-0-0 | W | 4-3 OT | 12/19/06 Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl
9-0-0 | W | 7-1 | 12/21/06 Greenway
10-0-0 | W | 3-0 | 12/27/06 East Grand Forks
11-0-0 | W | 8-2 | 12/28/06 Crookston
12-0-0 | W | 11-4 | 12/29/06 Thief River Falls
12-0-1 | T | 1-1 OT | 01/04/07 Duluth Marshall
13-0-1 | W | 3-2 | 01/05/07 International Falls
14-0-1 | W | 2-1 | 01/09/07 Proctor
15-0-1 | W | 3-0 | 01/13/07 Mound-Westonka
16-0-1 | W | 3-1 | 01/16/07 Superior (WI)
17-0-1 | W | 8-0 | 01/18/07 Ashland (WI)
18-0-1 | W | 9-1 | 01/25/07 Two Harbors
18-0-2 | T | 0-0 OT | 02/02/07 Cloquet/Esko/Carlton
19-0-2 | W | 6-5 OT | 02/04/07 Hibbing/Chisholm
20-0-2 | W | 8-1 | 02/06/07 Silver Bay/Cook County
21-0-2 | W | 10-1 | 02/08/07 Duluth Central
22-0-2 | W | 3-2 | 02/10/07 Red Wing
23-0-2 | W | 7-1 | 02/17/07 Lake of the Woods
24-0-2 | W | 10-1 | 02/20/07 Section 7A Playoffs: FR: Two Harbors
25-0-2 | W | 5-2 | 02/22/07 Section 7A Playoffs: SF: International Falls
26-0-2 | W | 5-2 | 02/28/07 Section 7A Playoffs: Champ: Hibbing/Chisholm
27-0-2 | W | 6-3 | 03/07/07 State Class A: Quarterfinal: Little Falls
28-0-2 | W | 4-3 | 03/08/07 State Class A: Semifinal: Warroad
29-0-2 | W | 4-1 | 03/10/07 State Class A: Championship: Duluth Marshall
Head Coach: Bruce Plante
Assistant Coaches: Daryl Illikainen, Craig Peterson, Matt Swanson, Jesse Stokke
Student Managers: Jenna Gilbert, Brad Peterson, Jillian Kolquist, Aaron Rossiter
Athletic Director: Beth Clark
Principal: Ken Hegle
Superintendent: Brad Johnson
Band Director: Keith Swanson
Cheerleading Advisor: Shirley Weidlein
School Colors: Navy Blue and Gold
Enrollment: 490
Poll Results: Game of the Day: Tuesday, January 29th
Poll Results:
Roseau vs. Warroad: 91 votes (63%)
Fort Frances (ON, CN) at International Falls: 17 votes (11%)
Blake vs. Breck: 14 votes (9%)
Duluth East vs. Superior (WI): 5 votes (3%)
Lakeville South vs. Rochester Mayo: 5 votes (3%)
Rogers/Zimmerman vs. Hopkins: 5 votes (3%)
Stillwater at White Bear Lake: 4 votes (2%)
Holy Angels at New Prague: 3 votes (2%)
144 votes
FTP's Top 5 Games of the Day: Tuesday, January 29th
Poll Hockey Playoffs!: Results: Section 1AA & 1A - First Round
Top 4 qualifies for Round II (Semifinals):
Rochester Mayo: 64 votes (46%)
Owatonna: 63 votes (45%)
Lakeville South: 61 votes (44%)
Lakeville North: 54 votes (39%)
Rochester Century: 53 votes (38%)
Farmington/Randolph: 15 votes (10%)
Rochester John Marshall: 15 votes (10%)
Dodge County: 7 votes (5%)
Winona: 5 votes (3%)
138 total voters voted
Section 1A Results:
Top 4 qualifies for Round II (Semifinals):
Mankato West: 95 votes (63%)
Albert Lea: 82 votes (54%)
Rochester Lourdes: 64 votes (42%)
Red Wing: 58 votes (38%)
New Prague: 28 votes (18%)
Faribault: 9 votes (6%)
Northfield: 9 votes (6%)
Mankato East/Loyola: 6 votes (4%)
Waseca: 3 votes (2%)
Austin: 2 votes (1%)
La Crescent: 1 vote (0%)
LeSueur-Henderson/St. Peter/LeCenter: 1 vote (0%)
150 total voters voted
Round II for Section 1AA & 1A will be February 7th.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
FollowThePuck.com's Minnesota Boys Hockey Rankings (01/28/08
Notes on the Class AA Top 10:
Roseau continues to roll. Their stifling defense and goaltending have only given up nine goals in 10 games. In those 10 games, it included quality wins over Warroad, Grand Forks Red River (#1-ranked in North Dakota), and Moorhead.
Edina went up north over the weekend and defeated Cloquet and Duluth East, the best Class AA teams the northeast can offer. They seem unstoppable but we'll see how true that is when they face the Minnetonka Skippers on Thursday this week. The game is on Fox Sports Net.
Minnetonka, ranked number 3 in Class AA, has won six in a row including three wins in a row against powerful teams Benilde-St. Margaret's, St. Thomas Academy, and Academy of Holy Angels.
Hill-Murray is as solid as ever having won their last three games by a combined score of 29 to ZERO. They did slip up against Academy of Holy Angels two weeks ago losing 5-4 but they a remain a solid candidate to win it all in March.
Benilde-St. Margaret's have lost three games this season but they have been against teams ahead of them in the rankings or a top Class A team. They include Hill-Murray, Minnetonka, and St. Thomas Academy. They deserve their spot at number five.
Hopkins is holding on to position number five. They have only lost to Edina once and tied an under-achieving Wayzata. They have defeated quality teams Minnetonka and Anoka. Yet, they have had some close calls with teams in Class A and teams with records below .500. It's hard to know how this team will do down the stretch. This is certainly a team to keep your eye on.
Rosemount, Burnsville, and Eden Prairie have been playing musical chairs in recent weeks. Each team is solid but each has to overcome a schedule each week where they face other tough opponents in the southwest part of the Twin Cities. Rosemount and Burnsville seem to be the stronger of three having better offenses. Eden Prairie seems to struggle to score at times. The Eagles have had seven overtime games this season going 3-2-2 in those games.
Anoka, at #10, has been slowly working themselves up the rankings. This is their highest point so far this season. They have won six games in a row including quality wins over Osseo, Champlin Park, Centennial, Elk River, and Grand Rapids. Right now, the Tornadoes look like the team to beat in order to represent Section 7AA. Granted, they did lose to Duluth East on December 22nd, 4-0. Anoka seems to be the hotter team right now.
Class AA Rankings
FollowThePuck.com
As of 01/28/08
1. Roseau (8AA) - 18-0-0
2. Edina (2AA) - 18-1-0
3. Minnetonka (6AA) - 17-2-0
4. Hill-Murray (4AA) - 16-3-0
5. Benilde-St. Margaret's (6AA) - 16-3-0
6. Hopkins (6AA) - 17-1-1
7. Rosemount (3AA) - 15-4-0
8. Burnsville (2AA) 14-5-0
9. Eden Prairie (6AA) - 13-4-2
10. Anoka (7AA) - 15-4-0
11. Bloomington Jefferson (2AA) -12-4-3
12. Blaine (5AA) - 12-5-0
13. White Bear Lake (4AA) - 14-5-0
14. Eastview (3AA) - 11-6-2
15. Academy of Holy Angels (2AA) - 11-5-1
16. Centennial (5AA) - 11-6-2
17. Duluth East (7AA) - 12-7-1
18. Grand Rapids (7AA) - 10-8-1
19. Brainerd/Pillager/Pierz (8AA) - 14-5-1
20. Woodbury (3AA) - 14-6-0
On Watch:
Osseo (5AA) - 12-6-0
Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (7AA) - 10-8-2
Roseville Area (4AA) - 12-7-0
Tartan (4AA) - 12-5-1
Moorhead (8AA) - 8-8-3
Notes on the Class A Top 10:
International Falls moves into the top spot as they are the only team with an undefeated record against other Class A teams.
Even though Duluth Marshall lost a dramatic 3-2 game in overtime at Warroad, the loss was came very late in the game after being up by two goals. I think this game would have been a different story if played on neutral ice or in Duluth. Warroad had the same fate dealt to them having to travel to Duluth and losing to Duluth Denfeld. Warroad has two losses to Class A teams while Duluth Marshall still has only one. If Warroad would have defeated Denfeld, I would have put them in 2nd.
St. Thomas Academy is still very strong. They too have two games against Class A teams. I believe they have played a more different schedule than Mankato West and Warroad and they have defeated some very good teams. That is why I am keeping them in 3rd.
As for Mankato West, many people do not believe that they are worthy of a top ten ranking, not to mention 4th-ranked. I think they absolutely deserve to be there. Except for losing to a very good Albert Lea team by one goal, they have won their other 16 games by at least two or more goals. One of those 16 was by two goals, the other 15 were won by three or more goals. Other skeptics believe that they haven't played anyone. I will argue that they have. They defeated New Prague 7-1, who has defeated Duluth Denfeld and Rochester Lourdes, both ranked teams. They also defeated Owatonna, 7-0, who has defeated Albert Lea and a hot Blake School who, right now, looks like they will represent Section 2A. At 16-1-0, the Scarlets deserve to be in the 4th spot.
Warroad, again, would be higher if they wouldn't have lost to Duluth Denfeld. Warroad is still a very dangerous team and can beat anybody.
Little Falls has been extremely hot lately but it is difficult for them to crack the top five. Unless one of the 'fab five' lose a game to a non-ranked team, the Flyers will have continue to ride the sixth spot.
I am not ready to put the Panthers of Park Rapids ahead of St. Cloud Cathedral even though they had an impressive win over Thief River Falls. The Crusaders have had more impressive wins during the season over Rochester Lourdes, Duluth Denfeld, and Little Falls.
Albert Lea continues to win. They have won seven straight. There just is no where to go as most of the Class A teams above them continue to win.
Red Wing has won four in a row including quality wins over South St. Paul and New Prague. They overcame their struggles on their nine game home stand. They are still a very viable threat to win Section 1A.
Class A Rankings
FollowThePuck.com
As of 01/28/08
1. International Falls (7A) - 17-1-0
2. Duluth Marshall (7A) - 14-4-0
3. St. Thomas Academy (4A) - 16-4-0
4. Mankato West (1A) - 16-1-0
5. Warroad (8A) - 15-5-0
6. Little Falls (6A) - 16-3-0
7. St. Cloud Cathedral (5A) - 14-3-1
8. Park Rapids Area (8A) - 19-0-0
9. Albert Lea (1A) - 15-3-0
10. Red Wing (1A) - 12-5-2
11. South St. Paul (4A) - 12-5-1
12. Mahtomedi (4A) - 12-6-2
13. New Prague (1A) - 13-5-0
14. Duluth Denfeld (5A) - 14-7-0
15. Rochester Lourdes (1A) - 13-6-0
16. Hermantown (5A) - 12-8-0
17. Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl (7A)- 13-7-0
18. Blake School (2A) - 12-6-1
19. Totino-Grace (4A) - 9-8-1
20. Breck School (2A) - 9-9-1
On Watch:
Alexandria (6A) - 12-7-1
Mound-Westonka (2A) - 10-8-1
IN THE NEWS: Roseau Rams
1/24/08: Year of the Ram: An eye to the future
1/17/08: Year of the Ram: Knochen ‘em out
1/10/08: Year of the Ram: Warriors, come out to play
1/03/08: Year of the Ram: These Rams to go 11
12/27/07: Year of the Ram: One second to midnight
12/20/07: Year of the Ram: You're on the air with Landman
12/13/07: Year of the Ram: Mash-up in Moorhead
12/06/07: Year of the Ram: On St. Cloud nine
11/29/07: Year of the Ram: Preying on the Prowlers
11/22/07: Year of the Ram: Get on the bus
11/15/07: Year of the Ram: Seperating the herd
11/08/07: Year of the Ram: Welcome to Roseau
IN THE NEWS: 1/23: International Falls vs. Ely/T-S/B-E
Bronco boys prevail in Ely
by Journal Staff
The Broncos boys’ hockey team made school history on Tuesday night as they defeated the Ely Timberwolves for the 50th straight time.
The Broncos have never lost to the Timberwolves and and improved to 50-0 all-time with a 10-0 rout in Ely on Tuesday night.
Read the rest of the story here.
IN THE NEWS: 1/27: Alexandria vs. Bemidji
Alexandria tops BHS boys hockey team
by TJ Melcher
The Bemidji High School hockey team again, had trouble finding the back of the net Saturday night against Alexandria.
The 5-1 loss at Nymore Arena is the second to the Cardinals this season.
The Lumberjacks took too many penalties down the stretch and Alexandria, once again, rode strong goaltending to the victory. Junior goalie Matt Hemingway shutout the jacks in their first meeting, didn’t give up a goal until late in the third period and finished with 16 saves.
Read the rest of the story here.IN THE NEWS: 1/25: Mankato West vs. Mankato East
Scarlets blow past Cougars
by Shane Frederick
Ryan Anderson got some inspiration when teammate Corey Leivermann committed to play hockey at Minnesota State.
“Me and Ricky (Litchfield) talked about it,” said Anderson, a senior forward for the Mankato West boys hockey team. “We both think we have a chance to play juniors, and maybe we could get a shot.”
Read the rest of the story here.
IN THE NEWS: 1/27: Bloomington Jefferson at Moorhead
Spuds sputtering at the wrong time
by Kerry Collins
Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Moorhead’s boys hockey team is drenched right now.
Bloomington Jefferson made itself plenty of breaks and capitalized on almost every one, handing the Spuds a 4-1 loss at Moorhead Sports Center on Saturday.
Moorhead is winless in its last five games, losing four in that stretch.Read the rest of the story here.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Looking for the best DEFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN in Minnesota
-- DEFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN --
These guys rarely get the glory that a goal scorer or goalie would. Who knocks down the opponent's sniper in front of the crease and frustrates their leading scorers?
Please send me an email with your nomination and explain why he should be considered. After I receive your emails, I will put the nominees up for public vote.
Poll Results: Game of the Day: Saturday, January 26th
Poll Results:
Minnetonka at Holy Angels: 24 votes (28%)
Edina at Duluth East: 14 votes (16%)
Warroad at Duluth Denfeld: 13 votes (15%)
Rochester Mayo at Mankato West: 9 votes (10%)
Eastview at Rosemount: 7 votes (8%)
Bloomington Jefferson at Moorhead: 5 votes (5%)
Anoka at Grand Rapids: 4 votes (4%)
Eau Claire Memorial (WI) at New Prague: 3 votes (3%)
Tartan at Hill-Murray: 3 votes (3%)
Blaine at Cloquet: 2 votes (2%)
Centennial at Osseo: 1 vote (1%)
85 votes
FTP's Top 5 Games of the Day: Saturday, January 26th
Here are FTP's Top 5 Games for Thursday, January 24th:
1. #3AA Minnetonka (16-2-0) at #16AA Academy of Holy Angels (11-4-1), 2:25 PM
After a slow start to the season winning four and losing four, the Academy of Holy Angels have been hot since going 6-0-1. This included a successful trip out to the East Coast defeating one very good team from Rhode Island and tying another top-ranked team from Massachusetts.
Third-ranked Minnetonka has been on fire all year but their current five-game winning streak might be their most impressive of the year so far. The Skippers took down #8-ranked Eden Prairie, #6-ranked Benilde-St. Margaret's, and #2-ranked in Class A St. Thomas Academy during that stretch.
The Stars have averaged 4.57 goals per game in their last seven games. Minnetonka has given up only 1.6 games per game during their five game winning streak. Something has to give. Look for the Skippers to try and slow down leading score Danny Mattson and the rest of the potent Stars offense.
Fearless Prediction: Minnetonka 4, Holy Angels 2
2. #2AA Edina (17-1-0) at #17AA Duluth East (12-6-1), 2:00 PM
This game is on the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network - Channel 2!
While the Edina continue to roll on over their opponents, the Hounds now look to be finding their stride and strengths. Both teams played Friday and both teams defeated strong opponents. Edina defeated Cloquet/Esko/Carlton in Cloquet, 5-1, while Duluth East shutout the Bengals of Blaine, 1-0, at the DECC in Duluth. It's the first time that Blaine had been shutout this season. The shutout was the third in five games that the Hounds have dealt an opponent. They boast a total of five shutouts on the year.
It will be no small task to slow down Marshall Everson, Zach Budish, and the extremely talented Hornets. Edina has won eight games in a row since losing to Benilde-St. Margaret's in the Schwan Cup over Christmas break 2-1. That is their only loss on the season.
The Greyhounds goalie, Matt Cooper, was in goal on Friday night and saved 24 Bengal shots en route to their 1-0 win. Will Cooper be in goal again to face the Hornets? If he is and he is on his game, the Hounds may have a shot at winning their eighth game in a row.
The Hounds play very well at the DECC and I expect they will again Saturday afternoon.
Fearless Prediction: Duluth East 4, Edina 2
3. #11AA Eastview (11-5-2) at #7AA Rosemount (14-4-0), 7:30 PM
The Rosemount Irish have won five in a row. The Lightning are 4-0-1 in their last five games.
The Irish are 7-2 on home ice. Eastview is 4-4-2 on the road.
The Irish won the first meeting with Eastview in overtime, 5-4, at the Apple Valley Sports Arena. This was way back in early December.
Revenge may be sweet for Rosemount.
Fearless Prediction: Rosemount 6, Eastview 5 (OT)
4. #5A Warroad (15-4-0) at #14A Duluth Denfeld (13-7-0), 5:00 PM
This game has me a little intrigued. Since Warroad's lost to #1AA-ranked Roseau a couple of weeks ago, the Warriors seemed rejuvenated and seemed to have a little bit of skillful luck on their side.
In their game with #1A-ranked Duluth Marshall on Friday night, the Warriors were down the entire game. They had not scored a goal until 16 seconds to go in the game. After they scored, they were still down by one goal, 2-1. The odds were still stacked against them with just 16 seconds to go and having scored only one goal the whole game. With .1 second, .1 second, junior defenseman Tai Larson scored on a tough angled shot to tie the game and send it into overtime. Incredible! Then, not only did they score with 16 seconds to go, score with .1 second left to tie the game and go into overtime with the top ranked team in Class A in Minnesota, while shorthanded in overtime, junior forward Dane Shaugabay scored an unassisted goal with 1:16 left in the game to win. WOW! It was sort of fitting since Shaugabay assisted on both of the first two goals. I sure hope they had a Hollywood camera crew up there for that one because it sounds like they couldn't have scripted that any better for the 'Mighty Warriors'.
Now, the Warriors have to take that emotional win, try to sleep, and then take a long bus ride to Duluth on Saturday to play another Duluth team, the 14th-ranked Denfeld Hunters. Did that incredibly emotional win take all they had out of them? Will it be enough time to allow that win to sink in before playing another tough team, a hungry team?
Duluth Denfeld lost to 4th-ranked International Falls on Friday night, 4-2. I'm sure the Hunters will be looking to redeem that loss by defeating the team that just be their #1-ranked Duluth Marshall rivals.
Denfeld has two top scorers in the state in seniors Jake Johnson and Chris Stafne. It will be interesting to see if they will be able to take advantage of what should be a slightly worn out Warroad team.
It should be a 'MUST SEE' at Mars Lakeview Arena on Saturday.
Fearless Prediction: Duluth Denfeld 6, Warroad 4
5. #1W Eau Claire Memorial (WI) (15-0-0) at #12A New Prague (13-4-0), 2:00 PM
There are some other good choices for games on Saturday but this another one that I found interesting. New Prague is 7-1 in their last 8 games and I curious to find out if they can hang with Wisconsin's top-ranked high school team. I would be apt to say no, they cannot.
Eau Claire Memorial has shut out 8 of their 15 opponents this season. However, the Old Abes, which is their mascot name, have had one close game and that came against Superior, Wisconsin, 6-5. Duluth Denfeld beat Superior 5-4 in overtime this past Tuesday. New Prague beat Duluth Denfeld 3-2 back in December.
New Prague has not been shutout this season and I don't expect them to be Eau Claire Memorial's ninth shutout victim on Saturday. The Trojans are a pretty young team but they can score. Junior Tyler Lapic and freshman Seth Ambroz are the scoring leaders for team and are pretty high on the list in scoring in Minnesota.
With New Prague having this game at home, they have a good shot to knock off the #1-ranked team from the Badger state.
Fearless Prediction: The Old Abes 4, Trojans 2
Honorable Mention:
Anoka at Grand Rapids - Prediction: Grand Rapids 5, Anoka 4
Blaine at Cloquet - Prediction: Blaine 4, Cloquet 1
Bloomington Jefferson at Moorhead - Prediction: Moorhead 3, Jefferson 2
Centennial at Osseo - Prediction: Osseo 3, Centennial 2
Rochester Mayo at Mankato West - Prediction: Mankato West 7, Mayo 4
Tartan at Hill-Murray - Payback?? - Prediction: Hill-Murray 5, Tartan 1
Friday, January 25, 2008
IN THE NEWS: 1/25: Alex Larson, Faribault
Player's progress makes smiling a little easier
by Marc Zarefsky
FARIBAULT - Faribault hockey coach Josh Solem confessed that on Thursday afternoon, he smiled for the first time in nearly 48 hours.
He had just returned from St. Marys Hospital in Rochester after visiting Alex Larson, the Faribault hockey player whose heart stopped beating briefly Tuesday in the closing minutes of the Falcons game against Winona.
Solem spent more than 90 minutes with the fallen player Thursday, and the coach saw what he said he needed to see: a smile on Larson's face.
Read the rest of the story here.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Poll Results: Game of the Day: Thursday, January 24th
Poll Results:
Blaine vs. Centennial: 45 votes (39%)
Thief River Falls vs. Park Rapids Area: 37 votes (32%)
Owatonna vs. Rochester Lourdes: 11 votes (9%)
Mankato East vs. Mankato West: 7 votes (6%)
Roch JM vs. Roch Mayo: 4 votes (3%)
Rogers vs. Buffalo: 3 votes (2%)
Richfield vs. Tartan: 3 votes (2%)
South St. Paul vs. Mahtomedi: 2 votes (1%)
Blake vs. St. Paul Saints: 2 votes (1%)
114 votes
FTP's Top 5 Games of the Day: Thursday, January 24th
Here are FTP's Top 5 Games for Thursday, January 24th:
1. #14AA Blaine (10-4-0) at #13AA Centennial (10-5-2), 7:30 PM
Centennial and Blaine are currently the two best teams in Section 5AA. They could easily meet a third time for the Section 5AA championship in early March.
Centennial won the first meeting between these two teams in early December, 4-1, at Fogerty Arena in Blaine. This time, it's on Cougar ice.
Blaine has won their last four games with their last loss five games ago against Anoka. Centennial defeated Champlin Park Tuesday night but they too lost their last game to the Tornadoes this past Saturday. The Cougars gave up seven goals, which was their 2nd highest goals total they have given up to any one team in a game this season.
Blaine has a grueling 3-day, 3-game stretch starting Thursday night with Centennial and then head north to face Duluth East on Friday, Cloquet on Saturday.
Do not expect this to be a low scoring, defensive affair. Both teams have potent offenses. It should be a closer game though than the first one. Blaine is a remarkable 7-1 away from Forgerty while the Cougars are 5-2 at home.
Fearless Prediction: Centennial 4, Blaine 3
2. Thief River Falls (7-9-0) at #9A Park Rapids Area (18-0-0), 7:30 PM
Is Park Rapids Area as good as their undefeated record indicates? That has been the question for most of the season by most of their critics. Everybody wants to know how they would stand up to stronger competition. I too have questioned how good they really are since, honestly, they have only played one ranked team in the state, East Grand Forks. That too is misleading as I had clearly over-ranked the Green Wave early in the season.
Zach Lehrke has had an outstanding season for the Panthers. Lehrke is one of the top scorers in the state with 31 goals and 28 assists on the season. Only Chris Stafne from Duluth Denfeld has scored more goals than Lehrke.
The Thief River Falls Prowlers were expected to be performing better than they currently are with their 7-9 record. They had lost seven of their first eight games of the season and have gone 6-2 since then. In their last seven games, they have picked up some quality wins over #17A-ranked Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl, East Grand Forks, and Class AA perennial powerhouse Moorhead. They lost by one goal to the Warriors of Warroad, ranked 5th in Class A. They have clearly played a much stronger schedule the entire season.
I believe this is the FIRST real test for Park Rapids on the season. It is being played in Park Rapids at the Community Center so they will have home ice. The town of Park Rapids should be closed up to take in this game.
The Panthers will silence MANY of their doubters if they can come away with a win against the Prowlers but, on the other hand, if they lose, they will not get another legitimate chance to redeem themselves until they start play in the Section 8A playoffs. The Prowlers are also fighting for respectability. This could be a HUGE GAME in determining the seeding in February for the playoffs.
Fearless Prediction: Thief River Falls 3, Zach Lehrke/Park Rapids Area 2 (OT)
3. #13A South St. Paul (10-5-1) at #7A Mahtomedi (11-5-2)
South St. Paul is 4-2 in their last 6 games. Mahtomedi is 4-2 in their last 6 games.
South St. Paul won 3-2 in their first meeting at Wakota Arena on 12/13/07.
This should be another great game. I only see a one goal difference for the winner or possibly a tie in this one. Both teams were held to only one in goal in their last game. After scoring 1 or 0 goals in a game, both teams have scored 3 or more goals in their very next game.
Both teams almost mirror one another. It is a very important Section 4A battle that the Packers need to win.
Fearless Prediction: South St. Paul 3, Mahtomedi 3 (TIE)
TIE - 4 & 5 (& 6). Rivalries!
Rogers/Zimmerman (12-5-1) vs. Buffalo (9-5-2)
Rogers/Zimmerman Royals have won eight games in a row. Five of the opponents were Class A teams and none of the eight were ranked.
Both teams tied in their first meeting 2-2 at Buffalo.
Fearless Prediction: Buffalo 3, Rogers/Zimmerman 2
Rochester John Marshall (2-15-0) vs. Rochester Mayo (9-8-0)
The Rockets have lost 12 in a row. The Spartans have lost five in a row after having gone 9-3 in their first 12 games.
Mayo took the first game earlier in the season, 7-2.
There is a lot of history between these two teams. Records don't matter when it's a rivalry...... usually.
Fearless Prediction: Rochester Mayo 6, Rochester John Marshall 2
Mankato East/Loyola (3-14-1) vs. #3A Mankato West (14-1-0)
The Scarlets won the first meeting this year, 12-0.
The Cougars are young and gaining some valuable learning experience this season. The Scarlets are experienced and loaded with talented seniors & juniors.
Cougar pride vs. Scarlet confidence!
Fearless Prediction: Mankato West 8, Mankato East/Loyola 2
Enjoy YOUR game of the day on Thursday wherever it may be throughout the state of Minnesota!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Poll Results: Which team is the hottest right now?
Poll Results:
Roseau: 72 votes (33%)
Minnetonka: 42 votes (19%)
Little Falls: 20 votes (9%)
Albert Lea: 18 votes (8%)
Duluth Marshall: 16 votes (7%)
Edina: 16 votes (7%)
Holy Angels: 14 votes (6%)
Blake School: 8 votes (3%)
Duluth East: 6 votes (2%)
212 votes
IN THE NEWS: Alex Larson - Faribault
Faribault player's heart bruised by hockey shotby Paul Walsh
A southern Minnesota high school hockey player was struck in the chest by a puck and knocked unconscious, suffering bruises to his heart and left lung, the player's father said today.
Alex Larson, a junior forward on the Faribault High School team, went down to block a shot Tuesday night in the Falcons' home game against Winona, his father, Dana Larson, said today from Alex's hospital room in Rochester, Minn.
Read the rest of the story here.
Thoughts and Prayers Wanted for player Alex Larson of Faribault!!
Please keep Alex and his family in your prayers.
There is more to this story here.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
IN THE NEWS: 1/22: Cloquet/Esko/Carlton at Duluth Marshall - Box Score
Cloquet-EC.........2-1-0-3
Duluth Marshall..2-2-1-5
First period: 1. DM, Joe Kozlak (Pat Mahoney), 2:53 (sh); 2. CEC, Blake Abrahamson (Austin Hatch), 5:23; 3. CEC, Hatch, 12:57; 4. DM, Lanny Olson (Dano Jacques, David Hafferty), 15:49 (pp).
Second period: 5. DM, Trent Harris (Derek Stauber, Mark Laskowski), 6:49; 6. CEC, David Brown (Hatch, Justin Jokinen), 7:01 (pp); 7. DM, Tom Paine (Laskowski, Harris), 9:23;
Third period: 8. DM, David Hafferty (Mahoney, Jacques), 16:53 (sh, en).
Saves: Aaron Baker, CEC, 31; Matt Messina, DM, 23.
IN THE NEWS: 1/22: Academy of Holy Angels at Catholic Memorial (MA)
Courtesy of the Roslindale Wicked Local (Massachusetts)
A contrast in styles as Knights tie Angels from Minnesota
by Jody Kessler
Roslindale - At Harvard’s Bright Hockey Center, Catholic Memorial hosted Academy of Holy Angels, from Richfield, Minn. It was the third time Holy Angels has traveled to Boston to play CM, also coming in 2002 and 2005.
Holy Angels is one of Minnesota’s best high school programs, and Minnesota has some of the best hockey in the country. With a young team, they are down this year a bit, coming in with a 9-4 record, and ranked only 20th in the state; however, they have not lost a game in the Missota Conference in nine years and have won multiple state championships.
The game featured contrasting styles, Holy Angels playing the speed and finesse game of the Midwest, CM playing the grind-it-out power game of the East. It added up to one great hockey game, thrilling the large crowd on hand, playing to a 2-2 tie.
Both Holy Angels goals came from dynamo junior center Danny Mattson, who has committed to Division I powerhouse North Dakota, and is being recruited by the NHL. CM, ranked #1 in Massachusetts and undefeated at 8-0-1, got goals from senior Mike Collins and sophomore Shane Walsh.
Before the game, Angels coach Greg Trebil talked about the trip. “We like to play top competition. This seems like the best way to spend our nonconference games. We love the fact that they’re good top private schools and that they play real good hockey. That’s what we’re about. Also in Boston, there are a lot of educational things we can expose our kids to.”
One former Angels player, Mike Taylor, is now Harvard’s captain. After the game, Trebil was very excited about how the game was played: “It was a great game. It was up and down, really skilled hockey. That’s what we like to play, that’s the kind of hockey we teach, and they [CM] do the same thing. They’re a tremendous team. We love to come play these guys. They play as hard as they can, and that’s what we expect out of our kids.
CM coach Bill Hanson said on Holy Angels, “That’s a good program. You don’t face anyone better in our state than those kids.”
Hanson commented on the contrasting playing styles: “One thing about hockey out of the Midwest, especially Minnesota, is it’s more of a finesse game, a skill game, as opposed to the Eastern teams. And you see that on the NCAA level, too. Our style is to get the puck low, to bump and to grind.”
The game was started by CM freshman Patrick O’Mara playing “The Star Spangled Banner” on bagpipes. Holy Angels fans were very impressed. Then the hockey got under way, and it was excellent from the drop of the puck. The Angels looked good early, starting by stealing the puck when CM won the face-off, and carrying it all the way to the CM goal for a point-blank shot that Mike Conlin stopped. The Angels, dressed in blue to CM’s grey and red, controlled action for the much of the first period, although neither team could score for the first 14 minutes. That changed quickly when Mattson got the first of his two goals on a shorthanded chance, making a great move and scoring over Conlin’s right shoulder. The goal came at the 14:36 mark, but CM would come right back 16 seconds later to even the momentum going to the break, Collins scoring on a wicked slap-shot at 14:52.
After a couple of minutes of even play to start the second period, Mattson got his second goal at 2:25, on another rush outside, beating the defender with his speed. CM tied it up on Walsh’s goal, a slapper that trickled in behind the Angels goalie.
The third period was marked by the best play of the game by both teams. The puck was moving, and each team had chances. CM had two possessions where they held the puck in the Angels’ zone for a long time, but could not come away with the game-winner. Finally, what seems to happen in many hockey games, CM had a ridiculous rush in the last minute, the puck dancing around in front of the goal.
CM chopped at it relentlessly, but somehow it did not go in. Maybe it was destined to not go in to reward each team with the tie, and being a nonleague game, it doesn’t count towards the standing anyways.
CM wound up with 27 shots on goal. Angels had 21. It was a fairly clean game, with seven penalties between the two teams.
Angels defender Charlie Raskob was very happy with the game. “It was a good game, it was fun. They were a good team,” he said.
Mattson echoed Raskob. “This is a great team. Both teams played hard; it was a great experience. It’s a really fun city; there’s not as much going on in Minnesota.”
Conlin pointed to not knowing the players as a possible difference. “We had no idea what to expect. Most of the teams around here you know about. We didn’t know anything about their kids. Twenty-one [Mattson] was very good.” About the whole experience he said, “It’s a great way to see what competition is out there.”
Hanson talked about where his team is now. “We’re at the halfway point. We’re undefeated. We played a really tough schedule [recently], St. John’s Prep, Malden Catholic, BC High and these guys. To go 3-0-1 is an achievement for these guys.”
Poll Results: Game of the Day: Tuesday, January 22nd
Poll Results:
St. Thomas at Minnetonka: 71 votes (48%)
Moorhead at Roseau: 32 votes (21%)
Eastview at Eden Prairie: 12 votes (8%)
Cloquet at Duluth Marshall: 8 votes (5%)
Albert Lea at Owatonna: 7 votes (4%)
Duluth Denfeld at Superior (WI): 5 votes (3%)
Champlin Park at Centennial: 4 votes (2%)
Duluth East at Forest Lake: 3 votes (2%)
Edina at Robbinsdale Armstrong: 2 votes (1%)
Bloomington Jefferson at Bloomington Kennedy: 2 votes (1%)
Osseo at Benilde-St. Margaret's: 1 vote (0%)
147 votes
FTP's Top 5 Games of The Day: Tuesday, January 22nd
Here are FTP's Top 5 Games for Tuesday, January 22nd:
1. #2A St. Thomas Academy (14-3-0) vs. #3AA Minnetonka (15-2-0), 7:00 PM
Great game. It will be the St. Thomas Academy's powerful offense against Minnetonka's stiffling defense. The Cadets want to prove not only that they are a top Class A team but a top five team in the state. After the Cadets lost to #1A-ranked Duluth Marshall a little over a week ago and with Minnetonka still celebrating their Saturday win against #6AA-ranked Benilde-St. Margaret's, St. Thomas Academy may want this game a little bit more.
Fearless Prediction: St. Thomas Academy
Catch the GAME OF THE DAY on:
Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network - Channel Two!
2. #11AA Eastview (11-5-1) vs. #8AA Eden Prairie (12-4-1), 7:00 PM
Revenge game! Eastview beat the Eagles 3-2 in overtime back on December 4th at the Apple Valley Sports Arena.
The Lightning have won their last four games but they were all against teams with records below .500. They have been stuck in the 11th position in the FTP.com's Class AA Rankings for a couple weeks. With a win against Eden Prairie, it should be their ticket into the top 10.
The Eagles are 3-0-1 in their last four settling with a tie at Moorhead last Friday night.
Eden Prairie is 4-0 on their home ice. Eastview is 4-4-1 away from the Apple Valley Sports Arena.
Fearless Prediction: Eden Prairie
3. Moorhead (8-6-3) at #1AA Roseau (15-0-0), 6:00 PM
Typically this match-up would receive top billing. However, the Spuds are sputtering through the season so far managing a record just above the .500 mark. Moorhead lost to two Class A teams last week at home with Thief River Falls and at 5th-ranked Warroad. The Spuds were embarrassed by Roseau in their first game against one another in early December, 7-2. Moorhead's season could take a quick turn to the positive if they can steal a win from the #1AA-ranked Rams at Roseau Memorial Arena.
Roseau is 6-0 at home having won five of the six by 3 or more goals. Moorhead is 4-4-1 on the road this season.
Fearless Prediction: Roseau
4. #20AA Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (10-5-2) at Duluth Marshall (12-3-0), 7:30 PM
Here is another game that had higher expectations. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton looked like they were the top team in Class 7AA just a couple of weeks ago but they may slid into the fourth best behind Duluth East, Anoka, and Grand Rapids. The Lumberjacks have gone 3-3 in their last six games with losses to Brainerd, Superior (WI), and Grand Rapids.
#1A-ranked Duluth Marshall's fortunes couldn't be better after they crushed then #1 St. Thomas Academy 8-2 in the Cadets home arena back on January 12th. The Hilltoppers have not played a game since. Will the time off cause some rust with this team's game?
In order for the Jacks to win, senior Justin Jokinen and junior Oscar Carlsson (my two favorite Scandinavian names on any one team this year) will need to step up while senior goaltender will need to shut the door on junior Zach Mausolf, junior Pat Mahoney and Topper leading scorer David Hafferty.
This may be a close one due to a little rust but the team on the hill should prevail over the Jacks, 4-3 or 5-3.
Fearless Prediction: Duluth Marshall
5. #10A Albert Lea (11-3-0) at Owatonna (14-2-0), 7:30 PM
Revenge game! Owatonna defeated Albert Lea at Albert Lea on December 6th, 3-2. Don't expect the same outcome this time around. The Tigers are riding a six-game winning streak which started with a win over Mankato West, the Scarlets only loss of the season so far. The Tigers would like to win lucky number seven over a team that gave them one of their only three losses this season, their first lost of the season to be exact. It will be a tough mission to accomplish though as the Huskies are hosting this reunion and they have a five-game winning streak of their own and have only two losses on the season.
Owatonna has one five games in a row twice this year. After their first five wins of the season, they then lost to Mankato West at home, 0-7. Then, after winning the next four games, the Huskies then lost to Orono, 0-7. If Albert Lea wins, it will be their seventh win in a row. See the SEVENS pattern here? It's all I got to try and predict this one. It should be another great game.
Fearless Prediction: Albert Lea
Monday, January 21, 2008
Poll Results: Where are you from???
Poll Results:
Twin Cities Metro: 94 votes (31%)
South Central MN: 38 votes (12%)
Northwest MN: 30 votes (10%)
Central MN: 26 votes (8%)
Northeast MN: 18 votes (6%)
Southeast MN: 17 votes (5%)
North Central MN: 17 votes (5%)
West Central MN: 12 votes (4%)
Just outside the TC Metro: 12 votes (4%)
Southwest MN: 7 votes (2%)
South of Iowa: 6 votes (2%)
Wisconsin: 3 votes (1%)
Northeast US: 3 votes (1%)
East Central MN: 2 votes (0%)
South Dakota: 2 votes (0%)
Iowa: 2 votes (0%)
Alaska: 2 votes (0%)
Oh Canada: 2 votes (0%)
North Dakota: 1 vote (0%)
Northwest US: 1 vote (0%)
Great Lakes US: 1 vote (0%)
Serving the US oveseas: 0 votes (0%)
296 votes
IN THE NEWS: Academy of Holy Angels at Mount St. Charles (RI) - Box Score
Holy Angels 5, Mount St. Charles (RI) 3
First period - MSC Peter DeAngelo (Jim Fuoroli, John Guay) 5:25; HA-Ryan
Reilly (Danny Mattson, John Haeg) 7:56. Penalties - HA 1-2; MSC 1-2.
Second period - HA - Mattson (Reilly, Haeg) 2:37. Penalties - HA 6-12
Third period - MSC - Fuoroli (DeAngelo) 0:05; HA - Haeg (Reilly, Mattson)
0:35; HA-Ben Morris (Joe Keske, Joe LaBate) 8:27; MSC - Guay (Evan Hoffman,
Fuoroli) 13:36. HA - Mattson (Reilly, Randy Cure) 14:46.
Saves - Boerger (HA) 10-16-9--34, Jason SanAntonio (MSC) 12-6-12--30
FollowThePuck.com's Minnesota Boys Hockey Rankings (01/21/08)
FollowThePuck.com
As of 01/21/08
1. Roseau (8AA) - 15-0-0
2. Edina (2AA) - 15-1-0
3. Minnetonka (6AA) - 15-2-0
4. Hill-Murray (4AA) - 14-3-0
5. Benilde-St. Margaret's (6AA) - 14-3-0
6. Hopkins (6AA) - 15-1-1
7. Rosemount (3AA) - 14-4-0
8. Eden Prairie (6AA) - 12-4-1
9. Burnsville (2AA) 12-5-0
10. Bloomington Jefferson (2AA) -10-4-3
11. Eastview (3AA) - 11-5-1
12. Anoka (7AA) - 12-4-0
13. Centennial (5AA) - 9-5-2
14. Blaine (5AA) - 10-4-0
15. White Bear Lake (4AA) - 12-5-0
16. Academy of Holy Angels (2AA) - 9-4-1
17. Duluth East (7AA) - 10-6-1
18. Brainerd/Pillager/Pierz (8AA) - 12-5-1
19. Grand Rapids (7AA) - 8-7-1
20. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (7AA) - 10-5-2
On Watch:
Moorhead (8AA) - 8-6-3
Woodbury (3AA) - 13-5-0
Tartan (4AA) - 11-4-1
Roseville Area (4AA) - 10-7-0
Osseo (5AA) - 11-4-0
Owatonna (1AA) - 14-2-0
Class A Rankings
FollowThePuck.com
As of 01/21/08
1. Duluth Marshall (7A) - 12-3-0
2. St. Thomas Academy (4A) - 14-3-0
3. Mankato West (1A) - 14-1-0
4. International Falls (7A) - 15-1-0
5. Warroad (8A) - 13-4-0
6. Little Falls (6A) - 14-3-0
7. Mahtomedi (4A) - 10-5-2
8. St. Cloud Cathedral (5A) - 11-3-1
9. Park Rapids Area (8A) - 17-0-0
10. Albert Lea (1A) - 11-3-0
11. Red Wing (1A) - 10-5-2
12. New Prague (1A) - 11-4-0
13. South St. Paul (4A) - 10-5-1
14. Duluth Denfeld (5A) - 12-6-0
15. Rochester Lourdes (1A) - 11-6-0
16. Hermantown (5A) - 9-8-0
17. Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl (7A)- 10-7-0
18. Sauk Rapids-Rice (5A) - 9-6-1
19. Blake School (2A) - 9-6-1
20. Mound-Westonka (2A) - 9-7-1
On Watch:
Totino-Grace (4A) - 8-8-1
Breck School (2A) - 7-9-1
Alexandria (6A) - 9-7-1
Mora/Hinckley-Finlayson (5A) - 13-2-0
La Crescent (1A) - 14-3-1
Marshall (3A) - 13-3-1

