For the West Haters at State

[money2128]

According to some peoples opinions on various message boards, it sounds like they might as well not even have West and East Region Tournaments.  It could just be a 4 team state tournament every year, RR, South(or North), GPR, and Central (since history shows that these schools have produced some of the best teams over the years). Infact maybe they should have just skipped the whole season and Red River and South can play Minnesota teams all season long and have there little championship game at the end of the regular season.  Then you can listen to Minnesota people talk smack how even the east teams from ND are a joke and aren't even in the same league.  Its obvious the west is weaker than the east everyone knows that.  So I don't know what some of you people are trying to prove with your cocky comments.  You sound just like Minnesotans talking smack about how bad ND Hockey not cool. 

Bottom Line is: Upsets can and do happen.  Thats why they play the game.

[point/center]

wow...money.... storm coming got ya feeling a little jaded? hate to lock a topic before it gets a reply...relax...breathe....think of warm sunny places.

[Unity77]

I think it's obvious teams such as Grafton, RR and South can hold their own against  MN class A schools and probably a few of the AA schools.  They don't have a chance against MN powerhouse teams, but that doesn't mean ND hockey not cool.  In a state that is pushing 5 million people and has over 150 high school hockey teams, there's bound to be a few MN schools that would make great ND teams (by ND standards) look subpar. 

BTW, Grafton was 3 - 0 against MN teams this year while Red River was 4 - 1

[HockeyHigh]

I think the ND East powerhouses (South/RR/Grafton) have a great chance of playing the best teams of MN right up. RR did well against minnesota teams, south played a heck of a game that coulda gone either way against moorhead (possible MN state champs incoming) and I haven't seen who grafton played, but I'm sure they did well in MN too.

[money2128]

I think ND teams can hold there own vs mn, but most message boards ive been on w/minnesota people strongly disagree. Not all but most.

[gfhockey]

keep hating on the west. 0-4 on first day like usual.

[highheat]

keep hating on the west. 0-4 on first day like usual.

true, but ill give williston and century some credit. williston kept the game close against red river and from what i heard, century kept it tight until the third period against south.

[MinotBison]

keep hating on the west. 0-4 on first day like usual.

And as long as the NDHSAA keeps sticking it's head in the sand and pretending there is no problem, NOTHING WILL CHANGE.  PERIOD.

Let me give you an example.  A few weeks back, Red River was playing a game against Warroad, MN., one of the storied names in MN hockey.  On that same night, my hometown Minot was playing Bottineau.

Please don't misunderstand, I mean no disrespect to the Bottineau program.  But Bottineau is not Warroad.

My point is this.  The EDC teams have the flexibility to play good teams from Minnesota in addition to playing the good teams within the Eastern conference.  The Western teams do not have that option.  And as long as they don't have that option, the results of the state tournament will never change.

You can talk about making the playoffs North/South instead of East/West or whatever other combination you want, but that will not change a thing.  Until the Western teams have a chance to play better teams on a regular basis, they will continue to be first round losers in the state tournament each and every year.

If the NDHSAA is satisifed with that, then so be it.

 

[Unity77]

Well, what do you suggest NDHSAA do?  I mean it makes more sense for teams like Grafton to travel to towns like Warroad, Crookston, Thief River Falls, etc...  than to Minot. 

[gfhockey]

we play MN, west can play canada teams. fair enoug.

[highheat]

maybe a midseason or preseason tournament in north dakota with higher caliber teams would give the west the opportunity to play some better teams and see how they stack up. as it is now, the west teams play eachother and some bad canadian teams during their midseason tournaments whereas the east teams go into minnesota to play better teams.

[Metal Edge]

The west teams could play some AAA midgets out of Manitoba.  I know Minot tried playing the Southwest Cougars a few years ago.  The score was 6-2 or something on that line.   The teams on the northern border have the opportunity to play these teams and the competition is good,  compareable or better than  the eastern teams.

However the western teams need to get better before they start complaining about not being able to compete, because lack of competition.  you don't bring a medicore team to red river and expect to compete.  The teams out west need to start working harding in the off-season and bringing a better product to the ice.

Nothing against Minot, but this is one of the weakest Minot teams I have ever seen top to bottom.  Looking at their roster and there youth hockey teams, it will be a long 3-5 years for them.  Why a school that size can't compete is puzzling to me.  No excuses!

 

[The Hockey Wizzard]

keep hating on the west. 0-4 on first day like usual.

And as long as the NDHSAA keeps sticking it's head in the sand and pretending there is no problem, NOTHING WILL CHANGE.  PERIOD.

Let me give you an example.  A few weeks back, Red River was playing a game against Warroad, MN., one of the storied names in MN hockey.  On that same night, my hometown Minot was playing Bottineau.

Please don't misunderstand, I mean no disrespect to the Bottineau program.  But Bottineau is not Warroad.

My point is this.  The EDC teams have the flexibility to play good teams from Minnesota in addition to playing the good teams within the Eastern conference.  The Western teams do not have that option.  And as long as they don't have that option, the results of the state tournament will never change.

You can talk about making the playoffs North/South instead of East/West or whatever other combination you want, but that will not change a thing.  Until the Western teams have a chance to play better teams on a regular basis, they will continue to be first round losers in the state tournament each and every year.

If the NDHSAA is satisifed with that, then so be it.

 

i just checked the score of the minot-bottineau game and it was 3-2.  i have some friends that had gone to the game and they said it could have easily been 3-2 bottineau over minot.  it seems to me that minot has plenty of competition in the west, especially after today's century game.  looking at minot's scores thoughout the season, it seems the west provides plenty of good competition for them. 

i can clearly remember when bottineau and minot was the big rivalry in the west.  so to say bottineau is no warroad is a fair statement if you can say that minot is no red river.   


 

[MinotBison]

The west teams could play some AAA midgets out of Manitoba.  I know Minot tried playing the Southwest Cougars a few years ago.  The score was 6-2 or something on that line.   The teams on the northern border have the opportunity to play these teams and the competition is good,  compareable or better than  the eastern teams.

However the western teams need to get better before they start complaining about not being able to compete, because lack of competition.  you don't bring a medicore team to red river and expect to compete.  The teams out west need to start working harding in the off-season and bringing a better product to the ice.

Nothing against Minot, but this is one of the weakest Minot teams I have ever seen top to bottom.  Looking at their roster and there youth hockey teams, it will be a long 3-5 years for them.  Why a school that size can't compete is puzzling to me.  No excuses!

 

3-5 years at a minimum.  And I am also sure that many in Minot would tell you that this was not one of the strongest Minot teams.  Why a school this size cannot compete is puzzling to many here as well.

I've often said that one option would be to expand the schedule by 3-4 games, with the provision that those games be played against teams from the other half of the state.  That way, the Western teams could face better competition from the East.

Another option would be to drop the requirement that you play every one in your region twice.  This used to be done.  You could play them once, with that game counting as a four point game.  That would free up some games to at least potentially be played against better competition.

As far as working harder in the offseason to bring a better product to the ice, absolutely.  But I am sure that alot of the players in the West are already doing that.  However, I have heard that some of the programs in the West (Minot included) are having a numbers probem in some of their youth programs.  If I a wrong in that statement someone feel free to correct me.

Just my two cents worth.

[siouxfan4life]

Yes I would agree one of the biggest problems in the West is the amount of "quality" players in the programs.  I know most teams are way down on numbers in the lower age levels.  As far as working out in the offseason, it takes more than a handful of players really giving it their all in the off season.  You look at most teams from the west which have that one top line with 3 or 4 really strong players, but after that their is usually a considerable drop off.  If some of the kids spent more time shooting pucks and in the weight room instead of drinking and what not they would probably do a lot better. 

[klg_11]

at the state tournaemnt this weekend i began to wonder if the east knows what checking is. the west just comes out and hits everyone. the east skillfully moves about and wins games. the west after the puck is gone they still go for the hit. i hope that the east feels those hits for a while. they acted like they never had been hit before. after a couple hits they tried hitting but all their hits were dirty and they kept getting called for them.

[gfhockey]

at the state tournaemnt this weekend i began to wonder if the east knows what checking is. the west just comes out and hits everyone. the east skillfully moves about and wins games. the west after the puck is gone they still go for the hit. i hope that the east feels those hits for a while. they acted like they never had been hit before. after a couple hits they tried hitting but all their hits were dirty and they kept getting called for them.

IM sure the coaches from the east dnt care as long as they go 4-0 on the first day like always.

[Tide04]

IM sure the coaches from the east dnt care as long as they go 4-0 on the first day like always.

 Don't you mean "lately"?(I'll admit A LOT lately) 

[RazorsEdge]

Devils Lake made huge strides just by playing in the East. It will never change though. People that really look for what is best overall for the state will never get their say. Devils Lake would have been just another first day loser if they stayed west. It was not their choice to go east, they drew the lucky straw.  You will see the improve every year just because of the switch.

[HockeyHigh]

Players improve the most in years before High School IMO. DL prolly wont see that much change, because levels below High School they have always played in the east versus these teams. The switch most likely wont effect much at all except for their chances to keep going to state each year.

[mikebabe]

When was the last time a WEST team won a FIRST round game at STATE

[mikebabe]

When was the last time a WEST team won a first round game at state

[baseball007]

good question..... and how about minot being a big power in the west and losing 15 years in a row in the first round.

[gfhockey]

last time was 4 years ago.

[Metal Edge]

good question..... and how about minot being a big power in the west and losing 15 years in a row in the first round.

 

that makes no sense to me at all.  they have a good coaching staff, so what's the problem.