North Dakota Preps

Does anyone have any thoughts on how the combined state tournament went?? Why didnt they use the second sheet of ice at the Ralph for the consolation games?? It holds about 1500 right?? plenty of seats for those games.... Playing at Purpur was a joke!

all i have to say is that it would of been easier doing it that way cause driving back and forth got annoying and the fact that the 3rd and forth place game was at the purpur that was dumb.
there were some fun games to watch though and its always cool to see a game go into 3 overtimes

I think total attendance for the weekend was a hair under 26,000. Both tourneys included.

There were teams that didnt get to play in the Ralph, is that right?? South girls played all their games at Purper.

yup all the girls teams that were in the consolation side didnt make it to the ralph.

As a member of the media, the two rink tournament not on the same site was very difficult. As a hockey fan it was even worse, and if I was still a player, it was a tourney that lost all of its atmosphere that it used to have. The players used to be part of the aura and the atmosphere of the tourney, even if they won their first game or lost it. Now they are packing their bags and heading over to Purpur to "never be seen again" From the penthouse to the outhouse. The Ralph has been said to be the only place to play the state, and not too many disagree. SO PLAY IT THERE. Use the olympic rink.
The tourney also forced the girls to play their title game at 11 in the morning. Who wants to play for a title at that time????? And the championship was done hours before they even played for 3rd and 5th.
One previous post said that the Sioux in town was a bonus for the tourney fans, that we should go and see them. Well, we can't when our team is playing at the same time at Purpur. If that bonus game is in town, let everyone have a chance to go to it then.
As a media member, the lack of wireless internet and lack of counter space in the press box was horid. For someone that has to cover games at both rinks, and send stories in every two hours or so, I had to drive over the bridge to a motel parking lot to get a signal to send, or drive all the way to the Ralph to do it. 12 0f 22 games were played at Purpur, so you better have the accomodations that are needed.

How about one word....AWFUL. A fifth place game was played at 10 in the morning? Are you kidding me? What is this, Peewees?

And didnt' the girls have to name an all tourney team after their championship game? How does that happen with two games to play yet? Or is that why they announced it after the boys game?

Either way, the GF people who worked did a great job of making it happen...It was a bad design, and they did the best they could.

That being said, let's split site. Girls in Fargo, Boys in GF. Flip flop...

Idk if i would exactly flip flop the tournaments every year. They attendance for the title game was something like 4100-4200 if i remember right. Thats not including the people in the suites, which were only a 1/4 full though. Whats fargos arena holda again, isnt it like 5000 or something like that? Well this game would have been an awesome atmosphere BUT what happens if you have two teams like gfrr and gfc play, there title game a few years back had around 7500 at it. they ahd to open up the top of the ralph. I do agree split up the tournaments or use the olympic sheet too. Someone was telling me that the grils state should only be 4 teams instead of 8 cuz there is only like 12 total teams. So thats a lot less games. I too would have been stuff if i had to play state hockey at the purpur.

Put the girls in the new UP center in Fargo, keep the boys in the Ralph in GF. Problem solved, imo.
Anyone know if the NDHSAA is considering putting EDC in Fargo next year also? It'd settle a lot of arguments imo.

I personally wouldnt mind seeing the edc rotate or being kept in fargo. the purpur is too out dated.

I think the Purpur is a fine rink, I just think having both EDC and State ALWAYS in GF is a little borderline and leads to complaints, with the new UP center coming up in '09, it's probably be a great time to switch EDC to Fargo and leave State at the Ralph.