North Dakota Preps

I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up to date. With so many new things popping up lately (Work, Family, Friends) it's been extremely difficult to keep anything near steady with the NDPreps. I hope you've all kept up at least as much as I have! Here's the brackets for the 2009-2010 State Hockey Tournament! Games start today (2 days to vote) so vote quick!
For Capsules and up-to-date information regarding the State Hockey Tournament visit http://ndhighschoolhockey.com/Default.aspx.

Thursday, February 25th: All games at Engelstad Main Arena - Grand Forks, N.D.

12:00 PM: #1W- Bismarck High vs #4E- West Fargo
2:30 PM: #2E- Fargo South vs #3W- Williston

6:00 PM #1E- G.F. Central vs #4W- Bottineau
8:30 PM #2W- Bismarck Century vs #3E- Grafton/Park River

Friday, February 26th: Winner Brackets at Engelstad Main Arena, Consolation Brackets at Purpur Arena

TBD

Saturday, February 27th: Championship at Engelstad Main Arena, All others at Purpur Arena

TBD

Here's my predictions for the tournament, feel free to post your own. I definitely feel like Central has a walk into the Championship relative to the four teams bracketed up top.

Quarterfinals:

#1W- Bismarck High vs #4E- West Fargo
Because: I feel that this will be pretty evenly matched for the most part. I think that West Fargo is a better team than GPR is, so them being seeded 4th to face up against BHS is just making the tournament more interesting to begin with. I think that BHS can pull this off though. IF they do, they could likely be in another Championship this year.

#2E- Fargo South vs #3W- Williston
Because: If I know my info from the West, and from their appearances in past tournaments, Williston isn't a very physical team compared to BHS/CHS. If you want to work South around this year, they're small, so you have to be physical with them. I think South's first line will hold up with Buchholz in net and the mismatch in depth will result in a South victory. Should be close, yet again.

#1E- G.F. Central vs #4W- Bottineau
Because: Too big of a mismatch. Congratulations to Bottineau for making the tournament, but Central is currently (and likely will continue) making every team look foolish; don't feel bad. It's their tournament to lose. (Mind you, it was South's last year and RR's the year before that, upsets can and do happen)

#2W- Bismarck Century vs #3E- Grafton/Park River
Because: I think Century will be the better team here. This is probably the least talented Spoilers team to enter the state tournament in many a year. If GPR has any chance of advancing it's in their goalie, but unlikely to happen.

Semifinals:

#1W- Bismarck High vs #2E- Fargo South
Because: I don't know exactly why, but Fargo South (ever since they pummeled BHS 12-0 or something similar in 2007) has had serious difficulty beating BHS. Last year it may have been due to some coaching issues, but this year it didn't seem to be the factor (at least not entirely). There are two outcomes to this game: Bismarck comes to play and South gets pushed around or South comes to play and outpaces Bismarck with their skill. I'm picking BHS in this close match because South has had difficulty in the semis in the last couple of years (honestly).

#1E- GF Central vs #2W- Bismarck Century
Because: GF Central, assuming they come to play, can't be stopped by any team. With Bina coaching and a bunch of determined players (a large number of Central players transferred there from Red River, simply for this weekend) I don't see them slacking off in this tournament. Century is just another short step that I don't think Central will trip over.

Championship:

#1W - Bismarck High vs #1E- GF Central
Because: Central is rolling by now. Bismarck High has played two even games so far and making it past this one just doesn't seem likely. Central is too stacked and walked through a very easy bracketing to finally earn a State Championship here in this game.

Question? how does G/PR get the 3 seed from the east when they finished 5th in regular season and WF finished 4th? Is it b/c they beat them in the region tourney?

Bismark up 3-1 on west fargo

bismark won 5-2

ih8gophers wrote:Question? how does G/PR get the 3 seed from the east when they finished 5th in regular season and WF finished 4th? Is it b/c they beat them in the region tourney?

Yup

Anyone know where we can get streaming Radio/Text feeds for the tournament this year? Fargo does a terrible job of this. Possibly a GF radio with online radio or the live feed still going this year? I can't make the Quarterfinals so this is a real hassle.

Williston up 2-1 over South right now with a 8 minutes left in the 3rd though.

That would be awesome if Williston was able to pull this off...I would love to see some West teams in it for once.

nd0606 wrote:That would be awesome if Williston was able to pull this off...I would love to see some West teams in it for once.

Bismarck was in it last year, and looks like they will be again this year at this rate. Central is just looking too strong to stop though, I expect a whomping of whomever they face in the Championship assuming they play up to par. It's a pretty weak field this year it seems.

Edit:
Willy still up 2-1 with 3 minutes left...

Yeah...Bismarck is usually the only one from the West that makes it past the first round though...it'd be nice to see the Willistons, etc. of the State to make it far.

nd0606 wrote:Yeah...Bismarck is usually the only one from the West that makes it past the first round though...it'd be nice to see the Willistons, etc. of the State to make it far.

I get what you mean, but Century should be making it past the first round tonight as well over GPR. It's very likely we could see a 3 west team semifinal this year...

It would be interesting to see the crowds at the Ralph if the West dominated the field.

on my blackberry at the game


go to knoxradio.com or somthing like that

google 1310 knox and they have the games streamed there


click listen live but make sure u get the 1590 link

Williston Herald has been doing live updates on their twitter and facebook feeds, as well as photos during the games on their facebook page. Williston-centric coverage, of course, but it's there.

ill try and do updates here

2 0 gfc up

oops ment 1

still 1-0

matt walters of GFC took a big hit.... been on the ice for last 10 minutes

a stretcher is on the ice now

doesnt look good

cant tell if it was dirty or not but htere was no penalty

4 52 left in the first

Before today has there ever been two west teams to advance to the semi's in the same year?

for sure in 1992 when the west won it with two teams in the final

How about three? haha

GFC scores short handed 2-0

I think the only other time with multiple West teams was in 1992, at that time Jamestown was in the West, and they were also in the semifinals along with Minot and Bismarck.

Yup, BHS never even faced an east region team. They beat Bott. 3-2, beat Jamestown in dbl. overtime, and lost to Minot 8-7. On paper the best team by far, maybe the best in west region ever, (someone will debate that for sure).

Looks good for the west so far, we'll see if CHS continues to dominate, I think they will.

GPR scores 2 in 2nd. Up 2-1 at 2nd intermission
Can listen online at http://www.network1sports.com/stations/kxpo.asp

Century scores early in the 3rd on a breakaway. 2-2