STATE TOURNEY

[hockeyplaya]

I have seen bottineau play....im from the west and i support west hockey but they literally have 0 chance....hopefully GFC shows some mercy.

i remember reading your post throughout the season and you have always cut down bottineau. either you are a mandan fan or have something against the team. they are a small school competing with the big boys, why not give them some credit. i would say if bottineau continues to get strong goaltending, the game will be closer than what you think.

simple truth is I just dont think they are any good. I am a mandan fan, and while they might not be any good either, they at least had a good player. The size of your town doesnt matter, what matters is how many kids go out for your program and I believe bottineau has a full JV team? Thats more than many west teams can say. Wasn't goaltending a weak point for bottineau all year? Well I think its going to be 10-0 so maybe just maybe it will be closer.

They at least had 1 good player? So Riopelle had 5 more points than Bottineau's top scorer Serhienko big deal. I guess it bit Mandan in the butt for relying on 1 player to get the job done. If he would of had some supporting cast like Bottineau maybe Mandan would be playing this weekend. Goaltending was a weak point for Bottineau throughout the season but they have had good goaltending the last 4 games. You should know that Brooks had 57 saves in the tie against Mandan. Not saying that Bottineau will win but if they get solid goaltending it could be respectable. I also feel that Tony Bina has a lot of respect for Dave Hoff and won't let his boys run it up to bad if it turns into that kind of game.

Riopelle is far better than any player on bottineau. Bottineau plays non-conference games against teams that make wahpeton look good.....cant hurt their point totals. I was at that bottineau/mandan and mandan may have had a lot of shots but few of them were high quality.

So whats your excuse for Mandan? Should they still play in the Williston holiday tourny. Some fine teams there also.

better than the teams bott plays, but you have a good point. Williston 4-1 wow didnt see that coming, east must be down more than anyone thought this year.

Tut, tut. Again I see you putting down Williston. The east has to be down just for Williston or any other west team to win first round at state now? Or you could give them some credit because they played a heck of a game by the sounds of it. Great job to Williston and good luck to Century in there game. I want to see 3 out of 4 teams in the semis from the west!

[nd0606]

Century up 1-0 after the 1st....outshot GPR 15-2...

[preps12]

Century - 3 Grafton - 2. BHS vs. Williston and Central vs. Century in tomorrows semi-final matchups.

[nd0606]

Good year for the West!

[HockeyHigh]

Good year for the West!

I don't mean to put the West down with this, but the East is struggling severely this year. Outside of the South/moorhead game, the East has done nothing against their minnesota competition. Even Central got whomped by Apple Valley. Although I think Central should walk through state, I think the field overall is 'down' this year. However, that means the West has an opportunity to get the recognition they have long sought after. Just try not to rub it in the EDC fanatics faces, it's not worth it.

[the_truth_hurts]

I have seen bottineau play....im from the west and i support west hockey but they literally have 0 chance....hopefully GFC shows some mercy.

i remember reading your post throughout the season and you have always cut down bottineau. either you are a mandan fan or have something against the team. they are a small school competing with the big boys, why not give them some credit. i would say if bottineau continues to get strong goaltending, the game will be closer than what you think.

simple truth is I just dont think they are any good. I am a mandan fan, and while they might not be any good either, they at least had a good player. The size of your town doesnt matter, what matters is how many kids go out for your program and I believe bottineau has a full JV team? Thats more than many west teams can say. Wasn't goaltending a weak point for bottineau all year? Well I think its going to be 10-0 so maybe just maybe it will be closer.

They at least had 1 good player? So Riopelle had 5 more points than Bottineau's top scorer Serhienko big deal. I guess it bit Mandan in the butt for relying on 1 player to get the job done. If he would of had some supporting cast like Bottineau maybe Mandan would be playing this weekend. Goaltending was a weak point for Bottineau throughout the season but they have had good goaltending the last 4 games. You should know that Brooks had 57 saves in the tie against Mandan. Not saying that Bottineau will win but if they get solid goaltending it could be respectable. I also feel that Tony Bina has a lot of respect for Dave Hoff and won't let his boys run it up to bad if it turns into that kind of game.

Riopelle is far better than any player on bottineau. Bottineau plays non-conference games against teams that make wahpeton look good.....cant hurt their point totals. I was at that bottineau/mandan and mandan may have had a lot of shots but few of them were high quality.

So whats your excuse for Mandan? Should they still play in the Williston holiday tourny. Some fine teams there also.

better than the teams bott plays, but you have a good point. Williston 4-1 wow didnt see that coming, east must be down more than anyone thought this year.

Tut, tut. Again I see you putting down Williston. The east has to be down just for Williston or any other west team to win first round at state now? Or you could give them some credit because they played a heck of a game by the sounds of it. Great job to Williston and good luck to Century in there game. I want to see 3 out of 4 teams in the semis from the west!

well considering the west has gone something like 5-45 since 97 yes it it somewhat of a suprise when 3 teams win in one year........just because i was suprised doesnt mean i was putting them down by any means......i root for any west team at state no matter who it is.....tut tut.....are you a mom?

[hockeyplaya]

Uh, I was putting that just as a joke...but anyway. We all know a west barely makes championship games but this year there is a guarantee that one will be in it. In williston's case this was their first win against an east team at state, they are finally starting to get over the fact that they are in the ralph. They came to play hockey and win games not go two and out like most years. I don't see why people think that the east is down just because the west teams are competing with them. Some teams are good some are bad. I don't think the east is down when you have a powerhouse like central, who cares if they lost to a minnesota team. You have good games and you have bad games.

[HockeyHigh]

I don't see why people think that the east is down just because the west teams are competing with them. Some teams are good some are bad. I don't think the east is down when you have a powerhouse like central, who cares if they lost to a minnesota team. You have good games and you have bad games.

Central is not down, it is the one team in the top four (GPR, Central, South, RR) that isn't down from last year. GPR has been in a dramatic decline since they lost Demers and then the rest of their seniors last year, and are even more challenged this year. South lost significant defensive power in four seniors, as well as significant offensive talent as well. RR only lost a couple players, but those three or four players were the keys to their success, and the only reason they pulled the upset championship last year. That being said, you can see that WF (who didn't decline, but is simply improving) makes state over the weak RR team, GPR is getting crushed, and simply looking at the EDC championship you can see that South is way down and Central is rolling. Central didn't change from last year though, so go figure.

Without looking at State, and looking at how the regular season/rosters are for this year, you can see that the EDC is down (as well as Bismarck High, at that, so not just the EDC). The reason people think the east is down is not because of the WDA competing with them, they've been saying it since way before state due to how dominant Central can be when they are pretty much the same team they were last year.

[Clifford]

50 total state championships in history... Grand forks central has won 25... Who is better the state or grand forks central tie breaker is next year!

[superstar 701]

Seriously put an allstar team from ND together excluding central and play them against central.. the chances are strangely..

[Clifford]

I agree...

[EastistheBest]

What does that even mean? "the chances are stragnely" what?

[gfhockey]

GF vs state of northdakota


lol i like it


good chairty event id say

[Mallards]

so happy williston pulled it off!!

So happy Williston beat Fargo South.

I did not see the game but heard from parents that several Fargo South players walked off the ice and did not shake hands. Reminds me what Fargo South players did to the locker room last year at State when they lost to Red River (they spread peanut butter on the walls). WOW is this true!!!! This reminds me of the Fargo South mother who tossed a powerade bottle on the ice after they lost to Bismarck during the season.

Is that why some Fargo South players did not play against West Fargo? If so, Good move by the coaching staff.

[P4KNBD]

i think the state vs central game would have the state coming out on top but if it was the state vs grand forks it might be a little closer

[RednBlack 010]

Central would get tossed around by an all star team from ND, hands down. Awful idea Superstar.

[goteam11]

The state vs central or the state vs grand forks.. the state would win in both instances, no argument

[RednBlack 010]

Clifford and superstar both agreeing central would win, clearly no hockey experience for them in ND this year.

[goteam11]

Clifford and superstar both agreeing central would win, clearly no hockey experience for them in ND this year.

haha totally agree

[ctrain1369]

so happy williston pulled it off!!

So happy Williston beat Fargo South.

I did not see the game but heard from parents that several Fargo South players walked off the ice and did not shake hands. Reminds me what Fargo South players did to the locker room last year at State when they lost to Red River (they spread peanut butter on the walls). WOW is this true!!!! This reminds me of the Fargo South mother who tossed a powerade bottle on the ice after they lost to Bismarck during the season.

Is that why some Fargo South players did not play against West Fargo? If so, Good move by the coaching staff.

All that stuff is true about South, but i know alot of the players and they have told me they feel bad they left the ice in the Williston game, it wasnt because they were stuff at williston for winning, they are happy for them, it was because of their coach ruinning their senior year, there were 7 underclassman on South this year most of them the seniors felt didnt belong on varsity hockey, so they said they are sorry to disrespect williston like that, but it was purely anger towards the coaching staff.
The coaches didnt bench the two players for there game against WF on friday, that South didnt care about anyway. South looked like crap in that game, and didnt even want to be there. They are a team that expects to get to the Championship every year, and when they dont, the season is over whether or not they have a game or two left (hence the 4th place finish in 09)
As for the gatorade bottle, that was also a seniors parent, and she has been sending letters to the board all season about the coaching staff and how they ruined this team. Benson will not be a coach at Fargo South next year. Had the best team to come out of South last year, lost that, had a very competitive team this year and lost as well.

[just another guy]

Clifford and superstar both agreeing central would win, clearly no hockey experience for them in ND this year.

Your right clifford has no hockey experience even though him and his team just won state.......no hockey experience your right......

[Sioux4ever]

All that stuff is true about South, but i know alot of the players and they have told me they feel bad they left the ice in the Williston game, it wasnt because they were stuff at williston for winning, they are happy for them, it was because of their coach ruinning their senior year, there were 7 underclassman on South this year most of them the seniors felt didnt belong on varsity hockey, so they said they are sorry to disrespect williston like that, but it was purely anger towards the coaching staff.
The coaches didnt bench the two players for there game against WF on friday, that South didnt care about anyway. South looked like crap in that game, and didnt even want to be there. They are a team that expects to get to the Championship every year, and when they dont, the season is over whether or not they have a game or two left (hence the 4th place finish in 09)
As for the gatorade bottle, that was also a seniors parent, and she has been sending letters to the board all season about the coaching staff and how they ruined this team. Benson will not be a coach at Fargo South next year. Had the best team to come out of South last year, lost that, had a very competitive team this year and lost as well.

This is one of the more annoying posts in a while. They didnt play hard because they weren't in the championship game or winner's side? Maybe that is part of what is wrong with South. You play every game, and you play every game hard, regardless of what position it is for. They expect to get to the championship every year. So do other teams, that is no excuse for throwing the towel in if they lose. They should have a little more pride for the jersey they wear. If the 2 players were not benched, why did someone mention that they were not playing? Did they play?

Looks like the players should worry about playing, the parents should worry about parenting, and let the coaches worry about coaching. This is just another poor excuse.

I, for one, have grown tired of the constant complaining and excuse making that comes from the South players "friends" on this message board. Maybe I am alone in this perspective, and then again, maybe not

[RednBlack 010]

Clifford and superstar both agreeing central would win, clearly no hockey experience for them in ND this year.

Your right clifford has no hockey experience even though him and his team just won state.......no hockey experience your right......

Haha i think i know clifford pretty well

[P4KNBD]

so happy williston pulled it off!!

So happy Williston beat Fargo South.

I did not see the game but heard from parents that several Fargo South players walked off the ice and did not shake hands. Reminds me what Fargo South players did to the locker room last year at State when they lost to Red River (they spread peanut butter on the walls). WOW is this true!!!! This reminds me of the Fargo South mother who tossed a powerade bottle on the ice after they lost to Bismarck during the season.

Is that why some Fargo South players did not play against West Fargo? If so, Good move by the coaching staff.

All that stuff is true about South, but i know alot of the players and they have told me they feel bad they left the ice in the Williston game, it wasnt because they were stuff at williston for winning, they are happy for them, it was because of their coach ruinning their senior year, there were 7 underclassman on South this year most of them the seniors felt didnt belong on varsity hockey, so they said they are sorry to disrespect williston like that, but it was purely anger towards the coaching staff.
The coaches didnt bench the two players for there game against WF on friday, that South didnt care about anyway. South looked like crap in that game, and didnt even want to be there. They are a team that expects to get to the Championship every year, and when they dont, the season is over whether or not they have a game or two left (hence the 4th place finish in 09)
As for the gatorade bottle, that was also a seniors parent, and she has been sending letters to the board all season about the coaching staff and how they ruined this team. Benson will not be a coach at Fargo South next year. Had the best team to come out of South last year, lost that, had a very competitive team this year and lost as well.

a parent upset with coaching does not give them the right to throw a water bottle onto the ice after a game. that is just ridiculous that parent should be ashamed of herself.

[Clifford]

First of all fargo south shows no class with all the incidents that have gone on second of all the thread that they started about RR not making state is rediculous how many times have your schools not made it to state i am assuming more then once the only thing south accomplished by making it to state this year was two more losses on ther record congrats... and as for Hockey High talking up south all the time you say how good they were compared to the state last year well that is also rediculous considering they took 4th place lost to central twice lost to red river lost to bismark tell me one thing how does that prove they are superior to the state? Whoever said that clifford won a state championship is an idiot considering clifford is a big red dog and i could hardly believe that he even knows how to skate...