North Dakota Preps

Who do you think is going to win it?

bhs is going to be stacked idk if anyone will give them a run their goaltending will be the only thing with hillmann being gone but their defense is about as good as anyones in the west

I think williston will be in the wda championship against bismarck. But DHS could also make it there too.

I'm pretty sure it'll be Bismark, if I remember they have some young talent on the team.

Yah they do have a lot of talent coming back this year but what are they going to do about their goalie? Who do they have backing up Hillman? Did he play last year?

Orr4 wrote:Yah they do have a lot of talent coming back this year but what are they going to do about their goalie? Who do they have backing up Hillman? Did he play last year?

there going to be starting someone who hasen't played a varsity game it was hillman and reynolds last year both being seniors someone has to step up if they want to make a run for it

It seems almost every team in the state is looking for some young goalie talent, including some of the best teams from the east.

BHS has two senior goaltenders who will be battling for time this year. I could see a rotation going on until one of them shows game-saving qualities. They both played very consistent during the past two years with the JV program (I believe they both had GAA's below 2.00). But the is a step up for them now and we will see who has the character to take this talented team to a State Tournament.

yeah they may have done that well in jv, but neither of them had varsity experience coming into this year...

jkaiz wrote:yeah they may have done that well in jv, but neither of them had varsity experience coming into this year...

Maybe you should finish reading the post before you make a statement like this.

o man sorry, i should read better, anyways i think the defense of B high will help out the goalie situation until they get used to varsity games

Did anyone watch Williston's goalie in the jamboree. How did he do ?

he didnt do to bad the goal i saw him give up i think he got screened but he defense is solid so the only shots he should have to save are ones from the outside

Goalies in the West that top the charts--
Kline-Mandan--
That is about it

Now regarding BHS-- they have the Eichle kid-- who yes did well in JV.
But that is JV--
Right on Bench Ranger-- they haven't seen a good JV team-- Oh-- ya I think they played Souths JV last yr.-- And that was blow...
I think we are in trouble in the west-- East teams(even if the guys didn't play Varsity last yr)--they see better comp. all yr-- in the east even on JV.
South JV if not mistaken-- have been undefeated for the past 3-4 yrs.
So they just re-load and West teams try to build-- every other year.
HMMM whose got the advantge??
EAST-- SOUTH and RR and grafton....
Aughhhh Can't see either of them(any of those three) losing to ND comp-- except for each other.

idk how kline is the best goalie in the west i think there some who out play him in the west, but you must be a mandan fan

Brownie-- right My head was clouded and forgot to mention-- I am not from Mandan(just know that kline is very good-will see and has seen a ton of rubber in the net the last couple)
here areTwo very good goalies-- from the west
Kovacs- dickytown
Otto- dickytown
both very good goalies---- have seen them both play the last couple of years.

dickinson- (as stated on another thread) could be the worst/best kept secret in the west.
quiet and could be deadly.

challenging for the WDA title is in the cards for Dickinson(I think anyways)
If they can get scoring and some def.--

Bismarck is over-rated- they are soft in the belly and the Net.
some good players but again it taqkes more then two or three guys to be in the title hunt.
seaberg, labare get votes as competitors and good players. the others that they return could have played on some East teams- 3rd-4th line maybe last yr.-- but most on JV only(for most top teams in the east)--
and those guys made the ALL-WDA team last year.
Sorry to burst bubbles, but that is the fact or at least my opinion.
Who were those Bis. high guys that made All WDA as Jr's-- Geis? he wouldn't have been playing Varsity at Grafton, RR, South-heck probably not at Devils lake or North. hokhalter? not even top line JV in the East.
i think they both were named WDA team last yr.
some guys from Minot-- underclassmen last yr-- would also be hard pressed to make the Top lines at the above mentioned teams--mostly play JV last yr.
here is how I see the top guys out here.....
Rehak--Williston--would have played anywhere Varsity
Labare--Bismarck- at any team-on Varsity
Kline- Mandan-- probably would have split with aq goalie in the East(and good split time)
kovacs--dickinson-- the same
otto--dickinson (as long as not at the same school as Kovacs)-would be the same.

any other observations? I like the thoughts-- I hope that the West teams can get to state and WIN at least a first rounder this year. but it will depend on depth-- and we have none here!One line at each school(maybe a ful line of top talent) Yes-- goalies at some schools-- BUT absolutely No depth in the programs anywhere. Not even at youth levels.
build the youth programs up like they do in the East and we can compete--I would hope.

your post-- Jefferson Clark is one i missed.

"BHS is stacked"-- now that is a load of you know what.
because these guys were All WDA and etc. last yr. makes them a stacked team?
they play North Sat. night at VFW-- we'll see how they do against a lower end East team.

Stacked for out here, maybe-- not so much for the rest of the state in total.

Caliber of BHS-players:
Labare-- can play on any team
Seaburg-- would battle for a spot in the East at Forward- but maybe 3rd liner
the rest-- make the team at WF, SHANLEY, Wahp, central
maybe make the team @ South, RR, Grafton, Devils Lake, North
goalies-- HMMMM not even a bantam state title or runner-up finish between them
(yes-bantams doesn't mean anything as seniors--)-- but it does show the talent level-- and if you look back, the last, what 5 yrs at Bantams State A tourney-- you will see NO other team except for Minot(dittus year) that a west team cracked the top four-- they beat South to get to the champ game and won it(I think).
other than that we haven't done much at that level from the West.
I think it goes like this:
2002- Minot/ GF 2nd/ south 3rd
2003- GF/ south 2nd
2004- South/ GF 2nd
2005-Gf Wheatkings/ south 2nd/ sugarkings/ Grafton
2006- Grafton/ South 2nd/ GFWhtkings3rd/GF Sugarkings 4th
2007- South/GFsugarkings 2nd/ Gf Wheatkings 3rd/ devils lake 4th
Correct this if you have better info-- but I think that is 1 yr. out of the last 6(and 6 yrs ago) that a West team cracked the top. South seems to be in the Mix here(every yr- with not less than 3rd)- and GF- in the top also(both teams). Yes- grafton twice with that grp that are Jr's this yr.(remarkable grp of players)-for a small grp.
this is why the west is struggling at the HS level-- to be a top contender.
we need better youth hockey to get after the EAST! any questions?

Yep, Sportshound, they did get blownout by South's JV. Did you get to see that one while you were cleaning the bleachers for your minor. Looks like the Fargo teams left Bismarck with only excuses.

Look like willy isnt nothing with a loss to the preseason like 6 or 7 seed j town and comming back from a 2 goal deficite aginst mandan

i_see_it_all wrote:

BenchRanger wrote:Yep, Sportshound, they did get blownout by South's JV. Did you get to see that one while you were cleaning the bleachers for your minor. Looks like the Fargo teams left Bismarck with only excuses.

haha good stuff.

it will be bismarck and dickinson in the west. surprisingly minot is down this year, for once. Eglie shouldve played hockey! with that said, the triple threat of frenzel, kaiser and kovacs will propel dickinson to their first ever WDA title. little kovacs, jeff obrien and defenseman jason hurt all provide solid play as well...along with others. Frenzel is the best player in the west this year if you ask me, (their coach finally pulled his head out and has him playing center). he dropped 5 goals on shanley this year already and has been killing kids with his size and strength. when u got the best goalie and the best player in the west on 1 team, it calls for sucess...sorry demons.

nice post dad

Dickinson can go a long way. But I see a team and a coach that are on the thin line of either being on fire and tearing up the WDA or imploding in on themselves and barely making it to State. Sure, they will throw teams like Botno and Hazen around, but what have they done when they have played Minot or Bismarck? They put a heck of a rush on, then they fall apart and lose because they are not disciplined. Lots of teams in the State are like this: Williston got over it a few years ago when Bratlien came in, West Fargo has it because they are an East team treated like they are from the West, Bismarck has it when they play Minot, Fargo, or Grafton.

nice post dad[/quote]



lol ok, your whole 3 posts have been very insightful ive noticed.

benchranger, you make a very valid point. do you know much about their coach? hes a bit of an unknown where im at. i've just heard through the grapevine.

I will throw something in-- "I see it all"--
hanneman is the dickytwon coach-- knows his stuff(was a goalie) OK we'll forgive him on that.

He is good at skills, and has gotten better at bench mgmt for games.

He has talent(though not to deep) good goalie(s)-- Frenzel is a top player, and then a few others-- Kaiser and little kovacs.
these kids are talented and competitors- though they might not be able to run with the Big dogs because of depth, and one ijury could be all that seperates them from finishing in the hunt-- or NOT.

the WDA as we all know has room for a sleeper that has a short bench and good goaltending.
A team could produce enough wins to get a top seed in the WDA tourney and make it to state. (williston last year).

Obviously Minot lost to many good players to be a threat this year.
williston stuggled with Mandan Friday night-- although got it 3-2 win..
Century and BHS game Tuesday will tell you that Century can not make a run.
so that leaves the door open for Mandan--
with the others being: Williston, BHS, dickinson-- those are the teams that make state this year.
not in any order-- but BHS might have the top seed. others could bounce back and forth 2-4.

Just all these things are my opinion-- albeit pretty good if I could say so myself-- and I will.
Anybody else have a thought on this afetr the first full week and now that all the teams are ready and going.

After the BHS and CHS game this last week, I would have to pull for BHS. They have some studly defensemen and Eichle made the saves he should have, the only goal scored on him was a good shot, cant do much. With a little more controlled, less sloppy play by BHS they will be mean all year long.