State tournament playoffs

[Roofer]

I don't like it either.

BUT it's not any different than the trade deadline in the NHL. The good players want to win.

You do get more recognition playing for the better teams. Not too many get noticed if they are from a small town. You have to play with the best to be the best, IMO.

[chaffmj]

As soon as STA and HM won I knew there would be people complaining about recruiting. I live in St. Paul and I have a son who goes to Cretin. They don't have to recruit it is the parents that send their kids there for exposure and this is a very small minority. Most of the kids that go to Cretin come from the surrounding private grade schools and a lot of the ones that aren't from the neighborhood are alums that went there when they lived in town and liked the school as a student.

Also if you live in St. Paul and MPLS and look at the choices that are available, if you could afford it would you most likely send your child to a private school for the sake of their education not for sports. The public high schools in my neighborhood are not very good.

I'm not saying that recruiting doesn't go on but the impact is less than you would think. It is more the parents sending their kids there for the exposure and a better education.

Just for the record I was hoping Roseau would win but when it came down to HM and Edina I had to root for Hill because I hate the cake eaters even more! Also when I told my son STA had won his reponse was who cares they play in the JV league.

[PierBridge]

Good post!

[fishyguy]

Yep...good post and very accurate. That was my experience there. Kids mainly from the neighborhood private grade schools or kids from other parts of the city looking for a better education.

[muskyjim]

i understand that some neighborhood schools aren't very appealing to some. i would just like to see the sports enrollment rules tighten up a bit, for every school. thats all.

[vermilionwally]

 Originally Posted By: PierBridge

I thinks its awesome that Hill Murray can put together a team that can compete with the bigger schools especially the schools with big youth programs who churn out numbers of kids at every age level for years and years.

Big Congrats to the Pioneers for knocking the snot out of both Roseau and Edina two community's where hockey is EVERYTHING from the time they are hatched. The Pioneers played as team and didn't have any real stars to speak of!!!!!!!Awesome!

I agree both Warroad who recruits more than anybody and STA should move up to the main show!

Its not that hard to put together a team that can beat those other teams when you get to hand pick your players. Theres no way Warroad and Roseau recruit as much as hill and those other rich private schools. Those kids just play hockey from the time they are born and eat and breathe it. Roseau and Warroad actually develop their players through their great youth programs and such they dont just go steal them from other schools when they are already developed. Its nice to see the northern schools still winning the tournament sometimes and it wouldve been nice to see Roseau win it again. Oh well maybe next year. I think they should also get Anoka and Elk River out of section 7, that should be a northern section although it wont matter anyway, between cloquet duluth east and grand rapids they should be able to keep those two out of the state tournament for awhile.

[fishing tech]

It would be interesting to see what city each kid really lives in. A couple of years ago Woodbury had about 10-12 kids in the state tourney but their team didn't make it. I wonder how many kids from Eagan or Lakeville were in there this year?

[Roofer]

I have to say that I went to Elk River to better myself as a hockey player when I was younger. I played in Monticello before that and when they voted down an ice arena, I was outta there. My family didn't have the money for me to go to Shattuck, otherwise I may have went there. We traveled to Alexandria and up to Thunder Bay to look for a team to play on.

Unlucky for me I was too young to play when ER had a team to go to state.

I really don't see why this is so bad, although I understand some of the views you all have. When the kids are recruited it's not a real high school tournament. I guess I can see both sides. From a kids point of view who wants to make something of himself and also the town/cities who want to make a good name for themselves raising their players from the time they first step on the ice.

This all said, I never give ANY credit to the coaching or staff of winning teams. It's all in the overall talent of the team.

[PierBridge]

 Originally Posted By: vermilionwally

 Originally Posted By: PierBridge

!

Its not that hard to put together a team that can beat those other teams when you get to hand pick your players.

That's not how it works in anyway shape or form and if it did the Pioneers would have more than 2 state hockey titles in 30 years....

[Kidd]

you're exactly right PierBridge, I have know Billy Lechner, the coach at Hill-Murray, for over 30 years, played ball with him and his brother Bobby. Couldn't find better people on the planet. Hill doesn't recruit, the school academics and the program recruits itself and you will never see a Hill coach go out and actively recruit a youngster. Just no need to.

[juddH]

Pier, how did your teammates and coaches feel after you left them after playing with them for all those years? Was it worth it, where are you playing now????

I don't see a reason for leaving your school unless your school is terrible and you have a true legitimate chance of making it. I stayed with my teammates because I knew I would not be playing in the NHL, why not stay with the coaches and program that has tried their best to develop you and have fun with your buddies instead of leaving them out to dry? You will have those buddies for a lifetime, you will eventually leave hockey as a player!!

[Quackaddict9]

 Quote:

I stayed with my teammates because I knew I would not be playing in the NHL, why not stay with the coaches and program that has tried their best to develop you and have fun with your buddies instead of leaving them out to dry?

some coaches dont try to develop their players, some think of themselves too much and say alot of immature things. I would say I know some of the coaches...and they are not coaching now.

[PierBridge]

First off I played my hockey at a MPLS public school back when there were still some good teams in the MPLS City conference we actually had the good fortune to scrimmage Hill Murray on a yearly basis and we were unlucky enough to play them in the Twin cities game in '83 when they were 28-0 the shot's on goal were like 50-20......DOH!

I see your points Judd thats a tough decision the kids have to make do you leave your youth program to try and play at storied Hockey power like Hill Murray high School with no girls?

I know I'm "public school guy" not changing anyone's mind about private schools but with all belly-aching we hear every year you would think they are as bad as the YANKEE's.

[fishyguy]

I think what bothers me most is the stereotype of the private school kid being the "rich kid". It may be true at Blake or Breck but not at most.

Here is a rundown of the jobs of my teamates parents had during our state championship baseball year.

3B - Nurse

2B - Don't remeber but middle class family

1B - Teacher

SS - Drove a truck for Schmidt Brewery

P - School janitor (at a public school)

LF - CEO

CF - Banker

RF - Insurance salesman

top subs: plumber, Banker, Teacher, hardware store employee, Equipment sales

I don't think that squad was loaded with any more money than most public schools, and much less than your average suburban school. I think the difference is the sacrifice the kids make to go to the school. I worked two jobs in the summer to make sure I could help out with tuition for my single mother. The Archdiocese gave grants and you had to apply. No one I know of except for the son of the CEO and the son of the banker actually paid full tuition and most worked their tail off to help pay for school. Drive through the parking lots of HM and Cretin and then go through the lot of your average suburban school. Tell me where the nice cars are found. It is probably not at the private schools.

Pier,

I had the pleasure of having my brains beat in by the HM powers from 83-86 twice a year back when the St. Paul City Conference meant something also. We did manage to beat them once.

[TrophyEyes]

I went to St. Thomas Academy and played on the first team the school had to make it to the tourny. We did not recruit one player, at the time we did not even have a rink to call our own. Rich kids, poor kids, kids without parents, we had them all. I don't think it matters one bit where you came from or what school you choose to go to, you still have to play the game. My cousins and some of my best friends played for Breck, and at the time that was not known as a hockey power either, but you know what you get a little momentum and build tradition and good things happen. Oh, and by the way between that Breck team and the St. Thomas team in 1999, there were something like 10 D1 players on those teams and numerous D2 and D3 players. None were recruited as far as I know. I know of 4 that are in the NHL systems right now and one was a Hobey Baker finalist last year. You still have to play the game and Hill Murray should that in both the semi and champ games.

[PierBridge]

We always licked our chops when we saw Holy Angles, Breck, and Minnehaha on our non-conference schedule because we knew it was Win for sure!

[juddH]

Sure there are poor kids that are on the private schools teams, they get scholarships, and it's not for educational purposes!!!! I think it's great if a student is helped out because they cannot afford a quality education, but is it for education or getting quality hockey players in the school??

[TrophyEyes]

Not in our case, the kids at St. Thomas had to work at the school if they were getting "aid". Actually the best players we had were not "scholorship" players as you stated. Well I guess we can go round and round about Private vs. Public, Open enrolement vs. closed.

YOU STILL HAVE TO PLAY THE GAME!

[CrappieFshr651]

My school was a public school that excelled at hockey, until recently when they havent done anything since i graduated in 04 when they got beat by Breck in the semis in state. So. St. Paul

[CrappieFshr651]

The only sad thing is they've made it to state 28 times and havent won once, but they did have phil housley