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Post by Yote 53 on Mar 7, 2018 12:04:25 GMT -6
It is that time of year where state championships are won. Last weekend Sioux City won the title in Iowa and Hudson took home the Wisconsin title. Grand Forks Central won the North Dakota championship in February. The Minnesota state tournament starts today at 11, you can catch the games on MeTV or Midco3. The South Dakota tournament starts Friday morning and is on Midco2.
The hockey world feels small. I've played or coached against a majority of these town programs from all of these states over the years. The games really start to add up the older you get. It's weird to be watching a game and realize you remember coaching against this kid when he was ten years old. Yeah, that just happened to me today.
The Minnesota tournament is a HUGE deal. Record attendance at the X in St. Paul. The class AA tournament is full of traditional heavy hitters this year so it should be a good one. Check it out as your flipping the dial watching basketball this Friday and Saturday night.
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Post by coyotecrazie5 on Mar 7, 2018 13:09:22 GMT -6
The best and only part of the MN State Hockey is the all Hockey Hair Tourney team.
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Post by elcoyote on Mar 7, 2018 13:35:58 GMT -6
The best and only part of the MN State Hockey is the all Hockey Hair Tourney team. That is just too classic! |
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Post by Yote 53 on Mar 7, 2018 17:31:55 GMT -6
Oh yeah, every year. I'll post the 2018 version when it comes out this week.
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Post by coyotecrazie5 on Mar 12, 2018 9:15:20 GMT -6
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Post by Yote 53 on Mar 12, 2018 9:40:50 GMT -6
Beat me to it.
This weekend a couple more championships were awarded.
Minnesota AA: Minnetonka beats Duluth East for the Class AA title.
Minnesota A: Orono beats Alexandria for the Class A title.
South Dakota: Rushmore (Rapid City) beats Sioux Falls.
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Post by canislatrans on Mar 12, 2018 12:50:18 GMT -6
I'm curious, how many high schools have hockey programs in South Dakota?
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Post by Yote 53 on Mar 12, 2018 13:21:26 GMT -6
Not a sport sponsored by the SDHSAA, rather it is club/association based and the teams are registered as Varsity HS with USA Hockey as the sanctioning body.
Yankton
Sioux Falls
Mitchell
Brookings
Watertown
Huron
Aberdeen
Oahe (Pierre)
Rushmore (Rapid City)
Sioux Center, IA (is also in the SD league)
On the youth side the SD league also has Brandon Valley, who I assume will someday become a Varsity program as the association matures, Okoboji, IA and Fremont, NE. I have no idea why the Iowa and Nebraska teams are part of the league. Well, actually I do but I won't get into it here. I am going to guess that in a few years, when the BV program matures and the rumored program in Spearfish gets going that you will see the out of state teams drop out. Both Sioux Center and Fremont will move to the Midwest High School League in Iowa eventually. There is just some political reasons as to why that hasn't happened yet, that and they wouldn't be very competitive there right now.
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Post by coyote70 on Mar 14, 2018 18:50:12 GMT -6
As an FYI, the Rushmore Thunder will be competing in the USA Hockey National Championships in Plymouth, MN March 22-23. Not familiar with this tournament, but if you live in the area and love the game you may want to check it out.
As an aside, a few weeks ago I was in my swimming trunks, etc. making my way to the beach at Kailua Kona, Hawaii and came across an outdoor hockey rink (no ice). It looked like a nice facility but wondered what the heck is this doing such a location? Don't believe the temp ever gets below about 70 degrees. What's up with that?
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Post by Yote 53 on Mar 14, 2018 19:25:23 GMT -6
Sioux Falls, Brookings, Sioux City, and Omaha will also be area teams competing at the national tournament.
The outdoor rink in Hawaii was probably for roller hockey or ball hockey.
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Post by coyote70 on Mar 14, 2018 19:44:01 GMT -6
Quite possibly. I think there was some language about it being a "hockey rink" but it may have been what you state. Makes no sense otherwise and I'm not going to go back and check it out!
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Post by elcoyote on Mar 14, 2018 21:04:56 GMT -6
Quite possibly. I think there was some language about it being a "hockey rink" but it may have been what you state. Makes no sense otherwise and I'm not going to go back and check it out! It's in Hawaii. I'd use any excuse to go back and check it out. |
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Post by coyote70 on Mar 16, 2018 9:34:58 GMT -6
Okay
1) Me calling friends we traveled with: "Hey that was a great trip to Hawaii. How about we go back to the Kona Coast and check out that nice hockey rink to see if it was for ice hockey or for something like rollerball?"
2) Answer: "You been drinking again?"
Just having a little fun here and hope you appreciate it. One of our main reasons for going there was to visit all the WWII stuff on Oahu, including the Punch Bowl Cemetery. Have some relatives' names listed there whose remains were never found. These guys were true heroes in my mind -as were the thousands of others who gave their lives.
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Post by elcoyote on Mar 16, 2018 11:06:16 GMT -6
Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona monument are powerful exhibits. I've only been once and it was with my dad who was a WW2 combat vet in the Pacific theater. Some somber memories I could tell...can't even imagine.
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Post by coyote70 on Mar 16, 2018 15:22:00 GMT -6
The oil still coming up to the surface off the Arizona was very interesting and somber to reflect on. They come up as a circle (blob?) about twice every second maybe 1 to three inches in size. Then they spread out spider-like on the surface and turn from a blackish color to a rainbow color.
The battleship Missouri is also very much a "must see". I can imagine being in the underdecks, which is more like a maze, and losing your life there as my uncle did (in another ship) as a Kamikaze hit.
Anyway, hats off to your dad. Mine was in the army back in the day. Got sick and didn't have to land on Omaha or I may not have been here to bore you all with this stuff.
One interesting thing about winter sports in Hawaii: you can ski on Mauna Kea. I checked into that. For $450 a day they furnish everything. They drive you there and start you out near the top. Then, after skiing down they come get you with an ATV and haul you back up and start all over again. Both Maunas Kea and Loa had lots of snow when we were there. You may not be able to play ice hockey in Hawaii, but you can ski!
Another note that may interest those from South Dakota at least. I was walking outside by the Pacific Air Aviation Museum on Pearl Harbor and outside stood an F105 with Leo Thorsness's name printed under the canopy (pilot). He was a South Dakotan who later ran for Congress but unfortunately lost. Medal of Honor recipient.
Okay, snowing hard out here so back to March Madness and maybe a little ice hockey!!
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