The Minnesota Blades have been in existence for at least 10 years.  During that time, they have consistently built a solid hockey program that has attracted some of the best players in the state.  A before and after team in 2014-2015, the Blades this week are ranked #12 (out of 186 U16 Tier I teams in the USA).  They have posted a 13-5-1 record.  Last weekend the Blades won the Heritage Tourney played in Duluth. Earlier this month, the won a tourney played in Iowa.  They have one more tourney left, a tough one in Chicago in 10 days.

The Elite D team plays in the MEPDL league that includes teams that are U18 based.  Essentially the Elite D’s play a U18 schedule.

This season, for the first time, the Blades and the Elite D’s will challenge Shattuck’s U16 team for Minnesota’s seed to the U16 Tier I national tourney.  The two teams are entered (along with Shattuck) in a Minnesota District Tourney to be played in mid-March, 2015.  It will be the first U16 Tier I tourney played in Minnesota.  In past years, Shattuck had the only recognized U16 team in the Minnesota District (boundaries are the same as the state) and always received an automatic seed.  But neither the Blades or the Elites has to win the Minnesota District tourney, there is an opportunity to make the trip to New York next March as an “at-large” selection depending how they play in the before and after.  Both teams will conclude the before part of their 2014-2015 season by playing in tournaments in the next two weeks.

The Elite D team posted a 5-6-1 record playing in the MEPDL season this fall.  Cameron Buhl/South St. Paul led the Elite’s in scoring posting 11 points/4 goals.  Defense man Justin Kelley/Maple Grove and Chase Brand/Park Rapids finished second posting 7 points/4 goals each.  Tommy Klans/Lakeville North led the team in goals with 5.  As part of their league schedule, the Elite Ds played Shattuck’s Midget AAA team that also plays in the Elite League once this season; the Midget AAA team won 8-2.

Note that the same Shattuck team placed third in the Heritage U18 Tourney in Duluth last weekend, beating Team Copper 4-0 after losing to Notre Dame (Saskatchewan Canada) 3-2 in an overtime shootout game.  The Blades U18 took second place in the Heritage Tourney beating Team Copper 4-3 and losing to Notre Dame 2-1.  All this may be seem confusing because it is confusing.  That is the nature of USA’s hockey rules.  But it does show that the competitive edge between the Midget U16 Tier I and the Midget U18 Tier I is narrow.  Essentially the U16 and U18 Tier I teams’ players are separated by their age (usually one year).  In Minnesota high school hockey, the players are separated by ability.  Ninth graders will show up as stars on high school varsity teams.  Seniors and juniors will play junior varsity games.  

Period 1 is a draw

The first five minutes of the game was well played; there were few whistles and both teams had scoring opportunities.  The Elite D’s line of Montana Streit/Rochester Lourdes, Hunter Johannes/Eden Prairie, and Brian Halonen/Delano had a good first period; but the Elite’s goalie, Ryan Bischel, had a great first period.  Bischel made 11 stops in the first period, but half of the stops were on clean, hard, shots the Blades took on the net from inside the 15 foot range.  Halfway through the period, the Blades started to control the game; setting up in the Elite D's zone and moving the puck to the open player, but the Gold defense held.  The period ended in a 0-0 tie.  It was a good period but now both teams faced “the Wall”.  They had just played a 17 minute, stop time, first period.  With only a two minute rest, they would play another 17 minute, stop time, period.  At about the 5 minute mark of the second period, they will hit “the Wall”.  The team that is in better shape will usually pull away. 

Period 2 U16 mistakes

The U16’s opened the second period with a furious attack.  In 30 seconds, the Gold put three tough shots on net and then drew a penalty.  The Blades power play dominated the first minute of the penalty time.  The second minute, the Elite D’s kept the puck out of the zone until the last 10 seconds.  The Blades Sammy Walker/Edina scored from the right side to give the Blades a 1-0 lead.  The Elite D team was down and it got worse when 10 seconds later Auggie Moore/Benilde-St. Margaret’s scored.  Three plus minutes into the second period and the Blades led 2-0.  It was not what the Elite D’s wanted.  It took them a couple of minutes to recover and regain the attack.

The Elite D’s played their best hockey of the game over the next six minutes.  They pressured the Blades in the Blades’ zone and got a number of good scoring chances.  But the Gold could not beat the Blades’ goalie Jake Begley/Hill Murray.  It was still a game until the five minute mark.  Both teams hit the wall; only the Elite D’s hit it harder.  Their offense evaporated and gave the Blades control of the game.  And the game pace slowed.  The Elite D’s drew another penalty and killed it; but 25 seconds later, the Blades scored again.  The Elite D’s hung on through the last two plus minutes, but the damage was done.     

Period 3 All Edina and All Benilde/St. Margaret’s

The Elite D’s got off to a good start in the third period.  Two minutes into the period, Nick Leivermann split the Blades defense and beat the Blades’ goalie Begley with a nice backhand from the top of the crease.  That score cut the lead to 3-1.  But two minuters later, the Gold drew another penalty.

Tuesday night, the Blades skated a line of players from Edina (Clayton Phillips, Sammy Walker, and Ben Copland) and a line of players from Benilde/St. Margaret’s (Auggie Moore, Zack Risteau, and Jerry Calengor).  They did most of the scoring.  On the power play, Clayton Phillips scored for the Blades.

Trailing 4-1, the Elites slowed their play forcing goalie Parker Swenson/Hopkins to make some tough stops.  The Gold started to roll on offense again, but had slowed slightly in getting the shot on net.  With seven minutes left in the game, the Elite’s drew another penalty.  A minute later, a Blade player took a shot from the blue line that was more of a pass.  It ended up hitting Zach Risteau’s stick at the edge of the left crease for the final score.  The Blades won 5-1.

What is Next?

The Blades and the Elite D teams have one more tournament on their schedule.  The Blades play in the 32 team World Invite Tourney in Chicago.  They draw the #21 ranked Chicago Fury, the #97 ranked Pittsburgh Predators, and the #33 ranked New Jersey Avalanche in pool play.  The top two teams in each of the eight pools advance to bracket play (four rounds) to determine the champion.  The Minnesota Magician U16 team (another before and after team that will play in the Minnesota District Tourney in March) is also entered in the World Invite Tourney.  The Magicians play #2 ranked Honeybaked, #50 ranked Rocky Mountain Rough Riders, and #53 ranked Esmark Stars in their pool.  The Magicians beat the Green Bay Gamblers 10-1 and 4-3 this past week.

The Elite D U16 team will play in the MEPDL’s year end invitational tourney this weekend at New Hope.  The Gold will open quarterfinal against North Dakota Friday at 12:30.  It they win, they will play the winner of the MEPDL Blue/Shattuck Midget AAA game in the semifinals.  The lower bracket pairs Michigan vs Manitoba and Massachusetts vs Calgary.  The 2014 International Invitational Tournament plays their quarterfinal games Friday evening at New Hope.  The Minnesota Red plays EC Red Bull Salzburg in the first game, the Minnesota White plays Michigan in the second game, Shattuck’s Prep team plays Northwood’s Prep in the third game, and a Czech U17 team plays Massachusetts in the final game of the day.  10 plus hours of hockey on two rinks at New Hope this Friday.  That gives a new meaning to “trick or treat”.