At the conclusion of each Squirt A season, most of the top teams in Minnesota head to Fargo, North Dakota to face some of the best competition in the state and from around the country and Canada. Teams will trade pins, play great hockey and trade more pins. I will never forget my son's words on Tuesday following his experience, "dad, I wish every day could be like Fargo." Three days of hockey, pins and hotels was what likely got him hooked to hockey for life.

Here is a look at the Fargo brackets from this year. The top half of the bracket is loaded. The A-D has three top ten teams (Orono, Hermantown and #1 Chaska Chan)...which will make for an entertaining Saturday morning. The I-P side is more balanced with a nice re-match for OMG and Stillwater in the Final 8.

A Pool = Orono - seed #11
B Pool = Hermantown - seed #6
C Pool = Edina (White) - seed #14
D Pool = Chaska Chanhassen - seed #3

E Pool = Fargo or Rosemount  - seed #10
F Pool = Affton Americans (IL) - seed #7
G Pool = Eden Prairie - seed #2
H Pool = Mahtomedi - seed #15 

The only logic we see in this side of the bracket is Eden Prairie is the number two seed. With a win over CC in Squirtacular third place and a nice win percentage, an argument could be made they are the tops on this side. Why number two? Their side of the bracket has the fewest speed bumps (Mahtomedi is a top ten-ish team and Fargo usually gets an easier track to the sweet 16. 

That leaves a mess on the top...logic says that Hermantown is a 3/6 and CC is a 6/3...which makes Orono an 11/14 against Hermantown in the best game of the morning. The O'Connor champion Edina White team will likely face D6 foe Chaska Chan. Until their latest sign of life, the Whites earned a 14/11 type seed. Now, guessing who comes out of this side of the bracket is anyone's guess. Edina needs to solve Roseau who puts up huge goal totals just about every game just to get to Saturday.

I Pool = Stillwater - seed #8
J Pool = Moorhead - seed #9
K Pool = Osseo Maple Grove - seed #1
L Pool = Eastview - seed #16

M Pool = Warroad - seed 12
N Pool = Edina Green - seed #5
O Pool = Woodbury - seed #4
P Pool = Grand Rapids - seed #13

The bottom half of the brackets has way more logic. Edna Green and Woodbury are nice picks for a 4/5 game and OMG and Stillwater is well laid out for a 1/8. Also, some great balance with teams like Moorhead, Rapids, Warroad that should challenge on Saturday morning.