’99 Friday Scores: Icemen > Velocity (9-1), Team Combat > Izzy’s (8-4), Northern Storm v. CA Wild (6-6), Machine > Acceleration (15-1), Huskie Prospects > Beavers (8-0), Black Aces v. Northern Wings (2-2), Izzy’s > Beavers (6-3), Acceleration > CA Wild (8-4), Icemen > Black Aces (6-0), Northern Wings > Velocity (7-1), Huskie Prospects > Team Combat (7-3). Saturday Scores: Team Combat > Beavers (7-1), Huskie Prospects > Izzy’s (6-2), Northern Storm > Acceleration (9-6), Machine > CA Wild (17-0), Black Aces > Velocity (3-2), and Icemen > Northern Wings (7-2). Final 4: Machine > Icemen (5-1) and Huskies Prospects > Team Combat (5-0) Chip: Machine over Huskies (4-1).
Friday Commentary: Izzy’s team must have left some of their best anglers at home, Icemen cruise over a hodge podge Velocity team…still some mystery after the first set of games. Huskie Prospects vs. Izzy’s should be a good one in the morning. Icemen and Machine on collision course for semis.
Saturday Commentary: No major third game surprises…Huskie, Machine, Icemen grab #1 seeds and Team Combat advances as the WC. Machine vs. Icemen should be a good game tonight. Will Orange goalie return from illness tonight? Machine advances to their second consecutive final in two weeks vs. Huskies…both teams have been dominant this weekend. Should be a good finish.
Final Commentary: The Machine continue to impress. They have a nice mix of talent both up front and on the blue line. We expect them to be #1 all year in our MN AAA rankings. The Icemen seem to be just shy of the Machine, but a very nice team as well…they went 4-1 with their only loss to the Machine.
’00 Friday Scores: Euro Red > Edge (7-1), Blades > Black Aces (7-2), WMD > LSS (4-2), Machine > West Coast Supreme (9-0), Omaha Tropics > Blues (5-4), Competitive Edge > Thunder Bay (3-2), Wheat Kings > Team Combat (6-4), Blades > Wheat Kings (6-2), CA Wild > Blues (4-2), Machine > Thunder Bay (12-0), Euro Red > WMD (7-3), LSS > Edge (8-5). Saturday Scores: Machine > Competitive Edge, Edge > WMD, Icemen > Blues (3-2), LSS > Euro (7-2), Blades v. Team Combat (3-3). Final 4: Blades > LSS (6-0) and Machine > Tropics. Chip: The Machine > Blades (9-1).
Friday Commentary: The Tropics win the award for most colorful uniform ensemble, good win for the Euros…man those boys are big…Machine and Blades win in easy fashion. CA Wild vs. Tropics for a spot and Euro vs. LSS for a spot…go to Vegas and put your money on Red. Semis looking like Blades vs. Red and Machine vs. CA Wild…the ‘chip could be a good one…I’m thinkin’ Red v. Orange. Some people are smelling a Red upset?
Saturday Commentary: Euros go down to LSS and lose their chance at both the Blades and Orange. Instead LSS emerges and plays the Blades tonight. After a slow start, The Stars look to challenge the Blades. Machine won easily, not sure of final.Tropics beat CA Wild 4-2 to advance to Final 4, good weekend for the team from Omaha. LSS win over Euro in a minor upset…the Stars showed some skill in that one scoring 3 unanswered in the third. In the semis the Blades scored four in the first and were too much for the Stars. Machine cruised again vs. Tropics. Tomorrow’s final pits two organizations that know each other well. Two well coached teams, Orange should win going away. The Blades have gotten better with every game this year…their stock has risen indeed.
Final Commentary: The Machine is the class of Minnesota and probably the class of North America. Their next test will be in Winnipeg (assuming they participate). They are big, fast…well coached and have a great goalie. A lethal combination at any level. Props to the Blades. YHH showed them no love to start the season, they have performed above expectations in both tournaments so far. Euro Nation is flying their flags at half mast, taking fifth place. The Lake Superior Stars had an inconsistent first tourney of they year (some highs finishing third, but lows with losses to WMD and a big loss to the Blades in the semis).
’01 Friday Scores: Legacy > Blues (7-2), Machine > Northern Elite (6-4), Jr. Bison > Flyers (1-0), So. Sask Selects > Icemen (21-1), Manitoba Storm > Ice Caps (8-3), Northern Elite > Bison (8-5), Thunderbolts > Tornadoes (7-1), Machine > Flyers (7-1), Legacy > Tornadoes (11-0), Thunderbolts > Blues (3-1), SSS > Ice Caps (10-2), Storm > Icemen (17-0). Saturday Scores: Blues > Tornadoes (6-1), Northern Elite > Flyers (6-1), Machine > Bison (3-2), Thunderbolts > Legacy (5-2), IceCaps > Icemen (7-1), SSS > Storm (4-3). Final 4: SSS > Storm (5-0) and Machine > Bolts (11-1). Chip: Machine > SSS (7-4)
Friday Commentary: Machine with a good win (a Machine kid reminded me today that I’m not always right)….they wore down the NE…SSS scores 3 TDs in their win..some more big scores in this division. Some nice semifinal games lining up: Machine v. Legacy and SSS vs. Northern Elite??? Not bad.
Saturday Commentary: The mystery of the 01 pool is now over…the Canadian teams are really good. Storm, SSS, and and Bolts (best unis in tournament by the way) all advance along with the Machine. Bolts vs. Machine and SSS vs. Storm in a same day rematch for championship. Both finalists (Machine and SSS) cruise in the semis. This game will come down to stamina and goaltending…slight edge to the Machine tomorrow.
Final Commentary: Huge shout out to the Machine. This is a really tough group of kids, who play hard the whole time. Down going into the third period, they fought back and won 7-4 over the SSS, who were the favorites coming in. This pool had several really solid teams from Canada moving top Minnesota teams like Northern Elite and Legacy out of contention.
’02 Friday Scores: Warriors > Blues (4-0), Machine > Sharpshooters (3-2), Euro Red > Victory Honda (6-3), Mustangs > Thunderbolts (18-0), Manitoba Warriors > Euro Red (5-2), Machine > Thunderbolts (13-0), Victory Honda v. Blues (7-7), Mustangs > Sharpshooters (4-2). Saturday Scores: Mustangs v. Machine (4-4), Blues > Euro Red (5-2), Sharpshooters > Thunderbolts (11-2), and Warriors > Victory Honda (8-3). Final 4: Warriors > Machine and Mustangs > Blues (5-4). Chip: Warriors > Mustangs (4-2).
Commentary: Euros looked really sharp today…The Sharpshooters were a goal away from a Friday shocker…saw the Mustangs tonight really liked how they moved the puck, they play with a little swagger. You could make a sit com about their fans, “Let’s Go Mustangs”. A lot can happen tomorrow. A good night’s rest is huge for these kids (two long games today and an early start tomorrow). The Machine had a nice game tonight…they have three really impressive forward lines.
Final Commentary: Sources say they did play O Canada to start the game. No one can prove this wrong, because no one from Minnesota (except the refs) was on hand to watch. Props to those two teams for their hard work. The Warriors were an exceptional team…they moved the puck really well. The Machine and the Euros probably not satisfied with their finish. Knowing those two groups, this will inspire them.
Saturday Commentary: Machine loses 4-1 lead to the mighty Mustangs. The Ponies will play the Blues who ousted highly the highly ranked Euro Reds 5-2. The Machine will have their hands full when they take on the Warriors tonight. Machine ran out of gas vs. the very tough Warriors and the Mustangs outlasted the very surprising Blues. All Canada final in the ’02, will they play O Canada prior to the game?
’03 Friday Scores: Miracle Gold > Blues (6-0), Blades > West Coast Supreme (17-1), LSS > Lightning (10-2), Machine > Black Aces (10-1), Machine > LSS (6-2), Blades > Blues (9-0), Miracle Gold > West Coast Supreme (10-2), Lightning > Black Aces (5-0). Saturday Scores: Blades > Miracle Gold (16-4), LSS > Black Aces (7-2), Blues > West Coast Supreme (7-3), and Machine > Lightning (5-2). Blades > LSS (10-2) and Machine > Miracle Gold (4-3). Chip: The Blades > The Machine (3-0).
Friday Commentary: The Blades had two TDs and a chip shot FG in their win…no surprises in this grouping yet…Miracle Gold vs. Blades may raise some blood pressures tomorrow. A likely Machine v. Blades final with the edge going to the Brick bound Blades (they have so many weapons).
Saturday Commentary: No major news this morning, except maybe the margin of victory for the Blades over Miracle Gold. Blades v. LSS and Machine vs. Miracle Gold in the semis. Don’t bet against the Blades this weekend. A Blades versus Machine final. The Machine will be watching Miracle tonight for inspiration.
Final Commentary: Congrats to both teams. First the Blades for remaining undefeated this year and second to the Machine for hanging tough. As reported here, the “other” teams in ’03 will catch up with the Blades as the Summer progresses. I posted on Twitter (@youthhockeyhub) Saturday night, “03 Blades vs Machine in chip…have a feeling the running time rule will be used in this one – The Blades are loaded”. I eat my words, the Machine did well. Here is a clip of their win vs. Miracle Gold in a shootout Saturday night, click here.
’04 Friday Scores: Xtreme > Miracle Gold (9-5), Chiefs v. Jr. Ducks (3-3), Machine > Lightning (8-7), Bruins > Titans (9-2), Lightning v. Bruins (3-3), Machine > Titans (18-0), Xtreme > Jr. Ducks (7-5), and Miracle Gold > Chiefs (8-2…who owns the Chiefs?). Saturday Scores: Machine > Bruins (6-1), Xtreme > Chiefs (8-4), Lightning > Titans (10-2), and Miracle Gold > Jr. Ducks (5-0). Final 4: Miracle Gold > Machine (12-2) and Xtreme > Lightning (7-1). Chip: Miracle Gold > Xtreme (2-0).
Friday Commentary: Friday Shocker…Miracle Gold goes down in first game (word on the street is that Xtreme is the same group that won Winnipeg last June…watch out). Xtreme and Machine look like number ones. Junior Ducks vs. the Miracle Gold for the white #2 will be a battle.
Saturday Commentary: Miracle Gold advances as second seed will face Machine and Xtreme sweeps the tougher of two pools to face the winless Lightning in the semis. Xtreme and Gold in the finals tomorrow. Slight edge to the Xtreme, winners of their first contest 9-5 on Friday. Should be a good rematch. Will the three nights of hotels be too much (or should I say extreme) for these kids?
Final Commentary: Nice tourney win for the Miracle Gold. They fought through elimination on Saturday. Beat the Machine on Saturday in the semis and then avenged their loss from Friday vs. Xtreme. Xtreme is the two time winner of the North American Tourney in Winnipeg at this birth year.
