99: Blades > DHI Octane (3-2), Vancouver Vipers > MN Icemen (5-1), Blades vs. 200 x 85 (5-5), Belle Tire > Reebok Nats (4-2), Bauer Selects > MN Icemen (2-1), Wolfpack Prospects > Reebok Nats (4-1), Chicago Mission > Blades (5-0), MN Icemen > Chicago Fury (3-1), Reebok Nats > Chicago Fury (4-1). Quarterfinals: Bauer Selects > Blades (7-1).

Commentary: The Blades did pretty well going 1-1-1 in pool play with only losses to Mission and Bauer Selects. Icemen went 2-2 for the weekend with one of their losses 2-1 to national power Bauer Selects.  Both teams must be feeling pretty good heading home.

00: Chicago Fury > EuroAmerican (2-1), Ohio Hockey Academy > Blades (4-3), Bauer Selects West > Reebok Nats (7-1), DC Selects > MN Icemen (6-0), EuroAmerican > AZ Bobcats (4-2), DHI Octane > Reebok Nats (6-0), Blades > Warrior Wizard (3-2), West Coast Supreme > MN Icemen (5-2), HoneyBaked > Blades (10-0), Bauer Selects > EuroAmerican (3-2), Chicago Mission > MN Icemen (6-0), Reebok Nats > East Coast Kings (4-3). Consolation: Blades > Chicago Fury (4-3), East Coast Kings > MN Icemen (7-2). Quarterfinals: West Coast Supreme > Reebok Nats (8-2), EuroAmerican > Warrior Wizzards (8-0).

Commentary: Very nice weekend for the Euros with a final four appearance in good field. Very winnable game in semis vs. Bauer Selects. The Blades showed some signs of life with a good win over highly ranked Warrior Wizards and Chicago Fury. 

Bauer Selects, manned with Luvurne native Jaxon Nelson, defeat EuroAmericans 5-2.

Bauer Selects beats Chicago Mission 4-2, Jaxon Nelson scores two goals.

01: Chicago Fury > MN Icemen (8-4), Blades > West Coast Supreme (6-1), Little Caesars North > MN Icemen (7-1), DC Selects > Blades (6-4), Bauer Selects > MN Icemen (7-1), Blades > Chicago Mission (5-4). Quarterfinals: Blades > MN Icemen (7-1). Semifinals: Little Caesars > Blades (7-1)
Commentary: No major surprises in this division (Blades, Selects, LC, and Mission)…nice weekend so far for the Blades going 3-1 with a nice win or Mission yesterday. The Blades could bring home some hardware today.

02: Miracle Gold > EuroAmerican (5-2), Blades > AZ Bobcats (7-2), EuroAmerican > Chicago Mission (6-0), HP Falcons > Miracle Gold (5-1), Chicago Mission > Miracle Gold (7-3), Chicago Fury vs. Blades (3-3), EuroAmerican vs DC Selects (5-5), Blades vs Bauer Selects (3-3), DC Selects vs. Miracle Gold (5-5), EuroAmerican > HP Falcons (2-1). Semifinals: EuroAmerican vs. Bauer Selects and Blades vs. HP Falcons. Blades > HP Falcons (4-2) and Bauer Selects > Euro (4-0). Bauer Selects > Blades (3-1)
Commentary: Three Minnesota teams in this field.  All did really well.  MG went 1-2-1 with a nice win over the Euros Friday. The Euros sneak into the Final Four with an 11th hour win over HP Falcons.  The Blades go 2-0-2 and advance to Final Four against HP Falcons.  Could it be an All Minnesota Final?

Blades Advance, Euros sent packing.  Good luck to the Blades vs. the Selects. Blades go down, but a nice showing for them this weekend.

03: Team Illinois > Miracle Gold (5-3), California Brick > Miracle Gold (7-1), Miracle Gold > DC Selects (8-4), Chicago Jr. Hawks > Miracle Gold (8-0)
04: Miracle Gold > St. Jude Knights (9-3), Miracle Gold > Stars (3-2), Miracle Gold > Detroit Crush (7-6), Miracle Gold > Philadelphia Force (7-1). Semifinals: Miracle Gold vs. Team Zoom Tan (yes, Team Zoom Tan is their name).

Commentary: Minnesota’s most dominant team in the tournament…earning their reputation as one of our best teams. They face TZT today.  If TZT wins, the headline will be, “Tan is worth more than Gold”, if Gold wins “Miracle Gold burns the team from Florida”

TZT beats MG 7-5 in Semis. Impressive weekend nonetheless for the Gold.
Friday Commentary: So far the top MN teams (04 Gold and 02 Blades) doing well.  The 99 Icemen losing to Vancouver tells us that this is a great pool of teams at 99…big win for 00 Blades, heard the Blades goalie is the real deal…02 Euros played like Americans in their second game today…MG04 is living up to the hype.

00: Machine > Pittsburgh Selects (4-0), Machine > “Orange” (8-0), Machine > Victory Honda (5-0)

01: MI Selects > Machine (5-3), Ma> “Red” (5-3), Machine won game 3 (4-1),

02: Machine > MI Selects (14-0), Machine > “White” (2-0), Machine lost game 3 (3-2)

03: Machine > Little Caesars (4-3), Machine > Aspen (4-3), won game 3 (16-0)
Friday Commentary: We are lucky to get info from some Orange parents, thanks to them. ’03 Machine with a nice “name” win for them. Looks like the ’02s played an 05 team from North Dakota. ’03 with two nice wins to start tourney off (isn’t this a Brick year?)…by and large a good showing for Team Kool Aid in the Motor City so far.

Sunday Commentary: All teams in the Championship today.  YHH is hoping to get the names of opponents they play as their results come in. Stay tuned.  Nothing better than an ex-super model sighting at the rink.  Former Super Model Elle McPherson was on hand to support her boyfriend who coached an ’03 team in the tourney.

00: Machine defeat Victory Honda 5-2 . Trailing 2-0, Mike Vorlicky scores a short handed goal with a minute left in the second to ignite the comeback.

01: Machine lost 4-1, to Winnipeg Select Team in the Championship.

02: Machine beats Belle Tire, 4-2 to win Championship.

03:Machine beats Little Caesars 5-1, to win Championship.

99: Competitive Edge > Acceleration NW (4-3), WI Jr. Wilderness > Competitive Edge (4-1), Competitive Edge > Cap City (6-5). Semifinals: Competitive Edge vs. Cap City and WI Jr. Wilderness vs. Acceleration NW…Cap City > Comp Edge (2-1) and WI Wilderness > Acceleration (7-0)

00: The Edge > Competitive Edge (2-1), The Edge > Bucks AAA, WI  (5-1), The Edge > Velocity (5-3), The Edge > Green Bay (5-2). Championship: Bucks AAA vs. The Edge…Third Place: Competitive Edge vs. Green Bay…Bucks > The Edge (2-1) for championship.

01: Breakaway > Monopoly (6-2), Breakaway > Velocity (9-3), Breakaway > Winnipeg Cyclones (5-0), Finlandia Hockey Club > Breakaway (4-3). Championship: Breakaway vs. Finlandia..Finlandia > Breakaway (6-5).

02: ’03 Blades > Icemen (4-3), ’03 Blades > Legacy (8-4), ’03 Blades > Velocity (10-3). Semifinals: ’03 Blades vs. Legacy and Icemen vs. Velocity. ’03 Blades > Legacy (6-5) and MN Icemen > Velocity (5-4).  Blades vs. Icemen for ‘ship. 03 Blades > Icemen (8-5)

04: Reebok Nats vs. Hometown Hockey (4-4), Blades > Lake Superior Stars (7-2), Blades > Hometown Hockey (9-2), LS Stars > Reebok Nats (8-3),  LS Stars > HT Hockey (11-6), Blades > Reebok Nats (10-3). Blades vs. LS Stars in Championship. Blades > LSS (12-7).

Friday Commentary: The ’03 Blades are stealing the show, still undefeated this year at the Invite ’02 level. The Edge doing very well in the 00 level…Breakaway continues to be impressive at the ’01 level.

Sunday Commentary: We haven’t learned much from this tournament.  The top teams have fared well (03/04 Blades, 00 Edge, and 01 Breakaway). Not expecting any huge surprises today. The 02 Championship will be a good game, ’03 Blades vs. Icemen.  I think the older 02′s may have the edge, only due to physical maturity.

Monday Commentary: Saw the 03 Blades, White Bear’s Chaz Lucius had 3 goals…very nice win over the 02 Icemen. The Blades had too much speed and desire for the Icemen. Congrats to Finlandia Hockey Club and WI Bucks on their wins this weekend.  Watch out for the ’04 Blades, they have a few very nice players.