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Fargo International 2013: Preview, Predictions & Pins

By Tony Scott, 02/23/13, 6:30AM CST

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Arguably one of the hottest Squirt teams in Minnesota, Woodbury, heads to Fargo with a great team and a great pin.

The Grandaddy of them all, the Fargo Youth Hockey Association Squirt Hockey Tournament (formerly the Fargo Flyers Youth Hockey Tourney). Sixty Four teams representing several states and Canada.  The Little League World Series of Youth Hockey.  Playing in what seems like an endless number of rinks, in an endless number of neighborhoods throughout the Fargo/Moorhead area.  Truly a spectacle of youth sports unveiled. This tournament committee should be applauded profusely each year for a fantastic tournament.

Most of the rinks are your standard two rink ice boxes with plenty of parking and amenities.  But two in particular really stand out: Scheels Arena for it’s size amenities and Sunmart for it’s lack of size and lack of amenities. Scheels, with seating near 5,000 reminds most Minnesotans of a miniature Xcel Energy Center.  Scheels is the host of the Championsip game on Sunday and the skills competition on Thursday along with several other tournament games in between.  Here is a comical story YHH found about Sunmart…truly one of the Seven Wonders of the World as far as character, small size and as the author puts it a smell that could kill.

Below are my predictions for the weekend beginning with who will make it through to Saturday as 2-0

Second Round Games (Winners advance to 2-0 Bracket)

Minneapolis Storm > Sartell
Eastview > Fargo Freeze Black
Stillwater > Brainerd
Eden Prairie > Detroit Lakes
Moorhead > Minnetonka
OMG > Fargo Freeze
Blue Chaska/Chan > STMA
Jefferson > Shakopee 
White Bear Lake > Grand Forks Gladiators
Prior Lake > St. Cloud
Edina Green > Thief River Falls
Woodbury > Warroad*
Highland Central > Fargo Angels
Orono > West Fargo**
Rosemount > Affton Americans
Burnsville > PHX Jr. Coyotes

*This should be a very good game (that is assuming Woodbury can get by AC).

** This is another great matchup of two very good teams.

Sweet 16

MPLS > Eastview
Stillwater > Eden Prairie*
OMG > Moorhead
Chaska/Chanhassen > Jefferson
WBL > Prior Lake**
Edina Green > Woodbury
Orono > Highland Central
Rosemount > Burnsville

*This is a very important game on this side of the bracket.  The winner of this game is headed to the Final Four.

**A great matchup of two high octane teams.  Slight edge on paper to the Bears.

Elite 8

WBL > Edina Green*
Rosemount > Orono**
OMG > CC***
Stillwater > MPLS****

*Not the rematch vs. Edina White that they’d like, but I’m sure the Bears would love to unseat the “defending champs”

**The Spartans will run into a wall vs. Rosemount, literally.

***The best game of the tournament so far. Two really well coached teams with a lot of talent up front and on the blue line.  Toss up game.

****Stillwater will be too much for the Storm

Final Four (Sunday)

Rosemount > WBL*
OMG > Stillwater**

Finals

Third Place: WBL > Stillwater (classic D2 showdown)
Championship: Rosemount > OMG (this one will be very close)

Hark back to the Velocity 3 v 3 tournament in September and here you find 3 out of the final four from that tournament in Fargo. That day OMG narrowly beat Rosemount in the semis and Stillwater beat OMG in the Finals.  The picture here is similar, but the victors will be different.  Rosemount will be too much for this field.

Lower Seeds that Could make Final Four: Hard to call EP a sleeper team, but unranked all year, they could surprise and make it to the Final Four. West Fargo has an impressive record and a very winnable pool and bracket path. Edina Green is a sneaky good team with some very impressive wins.  Prior Lake is playing their best hockey of the year and they are a signature win away (WBL) from a spot in the final four.

Stay Tuned to the site and a link here for all of our commentary on this weekend’s tournament.  Including notes on the B bracket as well.

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