South, East, and West Regional District Previews

District 2

District 2’s associations fielded four AA teams this season (Roseville AA, White Bear Lake AA, Stillwater AA, and Forest Lake AA).  The D2 Peewee AA playoffs open Friday at Stillwater’s St. Croix arena.  The NOW ranked #16 AA team in the state, Roseville won D2’s regular season peewee AA/A title posting a 13-2-1 record; the Raiders two D2 losses were to NOW ranked #32 peewee A team in the state, Stillwater A 4-2 and 3-1.  Sometimes one team just matches up well with another regardless of their prior records.

As the #1 seed, Roseville plays the #4 seed Forest Lake in the opening round; White Bear plays Stillwater in the second game of the four team double elimination playoff.  The Rangers beat Stillwater A 6-2 a week after Roseville lost to the Ponies A; but the Raiders hold two wins over Forest Lake (6-0 and 5-2) and should win.  Stillwater opened their D2 season with a 1-0 loss to the Bears and closed their D2 season with a 4-3 loss to the Bears.  Bears win again.

Roseville beat the Bears twice in D2 5-0 and 7-3 and should beat the Bears in the first final game.  Stillwater beats Forest Lake to eliminate the Rangers, but looses to White Bear Lake.  Roseville edges White Bear Lake and advances to a TBD regional with D2’s #1 seed.  

District 3

District 3’s associations (Wayzata, Osseo/Maple Grove, and the Mpls Storm) fielded three AA teams this year.  All three teams played a shortened regular season schedule in D3’s peewee A league.  Wayzata ended the season with the peewee AA #1 seed in the playoffs.  The D3 playoffs are a three team double elimination format with play opening at the PIC February 15 and the final games played the weekend of February 22.  Wayzata split their two D3 games with OMG, losing in early November 8-1 and winning in middle January 5-3.  The Trojans have beaten the Mpls Strom 7-3 and tied the Storm 3-3 in D3 play.  OMG have beaten the Storm twice 3-2 and 6-0.

The Crimson have been one of the enigmas of the 2013-2014 season.  They are a good team and are 7-2-1 in their last ten games, losing 5-4 to Brainerd AA and 6-4 to Minnetonka AA.  They beat Eden Prairie AA 4-2 and Chaska/Chanhassen 4-2 in those 10 games.  The nod here goes to Osseo Maple Grove.  They get D3’s #1 seed.

District 4

No D4 association fielded AA peewee team this season.

District 5

Five D5 associations fielded AA peewee teams and they have been seeded in a five team double elimination playoff that starts February 14.  Most of the playoff games are held in St. Cloud at the MAC.  Buffalo is seeded #1 will play the winner of the #4/#5 seed game (STMA and MAML).  D5’s #2 St. Cloud plays #3 River Lakes in the other semifinal game Saturday.  Buffalo finished first in D5 posting a 9-0-1 record and proved at the Cloquet Barn Burner to be a “cardiac kid” team winning two late come from games in bracket play before losing to NOW ranked #10 Cloquet AA in overtime.  The #25 ranked Bison have a tough defense, when they are on, and can be dangerous.

STMA (11-21-1) and MAML (7-16-2) have struggled this year after a run of good seasons and STMA has beaten the Moose twice, but by close scores 5-3 in December and 2-1 last week.  This is a tough one to call, but STMA should get the nod.  Buffalo has beaten both STMA and MAML twice and should beat the either one in the semifinal Saturday.  St. Cloud, the #2 seed, plays River Lakes in the other semifinal.  St. Cloud beat the Stars 5-0 last weekend and should beat the Stars again.  Buffalo holds two wins, 3-1 and 2-0 over St. Cloud and should win D5’s regional seed.     

District 6

District 6’s associations fielded seven peewee AA teams this season.  Owatonna’s association (a member of District 9) fielded a AA team that was the eighth team in D6's AA league.  D6’s peewee AA league play will not end until February 22 (their bantam AA league ends the same day) and their #1 seed will go to the league champion.  Edina AA is currently in first place going into the last weekend with a four point lead over #2 Prior Lake AA.  The two teams meet Thursday at Bramaer.  Edina AA, ranked #1, is the favorite to win their last three games and get the D6’s #1 seed to a regional.

District 8

District 8 has a single playoff for both AA and A peewee teams played at Apple Valley’s Hayes arena.  NOW ranked # 12 Rosemount won the regular season title and will likely play Farmington A in their first game.  The Tigers have pushed the Irish twice this season losing 3-1 and 2-1 in their two D8 games.  The two Lakevilles battle in the other quarterfinal with the winner facing the Irish/Tiger winner.  Sibley finished #2 and draws the winner of Woodbury AA and Hastings A.  Eagan will most likely battle Eastview in the final quarterfinal game.  Rosemount is the favorite and Sibley is the challenger, but don’t be surprised if Eagan beats both of them coming down the stretch.  The nod here goes to the Wildcats.  

District 9

Two District 9 associations fielded AA peewee teams in the 2013-2014 season, Rochester and Owatonna.  There is no D9 playoff.  Neither team skated in D9’s peewee A league this year.  Rochester AA opted for an independent schedule and Owatonna skated in D6’s peewee AA league.  Rochester AA, NOW ranked #2, will go to regional play; Owatonna’s season ends with their last D6 league game played at Burnsville February 22.  In a battle of #1 versus #2, Edina AA travels to Rochester to play the Red this weekend for a game that could determine the which team gets the #1 seed and heads to St. Cloud.  Last weekend, the Red swept a three game series with the Madison Capitals in Madison.  The Capitals are currently ranked #66 among USA 01 AAA teams. 

District 10

Six D10 associations fielded peewee AA teams this season.  Elk River AA won the regular season title with a 15-3-2 record.  Andover placed second one point behind the Elks.  All six teams will play in a double elimation tourney that opens play Saturday, February 15 with first round games played at Princeton and ends with the Championship game played at Anoka on Sunday February 23.

The NOW ranked #15 Elks will meet the winner of the Champlin Park/Rogers game; #17 ranked Andover AA will play the winner of the Blaine/Centennial game.  Rogers should edge the Rebels but Elk River will beat them in the semifinals.  The Royals will not upset the Elks two years in a row.  Andover should beat Blaine to set up a battle between #1 and #2 for D10’s AA regional seed.  The Huskies edge the Elks to take 10’s seed.  

District 11

Four associations affiliated with D11 fielded AA peewee teams this season.  One was Superior WI and is not eligible for post season play.  The other three, Cloquet, Hermantown, and Duluth East finished in that order in regular season play.  D11 originally would sends two teams to the north regional played this year in Grand Rapids.  Cloquet and Hermantown were the favorites to go, but D12 will be sending only one team.  All three D11 teams will go.  Cloquet should be the #1 seed, Hermantown the #2 seed and Duluth East the #3 seed.  

District 12

District 12’s Grand Rapids will represent D12 in the North Regional played on home ice.

District 15

The two D15 peewee AA teams, Moorhead and Brainerd, played a home and home series during the season.  Moorhead beat Brainerd 3-0 in early December and Brainerd tied Moorhead 1-1 last week.  Moorhead takes the #1 seed to the North Regional; Brainerd the #2 seed.

District 16

There are two peewee AA teams in D16, Roseau and Bemidji.  The two teams will play each other February 16 in a game at Bemidji that will decide the seeding.  Bemdji beat Roseau last weekend 6-5 in a home game and should be favored.  But the nod here goes to the Rams.  Roseau gets the #1 and Bemdji gets the #2 seed.

North Regional Draw

If the districts predictions hold, play at Grand Rapids on Friday would open with 2:00 PM game matching Cloquet and Brainerd.  The second game would match host Grand Rapids and Bemidji; the third game Moorhead and Hermantown; and the fourth game Roseau and Duluth East.

South, East, and West Regional Draws

Sometime after the conclusion of District playoffs Sunday, February 23, a committee will have to seed all 24 teams into the South, East, and West regions.  Minnesota Hockey has already slotted the seeds to a region.  For example, the #1 seed will play the #24 seed in the opening game of the South Regional played in St. Cloud, Friday February 28; the #2 seed will play the #23 seed in the opening game of the East Regional played at Lakeville; and the #3 seed will play the #22 seed in the West Regional played at Anoka.  A safe bet is that Edina AA and Rochester AA will end up with the #1 and #2 seeds if Edina beats Rochester this weekend.  If not, both teams will not know for certain where they will play and may not know until at late as Sunday February 23.

District Winners

Seven district playoff winners or champions will be automatically seeded.  If the predictions above hold, this corner of YHH would order the district champions as follows: Edina, Rochester, Osseo/Maple Grove, Andover, Eagan, Roseville, and Buffalo.  If you divide the 24 seeds into three groups then the seven district winners would be placed in the three groups as follows: Edina and Rochester in the top group, Osseo/Maple Grove, Eagan and Andover in the middle group, and Roseville and Buffalo in the lower group.  Then the hard work begins, trying to place the remaining 17 teams that did not win their districts in those three groups and then ordering the groups.

But who knows what the seeding committee will decide.  It is not an easy task, but one thing is certain, teams will be scrambling February 24.