The Brackets for the Fargo International came out Tuesday. Each year, the committee makes a few peculiar picks in the bracketing process. Some years, teams get inflated seeds and an easy road to deep in the Winner's Bracket. The Truth is listed below in our commentary, the Reality is below that in what the Brackets will likely look like come Saturday.
1,2,3: To the Committee's credit, they got the first three seeds correct: OMG, WBL, and Edina Green have earned their way to those 3 spots. The next slot, number 4 is where the second biggest trouble lays.
4: St. Cloud, if given the number 4 seed, will draw the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes in the second round. The Canes are the highest ranked non-Minnesota team in the field. Both St. Cloud and Carolina seemed like solid top 16 seeds. One will be headed to the 1-1 Bracket on Saturday.
5,6: The committee nailed seeds 5 and 6 with PCG and Apple Valley. We had them reversed.
7: The third biggest trouble spot was Prior Lake nabbing the 7 seed. The Lakers have shown this year they are #4 seed and has wins over Apple Valley, Edina White, Eden Prairie, East Grand Forks, and Chaska Chan.
8: Shakopee earns an 8 spot, we had them at #10 (close enough).
9: Another troubling mis-step is in the 9 slot. None of the teams (Jefferson, Detroit Lakes, GF Titans, and Superior, WI) have T16 resumes. Taking a valuable spot from a team like say, Eden Prairie or Carolina, who face high end competition in round 2.
10: East Grand Forks appears to be the #10 slot (they face STMA, who is likely the lowest seed in this pod). The Green Wave will face a tough Hermantown team in round 2.
11: Roseau, winners of the Roseau Tournament last weekend, likely are the #11 seed, we had them at #8. No problem here. The problem is the second team in the pod is Eden Prairie. The Eagles are a T10 team in Minnesota. Winners of the EP Tourney, Runner-Up in Hopkins, and a Quarterfinalist in the Squirtacular, where they beat #6 Apple Valley. We had them at #9 (see 9 for where they belong).
12: Chaska is about where we expected them (we think they are a 7 based on their long list of quality wins over top teams including White Bear Lake, Shakopee, Andover and Jefferson).
13: Highland/Moorhead...two good teams. None with a signature win. Highland tied WBL and Moorhead has played some top competition tough, but doesn't have a marquee win, yet.
14: Grand Rapids is two below where we had them slotted...close enough.
15: Littleton, CO is a good team, we had them at 16.
16. Rochester comes in at 16...the Red is a nice team. YHH saw them against Lakeville South on Sunday at Vadnais. A solid #2 seed in a pod but not a #1.
