The nice thing about the Red Black League is that it demands of its players a different approach to playing hockey.  And it is not easy.  On the surface, the league’s demands are simple, no hard checking and no roughing; rubs only along the boards.  The league’s goal is provide an up tempo style of play while minimizing injuries in off season play.  In the process, the players are forced into a style of play that forces them to re-assess their skills and not just rely on the body.

Players since their squirt years have always been running up the mountain called development.  As one gets nearer and nearer the top, the steeper and steeper the mountain gets.  There is less and less opportunity for a player to handle the puck on ice in game conditions.  The Red Black League style of play, on ice, eliminates the pressure of hard hitting games and allows the players more on ice time to handle the puck while skating competitively against some of the top players in Minnesota.  Their focus can be more on the personal skills.  The league’s approach is a little like putting a small valley on that mountain’s slope.  The intense pressure felt by a player puck touches brought on by a hard body check is gone.  But now the player’s brain has to think, react, and engage to do the right thing.  The physical threat is gone, but the demand for quickness remains.

This style of play has attracted to the league this fall some strong varsity players including goalies.  The open style means more pressure on the goalies.  Three goals or more a game by both teams is common and it means each goaltender generally sees a lot of pucks often off of tough rushes or good passing plays.

Red Black Championship Game

Orange, the regular season champs, had to survive two tight games to reach the championship beating Green 8-7 in a quarterfinal donnybrook and Yellow 5-4 in a shootout.  Grey, behind good goal tending, upset Black 3-1 in the quarterfinals and Teal 5-4 in a semifinal shootout game (note: quarterfinal and final game summaries are at the end of this post).   

First Half

Things opened with a bang in the Championship game played Saturday at the Richfield Arena.  Less than a minute into the opening half, Grey’s Ryan Murray/Prior Lake beating Orange goalie Nick Wiencek/Eden Prairie from the right side to put Grey up 1-0.  Grey’s Josh Hallum/St. Thomas Academy and Eric Elftmann/Blake got the assists.  Before the fans could really settle, the Orange struck back thirty seconds later.  It would be the first of five goals produced by the Orange’s line of Connor Clemons, Curt Hansen, and Jack Hansen (no relation to Curt).  This line is likely to be Prior Lake's #1 or #2 varsity line in three weeks.  Jack Hansen scored the first goal putting a rebound off goalie Shaun Durocher/Eden Prairie's pads into the net to tie the score 1-1.  Curt Hansen and Clemons got the assists.

The initial fireworks over, the game settled into a nice transition game with the players handling and moving the puck the length of the ice and the defense using their feet and stick to defend against the fast moving wings.  For the next ten minutes the two teams battled, neither scoring but each having good scoring chances.

With 13 minutes left in the first half and Orange on the power play and in control of the play in the Grey's zone, a rebound ended up in the left crease.  The Orange's Curt Hansen batted the puck past Durocher.  Jack Foley/Edina and Austin Langworthy/Mankato West got the assists.  Orange led 2-1.  They never relinquished the lead after that. 

Orange started controlling the play for longer periods after taking the lead.  Over the next 6 minute, Grey could only mount an attack in quick bursts through the Orange defense.  An Orange penalty slowed the regular season champs' attack, but with seven minutes left in the half, the Hansen/Hansen/Clemons line struck for the third time in the period.  This time Clemons scored off a pass from the right side boards to put the Orange up 3-1.  Curt Hansen and Jack Hansen (no relationship) got the assists.  The first half ended with the Orange up 3-1.

Second Half

Grey scored 5 minutes into the second half on a nice 3-on-2 rush that resulted in defenseman Ben Boldenow/Eden Prairie hitting Tyler Scott in the right slot on a nice pass from behind the end line right.  Scott one-timed the puck in the net to cut the Orange lead to 3-2.  But in a repeat of the opening minutes of the first half when Grey scored in the first minutes, the Orange struck back a minute later.  Again, Clemons and Curt Hansen teamed up to score.  Clemons got the goal; Curt Hansen the assist.  Orange led 4-2.

A minute after taking a two goal lead and with 18 minutes left in the game, Orange pulled two successive slashing penalties.  The Grey had one minute plus 5-on-3 advantage.  At this key moment in the game, the Orange defense led by Ty Cousineau/Minnetonka and Jack Foley/Edina shut the Grey offense down.  The Grey forwards could not gain control of the puck in the Orange zone.  Orange killed both penalties and went on a power play a minute later.  Orange scored on the power play, this time Langworthy scored with Jack Hansen and Clemons getting the assists.  Orange led 5-2.

At seven minute mark, Grey’s Tommy Schmid/Shakopee came up with the puck in the left face off and beat Orange’s goalie Scites with a hard shot to the right side of the net to cut the lead to 5-3 and end the scoring.  Grey had some scoring opportunities in the final minutes but could not beat Scites in the remaining seven minutes.  The Orange won the Red Black League 2014 Championship playoffs and regular season.  Congratulations to the dual champs this year.

What is next?

The Magicians’ Red Black League (Spring version) will be holding tryouts in mid-March with league play planned for April and May.  Hopefully a few of those games will be played before Magicians home games when they clinch the NAHL’s Midwest Division title and a good spot in the playoffs for the National Junior Tier II Hockey Title.  March will also mark the first appearance of the Magicians U16 and U18 teams in the Minnesota District Tournament as the Magicians teams challenge Shattuck, the Minnesota Blades, the Minnesota Northern Wings, and the Minnesota Elite Development League’s U16 team for the Gopher seed to the USA Hockey’s National Tier I U16 and U18 Tournaments.

For the players, what is next for most is their high school season and it will be interesting to see how the Red Black alumni do this season.  One high school team to watch this year is Prior Lake.  The Orange team’s high scoring line of Curt Hansen, Connor Clemons, and Jack Hansen will likely be one of the top lines as the Lakers challenge Edina's Hornets for the Section 2AA title and the ticket to the Xcel.  Clemons and Curt Hansen were the #4 and #5 scorers for the Lakers last season.  Curt Hansen led the Red Black league in scoring this fall (46 points/25 goals in 18 regular season games); Clemons posted 18 points/10 goals this fall.  Jack Hansen has been a pleasant surprise in the Red Black making the top 10 in scoring (21 points/9 goals).  Goalie Drew Scites will be fun to watch.  Scites, a junior played for Compuware's U16 Tier I team in 2013-2014, that finished the season ranked #16 in the nation.  Scites could be the Lakers’ work horse in the net this season with the Lakers losing veteran goalies Nick Vidmar and Jeff Ritala through graduation.

Jory McWilliams, a sophomore for Kennedy last season and the Eagles #4 scorer, was another pleasant surprise in the Red Black League this fall.  McWilliams was the league’s #2 scorer posting 43 points/25 goals.  Kennedy leaves the South Suburban Conference this season and will play in the new Metro West Conference (with Jefferson, Chanhassen, Chaska, Richfield, Benilde-St. Margaret’s and St. Louis Park).  McWilliams will be another player to watch this season.

Austin Langworthy, another top 10 scorer from Mankato West, is another player to watch.  He posted 21 points/16 goals and did not play in all 18 league games this fall.  A senior this year, Langworthy played for the Scarlet’s Big Nine Championship team last season that lost to New Prague in the Section 1A finals.  With the Missota Conference disbanded this season, the Big Nine has added Northfield and Red Wing to the conference.  This corner of YHH has marked Saturday, November 22 on its calendar.  The 2:00 PM game between the Scarlets and Northfield at Northfield will be one to see re-kindling District 9 rivalries in an arena where all the partisan Northfield fans sit directly above the ice.

Erik Engdahl/Jefferson ended up as the third leading scorer in the Red Black this fall (31 points/11 goals).  Engdahl skated for the Jefferson JV last season and skated well in this Red Black League playing smart hockey.  Engdahl is another player to watch this season.

For years, between the high school and the youth association, Apple Valley has struggled to keep its better players.  Some of the very top players have been picked off and ended up playing on top teams elsewhere.  Two seasons ago, a varsity team that should have competed for the South Suburban title, lost its best players to other schools and at the same time, the top players at the peewee and bantam level opted to play for other associations.  Through it all, Apple Valley junior, Tristan Plagge, kept skating and this fall he had a good Red Black season leading his team in scoring with 20 points/6 goals.  Plagge will likely be one of the key players on the Eagle's varsity this coming season.  The Eagles will likely continue to struggle in the rugged South Suburban with top ranked teams Lakeville North, Prior Lake, and Farmington (joining from the defunct Missota league), but Apple Valley and Plagge will be a fun team to watch.

The Red Black League play is over.  High school practices start November 10 and the first available contest date in November 20th (player eligibility verification forms due November 21st).  The State Tournaments are played this season March 4th to March 7th at Xcel.  Now the Red Black players will shift into high gear.

Note that the Red Black League quarterfinal and semifinal game summaries follow:

Red Black Quarterfinal Games

Sixth seeded Teal pulled off a first round upset over third seeded White 7 - 1 Monday night. Matt Foss/Northfield and Jack Bernhagen/Orono HS combined on a spectacular night between the pipes for Teal. Michael Niederer/Mound and Derek Annett/Chaska each chipped in two goals and Zac Rodeheffer/Chaska HS set up four goals for the winners. Dan Urbanciz/Chaska also had a strong night with a goal and two assists for Teal. Dylan McLaughlin/Anoka scored the single goal for White.

Number one seeded Orange survived an inspired game from eighth seeded Green winning 8-7. Green led by a goal into the second half. Curtis Hansen/Prior Lake, Austin Langworthy/Mankato West and Connor Clemons/Prior Lake had great nights with 2 goals and 2 assists each. Andre Larenzie/Minnehaha Academy had the hat trick for Green. Oliver Hoeschen/St.Paul Academy set up all three of Larenzie's goals adding 3 assists. Cole Gnetz/Cretin Derham Hall, Max Rosenfield/Sibley, and Nate Horn/Elk River all added 2 points each for Green.

Fourth seeded Yellow overcame a 3 goal first half deficit to beat fifth seeded Blue 9-7.  Yellow was paced by 3 points each from Steve Heron/Centennial, Tyler Bump/Prior Lake, and Eric Otto/Burnsville. Derek Daugaard/Prior Lake and Joe Janckila/Litchfield-Dassel-Cokato each chipped in 2 points for the winners. For Blue, Jack Lawton/Benilde St. Margaret's had a hat trick and 2 assists. Kyle Wendorf/Bloomington Jefferson also had a great night with 2 goals and 3 assists. Point machine Jory McWilliams continued his stellar play with 4 points. Joe Nelsen/Hopkins had 3 nice assists and Erik Engdahl/Bloomington Jefferson continued his fine season with 2 points.

The final game of the night saw seventh seeded Grey pull off the upset of second seeded Black 3-1. The dangerous Grey goalie dual of Sean Durocher/Eden Prairie and Connor Wagner/New Praque were the difference. The goalies split the game and Black could not solve the riddle. Goal scorers for Grey were Brett Boldenow/Eden Prairie, Ben Sellman/Chanhassen, and Tyler Scott/Breck. Jack Schulze/Prior Lake and Josh Hallum/St.Thomas Academy each chipped in a nice assist. Jake Klein/Minnetonka was the lone goal scorer for Black.

Red Black Semifinal Games

The Minnesota Magicians Red Black Fall High School League Semifinals were held at Richfield Ice Arena Saturday afternoon. Those in attendance witnessed two spectacular games as both semis went into shootouts. In the opener first seeded Orange survived 5-4 over Yellow. Orange was led by the League's leading scorer Curtis Hansen/Prior Lake, who had one goal and two assists.  Connor Clemons/Prior Lake had one goal and one assist.  Ryan Murray/Prior Lake posted one goal and one assist and Blake Bartizal/Prior Lake scored one goal.  Yellow was led by Kyle Bouton's/Elk River two goals, and Steve Heron's/Centennial  two assists.  In the shootout, Drew Scites stole the show stopping all yellow shots.  Curtis Hansen and Austin Langworthy each scored in the shootout to send Orange to the championship.

In the second semifinal, Grey rallied from a 3 - 1 deficit, to force a shootout and were victorious beating the Teal 5 - 4.  Grey was led by Brett Boldenow with two goals and one assist, and Tommy Schmid with one goal and one assist.  Teal was led by the Lakeville North duo of Chaz Dufon and Max McGlade, each with two goals.  Michael Niederer/Mound assisted on two of his line mates’ goals.  In the shootout, Sean Durocher slammed the door and stopped all of the Teal shootout attempts.  Shootout goals for grey were scored by Tyler Rock/Holy Family, Tyler Scott/Breck and Josh Hallum/St Thomas Academy sending the Grey to the November 1st championship game at Richfield versus Orange.