2015 Minnesota 16U Championship

Shattuck’s 16U team is ranked #1 nationally and is a strong team this year.  Last season’s team struggled barely posting a .500 record on the season, finished ranked #17, and were eliminated in pool play at last year’s nationals in Green Bay WI, but this year’s 16U’s are comprised mostly of last season’s Shattuck Bantam team that won the national title and ended the season ranked #1 in the country.  This season, Shattuck’s 16U team posted a 29-11-7 record, but played only five games in February and none in March.  Most of the Magicians played in the Red Black league in the fall and played high school hockey sectionals or state the last two weeks.

Shattuck opened the first period of play skating all out, determined to blitz the Magicians and end the game quickly.  The Sabres scored a quick goal and found Brannon McManus/Newport Beach CA breaking in the slot on a nice lead pass to score again on a penalty kill.  Five minutes into the period, the Sabres led 2-0.  Then the game got tough and physical.  The Sabre players had the great skills, but the Magicians had played their season against players like those on the Minnesota Blades 18U team.  The play became deadlocked.  Shattuck would set up in the Magicians’ zone and look to make the quick pass to attack the weak side, but were getting bodied off the play.  The Magicians were breaking out especially catching the Shattuck defense forward with the longer pass.

A Magician’s tripping call with less than four minutes to go in the period resulted in a Minnesota score.  Thirty seconds into the penalty kill, a pass from the Magicians’ zone hit Tyler Scott breaking down the slot for a solo on the Sabres’ net.  Scott went top shelf to cut the Shattuck lead to 2-1.

But the Magicians could not kill the penalty.  With 30 seconds left in the penalty, Shattuck scored to go up 3-1.  Ten seconds later, a mishandled puck in front the Magicians’ net set up the fourth Shattuck goal.  The Sabres led 4-1 at the end of the opening period and outshot the Magicians 19-10 in the period.  Each team scored once in the second period and the Magicians scored on a power play at the start of the third period to cut the Sabres’ lead to 6-3.  Shattuck struck back with a quick goal to end the scoring 7-3.  The Magicians killed a five minute major after the last Sabre goal, but never recovered from giving up those two late first period goals.

2015 Minnesota 18U Championship

The Minnesota Blades showed up with thirteen skaters and St. Cloud Cathedral’s goalie, Zach Fritz, in the nets.  Shattuck’s Prep showed up with eighteen skaters and two goalies and Frederic Foulem/Dieppe NB in the nets.  Unlike the Sabres 16U team, the Preps knew it would be a tough game.  It was.  The Blades defensive pair of Sam Fuss and Ben Foley dominated the action in their shifts on the ice often keeping the play in front of the Sabres’ net.  After a scoreless opening period, Shattuck scored twice to take a 2-1 lead at the end of the second period and needed to get the winning goal with less than 90 seconds left in the game for the 3-2 win.

Shattuck attacked aggressively in the opening minutes of the first period.  They pressured the Blades net looking for the quick puck reversal.  They got some tremendous pressure on goalie Fritz, forcing him to make some great plays.  But after that initial burst, the Blades took over.  Playing with a short bench, the Blades controlled play for the rest of the first period.  They easily turned the puck on Shattuck rushes and often trapped the Shattuck team inside the Sabre’s zone, but the Blades could not score.  The period ended in a scoreless tie.

Play didn’t change much in the second period.  Both teams had their opportunities and halfway through the period, the Blades’ Max Zimmer beat the Sabre defense low left and hammered a hard shot past Foulem into the upper right corner of the net to put the Blades up 1-0.  A minute later, Shattuck’s Joachim Weberg/Oslo Norway, scored on a hard shot from behind the net that bounced of a player in front for the score.  The game was tied 1-1.  With two minutes left in the period, Shattuck caught the Blades defense in a scramble.  Moving the puck wide side-to-side and shooting they finally scored to take a 2-1 lead going into the third period.

With seven minutes gone in the third period, there was a shift in the game flow.  Shattuck’s defense was starting to leave gaps between themselves and the Blades forwards and the Blades’ attacks off the rushes were getting stronger.  With three minutes to go in the game, the Blades’ Zimmer tried to beat the Shattuck defense cutting right across the top of the faceoff circle.  He lost his skates and got spun around.  Flat on the ice, Zimmer still managed to get a shot that beat Foulem to tie the game 2-2.  A minute later, the Sabre’s through everything but the “kitchen sink” out on the ice and furiously attack the Blades goal.  Vincent de Mey/Los Angeles CA got the game winner to end the scoring 3-2.

What is next?

Both Shattuck teams won the district title and will return to the nationals.  But this year they earned that right.  The Minnesota teams led by the Blades and the Magicians made them earn it and dispelled the idea that Shattuck will easily win all such playoffs.  The 2015 playoff was a success.

Next year’s 2016 Minnesota District Playoffs will be driven by Shattuck and teams handpicked by Minnesota Hockey.  This corner of YHH says it will not be a success even though it will have the full backing of USA and Minnesota Hockey.  The success is in trouble because the Minnesota State High School League refuses to change.  The League will continue to use their high school hockey rules to drive high school hockey as an “activity” and to limit year round participation in the sport.  One of the core beliefs of the board is that year round hockey is bad for a player that players should participate in other activities.  That belief is used to justify limiting participation in year round hockey.  The League’s problem is that they need hockey, the 18,000 plus fans showing up at the Xcel, and can’t kill it.  But with the League having no “sunk investment” in hockey, the League has no say in the sport.  It is really left to the communities, associations, and organizations like the Magicians and the Blades.  Minnesota Hockey stepping in and trying to fill the role of the Magicians and the Blades is a dream. 

The state high school league will continue to “milk hockey” and will do nothing other than to confuse and discourage participation.  Minnesota Hockey has little say in the sport, especially during the summer.  They disappear behind the high performance program while squirts to bantams (the bulk of the summer participation) find various ways to participate.  This 2015 district playoffs were fine.  Shattuck will head to the nationals and hopefully win representing Minnesota.  That is not a bad situation.