Private School Problem Has Few Solutions for MSHSL

The Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament is one of the state's great traditions. For nearly 70 years, fans have gathered to watch the best of the best in the state, and it's always a tournament that just about anyone can win.

People screamed bloody murder when the Minnesota State High School League elected to go to a two-class system for hockey. The tournament was being watered down, after all.

With two classes in place, there were more opportunities for great stories of small towns making it big. As Twin Cities schools became more and more involved in hockey, the metro area started to control the big-school class.

And as it turns out, the Twin Cities have developed a stranglehold on the smaller-school Class A.

How?

Because private schools like Breck and St. Thomas Academy have dominated Class A, which they're eligible to play in because of smaller enrollments. Their practically-blatant acquisition of top hockey talent notwithstanding, these schools come in well under the cutoff for a team to be required to play in Class AA for hockey.

STA is moving up to Class AA next season, which alleviates some of the problem. However, Breck is sticking around in Class A, and there's no reason to think the Mustangs will stop being one of the state's top programs.

Because of the private schools' dominance of the Class A tournament, a new tradition has started for hockey fans in the state, and that's the annual festival of whining about private schools during the state hockey tournament.

Most of it is justified. Class A wasn't created so private schools in the metro area could dominate it, while their hockey peers like Edina and Eden Prairie play in Class AA.

No, Class A was created so schools like St. Cloud Apollo could have a moment in the sun. The Eagles hadn't been to state in the lifetimes of the players on this squad, and earning a spot in the tournament invigorated everyone involved.

Their reward? Outshot 50-3 and outscored 12-0 by a classless St. Thomas Academy team. Not classless because they kept chasing Class A hardware when they had long since proven they had no business in Class A. Classless because of the unnecessary two-man forecheck they were employing in a 12-0 game.

Marshall had never been. The Tigers -- from southwestern Minnesota -- are probably better known for football or wrestling, but the 3A champions earned their way to state, serving as the only of 16 teams in the two classes to make a first state tourney appearance this season.

What was the prize? They got schooled 6-1 by Breck in a game that was only that close because Breck didn't lay everything on the line once it became clear the Tigers were outclassed on the ice. The Mustangs chose to respect their opponent, unlike the top seed in the tournament did a few hours later.

It's the sad reality of what Class A has become. We spend more time talking about how Hermantown or -- in most years -- Warroad should move up, or whining about the presence of dominant Twin Cities private schools in the tournament, than we do enjoying the tournament.

STA and Breck have inherent advantages. They are elite schools where kids get the best of both worlds. They get a top-notch education, along with the chance to play high-level hockey with great players and often against great teams. They are up against community-based programs, where the seeds for greatness are sown in Squirts, PeeWees, and Bantams.

Marshall didn't make a state tournament by taking the best bantam players from Luverne. St. Cloud Apollo's first trip to state since 1984 didn't happen because all the really good players from Sartell decided to transfer for a better opportunity.

(For that matter, Hermantown didn't build a program capable of making three straight state title games by poaching half the roster from Proctor, and the kids that did transfer there did so at such a young age they didn't come close to running afoul of MSHSL rules.)

Yeah, I get it. Breck and STA don't have district boundaries to draw kids from. They have to get kids for the school to make it. This is one vehicle to do that, and I'm not here to deny them the opportunity to play hockey.

But when you clearly have an advantage over everyone, not just Class A schools, and you decide to play in Class A, that's wrong.

What is the solution?

It isn't simple. Requiring all private schools to move up one class in all sports isn't fair. There are plenty of examples of private school programs that can't compete in the level they're playing at based on enrollment. Instead of punishing the majority for the actions of the minority, let's find a different way.

STA doesn't attract kids by offering Class A trophies and tourney appearances, and they also don't use the free publicity they get from the private-public debate. The Cadets get kids by playing elite competition, as evidenced by about half their schedule coming against Class AA opponents. That's how it gets done.

First step toward fixing the problem: A new rule that works for every sport and every class. Any team that plays more than, say, 30-35 percent of  their games against teams in a higher class over a rolling five-year period must move up one class for a minimum of four years. Suddenly, any school playing -- as an example -- Class A hockey loses one of its potential advantages over other Class A teams.

You can't balance the schedule so everyone plays everyone, but you can level the playing field a bit. That should be the goal, not screwing schools that are abiding by the rules and trying to do the right thing by the kids they enroll.

Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament Schedule

Here is the schedule for the state quarterfinals, starting with Class A on Wednesday. Please note that the top five teams in voting were seeded, with the matchups for seeds No. 1-3 determined by a random draw.

Wednesday’s Class 1A Quarterfinals
#2 Breck (24-3-1) vs. Marshall (14-10-1), 11 a.m.
#3 Hermantown (23-4-1) vs. Duluth Marshall (16-12), 30 minutes after end of 11 a.m. game (Will air on The Fan 1490)
#1 St. Thomas Academy (24-2-2) vs. St. Cloud Apollo (18-10), 6 p.m.
#4 East Grand Forks (22-3-3) vs. #5 Rochester Lourdes (20-8), 30 minutes after end of 6 p.m. game

Thursday’s Class 2A Quarterfinals
#2 Duluth East (24-4) vs. Moorhead (14-11-2), 11 a.m. (Will air on The Fan 1490)
#3 Edina (22-6) vs. Lakeville North (11-16-1), 30 minutes after end of 11 a.m. game
#1 Hill-Murray (25-2-1) vs. Eastview (18-9-1), 6 p.m.
#4 Wayzata (21-7) vs. #5 Centennial (22-4-2), 30 minutes after end of 6 p.m. game

Semifinals for Class A start at 11 on Friday, while AA semifinals begin at 6. Championship games are Saturday.

Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD's Slump Sufficiently Busted

We were looking for 60 minutes Friday night.

Got it.

UMD ended a 1-3-2 skid by thumping a very good Nebraska-Omaha team 4-1 at Amsoil Arena Friday night.

It was UMD's first Friday night win since Jan. 21, their first Friday night point since Feb. 4, and their first home Friday win since a 2-0 victory over Wisconsin Jan. 14.

There were enough positives in this game to fill the Bulldogs' wonderful home facility, but we'll quickly summarize.

• UMD got scoring from lines not lamely nicknamed "FCC" by homer media members. Travis Oleksuk's line scored twice, including once on the power play, and Keegan Flaherty set David Grun up for a snipe job in the high slot.
• Kenny Reiter was sharp, making 29 saves on 30 shots. More than anything, as Lee Davidson talked about in the pregame, he avoided giving up any bad goals. Bad goals can be more deflating than great saves are inspiring.
• UMD only took three penalties for six minutes, which should cut a bit into their per-game minutes average of 15.8.
• Reiter was the recipient of a solid defensive effort that featured plenty of hard skating and physical play. It was a total team effort.

The Pairwise implications -- UMD moved to eighth, a No. 2 regional seed, for the win -- matter, too. Of course, losses can send you right back in the pack, so the Bulldogs can't rest on their laurels.

The goal of an NCAA championship isn't going to be significantly helped by a high seed. Just getting in the tournament is enough, because you give yourself a chance to go all the way.

Heading into Saturday, the Bulldogs have to continue the positive strides they made Friday. You don't want to take a step back after such a nice step forward.

Before Friday's game, UNO coach Dean Blais talked about his team being able to play relaxed, now that they've clinched home ice and a top four position. There wasn't much they could do without help to aid their playoff positioning, and they're happy with the season they've had.

They appeared to be a bit too relaxed at times Friday, and one has to think that will change Saturday. Expect the Mavericks to get in some faces, especially early, and try to set a different tone for this game. UMD has to get off to another good start and build on a lead, just like they did Friday.

A sweep in this series gives UMD a chance to finish second in the league, and while the prize of playing Minnesota State might not sound enticing, it's better than the prize of playing Wisconsin if they finish fourth.

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Courtesy of the WCHA, here are the scenarios for UMD.

Seeded 2nd with a win and a Denver loss or tie.
Seeded 2nd with a tie and a Denver loss.
Seeded 3rd with a win and a Denver win.
Seeded 3rd with a tie and a Denver win or tie.
Seeded 4th with a loss.

The following teams have a chance to finish between 11th (UMD would play if they finish second) and ninth (UMD would play if they finish fourth):

St. Cloud State
Wisconsin
Alaska-Anchorage
Bemidji State
Minnesota State

Take your pick, and root for the proper outcome. The full list of scenarios is way too long to print in this space, even though my space is technically unlimited. Check it out at wcha.com.

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Here are the pairings for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament:

CLASS A QUARTERFINALS - WEDNESDAY
(2) Hermantown vs. Alexandria, 11am
(3) Rochester Lourdes vs. Hibbing, 1pm
(1) St. Thomas Academy vs. New Ulm, 6pm
(4) Breck vs. Thief River Falls, 8pm

CLASS AA QUARTERFINALS - THURSDAY
(2) Edina vs. Blaine, 11am
(3) Duluth East vs. White Bear Lake, 1pm
(1) Eden Prairie vs. Lakeville North, 6pm
(4) Eagan vs. Moorhead, 8pm

Trophy Chasing Still Alive and Well

The Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament started Wednesday, but many of the reporters and almost all of the fans who converge on the XCel Energy Center aren't showing up until Thursday.

That's when the Class AA teams take over, playing in front of a full building and getting much more attention than their Class A counterparts got Wednesday.

There better be some better competition in these games, because the first day of the tournament was a total bust, thanks in large part to a perennial Minnesota power and a trophy-chaser.

It's hard to have a lot of issues with Warroad. They're a small school, and Class A was designed for the small schools in the small towns. It's not their fault that Roseau got tired of losing to them and bolted to AA, where they compete with Moorhead and little else for a state tournament slot.

Breck, on the other hand, has about as much business in Class A hockey as Eden Prairie would.

It's ridiculous, frankly, that the Minnesota State High School League continues to let private schools use their inherent advantages to abuse legitimate small-school operations and destroy any chance they may have of winning the state tournament.

Let's face it. The two-class system in hockey wasn't put in place so St. Thomas Academy and Breck could chase trophies. It was put in place so Mahtomedi and Hermantown could enjoy their special teams that probably wouldn't be good enough to beat the big-school teams they would have to face in a one-class section.

Somewhere along the way, the MSHSL lost the message, and they've refused to take anything remotely resembling a tough stance on the private school issue.

On one hand, you have schools like Benilde-St. Margaret's, Hill-Murray, and Holy Angels, private schools who know they can compete at the highest level, and they choose to play Class AA when their enrollment doesn't dictate they do so.

On the other, you see the likes of St. Thomas Academy, Blake, and Breck, none of whom really have any business in Class A, but insist on staying there so they can more easily compile section and state trophies against lesser competition.

What fun was there in watching Breck and New Ulm Wednesday night? Why would you want anything to do with that kind of game? It's embarrassing, frankly, and it's not just because New Ulm came out of a ridiculously bad section.

The MSHSL has no honor, and they bear all the responsibility for this. The Class A quarterfinals were a joke, and it's time to address the many issues facing the state's high school hockey product. From this chair, it's clear there are few options.

Force all private schools to play Class AA. This would have multiple effects. First off, it more or less levels the playing field in Class A. Secondly, it puts the private schools all in the same class, and it puts them against programs that might be able to compete with their ability to load up with elite players.

Lower the enrollment limit to play Class A. This will hurt the number of teams in Class A, but it will take the bigger private schools like Breck and St. Thomas Academy out of the running for a championship they probably don't have any right claiming.

Frankly, a smaller Class A that better serves the purpose of Class A might be a really good thing in the end.

Put all Twin Cities Class A private schools in the same section. This screams as a totally unfair idea.

But what's more unfair? Sticking the likes of Breck, Blake, and STA in one section, allowing them no more than one Class A tournament spot, or letting them dominate more watered-down sections in order to chase trophies they should already consider out of their league?

Perhaps, the State High School League continues to do nothing on this issue because they enjoy the attention. After all, there's no such thing as bad publicity. However, it's time for a change in how this sport is run, preferably so we can avoid the kind of embarrassing "state tournament" display we saw Wednesday night.