Time for you to give your input on how things will shake out in the OK's Tier 1 this season. East Kentwood, East Grand Rapids and Rockford will all have senior laden teams, while Forest Hills N/E, Forest Hills Central and OK newcomer GR Catholic Central will be in rebuilding mode after graduating hugely successful senior classes last season. Oh yeah, there's that team from Mona Shores, which is always force to be dealt with, regardless of whether its players are young or old. Use the comments section to share your thoughts on the OK-1 conference race this season.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
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104 comments:
Should be a chippy skate to the Championship. I'm sure that the Falcons and Sailors will be battling down to the last buzzer for the coveted top place!
Rockford and Shores bloggers and comments??
mona has atleast 12 seniors, so i would say that is senior laden as well.
5 legit. teams with a chance to win it (Mona, Rockford, EK, EGR & FHNe). I think CC and FHC are rebuilding a little bit too much to challenge, but one never knows!?! Should be another good year of hockey for the OK-Conferences top tier.
mona is the best team. but that doesnt mean they win conference. i would say egr ek and mona will all be close and rockford could cause a few upsets to shake things up. just like last year when they beat mona in february to make the ek game a must win. should be a great season of hockey in tier 1
Please don't call out the Mona Blogger we think we have his medication right for the season only time will tell, just like all the teams time will tell if they have the combinations right let them play and see who comes out on top.
Rockford...mark it down now. EK and Mona are not what they think they are, they just get the press! It takes heart, not print to win games...look at last year w/ FHNE...
EK will win it all. Mona is close but no cigar this season. Rockford would challenge except they can't score goals. East GR will score a lot of goals but won't be able to keep people from scoring. FH North is a question mark because so many seniors graduated but who knows what kids will play there instead of travel this year. FH Central and GRCC will try to stay out of tier 2.
EK and Mona have the most talented teams in the conference, and in my opinion EGR is the most disciplined and hard working team in the conference. Rockford is a strong team and will contend. In my opinion it is a toss up between those 4 teams. Should be a highly competitive year!
FHN/E didn't win conference. Mona and EK will probably just lose every game because they have no heart. No offense to any of the school, but year in and year out Mona and EK have battled for top spot and I don't think this year will be any defferent.
1. Mona Shores
2. Kentwood
3. EGR
4. FHC
5. GRCC
6. FHNE
7. Rockford
I don't think any team is going to finish undefeated in conference this year
1. Mono Shores
2. Kentwood
3. Rockford
4. EGR
5. FHN/E
6. FHC
7. GRCC
EGR...nuff said
EGR will not win it...they have a goalie who has never played a high school game and there d is weak...Mona has the best goalie in the league and solid d even though Carlston left for jrs...EK and Rockford also have good goalies and solid d. The game is all about defense and goaltending.
I'll take Bresko/Belton over tiefendahl. Overrated-has great D in front of him.
Haha^
yeah, ek doesnt have any good d. stupid comment, tiefenthal has made team west michgan his junior and senior year for a reason, and someone learn how to spell "enough"
EGR- no solid defensemen and a new starting goalie, they have one solid line of forwards, maybe 2. ek has 2 returning goalies decent defensemen and with sanders out half of the season the forwards situation it up in the air. for fhne jester is returning which should help them and they still have swardinski, but other than that not much. mona has the best goalie in the conference, along with at least 3 solid forward lines and a few good defensemen. rockford has a returning senior goalie who is proven to be a good player, rockfords problem is they dont have enough offense or defense to make them a true contender in the conference. grcc and fhc both lost too many seniors but grcc can still be competitive and will probably surprise some people and be better than expected.
1- mona 10-1-1
2- Ek 9-2-1
3- Egr 7-3-2
4- rkfd- 6-6
5- fhne 5-6-1
6- grcc 3-8-1
7- fhc 1-10-1
the tier 1 title will most likely come down to the ek/ mona game the last week of the regular season. lot of close conference game and it should be a great season
I don't think I would hang my hat on making TWM 2 years in a row. It's not like they take the all the best players. Bresko should have made it his Jr year, but politics and taking care of your own kept him off the team. Never said EK d was bad,just that Mona's is/was better.Good luck to all.
1. Mona Shores
2. Kentwood
3. EGR
4. FHNE
5. FHC
6. GRCC
7. Rockford
Let it be noted:
1: Rockford
2: Mona
3: Kentwood
4: FHN
5: EGR
6: FHC
7: GRCC
I will let that be noted so at the end of the season I can tell you how wrong you were.
I think people are giving FHN/E too much respect because of last year. They lost a lot of key players. Also, both them and FHC are dealing with new coaches. It will be an interesting rebuilding season for a couple of teams.
1. Mona
2. Kentwood
3. Rockford
4. FHNE
5. FHC
6. EGR
7. GRCC
You must be high if you think EGR will finish in second to last. They will ROCK the conference this year with four lines of offensive that can all score goals and a defense that will smack down other players. This is the year of the Pioneer in West Michigan hockey!!!!
east gr and rockford need to ease up on their hype of the season. rockford lost their top 3 players from last year in beeg, hall and glass..so theres not much offense left and their defense wasn't good last year so why should anyone believe this year will be different? EGR lost ian mcdonald and ecko morgan- their 2 most important players. they do not have solid goaltending and they are not good defensively. I'd like to see the "4 lines of scoring" that egr has because ill bet they have 2 solid lines at best.
i agree that FHNE is getting too much respect because of last year. swardinski could be the best player in the conference but they dont have anyone else except jester in net.
Another boring year in Tier 1. EK and Mona Shores should just play each other for the championship. Why should these other teams even be in tier 1.
fhne picked up a goalie who was playing juniors in canada and also a big power forward from arizona. if they would have gotten all of the travel players they would have been awesome but should just be okay with the goalie winning them some games
GRCC will be better than people think slobo is a tremendous coach
Slobo does not lace up skates and play. He is a good coach and a good guy, but he is just that. People act like Slobo has never coached mediocre teams, or he can somehow make those mediocre teams into champions. Knute Rockne said it best "I've found that prayers work best when you have big players." Talent helps too.
1. Mona Shores
2. GRCC
3. EK
4. EGR
5. FHC
6. Rockford
7. FHN/E
1.GRCC
2.EK
3.MS
4.EGR
5.Rockford
6.FHC
7.FHN/E
All this talk of Slobo, but isn't Kranzo still the coach? I have to believe that Slobo will be a part time coach at best.
1. GRCC
2. FHNE
3. FHC
4. EGR
5. Rockford
6. EK
7. Mona
anything can happen...
keep wishing...
I watched the westcoast shootout at the Lakeshore and saw MS. They look slow, small and confused. Boyd and Melache were there big guns up front and Brock Carlson was the stopper in back. Without that trio, Shores is a middle of the pack team at best. You can bring this to the bank:
1. Rockford
2. EK
3. EGR
4. MS
5. FHNE
6. FHC
7. GRCC
- Rockford Fan who unlike a lot of you knows the game
"- Rockford Fan who unlike a lot of you knows the game"
this sounds like a ms fan to me stirring the pot.
Good luck to all the teams, fans and players!
Agree with that. MS is not a middle of pack team and person posting sure knows MS.
Whoever said Mona Shores has the best goalie in the league has another thing coming. Luke Laxton joins the FHN/E squad after playing in Canada the past two years. Good luck getting ANY pucks past him. He will give FHN/E a chance to win every game. Hands down the best goalie in the league, probably the best in the state
No way Rockford wins T1 unless the other teams all forfiet their games. Lost too much, nothing coming in and average 'tender=Middle of the Pack
Interesting about Laxton if true-I thought he was in the NHL by now!!!!
Laxton is good but their d-men are awful and a new coach?? may be a long year??
Falcons have the best goaltending tandem in the league...the best defensive core in the league...the best forwards in the league. They are the most balanced team and will grind other teams down. Pino, McBride and Sanders will score 20 goals each this season playing with the Norwegian transfer student, who is as gifted a passer as there is in the league. He might even teach them to play two-way hockey.
DOB at EGR may have something to say when it comes to being a "gifted passer" of the puck.
The transfer that FHNE got from Arizona may have something to say about the best player in the league. Hands down FHNE has the most talent coming up after this year. This may be a down year and years after that they will be awesome
Top Goaltenders in all OK Conferences
Luke Laxton-FHN/E
Brian Mersman-Christian High
Zac Bresko-EK
Tiefendahl-Mona
Wysocki-Grandville
Andrus-Rockford
1 How can you say Laxton is the best without seeing him play
2 Have you watched a conference game?
Yes. I've watched plenty of conference games, and I've seen Luke play plenty of times, and he's a better overall goalie than any of the others. He may be a bit slower than Bresko or Mersman, but he makes up for it with his size.
How can Rockford be any good? No players on Team West Michigan. Do they even have a fall team???
1: EGR
2: Mona
3: EK
4: FHN
5: Rockford
6: FHC
7: CC
I believe that Andrus was the only Ram to tryout for Team Wressle Michigan
Rockford just pick up Sam Gallup. Sam played NXI last year and is the real deal.
Who is this mystery player on FHN/E from Arizona? Where has he been skating this fall?
just moved here and skated in their tourney last weekend. Stud player as good as swardkinski and only a soph
this goalie for forest hills may be good but with weak d in front of him he will get scored on. also ms may have looked a little weak and confused in the summer west cost shootout but did any one notice the players who watched the game till the third then went in? they were playing everyone who showed up not just there best players.
don't sleep on GRCC. they have some D returning
I'll set the record straight. Yes we have a player from Arizona. He's a nice young man, along with his family. His talents are normal and he's not our secret weapon. Quite frankly, he'll probably be skating on our jv team this year. He has size and smarts but skating skills need to be developed. Also true, if the travel kids came back we'd have an unbeatable team. Our new travel kids are picking up the slack. Overall the team should be over the five hundred mark. Luke Laxton performed flawlessly in the past tournament. He will definitely be a number one goalie. The real battle will be for the number two spot.
having players on TWM doesnt mean a thing... not all players dont try out and i heard sanders isnt playin at ek
if he is not then where would he play?
when does Forest Hills split Eastern and Northern- about time they stand on their own
who are the top retuning fowards and defensemen in the OK tier 1?
I like Rockford's chances big time since there isn't a Muskegon Big Red hockey team standing in their way!
3 Returning All-Conference players. They are:
Goalie: Scott Tiefenthal- Mona Shores
Defensemen: Dan Cruickshank- Rockford
Forwards: Jeff Sanders- East Kentwood
Honorable Mention:
Luke Swardenski- FHN/E
Must be a Mona gut he spelled Tiefenthal right first one.
where is sanders playing this year?
i heard not at EK
Sanders at EK, just missing the first few games, thats all. EK will be just fine.
Mona gut or avid blog reader? Cruickshank is not an easy name to spell either.
i heard sanders he was playing AAA
A little late to decide to play AAA. Plus I thought he tried out this past summer and didn't make it.
Maybe he can play for the Jr. Owls. They look like they neeed some help. They haven't won a game in over a year and a give up 8 goals a game. That team is sad. I bet most Tier 1 teams could beat them.
sanders isn't playing AAA
One player to watch on each team:
Mona Shores: Scott Tiefenthal
FHN/E: Luke Swardenski
FHC: Andy Pulling
Rockford: Sam Gallup
EGR: Drew O'Brien
Kentwood: Anthony Pino
Haven't seen GRCC or anyone on their team enough to say anything.
One to watch on GRCC: Dom Lefere
all i know is that grcc will finish last and get killed by everyone
Player to watch on GRCC: Cam Kwaiser. The Kwaiser Show will be in full effect this season.
cant count out joe glendening for EGR
cc is going to stun you all
SAM GALLUP IS SICK. FAST, BEST VISION I'VE SEEN. CAN MAKE AN IMPOSSIBLE PLAY LOOK EASY.
FHNE is underrated, although they lost many seniors from last season, the experience of the returning players, Combined with the pretty good upcoming players should be good. Also, with laxton in net, it will be hard for Any other team to get put the puck i nthe net. FHNE has the heart, they proved it last year. Although a completely new coaching staff has been selected i believe the boys will stick together and be a tough team this year
I like all the predictions, but let's see who brings their game to the ice and it's not just talk.
Good luck to all the teams!
Grcc has great coaching that can lift there team through the rebuilding year. But I have to say Mona is my favorite this year. EGR will also be solid. Rockford no chance. EK will also be in the mix and for FHC better luck next yr.
I don't get it, who does Mona Shores have that would put them over anyone else.From what I know they lost their strong skaters.
Mona Shores will be average this year for just that reason...no big returners.
Did EGR pick up anyone that will make them better then last years team? and who makes up this great coaching staff at CC?
Why did Gallup leave the S2 team?
mona has plenty of "big returners"
EGRs got no one
egr is amazing
Glendening is a best at EGR
...Best running back
yea
he is
Dont forget about nick cooper coming into kentwood i hear he has great vision and will be able to get the puck to pino and sanders.
ek wins it hands down
lots of predictions & maybe some wishes too! Good luck to all teams. I think GRCC will suprise some teams, as will Rockford. the hardest team to beat week in & week out just may be FHE/N. Anyone who has seen Laxton in net, when it matters most, knows how good this goalie is. especially now after his most recent hockey experiences.
jester is not the goalie for fhn/e anymor we have a goalie that played in the juniors last year
I hear Luke Laxton is entering nhl draft after senior year. he is 3 times better than any goilie in michigan he is a 6 foot 1 90 pound thug in the net with aquick glove
is laxton better than janny from grcc last year?
he should be for sure
Nope. But a close 2nd
tims
Laxton is a man among boys when it comes to high school goalies in the state of Michigan. I heard he was going straight to U of M after this season.
For what?^
Full ride what else???
The only ride he's getting to UofM is from his dad
i got mona #1
kentwood and mona will be competing this year for the top spot, but look for rockford, EGR, and GRCC to be right behind. this will be a very competitive year!
1 Mona
2 EK
3 EGR
4 Rockford
5 FHC
6 FHN/E
7 GRCC
EGR can score goals but they can't keep from getting scored on. Good coach he just didn't know how to pick the kids with the passion for the game. Defense is weak and it didn't have to be. Glendenning and O'Brien can keep them in it.
EGR and Rockford playing for first place this saturday should be a really good game then have Kentwood and mona next weekend
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