Time to schedule your 2011 CIC
Reserve a slot at the 2011 GEYER SIGNAL Center Ice Classic, Jan. 15-17 in St. Cloud and Sartell, Minn. View the reservation form (PDF). Do you believe in hockey?
Burnsville, Burnsville
Burnsville, with its trademark precision passing and relentless puck pressure, swept the Pee Wee and Bantam titles at the Jan. 16-18 GEYER SIGNAL Center Ice Classic. Three days and 70 games. Goals achieved. Dreams deferred. The I Believe in Hockey tournament is in the books for 2010.
- Visit our Photo Gallery for two slide shows with music.
B-town Bantams clinch CIC championship
Austin Tisdell's name doesn't appear on the scoresheet. But the forward was a game-changer, helping Burnsville capture the CIC Bantam title with a 3-2 win over Mounds View Jan. 18 at Dave Torrey Arena in St. Cloud.
"His check right in front of the bench changed things," said Pat Madigan, head coach. "It all started with his hit. It got the team energized."
The Blaze was trailing 1-0 after a powerplay goal by Mounds View's Ryan Elvidge. After Tisdell's check and some coaching reminders to pound the puck in low, Burnsville scored on a Kevin Peterson to Tyler Sheehy even-strength goal. When Mounds View scored again, Sheehy answered with unassisted breakaway just 1:40 later. The first year Bantam set up the game-winner late in the second period with a pass to the slot for Anthony Rikberg.
"We absolutely stress the team concept," Madigan said.
Nic Anderson stopped 23 for Burnsville. Brandon Smith saved 11 for Mounds View. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF). View the Bantam playoff brackets.
Burnsville defends Pee Wee title
Matt Weiss and Zane Wagner set up the winning goal in Burnsville's 4-3 CIC title victory over Minnetonka Jan. 18 at Ritsche Arena in St. Cloud. The Pee Wee forwards ran the give-and-go, a skill taught at Burnsville Ice Center and practiced in a garage across the street. Wagner put the puck on net and teammate Cade Borchardt knocked in the rebound with 8:15 remaining in the third period.
The garage, a 10,000 square foot rented facility, has weights, a 5,000 square foot rollerhockey rink and shooting stations. It is one of the reasons Burnsville has enjoyed success at the CIC, according to Pat Dockery, who shares head coaching duties with Brandon Steege.
Steege, who manages the garage and the association's training program, deserves some credit for his team's championship and the Bantam team's title, said Dockery.
Another reason for the Burnsville sweep: "We have a lot of talented hockey players," Steege said.
Steege and Dockery piloted their team to the 2009 CIC title with a team approach. Of the 31 goals scored by that team, 12 were two-assist scores and 15 were one-assist scores. On that roster and this year's roster was Cole Borchardt, big brother to the aforementioned Cade.
Andy Schoen scored twice and Brock Boeser once for the Blaze.
Chris Marks stopped 18 for Burnsville. John Lucke saved 21 for Minnetonka. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF). View the Pee Wee playoff brackets.
Hopkins Pee Wees capture third place
Hopkins rode a hot first period to a 5-3 win over Minneapolis Park in the CIC Pee Wee third-place game Jan. 18 at Ritsche Arena in St. Cloud. Four unanswered goals by Josh Laven, Rob Torborg, Jack Sweeney and Torborg created a big hill Minneapolis Park couldn't climb.
The Storm responded with second-period goals by Jack Stellon and Bauer Neudecker. But an unassisted goal by Laven with 18 seconds left in the second dimmed Minneapolis Park hopes. Neudecker scored the Storm's final marker with 25 seconds on the game clock.
Hopkins goalie Josh Kuehmichel saved 30. Minneapolis Park goalie Kenatae Medure stopped 19 and -- in a hockey rarity -- took a game misconduct for checking from behind. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF). View the Pee Wee playoff brackets.
Bantam third place: Osseo-Maple Grove
Osseo-Maple Grove spotted its opponent two first-period goals then roared back with sweaters popping to beat Eagan 4-2 in the CIC Bantam third-place game Jan. 18 at Dave Torrey Arena in St. Cloud.
Goalie John Danielson stopped everything for the final 37:15 to earn the win for Osseo-Maple Grove. Scoring goals in front of Danielson were Cooper Marshall, Charlie Thomsen, Nate Erickson and Drake Thomsen.
Max Elsenheimer and Cullen Willox scored for Eagan.
Danielson saved 21. Ricky Martagon stopped 14 for Eagan. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF). View the Bantam playoff brackets.