HometownSource Blogs

As I write this posting, July 19, 2009 was a long time ago. Since then we launched our new preps web site, SportsPrepZone, which has been successful in attracting readers to the new venture. But that isn’t the reason for this new-updated posting. As we look ahead to what should be a very exciting winter to follow the local teams, here is a few thoughts from the fall season.

I’m preparing to head out to what will be a rather comfortable evening of friday night lights at Blaine High School tonight where the top seeded Bengals face No. 2 seed Centennial for the Section 7AAAAA crown. The game is a rematch from mid-September where Centennial handed Blaine its lone loss of the season 34-25. One of the match-ups I’m looking forward to seeing is how Cougars quarterback Chris Anderson deals with Blaine’s front four, led by Di-Jonn Star.

Andover and Meadow Creek also conclude section play Nov. 6 in different section finals. Andover faces Forest Lake at North Branch while Meadow Creek faces Heritage Academy at Minnehaha Academy Saturday afternoon. Northwest Suburban Conference girls swimming championships will conclude Saturday, ahead of next week’s section meets.

It’s been a busy fall following a number of state tournament participants, including Andover’s doubles tennis team, Blaine boy’s soccer team, Andover boy’s cross country team, plus numerous individual runners from our area. Stay tuned for the remaining state tournaments – football, volleyball and swimming. I have a feeling the north metro will be represented well in each tournament.

Schwan’s USA CUP weekend, presented by puma, ends with championship games Sunday

BLAINE, Minn. (July 19, 2009) – Championship games for all divisions of Schwan’s USA CUP weekend, presented by puma , were played on Sunday, July 19, at the National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine, Minn., 20 minutes north of Minneapolis/Saint Paul.

This year’s tournament featured over 13,000 athletes on 841 teams from 26 states and 12 countries, making it the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere. The weekend and week-long tournaments together will generate an estimated $17.5 million in out-of-state economic impact.

The featured game of the day Sunday was the PUMA vElite U16 boys division championship. The vElite group offered a select “tournament within a tournament” in which eight of the top boys’ teams in the nation and the world faced off. The teams were hand-selected by puma and the Schwan’s USA CUP staff. Sunday’s championship between the Tottenham Hotspur and Charlotte United drew an appreciative crowd of knowledgeable soccer fans who watched Tottenham defeat Charlotte United 2-0.

The eight vElite teams were: Brooklyn Italians (Brooklyn, NY), Charlotte United (Charlotte, N.C.), Erin Mills Eagles (Ontario, Canada), Lions FC Red (San Antonio, Texas), Rockford Raptors (Rockford, IL), Snohomish United Black (Snohomish, WA), Tottenham Hotspur (London, England) and TSF Academy (Lincoln Park, NJ).

Championships were held in two tiers of competition – A and B. Four Minnesota teams won A-flight championships this year.

Here are the scores for Sunday’s A-flight championship games:

13 boys: Lichterfelder FC (Berlin, Germany) 7, Bonivital Flames (Winnipeg, Manitoba) 0.
13 girls: FC Midwest Pumas (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1, PVYSC Neenah Velocity (Neenah, Wisc.) 0.
14 boys: Midwest Wings (Park Forest, Ill.) 3, MTA 95 Elite White (Minneapolis) 2.
14 girls: PVYSC Neenah Red Wave (Neenah, Wis.) 3, BFSC Black Storm (Burnsville, Minn.) 1.
15 boys: Carol Stream Panthers (Carol Stream, Ill.) 4, FCX South Soccer Club (Chicago) 0.
15 girls: Dakota Rev Fury (Rosemount, Minn.) 2, Tonka Tundra (Minnetonka, Minn.) 0.
16 boys: FCX Soccer Club (Chicago) 3, Chicago Kickers 0.
16 boys Puma vElite: Tottenham Hotspur (London, England) 2, Charlotte United Gold (Charlotte, N.C.) 0.
16 girls: MTA White (Twin Cities) 1, West Des Moines Ice (West Des Moines, Iowa) 0.
17 boys: Paper Valley Elite (Neenah, Wis.) 2, West Des Moines Ajax (West Des Moines, Iowa) 1.
17 girls: Burnsville Fire 1, Edina Fusion 0.
19 boys: Rudbeckianska School (Vasteras, Sweden) 5, Reds United (Maple Grove, Minn.) 0.
19 girls: Minnesota Thunder West (Twin Cities) 4, Cottage Grove Wolfpack 1

The National Sports Center produced this first of several video segments in honor of the Silver Anniversary of the Schwan’s USA CUP.  Click here to view the video. The tournament begins this weekend with the weekend tournament before Tuesday’s opening ceremonies at the stadium in Blaine.

What began as a team looking for financial support to travel to Oslo, Norway to play in the world’s largest youth soccer tournament has blossomed into the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere with 841 teams ready to take one of 52 fields at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

After co-TPC-Twin Cities course designer Arnold Palmer made his annual visit to the course in Blaine, he stopped through Hazeltine National, the site for the 2009 PGA Championship which begins in just over three weeks, to take a peak at the course during a Starkey Hearing golf outing. Here is a video posted on Hazeltine’s blog. 

The list of golfers playing the 3M Championship this weekend is changing a bit. Here is a list of who is coming and going.

Defending champion D.A. Weibring is out, Leonard Thompson will replace him.

Vicente Fernandez is out while Dave Eichelberger is in.

Craig Stadler is out while David Edwards is in.

Tom Largo is out while Lanny Wadkins is in.

Day 2 of the week-long Champion’s Tour stop in Blaine included the Junior Pro-Am with a new local kids teeing it up with some well-known professionals.

Coon Rapids graduate Taylor Auman was part of a foursome with Gary Hallberg, while her brother, Nick Auman teamed with his Spring Lake Park teammate and classmate Brandon Jones and Blaine’s Dylan Dimke and Dan Meinert to form a team along with Jim Colbert.

Later this afternoon nine pros will compete in a skills challenge around the 18th green. More to come.
Xcel Energy Center earns more acholades

Wild officials released a press release Tuesday morning, saying the Wild deliver the ‘Best Stadium Experience in the NHL and second in all pro sports’ according to ESPN The Magazine’s Ultimate Standings for 2009.
Read the entire release here:
MINNESOTA WILD DELIVER “BEST STADIUM EXPERIENCE” IN NHL AND SECOND IN ALL PRO SPORTS IN ESPN THE MAGAZINE’S “ULTIMATE STANDINGS 2009”
XCEL ENERGY CENTER NAMED “ULTIMATE CRIB” IN PRO SPORTS

SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Xcel Energy Center is the “Ultimate Crib” and the Minnesota Wild deliver the “Best Stadium Experience” in the National Hockey League, according to ESPN The Magazine’s “Ultimate Standings 2009” list. The hockey club ranks second overall for “Stadium Experience” in the field of all 122 major league sports franchises among NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB.

This is the first time Xcel Energy Center has been named “Ultimate Crib” and fourth time the Minnesota Wild experience at Xcel Energy Center has been ranked in the top two in the seven years the poll has been conducted. In 2008, it was second only to the Green Bay Packers and in 2007 and 2003, it was voted the No. 1 “Stadium Experience” overall.

“Our fans continue to be the top priority of our organization and it is an honor for the Minnesota Wild and the Xcel Energy Center to be ranked second overall by ESPN The Magazine for best stadium experience,” said Minnesota Wild Chief Operating Officer Matt Majka.

“We strive to create an exceptional experience for our guests,” said Xcel Energy Center Vice President and General Manager Jack Larson. “It’s gratifying to know people have a great time here and it inspires us to make it even better.”

The criteria set forth by ESPN asked fans to judge “Stadium Experience” based on quality of arena, friendliness of the environment and game-day promotions. More than 50,000 responses were received on ESPN.com. The Ultimate Standings appeared in the July 3, 2009, issue of ESPN The Magazine. For the complete methodology,  HYPERLINK “http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4297571″ click here.

In addition to serving as the home of the Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Swarm National Lacrosse League teams, sports fans also flock to four Minnesota State High School League tournaments and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Final Five tournament that Xcel Energy Center hosts each year. In 2010, Xcel Energy Center will welcome the NCAA Men’s Hockey Regional and in 2011, the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four.

Below is a little something to wet your appetite for the PGA Champion’s Tour’s annual stop in Blaine for the 3M Championship. Look for updates throughout the week of what’s going down at the The Players Club- Twin Cities course in Blaine. Admission to the tournament is FREE and runs from July 6-12 with the opening round of the championship on Friday.
3M Championship
Facts and figures, courtesy of 3M Championship and PGA Champion’s Tour

Holes-in-one
1998- Bruce Lehnard, Hole 17 in Round 1
1999- Bruce Fleischer Hole 13 in Round 3
2000- Harold Henning Hole 17 in Round 2
2001- Bruce Lietzke Hole 4 in Round 2
2001- Graham Marsh Hole 4 in Round 3
2005- Tom Purtzer Hole 8 in Round 1
2005- Tom Jenkins Hole 13 in Round 2

Low scores
First Round- 62, Dana Quigley, 2008
Second Round-63, Don Pooley, 2003; R.W. Eaks, 2008
Third Round- 63, Jay Haas, 2007; Mitch Adams, 2007

Lowest 9-hole score
29- Gibby Gilbert, 1995 (Round 1, Front 9)
29- Chip Beck, 2007 (Round 3, Back 9)
29- Dana Quigley (Round 1, Back 9)

Double Eagles
2004- John Harris, Hole 6 in Round 2
2005- Larry Ziegler, Hole 3 in Round 2

Best come from behind win
3 strokes twice; Leonard Thompson (1998) and David Edwards (2006)

Visit the 3M Championship for yourself at www.3mchampionship.com

Metro Minny Red Division leaders Soderville handed first-year Anoka Bucs a 15-2 loss Wednesday (June 24) at Castle Field in Anoka. The Outlaws improved to 12-6 overall, 9-5 in the league and are 4-3 over the last seven games. The Bucs are tied with Andover at the bottom of the division (5-9), but remain just four games out of the top spot.

Coon Rapids extended its Metro Minny winning streak to 14 games following Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Andover in Coon Rapids. The Redbirds hold the top spot in the division and are 21-1 overall with the only loss coming against the Austin Greyhounds, 11-7, June 19.

Redbirds original member Rob Vitense is among the league batting leaders, sporting a .448 batting average and .579 OBP. Teammate David Skogg gives the Redbirds a tough tandem, as he is hitting .444 so far. He also has a 4-1 pitching record with a 3.32 ERA, 23 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched.

The Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009 was announced June 25. Among those to be inducted is Bunker Hills Master Professional Dick Tollette who was a key figure in establishing the hall of fame, located at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids.
http://tinyurl.com/ncae47

Anoka forward Berkley Scott was the only ABC Newspaper-area hockey player to make the final NHL Central Scouting reports. According to the midterm rankings he was the 94th American skater before dropping to 125 in the final rankings. Last season Scott tallied 32 points and 36 penalty minutes in 26 games. In 2007-08 he collected 19 points and 10 penalty minutes in 14 games.

Ramsey’s Chase Hahne carded a two over par 74 to tie for third place (16-18 year olds) in the latest round of qualifying for the Minnesota PGA Junior Championship, June 13 at The Links at Northfork.
Fellow Ramsey resident, Conrad Hahne tied Rogers’ Corey Muenzhuber with five-over par 77s in the boys 13-15 division.

Those not making the cut include:

Boys 16-18:

T10. Devin Holmes, Ramsey; No score from Nick Auman, Coon Rapids.

Girls 16-18:

T7. Taylor Auman, Coon Rapids;

Girls 13-15:

5. Rachel Grey, Coon Rapids; 7. Alexandra McDonald, Ramsey.
The Minnesota PGA Junior Championship will be played June 29 at Stillwater Country Club and June 30 at Dellwood Hills Golf Club.

Strib Prep’s Insider, John Milea blogged Monday morning from Edinburough USA in Brooklyn Center, the site of the latest state high school league meeting. Follow his posting here.

Two of the voted upon items had to do with season schedules for golf and spring tournaments. Question 1: If the golf season is moved, which is preferred: June 15 to Aug. 15 (176 votes) or Aug. 1 to Oct. 1 (182 votes). Question 2: Spring state tourney dates: Begin in second full week of June (291 votes) or second week of June in the first year and third week of June the following year (8 votes).

Nothing was decided about the fate of the remaining teams in the Classic Lake Conference. Stay tuned.

St. Francis native and Mixed Martial Arts fighter, Sean Sherk, spoke with Fox 9 recently about his upcoming match against Frank Edgar at UFC 89. He also commented on the state of his 155-pound division and his thoughts about the other fights taking place May 23.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/ojyrav

Kenyan native and Coon Rapids resident Geoffrey Kiprotich won the 10th edition of the Earth Day Half Marathon in St. Cloud on April 18. He won the 13.1 mile race that finished at Husky Stadium in one hour, eight minutes, 20 seconds. It was the second consecutive victory for the Dumar running club member.
Elite Meet includes the class of the area
Many of the area’s top track and field athletes will compete at the two-day Hamline Elite Meet in St. Paul Friday and Saturday.

The individual track events and some field events are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Friday while the relays and remainder of the field events will conclude on Saturday.

Click here for a schedule of start times.

A few of those listed on the starting rosters:

Andover: Mason Albright, Boys 4×800/4×200/4×100/4×400, Derek Barrett, Jeff Hoernemann, Dave Budish, Eyo Ekpo, Thomas Anderson
Anoka: Boys 4×800/4×200/4×100, Jake Knoop, Pat Cotter, Jarrett Allen, Girls 4×400, Katelyn Fritz, Ian Moore, Chris Sluis, Matt Hastings
Blaine: Stephanie Jergensen, Tracie Gillund, Nicole Murphey
Spring Lake Park: Jesse Reemtsma, Keegan Sunderland

A number of area track-and-fieldsters are named on the state’s track honor roll. Click boys or girls for the official list, posted by the coaches’ association.

What makes Blaine-native David Backes’ career-high four goal-game on Thursday night even more impressive was who it came against. Click here for video highlights of the game. Sure, it was against a Detroit Red Wings squad that seems to be board with the rest of the season and is ready to move on to the playoffs, but what Backes did in a 5-4 win over the defending Stanley Cup champions speaks largely to the fact that many young, American-born players are having breakout seasons including Chicago’s Patrick Kane and New Jersey’s Zach Parise. Look for more in our print edition about Backes’ remarkable season with the Blues.

Here is another piece worth checking out. It’s from ESPN’s E.J. Hradek. Click here to read it. The piece about how luck the Blues are to have Backes this season, after Vancouver tried to lure him away with a big contract offer last season.