>great many people.  I read at least 2 articles I can recall from the
>Twin Cities newspapers (got them at home somewhere) which almost
>elevated Woog to sainthood for only sticking with in-state players,
>and in so doing, directly attacked other schools for not having a
>similar recruitment strategy.
>
>These articles angered me beyond what you can probably believe.  I
>certainly think it is wrong for people to attack Minnesota for
>sticking with in-state players, but when people from Minnesota attack
>others who have a different strategy, they are no better.  Minnesota
>is not better than anyone else because they recruit in-state, and they
>are not worse.  It is simply the policy they choose to have.  It does
>not deserve praise nor ridicule.
>
>Maybe some of the MN people can understand why I did not sympathize
>with their criticism of Craig Dahl for not immediately taking all MN
>players at St Cloud.  Why should he have settled for the second tier
>of players after Minnesota took its chunk?  But now that he can
>recruit on a par with the Gophers, he doesn't shy away from the
>in-state players.  Seems to me like he has made good on the school's
>promise.
>
>Mike Machnik                                          [log in to unmask]
 
I would like to agree and support these comments.  It is easy for those in
the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to say things like this.  The U of M has the
PICK of players every year.  They have had the #1 player in the state for
who knows how many years running.
 
Sufficed to say, People in the cities can make the comments they do because
a good chunk of recruiting is not needed.  Most Minnesota kids would die to
play for the Gophers.  That is great for the U, but don't downgrade other
programs who do not have the same built in draw.  Would you rather have St.
Cloud playing with a D2 or D3 level program of Minn. leftovers, or have us
build up a program that now is beginning to draw the homestate kids and
still provide a great hockey game for the fans.
 
One last issue I would like to address is our rink.  Often our fairly new
rink (about 4 years old) is cited as the reason we should have only in
state kids.  The rink was slated to be built be the legislature
somewhere-guaranteed.  We just gave is a place to be built.  But, just
because we have some out-state kids playing on the rink doesn't mean it
doesn't benifit the hometown kids too.  Our  rink is booked almost every
moment it is open.  High school tournaments, olympic training, hockey camps
(where Woog even does some recruiting), various kids programs, etc...  We
are building up the number of Minnesota kids, but quit telling us we are
betraying our fine state for trying to field a competitive program.
 
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