This doesn't bode well for the Olympics!!!

[Odin]

WARROAD, Minn. -- The Warroad High School boys' team squeaked out a 2-1 victory over the U.S. Olympic women's hockey team Wednesday.

Allen McBride's goal with 3:52 remaining -- a backhander past Team USA goalie Chanda Gunn -- proved to be the game-winner.

"They were nice to put a team up against us that was spirited and you could tell by the reactions that it meant as much to those kids as it does to us," Team USA coach Ben Smith said. "Hockey is hockey. I think the people liked it. It seemed like a nice crowd and just a wonderful evening."

About 1,500 people turned out for the exhibition game, which was non-checking.

Kirk Olimb gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead at 13:58 of the first period when he put a shot from the high slot past Gunn.

Natalie Darwitz scored Team USA's lone goal, at 4:26 of the second period. Darwitz's shot appeared to hit the crossbar, but officials -- after 3 more minutes of play -- conferred and ruled that the shot had gone into the net.

That tied the game and set up McBride's game-winner. Warroad goalie Tyler Potts then stopped a couple of Darwitz shots in the final 25 seconds.

Warroad held a 24-23 edge in shots.
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Granted it was non checking but...... what the hell????

[schindlerpiste]

Wait and see. I can't believe that the Germans will be a match for our girls with no teeth.

[squirrelmurphy]

dude its minnesota. their high school hockey teams are probably better than most college teams

[Rusty Nails]

Not only Minnesota, but Warroad. The "Miracle on Ice" team has some Warroad and Roseau (close by) boys on the team. Playing high school hockey for Warroad pretty much means you will play college hockey on a scholarship if you want it. Their leading scorer last year, T.J. Oshie, was a first round NHL pick this year and is playing for the University of North Dakota. They are good.

[wicked_sick]

in other news, Canada won the world juniors 5-0 against Russia

[Platinum Pete]

Warroad would fuck up some of the weaker NHL teams. That program is NO JOKE.

[BakerBoy]

Apparently there's ONE more thing to do in the midwest besides drink!

[Steven S. Dallas]

This isn't surprising to me at all. I may catch shit, but while the USWs are probably coached and can execute better than an elite HS program, the women's game is just much slower. I went to HS with a woman, Angela Ruggerio, who is considered one of if not the best womens' player in the world and she would come out and skate with us once in a while. She was good, and very sound fundamentally, but she would not have played a second had she been on the men's team. Two years after I graduated, when she was a HS junior, she was a stud for the Olympic team. Not to take anything away from the womens' game, especially because the USWO coach (Ben Smith*) is a family friend, but there's greater similarity between the WNBA and the NBA then there is between comparable levels in hockey.** They wouldn't have scheduled Warroad a month before the Games if they didn't think it'd be a test.



* A different one.
** And Ben Smith'd tell you the same.

[RootSkier]

FKNA. Warroad is in the state hockey tournament a lot, and the MN state tournament is some serious business.

No checking though? If there was checking, the women would have lost 20-0 and probably have quit after the first period. Why don't the chicks hit?

[Telenater]

No checking though? If there was checking, the women would have lost 20-0 and probably have quit after the first period. Why don't the chicks hit?

Because playing a hitting match with a bunch of elite HS guys 2 months before the olympics is likely to leave the olympic team looking for replacement skaters.

[RootSkier]

Because playing a hitting match with a bunch of elite HS guys 2 months before the olympics is likely to leave the olympic team looking for replacement skaters.

Yeah, but I think there is no checking in womens' hockey at all. I know there isn't in Minnesota high school girls hockey. I guess that was my point. I want to see some woman on woman violence.

[waxman]

i believe they lost to a HS school team a couple of weeks before Nagano as well, and they won gold there so maybe it bodes well?
not that it matters they still have to beat the Canucks...

[sea2ski]

This isn't surprising to me at all. I may catch shit, but while the USWs are probably coached and can execute better than an elite HS program, the women's game is just much slower. I went to HS with a woman, Angela Ruggerio, who is considered one of if not the best womens' player in the world and she would come out and skate with us once in a while. She was good, and very sound fundamentally, but she would not have played a second had she been on the men's team. Two years after I graduated, when she was a HS junior, she was a stud for the Olympic team. Not to take anything away from the womens' game, especially because the USWO coach (Ben Smith*) is a family friend, but there's greater similarity between the WNBA and the NBA then there is between comparable levels in hockey.** They wouldn't have scheduled Warroad a month before the Games if they didn't think it'd be a test.



* A different one.
** And Ben Smith'd tell you the same.

Your comments don't suprise me. I remember playing pond hockey against a women who was playing college hockey at Princeton while I was at the Pee Wee level. I didn't know she played hockey at Princeton till after we had finished playing and I remember thinking to myself that they must have a really bad team there because I never felt like she could get around me. This was around the time I had gone to hockey camp in Minnesota and had basically average or a little above average times in all the skating drills that I had been tested in.