I agree LM is in a bind.....I believe that they get some funding from the school district. The School district says that Harriton players have to be allowed to play on the LM hockey team, so the team can't close the door to Harriton players even if they wanted to.

Love this debate...means we're getting closer and closer to Flyers Cup Time!!!!!!!!

Ok, here's my take on Lower Merion...

Matt said it. There was confusion a few years back, they were granted a one-time exception, and their club said things would be changed for the following year. Next year, no change, last year, no change, etc. I do feel badly for the players. Yet, a rule is a rule. The Lower Merion student-athletes are at the mercy of their school board and/or club board. The fight from Lower Merion needs to be headed in the direction of those groups of people - not at the Flyers Cup committee.

It's a shame because Lower Merion would definitely add a bit more to the mix in AA with it being so weak this year - even without "The Thrill" in net as the self-proclaimed savior of the team. Their win over Haverford and success in the Central League year after year proves just that.

Just imagine these scenarios though (some have been talked about before, some have not):

1. Rustin, Henderson, and East competing together at AA. Haverford? Conestoga? Lower Merion/Harriton? Wouldn't have a shot against the West Chester contingent.

2. Council Rock South and Council Rock North - struggling seasons no longer at AA

3. CB South, CB West, CB East - ditto

4. Lastly, and not kidding here - imagine this, the Philadelphia School District and its 69 high schools (yes, 69) decide they'll field a team. Find one very good hockey player in every 4 high schools and they'd be a powerhouse in a heartbeat - at AA

Ultimately, maybe the looming high school building/re-districting/revamping (whatever you want to call it if they even know) will result in a Harriton High School team and a Lower Merion
High School team - perhaps they can even squeeze in at A when the numbers are crunched.

It's unfortunate for those who have come and gone and for those currently playing for Lower Merion, but the changes need to come from their school board and/or club instead of the Flyers Cup committee.

What makes it worse is the LM goalie now will actually steal games for that team. It's a shame but the club should have known the consequences and pehaps compromised whatever the school district was going to give them in exchange to pick who they wanted to keep the team pure.

I believe they were forced to put a certain amount of Harriton players on the Varsity team regardless of skill?
If thats true they should have went with swing players under the inter-county rule and then remove them for FC to keep it strictly LM kids.
I agree with coachk and Matt that unfortunatly the AA is boring/weak and could use some more better teams to at least make up a good final 4.

I missed the MB and didn't notice it was back!

Chiming in from the NJ side, our league is fairly weak this year with the exception of the top 4 Tier 1 teams. Our Flyers Cup contenders should be Shawnee, Washington Township, Cherokee and Williamstown. Honestly, no one else deserves to go.

While we are on the subject of LM, I remember a few weeks ago people were upset about them beating up in Upper Darby and a cretin LM player said that they kept all their best players in the game because they wanted to go out that night

About 2 weeks ago at Ice line they were playing Radnor and got a 7-1 lead on Radnor with about 10 mins left in the game
Radnor pulled their goalie for the rest of the game and LM scored a few times and made the game 10-1 with about 3 minutes left this player who already had at least 4 points that game was sitting around half ice while his team was trying to break the puck out of their zone, he skates down the ice with a Radnor player on him and makes a pass to a teammate who scores the 11th goal on the empty net ending the game

Now, its nice that the league leading scorer didn't put one in on an empty net but instead passed it to another teammate but did register an assist on the play. I am still wondering WHY does LM feel they need to play their top line, at 7-1 they had the game wrapped up, they were clearly the better team, but when your beating a team by more then 5 goals and they decide to play an empty net, I don't think its necessary for a team to keep their best line in the game and the "wanted to go out excuse" isn't really valid because the game only ended 3 mins before it would have

Any insight?

Jiggy,

They are not alone, there are a lot of players out their who would have "cherry picked" to score the open net goal to pad their stats. I have watched this way too many times over the years.
It ultimately comes down to what these players can do under stiffer competition. The player for LM has scored goals under some tough competition at times with 3 defenders on him and like you said, he could have scored however he set up one of the younger guys. Knowing him personally I really don't think he cared about the helper point.

In their defense ( meaning the various stronger school teams) It's tough some times to play the dont shoot the puck or the 5 pass rule not to rack up the score. It sometimes causes more problems then it solves. ( That makes for a whole new thread lol).
When it comes to player of the year, all stars and all that stuff high points don't mean your a lock for the vote. People who make these decisions will look into the competition those players faced and what linemates they have which will have a bearing on their overall decision.

Case in point, I was asked to submit some picks for an all star game this year. The first players I suggested where kids who had 25-30 points playing on a 2-18 team with little to no help. In my opinion they are true all stars who really had to work for their team to accumulate those numbers. (keep in mind some kids may have quit if their team was 2-18)
Players with 50-60 points is great, but...Who did they play against and how much talent does their team have?
The disparity in the competition (at know fault of the players) creates a lot of this mess.

First of all, I couldve shot it in the open net myself but i didnt think that was right. We spoke as a team before my line stepped on the ice and we decided not to shoot. We felt it was innapropriate. I even spoke to the specific kid who did shoot it that we werent shooting because I know him, and I knew he would do it. I had a frigin breakaway you think if I wanted the points I wouldve scored the goal. I then turned around and we passed it around the zone for about 3 minutes until my wingers went off the ice. Then the player that I specifically told not to shoot came on so I passed it to him and went for a change, I didnt even know he shot it until I went to the bench. After the game I specifically spoke to him about the incident, so please again with points, and again I will say I dont care. You just don't get it I've scored enough goals in my career, I dont need anymore points, I just want to win. Also, no one is catching me atop the leaderboard anyway.

On Flyers Cup, I completetly understand, I just feel that we should have an exception this year, if we agreed to not play the harriton players in Flyers Cup. Also, we tried to have the teams split this year, and they probably will be split int the next 2 to 3 years but do certain political factors, we had to take harriton kids this year.

Any points scored after a 5 goal lead are bogus anyway.

I know you could have scored the goal, you could have scored on the goalie i think 3 or 4 times that game, and this isn't a shot at you, its just wondering why you are even ON the ice when your winning by 9 and there is an empty net. I don't expect you to say NO if your coach calls your line

and i know that ALL of your goals are not open net breakaways and you make plays for yourself and score nice goals so its not a knock at your talent more at the coachs choice to leave your line in the game.

Im not saying your taking any shots at me, it just seems everytime I say something on here, someone takes a shot at me about the scoring title. I just wanna know why I am the one always getting ripped on about scoring. I didnt score any goals after it was the first period against upper darby either.

Anyway thats not the point of this message board. I want to know that if we agreed to not play our 3 third line harriton players if we would be allowed to play in flyers cup?

That's a question that would have to be asked to the Flyers Cup committee.

My guess would be no. LM is 10-4-2, probably good enough for a berth. But, you are 10-4-2 with the team that has been on the ice all season. Would LM be the same team without the Harriton players? There is no way to know the answer to that.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Matt Sacks,

In 2004, Truman got in and could not play their kids from Bristol HS who played all year.

I don't think that was right because those kids contributed to get them there in the first place.

Mojo, That is true about Truman however they were told that was the last time they would be able to do that. If they are able to rebuild a Varsity team it must be all Bristol Township players all year long or they will not qualify for Flyers Cup.

As it should be, Bud.

So Truman got a one year exception....as did Lower Merion in '04.