Tourney time busts into December break

Article By Nick Clark
(Created: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 6:42 PM CST)

It's holiday break time on the prep schedules, but while school may be out, holiday tournament time is most definitely on.

At least that is the case at Champlin Park High School next week, where three different teams will take the ice and hardwood.

The Champlin Park girls hockey team will take it's stock of talented juniors and head to New Hope for the annual Channel 12 Holiday Classic.

Eight teams will gather on Dec. 27 and play for a championship that will be decided at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at the New Hope Ice Arena. Both the North and South rinks will be used in the arena, and all of the games played on the North side will be televised live on Channel 12.

That will give the Rebels at least one game on TV, as they open with Cooper at 5:15 p.m. on the North rink, and a win in the opener would guarantee Champlin Park of playing each of it's three tournament games on the same sheet of ice.

"That would be nice, but first we have to get through Cooper," said head coach Bob Grander. "I know they will play well defensively, and if you make a mistake they have some players that will capitalize and I know the goalie will be solid. We'll have our work cut out for us if she is on her game. We can't take anything too lightly against Cooper."

Onalaska, Wisc. and Henry Sibley will play in the quarterfinal opposite Champlin Park, and the other side of the tournament bracket consists of Buffalo, Maple Grove, Moose Lake and Armstrong.

"I think it's going to be a good field this year," said Grander, whose team placed fifth in the tournament last winter. "It is always a good tournament to participate in."

The boys hockey team will also be in action over break, taking part in the Boys Silver Division of the Schwan Cup.

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Champlin Park opens up the tournament with Cretin-Derham Hall at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at Aldrich Arena. Burnsville, Benilde-St. Margaret's, Duluth East, Breck, Brainerd and Wayzata are also in the field.

The tournament semifinals are all scheduled for Dec. 30. The seventh place game, consolation final and third place game will be held Dec. 31, while the champion will be crowned Jan. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center. Fox Sports North will televise the final.

On the hardwood, the boys basketball team will be the only other representative from Champlin Park taking part in a tournament next week. The Rebels will be in Anoka for an appearance in the Anoka Holiday Classic that, with a new format this year, will pit the boys up against a pair of top-10 teams in Class 4A, as well as a possible section opponent.
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The round-robin tournament - it's been played under the more classical bracket format the last few years - will situate Champlin Park up against No. 9 Wayzata at 5 p.m. Dec. 29, No. 1 Hopkins at 7 p.m. Dec. 30 and then Irondale at 5 p.m. Dec. 31.

The Rebels already faced Wayzata this year, losing 65-59 Dec. 16, and Hopkins will start four Division I signees when the two teams meet next Tuesday.

"They are better than most M.I.A.C. college teams," said head coach Mark Tuchscherer. "That will be an unbelievable test for our guys."

The girls basketball team won't be taking part in a tournament, but the Rebels will get in a game over break. They were scheduled to Irondale at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 30.