Love the Riley team, but they simply are not at the same level as the Shand team, which has many top PWA players, size, speed, age, and grit, and several players with AA experience. Riley Dogs did not take a step forward at Squirt A, and having watched the Eagles many times last season, the Dogs just aren't at the same level (unless they added in 4 or 5 PWA/AA studs). Would have loved to seen Riley Dogs at Carmen Starr, and frankly, would love to be proven wrong on this one. If anything, Riley Dogs remind me of PWA Wave 1 last year. The only potential wrinkle I see for Shand is the rumor that he rostered a ton of kids, and finding the right roles and playing time might be a challenge. I think Skates' comment about team chemistry may turn out to be prophetic about The Shand team. Don't know anything about the other Ice Dogs team. What does the roster look like? How did they play over Memorial Day?
"Somewhere in the middle" of AA will be a very tough place to be, as it probably means top of Flight B (with little chance of the playoffs) or bottom of Flight A, getting your hat handed to you every fourth weekend. Neither spot is a particularly good place for development.
