Who: Maine vs. Denver
Where: Fleet Center, Boston, Massachusetts
When: April 10, 2004
Final Score: 1-0 Denver
The game to decide the 2003-2004 national championship was a classic goaltenders battle between Denver's Adam Berkhoel and Maine's Jimmy Howard.
It didn't start as out as that amazing of a game. Maine scored first, but had a man in the blue paint on the opposite side of the crease, which happened to be illegal that year in the NCAA's rotating rulebook. Denver's Gabe Gauthier would score a powerplay goal about midway through the first period to give Denver a lead. It didn't seem spectacular at the time, but it would end up being the last goal scored that season.
It wasn't for lack of trying on Maine's part though. With 2:09 left in the game, Denver's Matt Laatsch took a hooking penalty and 35 seconds later, Gabe Gauthier literally grabbed the puck and tried to throw it out of the zone, resulting in a delay of game penalty. Maine pulled Jimmy Howard to get a 6-on-3 advantage, and what resulted was the craziest 1:30 of hockey that I've ever seen. Maine threw just about everything but the kitchen sink at Denver with six guys just blasting away at the net, while Denver had their three guys huddled around Berkhoel trying to throw their bodies in front of every shot. I was on the third level of the Fleet Center right behind Berkhoel, and despite not having a rooting interest in either team, I was up off the edge of my seat, nearly leaning over the balcony watching with excitement.
Maine had some amazing chances, and to this day, I'm still not quite sure how the puck stayed out of the net, but Berkhoel and DU's penalty killers found a way to get it done and win the national title.
Showing posts with label ncaa tournament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ncaa tournament. Show all posts
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
I Just Wanted to Be First
If the NCAA tournament started later tonight...
Minnesota and Minnesota State would be the only WCHA teams in the tournament. Michigan would be the only CCHA team.
Air Force's non-conference games with Denver and CC can't get here fast enough.
Minnesota and Minnesota State would be the only WCHA teams in the tournament. Michigan would be the only CCHA team.
Air Force's non-conference games with Denver and CC can't get here fast enough.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
WCHA Fighting Tourney Change
WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod has been the subject of some criticism, even on this website, but he does deserve credit for roundly rejecting the NCAA's proposed change to the NCAA tournament.
Granted, this was kind of a no-brainer. But McLeod does score points for bringing up what I think is the best solution:
The money is probably right too. If each of the 8 higher-seeded teams hosted their first-round match-up, the numbers would likely at least equal out to having four teams play in a large building far away, and cuts travel costs in half by eliminating it for one team. It also removes the issue of a lower seeded team having a home ice advantage.
Personally, I'd like to see each series made a best-two-out-of-three series as well. The NCAA tournament has become about as random as a coin flip in recent years, and extending the length of the series would help let the best teams advance through the tournament. The season would have to be a little longer to allow only one round per weekend, but the current length of the season is an arbitrary boundary, not a fixed one.
Granted, this was kind of a no-brainer. But McLeod does score points for bringing up what I think is the best solution:
McLeod opined that based on what’s happened in other sports, the neutral site regional concept might be on its way to extinction in favor of a return to campus sites. He noted that in NCAA women’s basketball, they’ve gone back to a campus site arrangement after trying the regional system for several years. The NCAA hockey tournament was last played on campus sites in 1991.Ask anyone what the best thing about college hockey is and 9 times out of 10 you'll hear that the atmosphere at games is incredible. You don't get that at placid regional sites that price out students and many hardcore fans.
The money is probably right too. If each of the 8 higher-seeded teams hosted their first-round match-up, the numbers would likely at least equal out to having four teams play in a large building far away, and cuts travel costs in half by eliminating it for one team. It also removes the issue of a lower seeded team having a home ice advantage.
Personally, I'd like to see each series made a best-two-out-of-three series as well. The NCAA tournament has become about as random as a coin flip in recent years, and extending the length of the series would help let the best teams advance through the tournament. The season would have to be a little longer to allow only one round per weekend, but the current length of the season is an arbitrary boundary, not a fixed one.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
So Much for Seeding
INCH dropped a pretty big bombshell today when they announced that aside from the top four seeds, NCAA is considering seeding based on geography, rather than ranking and maintaining bracket integrity, as a way to decrease costs.
It's not surprising to see this come from the NCAA. They've never really cared about the integrity of their events, so long as they can maximize their profit. Of course, other ways to cut costs would be not adhering to the stupid "No home venues, unless it's a WCHA team, in which case it's totally cool" policy, and not scheduling a regional in freaking St. Louis. And if the number one concern is keeping teams from the same conference together in the NCAA tournament, it makes it look even more ridiculous that the WCHA gets to host the Midwest regional in Wisconsin 50% of the time.
It's not surprising to see this come from the NCAA. They've never really cared about the integrity of their events, so long as they can maximize their profit. Of course, other ways to cut costs would be not adhering to the stupid "No home venues, unless it's a WCHA team, in which case it's totally cool" policy, and not scheduling a regional in freaking St. Louis. And if the number one concern is keeping teams from the same conference together in the NCAA tournament, it makes it look even more ridiculous that the WCHA gets to host the Midwest regional in Wisconsin 50% of the time.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Hockey in the Glass City?
Bowling Green athletic director Greg Christopher hosts an online chat every two weeks or so at the Bowling Green website, and in the June 6th installment, he dropped some pertinent knowledge.
First off, the Minnesota/Bowling Green football game will start at 7:30pm, and I'm assuming the varsity game will start immediately afterwards.
More importantly, there was this Q and A:
This an extremely exciting development for a couple reasons. First, it helped lead to the demolition of the Toledo Sports Arena. Ask any former hockey player to tell their worst story about life in the minor leagues, and 95% of the time, the Toledo Sports Arena will be the setting for that story.
Second, the midwest is always desperate for neutral sites to host NCAA tournament regionals. Basically there is Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, which I think people got sick of, and recently, sites in Wisconsin, which in terms of college hockey geography, is in the west, not midwest. Toledo is pretty centrally located in CCHA-country, and could probably draw a decent-sized crowd if any number of CCHA teams made the tournament.
First off, the Minnesota/Bowling Green football game will start at 7:30pm, and I'm assuming the varsity game will start immediately afterwards.
More importantly, there was this Q and A:
Q: With the new hockey arena opening in Toledo next year, is there any chance of BGSU hosting an annual holiday tournament up there?Said new arena is the Lucas County Arena, the future home of your Toldeo Walleye, and possibly an Arena Football team.
Terry in Midland, Mich.
A: We have had conversations with the arena's management on two fronts. First, BGSU Athletics and the arena have submitted a bid to host an NCAA Ice Hockey Regional in the future. It will be several months before we know if the bid was successful, but bringing a regional to our area would be a plus on several fronts...especially if the Falcons were in the field! Second, we have discussed options related to BGSU playing a home game or tournament at the new facility. Not sure if anything will develop, but having a first-rate hockey facility in our backyard is worth exploring the options.
This an extremely exciting development for a couple reasons. First, it helped lead to the demolition of the Toledo Sports Arena. Ask any former hockey player to tell their worst story about life in the minor leagues, and 95% of the time, the Toledo Sports Arena will be the setting for that story.
Second, the midwest is always desperate for neutral sites to host NCAA tournament regionals. Basically there is Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, which I think people got sick of, and recently, sites in Wisconsin, which in terms of college hockey geography, is in the west, not midwest. Toledo is pretty centrally located in CCHA-country, and could probably draw a decent-sized crowd if any number of CCHA teams made the tournament.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Lawson's No Goal
There's a couple pretty good replays of Kyle Lawson's disallowed goal in last night's championship game over at ESPN.
I've got a couple thoughts on the play, some of which may be at odds with each other.
1. The way that rule is written is absolutely awful. It's so unclear that it's almost impossible to get the "right" call.
2. There probably wouldn't be as much discussion about this if Gary Thorne hadn't framed things the way he did, pointing out that Lawson didn't really make contact as he was "kicking" the puck.
3. Semantically, my definition of a kick involves winding up to strike the puck. Lawson clearly doesn't do that. Is a half-a-kick still a kick?
4. Greg Shepherd has no business even being in the building last night, let alone making important calls. My faith in him to make the correct call is absolutely zero. He's been nothing but an embarrassment for the WCHA.
5. Again, it's a terrible rule that needs to be changed.
I've got a couple thoughts on the play, some of which may be at odds with each other.
1. The way that rule is written is absolutely awful. It's so unclear that it's almost impossible to get the "right" call.
2. There probably wouldn't be as much discussion about this if Gary Thorne hadn't framed things the way he did, pointing out that Lawson didn't really make contact as he was "kicking" the puck.
3. Semantically, my definition of a kick involves winding up to strike the puck. Lawson clearly doesn't do that. Is a half-a-kick still a kick?
4. Greg Shepherd has no business even being in the building last night, let alone making important calls. My faith in him to make the correct call is absolutely zero. He's been nothing but an embarrassment for the WCHA.
5. Again, it's a terrible rule that needs to be changed.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
BC Wins
Congratulations go out to Boston College, who won their third ever hockey national championship tonight, and the third national championship in school history(Do they have other sports at BC?).
Nathan Gerbe was far and away the best player of the weekend, and ultimately was too much for Notre Dame to handle. It's a disappointing end for the Irish, but it was a historic tournament run for them, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them back in this position in the very near future.
Nathan Gerbe was far and away the best player of the weekend, and ultimately was too much for Notre Dame to handle. It's a disappointing end for the Irish, but it was a historic tournament run for them, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them back in this position in the very near future.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Frozen Four Semis
Apologies to all the Sioux fans who apparently came here looking for fawning praise of their team's performance today. They got absolutely blown out by Boston College, and there's not a lot of positives to point out.
I will say that the Sioux looked nothing like the North Dakota team that played much of the second half of the regular season. They just happened to hit a rough patch at the wrong time in the season. They were able to get away with it in the regional tournament since they had a pretty easy draw. They ended up beating a team that needed an automatic bid to qualify for the tournament, and squeaked out a win against a team that didn't belong in the tournament. Today, against an opponent of equal ability, they got hammered.
A lot of the problems North Dakota had against Princeton, specifically some defensive breakdowns, happened again today. The difference was that Jean-Philippe Lamoureux wasn't playing well at all today, as opposed to his stellar play in the regional final. North Dakota's powerplay also look completely out of sync this afternoon, which was something they really relied upon against Princeton.
Also, for as anti-Gerbe as I've been all year, he did have a great game today. For what it's worth, I have absolutely no problem with him being on any All-American team, because he's definitely one of the best players in the country. But the fact remains that he's also one of the very few players in the country to draw a non-fighting suspension from his league, which should probably eliminate him from an award where one of the main criteria is on-ice character.
The second game of the day between Notre Dame and Michigan was a great one. It was like a great heavyweight fight where one team would get knocked, then pick themselves up off the mat and deliver a heavy punch of their own. Any game with about 4 huge momentum swings like that is a great one.
Billy Sauer was almost painful to watch for Michigan. It really seemed like he had turned a corner with a solid season, and great play in the regional final. Then he let in three goals, all shots he should have stopped, with each goal getting progressively softer. It was a pretty gutsy move by Red Berenson to switch goalies after the first period, but probably a move that had to be made because of the way Sauer struggled.
You have to give Notre Dame a lot of credit for not panicking after Michigan tied the game in the third period. It's probably a concern that Michigan was able to crawl back into the game after Notre Dame built a big lead, though I thought 3 of Michigan's 4 goals came off lucky bounces for Michigan.
Ryan Thang and Kevin Deeth really played outstanding games for Notre Dame. Notre Dame has some great senior leaders in guys like VanGuilder and Sheahan, but I really think their sophomore class brings a lot of talent and energy to the table, and is a big reason why they've been so good the past two years. On a similar note, Michigan's freshmen line of Matt Rust, Carl Hagelin, and Aaron Palushaj played a great game for Michigan. They bring a lot of effort and intensity every night, and are a big reason why Michigan was, and will be, so successful.
It sets up an interesting final match-up between Notre Dame and Boston College. Notre Dame has beaten BC the last three times these teams have met, including a 7-1 win in Boston last year. Boston College is playing exceptional hockey right now, while Notre Dame just seems to have fate on their side. Hopefully it should be another fast-paced, high-scoring game.
I will say that the Sioux looked nothing like the North Dakota team that played much of the second half of the regular season. They just happened to hit a rough patch at the wrong time in the season. They were able to get away with it in the regional tournament since they had a pretty easy draw. They ended up beating a team that needed an automatic bid to qualify for the tournament, and squeaked out a win against a team that didn't belong in the tournament. Today, against an opponent of equal ability, they got hammered.
A lot of the problems North Dakota had against Princeton, specifically some defensive breakdowns, happened again today. The difference was that Jean-Philippe Lamoureux wasn't playing well at all today, as opposed to his stellar play in the regional final. North Dakota's powerplay also look completely out of sync this afternoon, which was something they really relied upon against Princeton.
Also, for as anti-Gerbe as I've been all year, he did have a great game today. For what it's worth, I have absolutely no problem with him being on any All-American team, because he's definitely one of the best players in the country. But the fact remains that he's also one of the very few players in the country to draw a non-fighting suspension from his league, which should probably eliminate him from an award where one of the main criteria is on-ice character.
The second game of the day between Notre Dame and Michigan was a great one. It was like a great heavyweight fight where one team would get knocked, then pick themselves up off the mat and deliver a heavy punch of their own. Any game with about 4 huge momentum swings like that is a great one.
Billy Sauer was almost painful to watch for Michigan. It really seemed like he had turned a corner with a solid season, and great play in the regional final. Then he let in three goals, all shots he should have stopped, with each goal getting progressively softer. It was a pretty gutsy move by Red Berenson to switch goalies after the first period, but probably a move that had to be made because of the way Sauer struggled.
You have to give Notre Dame a lot of credit for not panicking after Michigan tied the game in the third period. It's probably a concern that Michigan was able to crawl back into the game after Notre Dame built a big lead, though I thought 3 of Michigan's 4 goals came off lucky bounces for Michigan.
Ryan Thang and Kevin Deeth really played outstanding games for Notre Dame. Notre Dame has some great senior leaders in guys like VanGuilder and Sheahan, but I really think their sophomore class brings a lot of talent and energy to the table, and is a big reason why they've been so good the past two years. On a similar note, Michigan's freshmen line of Matt Rust, Carl Hagelin, and Aaron Palushaj played a great game for Michigan. They bring a lot of effort and intensity every night, and are a big reason why Michigan was, and will be, so successful.
It sets up an interesting final match-up between Notre Dame and Boston College. Notre Dame has beaten BC the last three times these teams have met, including a 7-1 win in Boston last year. Boston College is playing exceptional hockey right now, while Notre Dame just seems to have fate on their side. Hopefully it should be another fast-paced, high-scoring game.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
BC Puts Blogging Policy to the Test
So after one period, Boston College leads North Dakota 4-0 in the first NCAA semifinal.
The interesting thing is that if any journalists were live-blogging from Denver, they wouldn't have been allowed to post about all of the goals until the period was over. Everyone with a media pass is required to sign a piece of paper agreeing to the NCAA's live-blogging policy, which says that any live-blog is only allowed 3 posts per period, and one post between periods.
The interesting thing is that if any journalists were live-blogging from Denver, they wouldn't have been allowed to post about all of the goals until the period was over. Everyone with a media pass is required to sign a piece of paper agreeing to the NCAA's live-blogging policy, which says that any live-blog is only allowed 3 posts per period, and one post between periods.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
North Dakota News
Grand Forks Herald writer Brad Schlossman has done a pretty good job keeping track of most of the coverage North Dakota has been receiving this past week.
Also according to Schlossman, the Sioux will have many alums in attendance.
Also according to Schlossman, the Sioux will have many alums in attendance.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Days 2 and 3 of the Tournament
This is belated, but I thought I'd say a few things on the other games this past weekend.
North Dakota 5 Princeton 1
Princeton actually had chances in this one. North Dakota wasn't that impressive 5-on-5 and had a few defensive breakdowns that led to nice chances for Princeton. UND's powerplay was excellent and J-P Lamoureux played great in goal though.
Miami 3 Air Force 2 (OT)
Apparently AFA goalie Andrew Volkening played the game of his life. Not bad for a kid that couldn't make 3rd team all-star in Atlantic Hockey.
Wisconsin 6 Denver 2
Denver fell a game shy of setting the record for most consecutive tournament wins. A lot of people felt this justified putting Wisconsin into the tournament. They'd be wrong. Tournament berths are given out based on who had the best season, not who is most likely to win in the tournament. If they were based on predicted tournament performance, St. Cloud would never get a bid. The Badgers did a nice job regrouping after some time off to come back and get a win in the tournament.
Boston College 5 Minnesota 2
BC did manage to build a lead on the Gophers, and Minnesota could never recover. BC also looked like the much, much faster team here. I must have heard about how much this Minnesota team lacked talent in about a dozen different places. Minnesota dressed 12 NHL draft picks, including 3 first rounders in this game. How much talent do they need to be successful?
Michigan 2 Clarkson 0
Michigan manages to make it through the easiest regional. Kevin Porter locked up the Hobey with a hand in 6 of Michigan's 7 goals, but the real story was the play of Billy Sauer, who played a great game in the final to get a shutout and get Michigan back to the Frozen Four.
Notre Dame 3 Michigan State
The Irish are going to the Frozen Four for the first time in school history. It's just one of the weird things about college hockey that teams seem to have the most success in the years you wouldn't expect it. Notre Dame looked like a lock last year and got knocked off by Michigan State in the regional final, and they looked like they were dead at the end of this year, and somehow pulled it together for a nice tournament run.
Boston College 4 Miami 3
North Dakota 3 Wisconsin 2 (OT)
I spent most of Sunday on the road, so I don't have too much to say about these games.
It's got to be a heartbreaker for Miami to get so close to the Frozen Four and fall short, especially after really outshooting BC in overtime.
It looks like North Dakota had a huge third period comeback against Wisconsin. On one hand, it's surprising to see UW give up a two goal lead in the third. On the other hand, you have to expect that two goals won't be enough to beat North Dakota.
North Dakota 5 Princeton 1
Princeton actually had chances in this one. North Dakota wasn't that impressive 5-on-5 and had a few defensive breakdowns that led to nice chances for Princeton. UND's powerplay was excellent and J-P Lamoureux played great in goal though.
Miami 3 Air Force 2 (OT)
Apparently AFA goalie Andrew Volkening played the game of his life. Not bad for a kid that couldn't make 3rd team all-star in Atlantic Hockey.
Wisconsin 6 Denver 2
Denver fell a game shy of setting the record for most consecutive tournament wins. A lot of people felt this justified putting Wisconsin into the tournament. They'd be wrong. Tournament berths are given out based on who had the best season, not who is most likely to win in the tournament. If they were based on predicted tournament performance, St. Cloud would never get a bid. The Badgers did a nice job regrouping after some time off to come back and get a win in the tournament.
Boston College 5 Minnesota 2
BC did manage to build a lead on the Gophers, and Minnesota could never recover. BC also looked like the much, much faster team here. I must have heard about how much this Minnesota team lacked talent in about a dozen different places. Minnesota dressed 12 NHL draft picks, including 3 first rounders in this game. How much talent do they need to be successful?
Michigan 2 Clarkson 0
Michigan manages to make it through the easiest regional. Kevin Porter locked up the Hobey with a hand in 6 of Michigan's 7 goals, but the real story was the play of Billy Sauer, who played a great game in the final to get a shutout and get Michigan back to the Frozen Four.
Notre Dame 3 Michigan State
The Irish are going to the Frozen Four for the first time in school history. It's just one of the weird things about college hockey that teams seem to have the most success in the years you wouldn't expect it. Notre Dame looked like a lock last year and got knocked off by Michigan State in the regional final, and they looked like they were dead at the end of this year, and somehow pulled it together for a nice tournament run.
Boston College 4 Miami 3
North Dakota 3 Wisconsin 2 (OT)
I spent most of Sunday on the road, so I don't have too much to say about these games.
It's got to be a heartbreaker for Miami to get so close to the Frozen Four and fall short, especially after really outshooting BC in overtime.
It looks like North Dakota had a huge third period comeback against Wisconsin. On one hand, it's surprising to see UW give up a two goal lead in the third. On the other hand, you have to expect that two goals won't be enough to beat North Dakota.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Day 1 of the Tournament
Clarkson 2 St. Cloud 1
St. Cloud's great powerplay went 0-6, and the Huskies didn't have enough firepower to get things done at even strength. One defensive breakdown in the third period led to a Clarkson goal, and that was all she wrote for the Huskies.
Notre Dame 7 New Hampshire 3
I wasn't expecting 4 goals all game, let alone four in the first 20 minutes of play. The Irish finally got their marquee win, and were able to tack on a pair of empty-netters to make it look like a blowout.
Michigan 5 Niagara 1
After a slow first period, Michigan took control of the game in the second period, and Kevin Porter took control of the Hobey race with four goals on the night. Playing in Porter's shadow, non-Hobey finalist Chad Kolarik had four assists to move into 4th place in the national scoring race.
Michigan State 3 Colorado College 1
Jeff Lerg was the hero for the Spartans, making 41 saves. The Spartans were outshot 12-2 in the first period, but came out of the period tied at zero. MSU took the lead midway through the second, and put the dagger in the Tigers with two goals late in the second period.
Bullets...
Will St. Cloud ever win an NCAA tournament game?
No. This was probably as sweet a chance as they're going to get and as Husky radio announcer Don Lyons pointed out about 50 times during the third period of the game, the Huskies played much poorer in the tournament than they had all year. With the NCAA banning terrible sub-.500 teams like Wisconsin from the tournament starting next year, it's just hard to imagine who they would beat.
And if the knife wasn't in deep enough for Husky fans, I will point out that Mark Hartigan said he hoped Michigan would lose 8-0 in the tournament, and instead, it was his alma mater that went to 0-8 in the tournament.
OMG CCHA!!!!!!!
The CCHA is 3-0 after the first day of the tournament, and is now guaranteed at least a .500 record in the tournament, and at least one team in the Frozen Four coming out of the West regional. Does this mean the CCHA is officially "back" as a major player? Eh. I think it means their top four teams are all pretty good, which I think we already knew.
The WCHA...sucks?
Again I say eh. The WCHA went 0-2 on the first day of the tournament, and a lot of people are going to use that to draw pretty sweeping conclusions about the quality of the conference. The fact is, I think the NCAA tournament isn't a very good format to show how strong the league is. Just about every conference can come up with a couple top-notch teams. The strength of the WCHA is in how excellent some of the lower teams in the conference were. If there was one thing the WCHA was lacking this year, it was top end talent. Colorado College won the WCHA regular season title, but still was only a two-seed.
Can Sparty do it again?
The people that read my previews can probably guess I wasn't surprised MSU won tonight against Colorado College. I think those that weren't familiar with MSU before tonight got a good chance to see why Michigan fans really, really didn't want MSU in their regional. If Jeff Lerg makes 40 saves a night, MSU could beat anybody.
St. Cloud's great powerplay went 0-6, and the Huskies didn't have enough firepower to get things done at even strength. One defensive breakdown in the third period led to a Clarkson goal, and that was all she wrote for the Huskies.
Notre Dame 7 New Hampshire 3
I wasn't expecting 4 goals all game, let alone four in the first 20 minutes of play. The Irish finally got their marquee win, and were able to tack on a pair of empty-netters to make it look like a blowout.
Michigan 5 Niagara 1
After a slow first period, Michigan took control of the game in the second period, and Kevin Porter took control of the Hobey race with four goals on the night. Playing in Porter's shadow, non-Hobey finalist Chad Kolarik had four assists to move into 4th place in the national scoring race.
Michigan State 3 Colorado College 1
Jeff Lerg was the hero for the Spartans, making 41 saves. The Spartans were outshot 12-2 in the first period, but came out of the period tied at zero. MSU took the lead midway through the second, and put the dagger in the Tigers with two goals late in the second period.
Bullets...
Will St. Cloud ever win an NCAA tournament game?
No. This was probably as sweet a chance as they're going to get and as Husky radio announcer Don Lyons pointed out about 50 times during the third period of the game, the Huskies played much poorer in the tournament than they had all year. With the NCAA banning terrible sub-.500 teams like Wisconsin from the tournament starting next year, it's just hard to imagine who they would beat.
And if the knife wasn't in deep enough for Husky fans, I will point out that Mark Hartigan said he hoped Michigan would lose 8-0 in the tournament, and instead, it was his alma mater that went to 0-8 in the tournament.
OMG CCHA!!!!!!!
The CCHA is 3-0 after the first day of the tournament, and is now guaranteed at least a .500 record in the tournament, and at least one team in the Frozen Four coming out of the West regional. Does this mean the CCHA is officially "back" as a major player? Eh. I think it means their top four teams are all pretty good, which I think we already knew.
The WCHA...sucks?
Again I say eh. The WCHA went 0-2 on the first day of the tournament, and a lot of people are going to use that to draw pretty sweeping conclusions about the quality of the conference. The fact is, I think the NCAA tournament isn't a very good format to show how strong the league is. Just about every conference can come up with a couple top-notch teams. The strength of the WCHA is in how excellent some of the lower teams in the conference were. If there was one thing the WCHA was lacking this year, it was top end talent. Colorado College won the WCHA regular season title, but still was only a two-seed.
Can Sparty do it again?
The people that read my previews can probably guess I wasn't surprised MSU won tonight against Colorado College. I think those that weren't familiar with MSU before tonight got a good chance to see why Michigan fans really, really didn't want MSU in their regional. If Jeff Lerg makes 40 saves a night, MSU could beat anybody.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Irish Advance
In my quest to look like as big of a fool as possible, I said this in my West regional preview:
In my defense, the only thing less likely than Notre Dame's hockey team scoring 7 points, would be Notre Dame's football team scoring 7 points.
I think New Hampshire is too strong in goal for the Irish to put up a lot of offense.Yeah. Final score: Notre Dame 7 New Hampshire 3.
In my defense, the only thing less likely than Notre Dame's hockey team scoring 7 points, would be Notre Dame's football team scoring 7 points.
Tournament Previews
In case you didn't read through all of the previews, my predicted Frozen Four looked this:
West: Michigan State
Midwest: North Dakota
East: Michigan
Northeast: Boston College
My pick for the national champion? Niagara. Sure, they'll probably lose the only game they play, but it will be to the number one team in the country. Their strength of schedule will be through the freakin' roof, and at the end of the day, that is what matters more than who actually wins or loses on the ice.
For what it's worth, the NHL scout who won the Tournament Pick'em last year picked a Frozen Four of Colorado College, North Dakota, Michigan, and Miami, with North Dakota beating CC in the final.
Here are the College Hockey News previews for the Midwest, East, West,and Northeast regionals.
The INCH previews for the East, West, Northeast, and Midwest regionals.
The Hoover Street Rag previews for the Midwest, West, Northeast, and East regionals.
West: Michigan State
Midwest: North Dakota
East: Michigan
Northeast: Boston College
My pick for the national champion? Niagara. Sure, they'll probably lose the only game they play, but it will be to the number one team in the country. Their strength of schedule will be through the freakin' roof, and at the end of the day, that is what matters more than who actually wins or loses on the ice.
For what it's worth, the NHL scout who won the Tournament Pick'em last year picked a Frozen Four of Colorado College, North Dakota, Michigan, and Miami, with North Dakota beating CC in the final.
Here are the College Hockey News previews for the Midwest, East, West,and Northeast regionals.
The INCH previews for the East, West, Northeast, and Midwest regionals.
The Hoover Street Rag previews for the Midwest, West, Northeast, and East regionals.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Northeast Regional
Game 1 #2 Boston College vs. #3 Minnesota
Minnesota has had a good deal of success in the playoffs by following a fairly simple formula of playing tight defensive hockey, letting Alex Kangas keep the puck out of the net, and waiting until they catch a break late in the game. For as close as all of Minnesota's playoff games have been, the only time they've trailed in a playoff game was a brief stretch in the first period of their third game with Minnesota State, and in the Final Five final, a game which they lost.
That said, I think the big key for Boston College is for BC to score a couple goals early and build a lead. If they do, I don't think Minnesota has the firepower to catch back up. But if Alex Kangas is playing well, and the game stays tied or in the Gophers favor, I really like Minnesota's chances.
The other key for Boston College will be the play of goalie John Muse. Muse was shaky at points this season, but was great in the Hockey East playoffs. If he can handle the pressures of the NCAA tournament, BC should be in good shape.
I think the Gophers have a great shot at winning this game, but I'll take Boston College to win in overtime. The Gophers have had quite a few bounces go their way in the playoffs, but I think their luck will run out here.
Game 2: #1 Miami vs. #4 Air Force
Air Force almost pulled off a huge upset last year over Minnesota, and that tournament experience could help them this year against a very good Miami team. It sounds like Air Force might be getting Eric Ehn back for this game, but even if he plays, I don't think he'll be at 100%.
I think Miami has too much talent to lose this game. I don't see goalie Jeff Zatkoff giving up that many goals, and Miami's forward corps is deep enough that it will create mismatches with Air Force, and they'll be able to score some goals.
Game 3 #1 Miami vs. #2 Boston College
This is a rematch of last year's Northeast Regional final, where Boston College won 4-0. Some things have changed since then. Miami is a year older and a little more confident. BC isn't as red-hot as they were last year. And John Muse is in goal instead of Cory Schneider. But I don't think enough has changed to switch the end result, and BC will advance to the Frozen Four.
Minnesota has had a good deal of success in the playoffs by following a fairly simple formula of playing tight defensive hockey, letting Alex Kangas keep the puck out of the net, and waiting until they catch a break late in the game. For as close as all of Minnesota's playoff games have been, the only time they've trailed in a playoff game was a brief stretch in the first period of their third game with Minnesota State, and in the Final Five final, a game which they lost.
That said, I think the big key for Boston College is for BC to score a couple goals early and build a lead. If they do, I don't think Minnesota has the firepower to catch back up. But if Alex Kangas is playing well, and the game stays tied or in the Gophers favor, I really like Minnesota's chances.
The other key for Boston College will be the play of goalie John Muse. Muse was shaky at points this season, but was great in the Hockey East playoffs. If he can handle the pressures of the NCAA tournament, BC should be in good shape.
I think the Gophers have a great shot at winning this game, but I'll take Boston College to win in overtime. The Gophers have had quite a few bounces go their way in the playoffs, but I think their luck will run out here.
Game 2: #1 Miami vs. #4 Air Force
Air Force almost pulled off a huge upset last year over Minnesota, and that tournament experience could help them this year against a very good Miami team. It sounds like Air Force might be getting Eric Ehn back for this game, but even if he plays, I don't think he'll be at 100%.
I think Miami has too much talent to lose this game. I don't see goalie Jeff Zatkoff giving up that many goals, and Miami's forward corps is deep enough that it will create mismatches with Air Force, and they'll be able to score some goals.
Game 3 #1 Miami vs. #2 Boston College
This is a rematch of last year's Northeast Regional final, where Boston College won 4-0. Some things have changed since then. Miami is a year older and a little more confident. BC isn't as red-hot as they were last year. And John Muse is in goal instead of Cory Schneider. But I don't think enough has changed to switch the end result, and BC will advance to the Frozen Four.
The East Regional
And here is the Molly Regional.
Game 1 #2 St. Cloud State vs. #3 Clarkson
This is a pretty interesting first round match-up. The two teams have met in each of the past two seasons. Last year, St. Cloud dominated Clarkson in St. Cloud, and this year, St. Cloud traveled out east and the two teams split. Both teams have a lot to prove in these games too. Clarkson has been very good the past couple seasons, but I think they need to have some success in the national tournament for people to really start taking them seriously. St. Cloud, well, you know the story about them in the national tournament.
This could be one of the higher-scoring first round games as well. Clarkson seniors David Cayer and Nick Dodge saw a little drop in production this year, but the Golden Knights still have a lot of dangerous scoring options. The Huskies, meanwhile, have perhaps the most dangerous top powerplay unit in the country led by Ryan Lasch, Andreas Nodl, and Garrett Roe.
Neither team is exceptional defensively either. Clarkson had some bad defensive breakdowns in their playoff loss to Colgate, while St. Cloud has also had some terrible 3rd period meltdowns this year. Both goalies have been solid this year, but aren't exactly what I would call game-changers.
St. Cloud played pretty good hockey down the stretch, save the Final Five play-in game. One of the common factors in all of St. Cloud's tournament losses has been that they haven't played their best hockey. If they play poorly on Friday, they'll likely lose again. But I think the Huskies will play inspired hockey, and advance in the tournament thanks to a couple powerplay goals.
Game 2 #1 Michigan vs. #4 Niagara
This should technically be the most lop-sided game of the tournament since it is #1 vs. #16, but there is still the potential for an upset. Michigan's team has reportedly been hit hard by the flu bug, and hasn't had a very good week of practice.
There also still has to be some concerns about Billy Sauer. Sauer hasn't played well in both NCAA tournament appearances, though in his defense, both of those games were against North Dakota. Still, if Niagara can keep the game low-scoring and close, they might catch a break on a soft goal or two.
Overall though, it'd be a pretty huge upset if the Purple Eagles beat Michigan. I except Michigan to win, and Kevin Porter to put up a couple points to solidify his Hobey bid.
Game 3 #1 Michigan vs. #2 St. Cloud
This would be the third time these teams have met, but the first outside the state of Michigan. The other two games came well before any of these players were in college, but strong memories still remain in St. Cloud. Mark Hartigan is still bitter. Apparently he didn't learn anything from Molly.
I think Michigan has got too much talent for St. Cloud in this one. Unless the Huskies can build a lead early, I think Michigan's forwards have too much speed for St. Cloud's defense, and I don't see Jase Weslosky turning away that many quality scoring chances to steal the game for St. Cloud.
Game 1 #2 St. Cloud State vs. #3 Clarkson
This is a pretty interesting first round match-up. The two teams have met in each of the past two seasons. Last year, St. Cloud dominated Clarkson in St. Cloud, and this year, St. Cloud traveled out east and the two teams split. Both teams have a lot to prove in these games too. Clarkson has been very good the past couple seasons, but I think they need to have some success in the national tournament for people to really start taking them seriously. St. Cloud, well, you know the story about them in the national tournament.
This could be one of the higher-scoring first round games as well. Clarkson seniors David Cayer and Nick Dodge saw a little drop in production this year, but the Golden Knights still have a lot of dangerous scoring options. The Huskies, meanwhile, have perhaps the most dangerous top powerplay unit in the country led by Ryan Lasch, Andreas Nodl, and Garrett Roe.
Neither team is exceptional defensively either. Clarkson had some bad defensive breakdowns in their playoff loss to Colgate, while St. Cloud has also had some terrible 3rd period meltdowns this year. Both goalies have been solid this year, but aren't exactly what I would call game-changers.
St. Cloud played pretty good hockey down the stretch, save the Final Five play-in game. One of the common factors in all of St. Cloud's tournament losses has been that they haven't played their best hockey. If they play poorly on Friday, they'll likely lose again. But I think the Huskies will play inspired hockey, and advance in the tournament thanks to a couple powerplay goals.
Game 2 #1 Michigan vs. #4 Niagara
This should technically be the most lop-sided game of the tournament since it is #1 vs. #16, but there is still the potential for an upset. Michigan's team has reportedly been hit hard by the flu bug, and hasn't had a very good week of practice.
There also still has to be some concerns about Billy Sauer. Sauer hasn't played well in both NCAA tournament appearances, though in his defense, both of those games were against North Dakota. Still, if Niagara can keep the game low-scoring and close, they might catch a break on a soft goal or two.
Overall though, it'd be a pretty huge upset if the Purple Eagles beat Michigan. I except Michigan to win, and Kevin Porter to put up a couple points to solidify his Hobey bid.
Game 3 #1 Michigan vs. #2 St. Cloud
This would be the third time these teams have met, but the first outside the state of Michigan. The other two games came well before any of these players were in college, but strong memories still remain in St. Cloud. Mark Hartigan is still bitter. Apparently he didn't learn anything from Molly.
I think Michigan has got too much talent for St. Cloud in this one. Unless the Huskies can build a lead early, I think Michigan's forwards have too much speed for St. Cloud's defense, and I don't see Jase Weslosky turning away that many quality scoring chances to steal the game for St. Cloud.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Syndication, Baby
Taking a page out of the Big Ten Network's playbook(I believe Page 2. Page 1 just has the word SUCK in giant letters), ESPNU has decided to enforce their exclusivity clause and will be burying most of the tournament gmaes on a network that most viewers don't get, rather than allowing other networks to also show the games.
The only games that will be on TV for normal folk will be a few games that coincide with other games, and will be tape-delayed by ESPNU. Fox Sports North will be showing Minnesota and North Dakota's first game of the tournament.
I'm not really sure what this accomplishes. I doubt that many people are going to run out and order ESPNU just for this weekend's games. All it does is inconvenience/turn away college hockey's fans, and limits the potential for the sport to pick up new fans.
The only games that will be on TV for normal folk will be a few games that coincide with other games, and will be tape-delayed by ESPNU. Fox Sports North will be showing Minnesota and North Dakota's first game of the tournament.
I'm not really sure what this accomplishes. I doubt that many people are going to run out and order ESPNU just for this weekend's games. All it does is inconvenience/turn away college hockey's fans, and limits the potential for the sport to pick up new fans.
The Midwest Regional
And the Midwest Regional
Game 1 #2 Denver vs. #3 Wisconsin
In honor of Wisconsin's historic bid to the tournament, perhaps instead of playing Denver head-to-head, Wisconsin should play Merrimack twice and Colgate once while Denver plays Merrimack once and Colgate four times. Whoever ends up with the best winning percentage should move on in the tournament.
Wisconsin isn't that great. Their sub-.500 record was no fluke. But they'll probably still give Denver a good game. Wisconsin gets the advantage of playing on their home rink, but some of the advantage of playing in Madison will be neutralized with no student section. And it's not like Wisconsin has been that great at home this year anyway.
Denver, on the other hand, is rolling at the right time. Peter Mannino looks like he's back in the groove he was in at the start of the season, and Tyler Ruegsegger is back from injury.
The Pioneers should win their 9th straight tournament game. The Badgers will probably keep it close for a while, but I think Denver will win by at least two goals. Shane Connelly has been decent this year, but I don't know that he's capable of stealing a game for the Badgers, which is what they'd need to win.
Game 2 #1 North Dakota vs. #4 Princeton
Princeton made the tournament because they allegedly won the ECAC tournament last weekend in Albany, but I haven't been able to track down any of the four people there to confirm. North Dakota comes into the tournament after playing probably the best second half of the season in the entire country.
I don't have much hope for the Tigers in this one. They played one game on Olympic-sized ice this season; a 6-1 loss to Minnesota State. As Clarkson has shown in their last two trips out west, playing on wider ice can be difficult for some eastern teams. Princeton's goalie Zane Kalemba is playing out of his mind right now, but even that shouldn't be enough to hold off the onslaught North Dakota will send at him.
The Sioux should be better than Princeton in every aspect of the game, and I'd be surprised if this game even stayed close.
Game 3 #1 North Dakota vs. #2 Denver
This is a rematch of the Final Five semifinal last weekend. Obviously Denver came out on top last weekend, but I think the result will be different this time around. It's tough to pick against Peter Mannino, but I think the Sioux just have more weapons than the Pioneers. North Dakota always seems to make the Frozen Four because they've always got a lot of talent, and are always playing their best at the right time of the year. This should be a close game, one that might not end after 60 minutes, but I expect the Sioux to win.
Game 1 #2 Denver vs. #3 Wisconsin
In honor of Wisconsin's historic bid to the tournament, perhaps instead of playing Denver head-to-head, Wisconsin should play Merrimack twice and Colgate once while Denver plays Merrimack once and Colgate four times. Whoever ends up with the best winning percentage should move on in the tournament.
Wisconsin isn't that great. Their sub-.500 record was no fluke. But they'll probably still give Denver a good game. Wisconsin gets the advantage of playing on their home rink, but some of the advantage of playing in Madison will be neutralized with no student section. And it's not like Wisconsin has been that great at home this year anyway.
Denver, on the other hand, is rolling at the right time. Peter Mannino looks like he's back in the groove he was in at the start of the season, and Tyler Ruegsegger is back from injury.
The Pioneers should win their 9th straight tournament game. The Badgers will probably keep it close for a while, but I think Denver will win by at least two goals. Shane Connelly has been decent this year, but I don't know that he's capable of stealing a game for the Badgers, which is what they'd need to win.
Game 2 #1 North Dakota vs. #4 Princeton
Princeton made the tournament because they allegedly won the ECAC tournament last weekend in Albany, but I haven't been able to track down any of the four people there to confirm. North Dakota comes into the tournament after playing probably the best second half of the season in the entire country.
I don't have much hope for the Tigers in this one. They played one game on Olympic-sized ice this season; a 6-1 loss to Minnesota State. As Clarkson has shown in their last two trips out west, playing on wider ice can be difficult for some eastern teams. Princeton's goalie Zane Kalemba is playing out of his mind right now, but even that shouldn't be enough to hold off the onslaught North Dakota will send at him.
The Sioux should be better than Princeton in every aspect of the game, and I'd be surprised if this game even stayed close.
Game 3 #1 North Dakota vs. #2 Denver
This is a rematch of the Final Five semifinal last weekend. Obviously Denver came out on top last weekend, but I think the result will be different this time around. It's tough to pick against Peter Mannino, but I think the Sioux just have more weapons than the Pioneers. North Dakota always seems to make the Frozen Four because they've always got a lot of talent, and are always playing their best at the right time of the year. This should be a close game, one that might not end after 60 minutes, but I expect the Sioux to win.
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