Frozen Four

Miami leads Bemidji 3-1 after two

[kkbj.com]

Miami is playing the game Cornell tried to. No space, constant pressure, solid hitting. Argh.

Goodnight Beavers. Miami wins 4-1.

Go Hockey East.

lynah80
Go Hockey East.

Amen. The hockey gods gave us a golden opportunity and...

BU:

[lightningstream.surfernetwork.com]

Vermont:

[www.sportsjuice.com]#

lynah80
http://lightningstream.surfernetwork.com/Media/player/view/wwzn3.asp?call=wwzn&skin=WWZN

[www.justin.tv]

Milo just tied up the game with BU--2 to 2, halfway through the 2nd...whoa--now 3-2 Vermont! Game was 2-0 starting the 2nd.

Vermont was a little high in their zone on the BU PP and got burned.

The sad thing for BU is that the first UVM goal shouldn't have counted. There was interference by a UVM forward on a BU defenseman. He was skating in front of the play and took the d'man out so the shot could be on net. What a difference that would have made.

Questionable penalty called on Yip (crosschecking) leads to Vermont goal.

Millan should have made the save on a soft Vermont shot.


BU responds after their own power play expires with a goal on a fast rush. The puck was headed wide but it was knocked in by a Vermont player.

Less than 7 mins to go.

5-4 BU with 4:20 to go.

BU has some really impressive players: Yip, Higgins, Wilson, Gilroy...

Millan isn't having a great game though.

game over. BU wins 5-4. VT wasn't able to pull their goalie until only 30 seconds left due to too much play down their end.

I think BU was the better team on the ice, but their weakness was goal tending. Both teams were fast but BU seemed to have better finishers.

lynah80
I think BU was the better team on the ice, but their weakness was goal tending. Both teams were fast but BU seemed to have better finishers.

Amazing what goal scorers can do when your goalie is having an off night.....

The BU forwards also did a great job in the last four minutes keeping the puck in the Vermont end. They really worked at keeping the puck moving all along the endboards and must have ragged a good 45 seconds off the clock on one possession.

Rita

lynah80
I think BU was the better team on the ice, but their weakness was goal tending. Both teams were fast but BU seemed to have better finishers.

Amazing what goal scorers can do when your goalie is having an off night.....

The BU forwards also did a great job in the last four minutes keeping the puck in the Vermont end. They really worked at keeping the puck moving all along the endboards and must have ragged a good 45 seconds off the clock on one possession.

In what appears to be a weak year for the final four teams, I keep thinking: That. Could. Have. Been. Us. In. The. Final.

Yale, Princeton, and half the WCHA is probably thinking the same thing. BU is probably going to crush Miami but then the title game just determines who gets the NCAA trophy, not necessarily the best team of 2008-09.

Did anybody else see Justin Milo score that PPG and think, "So what would have been wrong with him playing a little baseball in April and May in Ithaca?"

The Milo affair notwithstanding, it would have been nice to see a new and different champion. I saw a lot of Vermont fans in the crowd shots. Good for them. The BU fans were probably headed home already for Eastern and Passover.

billhoward
I saw a lot of Vermont fans in the crowd shots. Good for them. The BU fans were probably headed home already for Eastern and Passover.

There were more BU fans there, though UVM had a very nice crowd too. But what you might have seen what nearly everyone else in the building rooting for the underdog.

billhowardDid anybody else see Justin Milo score that PPG and think, "So what would have been wrong with him playing a little baseball in April and May in Ithaca?"[/quote

I found myself thinking, "Screw you, Milo, you little traitor."

Jeff Hopkins '82
I found myself thinking, "Screw you, Milo, you little traitor."

Bitter much? I place the blame for this one on Schafer, not Milo.

Kyle Rose

Jeff Hopkins '82
I found myself thinking, "Screw you, Milo, you little traitor."

Bitter much? I place the blame for this one on Schafer, not Milo.

When I'm being rational, I do too. But after watching Bemidji play a game in which we could have been playing, my rational side really wasn't much in evidence.

Kyle Rose

Jeff Hopkins '82
I found myself thinking, "Screw you, Milo, you little traitor."

Bitter much? I place the blame for this one on Schafer, not Milo.

I'm with you, Kyle. I feel bad for the kid that he was basically forced to transfer so he could be a two-sport star only to have the baseball program canceled. I hope making the Frozen Four is enough consolation.

Kyle Rose

Jeff Hopkins '82
I found myself thinking, "Screw you, Milo, you little traitor."

Bitter much? I place the blame for this one on Schafer, not Milo.

But, it is ironic that he can't play baseball at UVM either.

ugarte

Kyle Rose

Jeff Hopkins '82
I found myself thinking, "Screw you, Milo, you little traitor."

Bitter much? I place the blame for this one on Schafer, not Milo.

I'm with you, Kyle. I feel bad for the kid that he was basically forced to transfer so he could be a two-sport star only to have the baseball program canceled. I hope making the Frozen Four is enough consolation.

Well, I mean, shouldn't he have checked a little more thoroughly to make sure they would keep it. Being Vermont, I'm guessing it's not as hospitable year round for baseball as, say, Florida, and it's already well known that northern college baseball teams have a hard time competing with southern teams due to the shorteneed season, so I find it hard to believe that if it was cancelled so quickly there was no foreshadowing of that at all.

ugarte
... I feel bad for the kid that he was basically forced to transfer so he could be a two-sport star only to have the baseball program canceled. I hope making the Frozen Four is enough consolation.

For others with hard hearts, there is delight that the English language incorporated the term schadenfreude.

just sucks:

Ugh ly!

Whether you were at the games last night or are following from home, check out my photo gallery from Thursday night.

http://dcist.com/2009/04/click_click_frozen_four_semifinals.php

Off to the Happy Hour!

Hey Greg, I thought you were coming down for the games

judy
Hey Greg, I thought you were coming down for the games

I am down. I'm just not down with it.

French Rage

ugarte

Kyle Rose

Jeff Hopkins '82
I found myself thinking, "Screw you, Milo, you little traitor."

Bitter much? I place the blame for this one on Schafer, not Milo.

I'm with you, Kyle. I feel bad for the kid that he was basically forced to transfer so he could be a two-sport star only to have the baseball program canceled. I hope making the Frozen Four is enough consolation.

Well, I mean, shouldn't he have checked a little more thoroughly to make sure they would keep it. Being Vermont, I'm guessing it's not as hospitable year round for baseball as, say, Florida, and it's already well known that northern college baseball teams have a hard time competing with southern teams due to the shorteneed season, so I find it hard to believe that if it was cancelled so quickly there was no foreshadowing of that at all.

The competitiveness of the team probably only had minor influence. These days money talks at state universities like Vermont, particularly since sports added or eliminated have to be balanced between women and men. Baseball is an expensive sport, particularly in northern schools requiring spring trips to warmer climates. Had Milo investigated, he might have sniffed an impending elimination, but I suspect the university's President made the decision suddenly once the school's budget shortfall for the current year was evident.

I live in Vermont and followed this on the local news. There was no foreshadowing whatsoever. With the collapse of the economy, the administration examined ways to cut costs. Unfortunately, they decided to cut baseball and softball. With the recent success of the hockey and basketball teams, the vast majority of attention at UVM goes to them. These have always been the main sports anyway.

It is a shame they couldn't find a way to keep the team. They play on a cool field they share with one of the Expos/Nationals minor league teams.

In a few years, UVM can print a new t-shirt for the baseball team similar to their football one: "UVM Football, Undeafeted since 1974"

I hope our defensemen are watching the championship intently. As Melrose is highlighting, when Miami clogs the shooting lanes, the BU defensemen stop, reset, and then fire a wrister just wide of the net into traffic, hoping for deflections.

Our D need to do that.

Free live video at ESPN360.com

I had the very same thought - don't just slap one-timers at the net, wrist it to a deflection or the boards behind the net and it may come back out

BU looks tired. They've been on the PK too much. Miami is clogging the neutral zone well this period.

Now 3-1, but obviously BU is dangerous.

Empty Net 3:30 to go

Reichard is good tonight, but BU managed to score on him. EA goal.

... and like that, 3-3.

Wow.

Fitting.

Of course, not the first time it's happened in the final. 2001 - NoDak got two EAGs to tie it before falling to BC.

Trotsky
Now 3-1, but obviously BU is dangerous.

I wish you could do that for us.

Miami chokes worse than Cornell-Wisconsin in 1972 (73?). Of course, Miami hasn't lost yet.

Makes the game fun to watch if you're a Miami partisan.

Trotsky
Fitting.

Almost. They left a 17.6 seconds on the clock. Would have been dramatic if they had tied it with only 0.9 seconds.

OT hockey!

I hope Miami isn't totally crushed by this turn of events.

====
And speaking of OT (of a different sort ), Abby-Bâby earned her Rally Obedience Level 2 championship today, on her 4th birthday (more ribbons).

She is now Abby (-Bâby) Monde, CGC, RL1X2, RL2X

And is now sleeping soundly through the hockey game.

ESPN360's constant commercials during the break are slightly less soul-crushing than bad sports radio.

I'm not saying they're not effective...

Oh, and holy crap.

Screw BU.

Yuck. what a way for Miami to lose the game.

Their D-man blocks a shot from the BU point and it hits off the Miami player's shin pads, and is deflected towards the Miami goal and into the net.

Lucky game winner.

But East beats West, again!

Weird goal, but at least no one is a goat. I told my wife (a BU grad ) that, with BU winning, hopefully most of their top underclassmen will leave for the pros so their lineup will be depleted when we play them at MSG next year

lynah80
But East beats West, again!

First back-to-back wins by eastern teams since BU repeated in 1971 and 1972.

Back-to-back? BC won it last year.

kingpin248
Back-to-back? BC won it last year.

Back to back years won by any eastern team. BC is eastern too.

kingpin248
Back-to-back? BC won it last year.

Read again: "by eastern teams" not "by an eastern team."

Indeed...my apologies. Certainly better than the fact ESPN showed at the opening faceoff (that this was the first NCAA championship game, in any sport, ever played in DC).

Awesome final game even if you hate BU. BU is talented, give or take its goalie. (We should lay off Scrivens, after seeing Millan in net for the Terriers.)

Misery loves company: Somebody chokes worse than Cornell. This is not in the top 10 of college sports collapses, but it's memorable and if there's a top 100, it's in there.

Hard for the West to say it's best when East teams win two in a row. (You mentioned that Eastern teams won back to back in 1971 and 1972. Didn't an Eastern team also win in 1970?) And Miami of Ohio isn't exactly the West.

Miami's appearance in the final four is a reminder of how hard it will be for Cornell to win that third NCAA hockey title. There are so many talented hockey teams. I fear for the lacrosse team for the same reason, although it doesn't look quite so grim.

[edit add] The title game also blew away the NCAA basketball title game for excitement.

billhoward
(You mentioned that Eastern teams won back to back in 1971 and 1972. Didn't an Eastern team also win in 1970?) And Miami of Ohio isn't exactly the West.

They're in the west as much as Notre Dame and Michigan are. The CCHA, CHA (I guess), and WZHA are in the west, and the ECAC, Hokey Least, and AH are in the east. How else could an Air Force skater be an Eastern All-American?

(Of course, could it be that it was deemed acceptable to leave one of our boys off the list, but not one of those valiant WZHA boys? Nah...)

Yeah, an eastern team won in 1970 too, I just can't remember who it was...

billhoward
Miami's appearance in the final four is a reminder of how hard it will be for Cornell to win that third NCAA hockey title.

what's the over/under (in number of years) before that happens? anybody got a reliable crystal ball, or a mathematical model that works?

Scersk '97
Yeah, an eastern team won in 1970 too, I just can't remember who it was...

I remember Dryden was their goaltender.

Didn't look like a choke by Miami to me. Looked like BU pulled out all the stops and played a great minute and a half of 6x5 hockey. Frankly, it looked like Miami was overwhelmed - and they still nearly won the game with a second left. If BU had let that happen, THAT would have been an epic choke.

Now I've got to go find the GWG on YouTube since I forgot to account for OT when I set my DVR. (Choke: ugarte.)

Edit: Ouuuuuuuuch. And I was thinking what a terrible game Colby Cohen had been having. I don't think he'll see it as a bad game anymore...

ugarte
Didn't look like a choke by Miami to me. Looked like BU pulled out all the stops and played a great minute and a half of 6x5 hockey. Frankly, it looked like Miami was overwhelmed - and they still nearly won the game with a second left. If BU had let that happen, THAT would have been an epic choke.

Now I've got to go find the GWG on YouTube since I forgot to account for OT when I set my DVR. (Choke: ugarte.)

Edit: Ouuuuuuuuch. And I was thinking what a terrible game Colby Cohen had been having. I don't think he'll see it as a bad game anymore...

ESPNU replayed the game last night, so check their schedule, they may do it again.

Rather than start another thread, I'll post this here:

[www.usatoday.com]

In the final poll, Miami is both 2nd and 4th. And Cornell inexplicably gets dropped below Northeastern, while Bemijdi jumps up 3 spots in losing to Miami.

Who votes in these things???

Whoever they are, I suspect they're not Notre Dame fans.

Chris 02
Rather than start another thread, I'll post this here:

[www.usatoday.com]

In the final poll, Miami is both 2nd and 4th.

And some of you complain about the Sun?

And Cornell inexplicably gets dropped below Northeastern, while Bemijdi jumps up 3 spots in losing to Miami.

Who votes in these things???

Does anyone know when the previous poll was done?

I love that 2nd place Miami was 4th last week and 4th place Miami was 2nd previously.

One of the many reasons it is silly to have a poll after the season: there is no way that Bemidji is one of the top ten teams in the country. They had a great run in the tournament and hats off to them for that. But getting to the Frozen Four doesn't make you one of the best four teams, it just makes you one of the four left standing.

Josh 03
Whoever they are, I suspect they're not Notre Dame fans.

That's a huge travesty. From a 1 seed to NO VOTES. Pretty harsh penalty for dropping a game to the #9 team in the country.
Nevermind. I assume that the Miami that dropped from #2 to #4 is actually Notre Dame.

KeithK
I love that 2nd place Miami was 4th last week and 4th place Miami was 2nd previously.

One of the many reasons it is silly to have a poll after the season: there is no way that Bemidji is one of the top ten teams in the country. They had a great run in the tournament and hats off to them for that. But getting to the Frozen Four doesn't make you one of the best four teams, it just makes you one of the four left standing.

So if Bemidji had won the frozen four would they not be the best team in the country?

Dpperk29
So if Bemidji had won the frozen four would they not be the best team in the country?

It depends entirely on what your definition of "best team" is.

Dpperk29
So if Bemidji had won the frozen four would they not be the best team in the country?

No, they wouldn't be the best team in the country. I'm pretty confident that that team is and would still be BU. But Bemidji would be the national champion, which is what they are playing for.

It was interesting to see what nonparticipating school had the most fans based on jerseys. Minnesota seemed to be on top. A lot of North Dakota – they will definitely send a good contingent to Lynah. Also a solid representation from New Hampshire and Maine. (The Maine contingent surprised me after their generally feeble showing at Estero over the years.) A number from Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State. Some BC, Denver and Colorado College. Among the ECAC Cornell had the most by a pretty wide margin, Clarkson second. A wide scattering of other schools, St. Cloud State, Union, Bowling Green, Massachusetts, etc. Of the Ivies I did see two-three Dartmouth and Princeton supporters, one Brown, one Yale. But Harvard? Not one. In two nights.

rstott
It was interesting to see what nonparticipating school had the most fans based on jerseys. Minnesota seemed to be on top. A lot of North Dakota – they will definitely send a good contingent to Lynah. Also a solid representation from New Hampshire and Maine. (The Maine contingent surprised me after their generally feeble showing at Estero over the years.) A number from Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State. Some BC, Denver and Colorado College. Among the ECAC Cornell had the most by a pretty wide margin, Clarkson second. A wide scattering of other schools, St. Cloud State, Union, Bowling Green, Massachusetts, etc. Of the Ivies I did see two-three Dartmouth and Princeton supporters, one Brown, one Yale. But Harvard? Not one. In two nights.

I saw one Harvard jersey walking into the final on Saturday night.

I found a few RPI fans as well. Didn't see any Union though.