NCAA Regionals, Saturday March 29

[jtwcornell91]

So, ESPN must be drooling over the prospect of a Michigan-Notre Dame-Wisconsin-Boston College Frozen Four.

::dribble::
::stupid::

The prospect is almost a reason to root for North Dakota if Miami loses to BC.  Actually, NoDak is the only non-FCS school left in the tournament.  Too bad I hate them so.

[min]

Beyond the personal biases and proclivities, is there any historical reason why Cornell fans should dislike BC? If anything, BC has an outstanding hockey program that is enviable: 7 Frozen Fours in the last 10 years, and going for #8 later today. Sure, one can say that they are the Atlanta Braves of college hockey --BC is 1 for 5 in championship games-- but their record is stellar and almost worth emulating (or at least paying attention to).

Forget BU, I hope Cornell plays BC more often in the near future.

[jtwcornell91]

[quote min]Beyond the personal biases and proclivities, is there any historical reason why Cornell fans should dislike BC? If anything, BC has an outstanding hockey program that is enviable: 7 Frozen Fours in the last 10 years, and going for #8 later today. Sure, one can say that they are the Atlanta Braves of college hockey --BC is 1 for 5 in championship games-- but their record is stellar and almost worth emulating (or at least paying attention to).[/quote]

Well, actually I was saying I hate North Dakota (primarily because of the sanctimonious way they make their specious arguments about the nickbname issue).  I think the problems people have with BC these days mostly revolve around their fans.  (The school also has the reputation, like USC, of being a place for children of privilege without much academic aptitude to go along with it.)

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

If a WCHA school has to get through (and clearly one does), I'd prefer it were NoDak.  I don't think Wisconsin is deserving of being in the tournament and IMO the only reason they won game one is that they got home ice (kind-of).

I frankly side with NoDak on the name issue and not the sanctimonious PC police of the NC$$.  So I'd like to see them get through simply so we get to see their logo and hear their name.

But I'm rooting for BC - Eastern bias.

[Scersk '97]

[quote Jeff Hopkins '82]If a WCHA school has to get through (and clearly one does), I'd prefer it were NoDak.  I don't think Wisconsin is deserving of being in the tournament and IMO the only reason they won game one is that they got home ice (kind-of).[/quote]

My rooting interest in the second game depends partially on the outcome of the first game.  If Miami wins the first game, I would like them to see the "easiest" opponent in the semis, because it would be awful nice, and better for the sport, for a "new" team to win a championship.  (For which reason  I'll be rooting for Notre Dame in the other semi.)  Hence, I think Wisconsin, who plays a more CCHA-style game, would be a good opponent for Miami, and I hope they beat NoDak.  (Has nothing to do with my hatred of NoDak either...  no...)

My rooting interest also partially depends on my completely (at this point), irrationally gigantic hatred of the WCHA and all of its teams.  How wonderful would it be to see the mighty, vaunted WCHA represented (too bad Princeton wasn't up to the task) by its weakest entry, who would, hopefully, then dutifully bow out in the semis.

I'm so tired of hearing about the damn WCHA.

[Jim Hyla]

Yesterday I was for NoDak, as I'm opposed to the "make them the home team" advantage. However upon reflection, I think it would be kind of neat if the only WCHA team to make it were to be a sub .500 one, getting in with home ice advantage. Yes, I know if they get in they will be over .500, but just think about it, all WCHA teams that had to play fair lost.  If we're not there, could anything be sweeter than that,. Maybe a follow up with them losing in the semis. And actually, when you look at how we were treated in our WCHA home ice NCAA semis, Wisconsin certainly wins out over Minny.

[Trotsky]

[quote min]Beyond the personal biases and proclivities, is there any historical reason why Cornell fans should dislike BC?[/quote]It's a USCHO thing.  The only fans who give Minny a run for the a-hole crown are BC's.  Far and away the most obnoxious fans in the East, they're a cross between the very worst navel-gazing presumption and dullard aggressiveness of both Red Sox and Patriots fans.  In a word, they suck.

Well, you asked. ::whistle::

[min]

Ahh, I see. It's mostly the sanctimonious and obnoxious BC fans who are the problem. Funny, that makes the Cornell QF win in Providence even more memorable and gratifying, if that's possible five years later.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Well, if it ends up being 4 western schools, I'll root for Miami, for the reason noted:  it'll be nice to see a new school win it.

No way I can root for either Michigan or Notre Dame.  I am a Penn State fan after all.  ::whistle::

[Larry72]

BC wins in OT.

[Rich S]

FWIW, it was actually 6 on 4 I believe, not 6 on 3.  And they hit a post then missed a wide open net.

But whatever.  The real killer was in the first period when Tech had the better of the quality scoring chances and couldn't bury a single one with Sauer out of position.  The ineffective PP was their Achilles heel all season and it cost them Sat eve.

U-M was there for the taking but Tech needed to play almost mistake-free hockey and they didn't.  Leggio over-committed on the first goal, the second was setup by a bad D-zone turnover and then a few undisciplined 3rd period penalties killed any chance we had.

U-M certainly did not intimidate Tech  and they didn't blow us away but they did make very few mistakes.  For example, I cannot recall even a single odd-man rush against them.

They can be beaten in Denver but if Sauer is as solid as he looked on Saturday and their PK plays as well again in the FF, they will have a very good chance.

[Jim Hyla]

[quote Rich S]FWIW, it was actually 6 on 4 I believe, not 6 on 3. [/quote]

Rich, too bad for Clarkson (and the ECAC), however for full disclosure I have to say I was for UM, as I did my rheumatology there and my wife graduated from there. So I was happy.

UM had 2 penalties at the end of the game, as an aside if they do that again they can probably say good-bye; one with about 3 min to go and one with about 2 min to go. Clk had a penalty at 3.5 min. Leggio was pulled at about 2 to go, so for about 30 sec. they had 6 on 3.

However the amazing thing to see was how often both teams took stupid penalties. We always think that only Cornell can be that dumb, but this game just shows that's not true. Clarkson's slash followed by the 2 UM penalties were all just plain dumb. Excepting that it was earlier, Paquet's roughing, really a punch, was as dumb. As it lead to the first goal it might have been the worst. Although I don't like to see it, it's comforting to know other teams have the same problems as we do.

It was a fun season, I enjoyed it, and I'll leave with the same sign-off as I did on Roundtable chat, "See you next year in Albany. "

[Rich S]

The UM guy got 2 for embellishing (diving) after Paquet's dumb penalty (something he is very adept at) but U-M could well have had two minors for diving as he embellished his reaction to both hits.

Agreed...see you in Albany.  That would be much more fun than the Colgate-Prin semi I sat through, although PU did play very well.  They deserved the auto bid.

[billhoward]

Rich, good to see you back and in recovering spirits. It's good somebody from the ECAC won at least won game and didn't look terrible in losing. Actually, Princeton didn't look horrible, but all those ENGs make the history books look like it was a blowout.