College Hockey Thread

[kenneycb]

Funny coming from a Michigan fan. What, you have like one or two championships in the 20 or however many straight years you made the tourny? You guys did great the last time you were in the Frozen Four, what with the Hobey Baker winner, a 1 seed and playing a weak ND squad. Care to remind me how that ended? I'm having difficulty remembering who we pasted in the championship.

 

[Senator Donut]

Funny coming from a Michigan fan. What, you have like one or two championships in the 20 or however many straight years you made the tourny? You guys did great the last time you were in the Frozen Four, what with the Hobey Baker winner, a 1 seed and playing a weak ND squad. Care to remind me how that ended? I'm having difficulty remembering who we pasted in the championship.

Are you a Duluth fan?

 

[FelixMantilla]

Fucking NESN. Commercial comes out of nowhere with the Hockey East Finals on.

 

[Rasputin]

Fucking NESN. Commercial comes out of nowhere with the Hockey East Finals on.

But at least they came back just in time for a normal commercial break.

Regardless, I am being entertained.

 

[FelixMantilla]

BC is flying tonight.

 

[Rasputin]

BC is flying tonight.

They almost look angry.

 

[Rasputin]

Oh for fuck's sake.

 

[SumnerH]

Diamond is alternating between playing well and committing bone-headed penalties for Maine.

 

[Rasputin]

Twenty shots on net for BC. I'll take it.

 

[FelixMantilla]

Sullivan kept Maine in the game. It's now 2-1 and the tide seems to be turning.

 

[Hendu's Gait]

Thanks BC for keeping it in the family.

 

[Dave Stapleton]

Johnny gaudreau really could have helped Northeastern huh?

 

[mabrowndog]

Michigan beat BGSU in OT. We have Wasterm on the finals. So...We should win.

Or... not.

This wasn't exactly the greatest weekend to be a Wolverine fan.

 

[Laser Show]

Johnny gaudreau really could have helped Northeastern huh?

...yeeeeeeea. I told my friend before the game that I would be willing to bet almost anything that he would win MVP.

Sigh.

 

[sachmoney]

Funny coming from a Michigan fan. What, you have like one or two championships in the 20 or however many straight years you made the tourny? You guys did great the last time you were in the Frozen Four, what with the Hobey Baker winner, a 1 seed and playing a weak ND squad. Care to remind me how that ended? I'm having difficulty remembering who we pasted in the championship.

Last year? We didn't have a Hobey last year. I believe Andy Miele of "the dynasty" won last year's Hobey. If we're going to feud all through the tournament, it's cool. It's real cool.

 

[Hendu's Gait]

I hate hate hate BU's draw, Gophers in St., Paul and then if fortunate, either a hot WMU team/goalie or the Sioux. Would have loved to take Lowell's place in Bridgeport.

bracket

 

[sachmoney]

I don't think there's any way you can be dissatisfied with the draw if you're Michigan. ECAC first round opponent, potential match up with Ferris State, who we swept in the regular season without Merrill, in the second round. We get the winner of the Union regional which includes two CCHA opponents. Don't have to face BC or North Dakota until the final? Sign me up.

The other half of the bracket is loaded. I'm glad we're not on that side.

 

[kenneycb]

Last year? We didn't have a Hobey last year. I believe Andy Miele of "the dynasty" won last year's Hobey. If we're going to feud all through the tournament, it's cool. It's real cool.

Ah, I forgot about last year. And didn't Porter win the Hobey? Probably should've gotten my facts straight but no time to go back now.

 

[Clears Cleaver]

[quote name='Hendu's Gait' timestamp='1332088087' post='4019158']
I hate hate hate BU's draw, Gophers in St., Paul and then if fortunate, either a hot WMU team/goalie or the Sioux. Would have loved to take Lowell's place in Bridgeport.

bracket
[/quote]

BU got what they deserved losing a game to UNH and falling to ME. and playing without three of their top 8 players. but, in retrospect, losing to UNH would haved likely meant the three seed in Bridgeport and a much easier path to Tampa. They have zero chance of getting out of that bracket. Actually, I thought BC got a tough draw too, as the #1 seed. The bridgeport bracket is a joke

 

[NHsoxfan4]

I don't think there's any way you can be dissatisfied with the draw if you're Michigan. ECAC first round opponent, potential match up with Ferris State, who we swept in the regular season without Merrill, in the second round. We get the winner of the Union regional which includes two CCHA opponents. Don't have to face BC or North Dakota until the final? Sign me up.

The other half of the bracket is loaded. I'm glad we're not on that side.

Same for Miami. I don't think anyone's too scared of UMass Lowell or Union after drawing BC what seems like every friggin year. Lowell's below .500 their last 10 games, and Union is only 1-2-3 against tourney teams with a crap schedule. I have a feeling we might see another rematch in the Frozen Four of 2010's 2OT tilt. Michigan has to watch out for Denver and Zucker/Shore going off though too.

 

[sachmoney]

Ah, I forgot about last year. And didn't Porter win the Hobey? Probably should've gotten my facts straight but no time to go back now.

Yes, he did.

BU got what they deserved losing a game to UNH and falling to ME. and playing without three of their top 8 players. but, in retrospect, losing to UNH would haved likely meant the three seed in Bridgeport and a much easier path to Tampa. They have zero chance of getting out of that bracket. Actually, I thought BC got a tough draw too, as the #1 seed. The bridgeport bracket is a joke

It's almost like they said let's give an ECAC team a chance! I don't think Miami and Michigan State played particularly well down the stretch. UMass-Lowell hasn't exactly been top notch either (they were ranked #1 at one point right?). I guess one of those teams could get hot/lucky, but that bracket is not up to par with the rest.

Same for Miami. I don't think anyone's too scared of UMass Lowell or Union after drawing BC what seems like every friggin year. Lowell's below .500 their last 10 games, and Union is only 1-2-3 against tourney teams with a crap schedule. I have a feeling we might see another rematch in the Frozen Four of 2010's 2OT tilt. Michigan has to watch out for Denver and Zucker/Shore going off though too.

That was the Fort Wayne regional final.

I wasn't discounting Denver. They have a good program and thinking about it, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw them in the second round. Ferris State really shat the bed against BGSU, and I'm not sure they have the stomach to get through this tournament.

It's hard not to have high expectations, and it's even harder to temper them.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I don't think Miami and Michigan State played particularly well down the stretch.

Miami's 9-1 since getting swept at Yost the first week of February, and 15-5 since winter break. I think it's hard to say they haven't played particularly well. Union doesn't have a cakewalk to Tampa.

 

[sachmoney]

Miami's 9-1 since getting swept at Yost the first week of February, and 15-5 since winter break. I think it's hard to say they haven't played particularly well. Union doesn't have a cakewalk to Tampa.

Well, I stand corrected. I have Miami coming out of that bracket for what it's worth. Not sure what Michigan State team will show up, but if Union gets past them, they'll have a tough time against the winner of the UMass-Lowell/Miami game IMO. Michigan v Miami in the Frozen Four? I don't think I could handle that.

 

[Mr. Wednesday]

It's almost like they said let's give an ECAC team a chance! I don't think Miami and Michigan State played particularly well down the stretch. UMass-Lowell hasn't exactly been top notch either (they were ranked #1 at one point right?). I guess one of those teams could get hot/lucky, but that bracket is not up to par with the rest.

Simple Math ™ disagrees with you, saying that Union's bracket is about "normal" subject to the constraints that the committee was working under for team placement and the reasonable decisions they made resolving the conflicts*. Moreover, not-so-simple math says that the only weakness in Union's bracket is Union: they rank 15th in KRACH, while every other team in that regional has an equal or better KRACH vs. their PWR.

* The first issue was that as the top overall seed, BC commands a placement in Worcester, while their natural pairing, #8 overall seed Minnesota, is required to be placed in the St. Paul regional that they are hosting. To resolve this, the committee elected to give the worst #1 seed (North Dakota) the de facto away game. To keep the bracket disruption as low as possible, they brough BU (the #9 overall) with Minnesota to St. Paul and bumped everyone else up one. The second issue is that #2 overall Michigan's natural pairing is #15 overall MSU, but the first-round intraconference matchups are to be avoided if possible without changing seed lines. Consequently, Michigan gets #13 overall Cornell, with #14 WMU rotating into Cornell's spot in St. Paul and #15 MSU rotating into WMU's spot in Bridgeport.


Edit: I guess we don't necessarily disagree. I'm looking at resumes as a whole, you're looking at the recent trend. I'll only say that it's very tricky to go by recent trend. As recently as 2008, ND looked terrible at the end of the season, backed into the last at-large spot in the field, and then ripped off a string of upsets in the tournament to reach the title game.

 

[Hendu's Gait]

Air Force v. BC ESPNU/ESPN3 (online) 4PM Saturday
Gophers v. BU ESPN3 (online) live 5PM Saturday, tape delayed ESPNU 3PM Sunday

Rest of the schedule:
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/page/12frozenfoursked/2012-ncaa-men-hockey-tournament-schedule-results

 

[sachmoney]

For the games that will actually be played today:

Michigan State vs. No. 3 Union (ESPNU/ESPN3, 3 p.m.)

Denver vs. Ferris State (ESPN3, 5:30 p.m. -- Airs on ESPNU on Friday at 11:30 p.m.*)
UMass-Lowell vs. Miami (Ohio) (ESPNU/ESPN3, 6:30 p.m.)
Cornell vs. No. 2 Michigan (ESPNU/ESPN3, 9 p.m.)

Merry Hockey Christmas everybody! Queme los Barcos, por favor.

 

[mabrowndog]

USCHO has a look back at the history of the first-round matchups, including the Minnesota-BU donnybrook 35 years ago. I remember hearing about it but never got a lot of these details. The Jack Parker vs Herb Brooks stuff is awesome.

Minnesota and Boston University played a national semifinal on March 26, 1976, at the old Denver Arena, and before the game was 70 seconds old it produced a wild, bench-clearing brawl that not only stopped the game for, according to some accounts, 30 minutes, it started a war of words between coaches Jack Parker of BU and Herb Brooks of Minnesota.

The accounts vary, but things hot heated after the Terriers’ Terry Meagher was sent to the penalty box for slashing, barely a half-minute after Minnesota’s Russ Anderson was called for cross-checking. The penalty box at DU Arena at the time was one undivided area that also happened to be right next to the Minnesota bench.

According to a Denver Post account of the melee, Parker said Meagher was spit upon by a Minnesota player. Meagher spit back and hit Gophers trainer Gary Smith, and then sticks started swinging and the brawl was on.

The Gophers’ side of things, through Smith, was that the Minnesota bench was only verbally confronting Meagher, who spit first.

However it happened, it took about 10 minutes before order was restored, and then game officials Dino Paniccia and Frank Kelley headed into the referees’ dressing room to meet with the officials from the other semifinal, Medo Martinello and Bill Riley, Harvard coach Bill Cleary, former Boston College coach Snooks Kelley, WCHA head of officials Bob Gilray, NCAA ice hockey committee chair Burt Smith, the NCAA’s Dennis Poppe and both coaches.

They eventually came up with punishments that would keep the game going — game misconducts to just Meagher and Anderson.

“Normally, everybody that left the bench would be gone,” Smith told the Rocky Mountain News at the time.

Without Meagher, the MVP of the ECAC tournament that season who for the last 29 years has been the coach at Division III Bowdoin, Boston University fell 4-2 to Minnesota, which became national champions with a victory over Michigan Tech.

As for that war of words between Parker and Brooks?

Parker told the Boston Globe at the time there was “no question they came out with the intent of running at us. It obviously is the coach’s philosophy. He not only tolerates it. He condones it.”

Parker added to the paper: “Herb Brooks is known as Herb Bush in the WCHA and now I know why. It is obviously the way he thinks the game should be played. It’s the way he wants it. I don’t happen to agree with him.”

For his part, Brooks, who later famously coached players from both teams to the Olympic gold medal in 1980, dismissed Parker’s accusations and fired back.

“He blew his team’s chances by not pulling the goalie and creating a six-on-four chance in that last minute,” Brooks told the Denver Post at the time. “If he says we came out deliberately trying to run at them, it shows an immature coach and it’s sour grapes.”

 

[sachmoney]

State just got jobbed on a disallowed goal call...refs said the net was dislodged...it wasn't. Union up 1-0 after 1. Anson Carter in the booth? This is going to be a treat.

Apparently, it was the correct call by the rules:

Awarding goals – net dislodged by defensive team

.​

In many cases, the goal cage is knocked off – often unintentionally – by the defending team right before a goal is scored. Current rules do not allow an official to award a goal unless it is obvious and imminent ​

and

an egregious act occurs by the defensive team. The committee believes there are some goals that should count in these situations and plans to adjust these rules accordingly.​

Jeremy Welsh scores for Union, 2-0 Dutchmen. Chiarelli is at this game scouting BTW.

Union blows a 3 on 0 and the Spartans respond right away to get on the board. It's 2-1 Dutchmen heading into the second intermission.

Sparty takes a bad penalty with 1:34 left and Union scores on the PP. 3-1 Dutchmen. It should over now.

 

[sachmoney]

Ferris State takes a 1-0 lead early in the second. They're on the PP now, so they could create some distance between themselves and Denver. Meanwhile, in Bridgeport, UMass-Lowell gets an early goal to go up 1-0 on Miami. It was reviewed for a long time, but the goal stands.

I'm loving picture in picture on ESPN 3.

1-0 after 2 in Green Bay.

UMass Lowell now up 2-0.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Sloppy is the only way to describe this game. Lowell is playing hard, but beyond that, nothing looks good. The ice conditions are terrible. Miami has been flat and made mistake after mistake. They're not playing like the senior laden team they are. Maybe that hot second half is attributable to a relatively weak schedule after the winter break. They haven't beat a tournament-qualified team since January when they swept Western. They haven't won a game in which they gave up multiple goals since December. Other than Reilly Smith, they just don't have the explosive offense that has been their hallmark the last few years. Comebacks are not their forte this season. Still forty minutes left, but it doesn't look good.

 

[sachmoney]

Hasn't been a good one for your boys so far. I had them coming out of that region too.

Ferris gets a goal to go up 2-0, but Denver responds. This has been an excellent game thus far. Both goalies have made some really nice saves. Should come down to the wire.

UML takes a 3-0 lead. Wow.

Ferris State wins. They'll face the winner of the Michigan/Cornell game.

 

[sachmoney]

Miami gets 2 goals in 14 seconds and there is life yet. UML leading 3-2 with 16+ minutes left. Plenty of time for the Red Hawks to complete the comeback

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

The RedHawks aren't quite dead yet...finally playing like they have the last couple months. Two goals in 14 seconds to cut the deficit to 3-2. Hopefully it's not too little, too late.

 

[sachmoney]

Tie game. Amazing. Meltdown by UML, surge by Miami. Incredible.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Figures at about the point where I was ready to write them off, they find their legs and storm back. If they can complete the comeback and ride the momentum, Union might be in trouble tomorrow.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

5 minute power play for the RedHawks with 3:35 left in regulation. Does not bode well for UML.

 

[ngruz25]

Oof, that's a very tough major to take. It kinda looked like the Miami guy turned into it. I'm fine with a minor, since that was already called earlier in the game, but 5:00 has to be tough to swallow for UML fans.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Oof, that's a very tough major to take. It kinda looked like the Miami guy turned into it. I'm fine with a minor, since that was already called earlier in the game, but 5:00 has to be tough to swallow for UML fans.

I think it was the awkward way Vogelhuber hit the boards after the hit that probably drew the major. Still a tough call though. Carr has stood on his head, though. On to OT.

 

[sachmoney]

I HATE ALL NCAA REFS.

Michigan up 1-0. It should be 2.

Okay, not posting for the rest of this game. So angry right now.

 

[Norm Siebern]

I HATE ALL NCAA REFS.

Truer words have never been spoken, and I could not agree more.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

UML survives five minutes short-handed and pokes one through 30 seconds after getting back to even strength.

 

[mabrowndog]

UML takes it in OT, 4-3. They somehow escape from the tomb.

 

[sachmoney]

KEVIN LYNCH, I FUCKING LOVE YOU!!!! MOST CLUTCH PLAYER EVER?

EDIT: He has the most Tournament goals of anyone on the team I believe...which is why I said that. Hopefully, we can take it in OT.

 

[sachmoney]

Well. I'm going to be drinking a lot tomorrow. Oh well.

 

[ForceAtHome]

How did the Michigan Cornell game end? All I see is 3-2 Cornell, but can't find any documented goal or anything of the like... Who scored? The scoresheet on the NCAA website only lists Cornell with 2 goals and play-by-play has no such third goal. Very confused.

Edit: With both ECAC teams winning today, I wonder how Harvard feels left at home (having beaten Cornell 6-1 a week ago in the ECAC semis)

 

[grijpstra]

I believe it was Rodger Craig. Kind of a 50/50 puck off of a rebound, into a virtually empty net.

 

[The Napkin]

I believe it was Rodger Craig. Kind of a 50/50 puck off of a rebound, into a virtually empty net.

It was. Big rebound and he had inside position on the UM guy.

 

[twibnotes]

Well. I'm going to be drinking a lot tomorrow. Oh well.

Very frustrating game. Michigan outplayed Cornell by a healthy margin...and lost. College hockey is pretty random sometimes.

 

[sachmoney]

It's tough because the players you root for are the ones that come out nowhere like Glendening and Hunwick. Both are seniors and former walk ons and we'll never see them in the Maize and Blue again. Pateryn and Wohlberg as well. We might have issues with guys fleeing to the NHL with Moffie and Merrill sure to be considering it (sidenote: Merrill was terrible today and the Devils should let him stay in Ann Arbor one more year, despite their defensive woes). We do have Jacob Trouba coming in, but losing one or both of those guys would be a setback, especially with the possibility that we'll have a freshmen tender (Jared Rutledge). With that said, Chris Brown, AJ Treais, and Kevin Lynch should head a solid senior class (Moffie too if he returns), and we could be a really good team next season as well.

Honestly, this season wouldn't hurt as much if it wasn't for last season. Last season was the worst ending ever. This hurts because a guy like Hunwick, who has given everything to the program, comes up empty handed. Now, I never thought we were favorites to win it (I'd have ranked BC and North Dakota ahead of us), but it would've been nice to see these guys end their careers with something to show for their dedication.

We still have the 22 straight appearances. That's something. I guess.

(on another aside, I was unhappy with the refereeing, but that's not what lost Michigan the game. There were plenty of opportunities to take this game that we left on the table. For that, we can only blame ourselves)

Good luck to the teams still remaining in the tournament.

 

[twibnotes]

It's tough because the players you root for are the ones that come out nowhere like Glendening and Hunwick. Both are seniors and former walk ons and we'll never see them in the Maize and Blue again. Pateryn and Wohlberg as well. We might have issues with guys fleeing to the NHL with Moffie and Merrill sure to be considering it (sidenote: Merrill was terrible today and the Devils should let him stay in Ann Arbor one more year, despite their defensive woes). We do have Jacob Trouba coming in, but losing one or both of those guys would be a setback, especially with the possibility that we'll have a freshmen tender (Jared Rutledge). With that said, Chris Brown, AJ Treais, and Kevin Lynch should head a solid senior class (Moffie too if he returns), and we could be a really good team next season as well.

Honestly, this season wouldn't hurt as much if it wasn't for last season. Last season was the worst ending ever. This hurts because a guy like Hunwick, who has given everything to the program, comes up empty handed. Now, I never thought we were favorites to win it (I'd have ranked BC and North Dakota ahead of us), but it would've been nice to see these guys end their careers with something to show for their dedication.

We still have the 22 straight appearances. That's something. I guess.

(on another aside, I was unhappy with the refereeing, but that's not what lost Michigan the game. There were plenty of opportunities to take this game that we left on the table. For that, we can only blame ourselves)

Good luck to the teams still remaining in the tournament.

So true re Hunwick. He was a great story, and it would have been nice to see him go out on top.

Merrill did play poorly, one of his worst games as a Wolverine (lousy timing there)