--- [log in to unmask] wrote:
> If UMass-Lowell were to win the HE tournament, UMaine's chances for an
> NCAA
> bid would be hurt, because (a) Lowell would take one of the 12 NCAA
> tourney
> spots, and (b) a Lowell win in the HE tourney would mean that Maine
> would
> lose to them in the HE final or to PC in the HE semis.

Any conference upsets at this point really hurt Maine.  It looks like
Hockey East *may* only get 2 teams since UNH and PC are on the fringes
right now (and UNH probably will only drop further).

I think Maine will get into the tournament if the make the championship
game, providing there are not more than 1 conference upset.  (By upset, I
mean that a team outside the top 10 or so in the Pairwise rankings winning
the conference tournament).

> I'll miss UNH at the Fleet Center.  Sure.  They must have some sort of
> record
> for choking during the second half of the season.

Breaks my heart too, especially seeing that they may also miss the NCAA's
too.  Fox kept talking about UNH's 21 win season and how it is amazing
that a team with that many wins might miss the tournament.  Well, last 16
games is an important criteria in selection and UNH's last 16 must be
pretty average at best I'd imagine.

I wonder about Dick Umile's future.  He's brought a certain amount of
success to UNH, but under Umile UNH has underachieved at times and has not
won a Hockey East title or a national championship, despite having
everything he needs in the sense he's playing in a top conference and has
a beautiful new building, All-American goaltending, a Hobey Baker winner,
etc.



> One thing that amazes me about Coach Walsh is his willingness to turn
> forwards into defensemen and vice versa.  Didn't A. J. Begg come to
> UMaine as
> a forward?  And didn't Mike Schutte come as a d-man?  And haven't we
> seen
> similar switches in past years?

Jeff Libby spent time as a forward his first year and made an impact
before being moved back to defense.  Kevin Clauson was a defenseman and is
now playing forward.  Adam Tate was another one who was moved from defense
up to forward.  There are probably more.

-dt


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