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Friday, March 26, 2004
COLUMN: Steve Solloway
Even the other good option says there's only one option
Copyright 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
NCAA Tourney
NCAA Tourney
What: East Regional, first round
Who: No. 1 Maine (30-7-3) vs. No. 15 Harvard (18-14-3)
When: 5 p.m. today
Where: Pepsi Arena, Albany, N.Y.
Television: NESN
Radio: WLOB (1310 Am, 96.3 FM)
For more coverage, brackets and a message board, check the Maine Black Bears section.
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Frank Doyle was astonished. He was in awe, actually.
Every time Jimmy Howard made another save in last weekend's Hockey East tournament, Doyle all but rubbed his eyes, as if they were playing tricks on him.
The hockey fan in Doyle couldn't take his eyes off the action as Maine and the University of Massachusetts raced up and down the FleetCenter ice in that memorable game for the Hockey East tournament title.
The goalie in Doyle stared open-mouthed as Howard extended the game into a third overtime. Howard stopped the puck 63 times that night.
As a fan, you simply cheered louder. As a fellow goalie, belonging to the strangest fraternity on Earth, you thought of one word. Wow.
"It was a great game to watch," said Doyle. "When you're a goalie, you appreciate it even more. You know how hard it is to make those saves."
Doyle is sincere in his admiration despite facing what everyone around him is whispering. Four more games stand between Maine and a third national hockey title.
Four more games, yet Doyle's college hockey career may already be over.
He has a 1.84 goals-against average in 22 games this season, sixth best in the nation. According to the numbers, Harvard doesn't have a better goalie. Neither does Wisconsin or Ohio State, who complete the field in the East Regional of the NCAA tournament.
Jimmy Howard's numbers trump Doyle's. His goals-against average is 1.05. That's not just amazing. That's breathless.
Forget Tim Whitehead. You're the Maine coach. How can you not play Howard and sit Doyle?
"I understand," said Doyle. He has to, or he'd go insane. The polite kid from Ontario will have a double major in accounting and management information systems when he leaves Orono this spring with his degree.
Not to mention an honors background in team play and selflessness. Of course he understands.
Imagine having placekickers Adam Vinatieri and Mike Vanderjagt on your NFL team. Who kicks field goals and who sits? Sorry, they can't take turns.
"I think it's great for Jimmy," said Doyle. "He's been incredible."
Understand, too, that Whitehead has not announced which goalie he'll start in today's game with Harvard. He declined to bring either to the ritual pregame news conference at the Pepsi Arena.
Coaches like to keep the other team guessing, but no one believes Whitehead will wrestle with himself. It has to be Howard, and not because today is his 20th birthday. If Doyle were the coach, it has to be Howard.
Maine has been blessed before with two starting goalies. Mike Dunham and Garth Snow from the 1993 championship team come to mind. Matt Yeats and Mike Morrison from the trip to the Frozen Four two years ago.
Both pairs rotated assignments right through the postseason. Howard and Doyle alternated, too. Until last weekend.
The competitive side of Doyle screams for this assignment. He's no slouch in the net. He isn't a backup.
But this is where you do more than mouth the words about being a good teammate. You live it.
"I've got to be supportive," said Doyle. "If it's not me, I'll be more relaxed. More vocal."
He's the quiet one in this tandem. Less talk, more thought. More introspection.
In the other locker room, Harvard's Tyler Kolarik expects to see Howard in net. Not that it matters. When a very good goalie is on his game, there's little you can do but continue talking your best shot.
Can't step out of the batter's box to disrupt a star pitcher's rhythm. Can't pop him at the line of scrimmage like he was a star wide receiver.
Kolarik looks at it this way: someone scored on Howard. His goals-against average isn't 0.00. Why can't that someone be one of them?
"He's very good but he can't stop what he can't see," said Kolarik. "We need to move the puck, we need to have a lot of traffic in front of the net. It's like a chess game. We move, he moves."
And maybe, Howard will be caught moving the wrong way.
Don't count on it.
Staff Writer Steve Solloway can be contacted at 791-6412 or at: [log in to unmask]
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