- BC, Maine and UML will be playing this Friday along with tomorrow
night's winner of BU at PC. If BU wins, we will play UML; if PC
wins, we will play PC. Who plays the early and late games Friday will
be announced after the BU/PC game. I'll guess it's a toss-up right
now, with a slight edge to game 2 if we play PC.
- With UML's victory tonight, UNH is all but eliminated from the NCAA
tournament, despite a 20-win season.
- HEA has announced "over 20,000" tickets sold for next weekend. With
elimination of UNH, I would expect good game-day tickets to be
available. Perhaps Maine will sell tickets also?
- As Coach Walsh has suggested, a Maine bid to the NCAAs is *not*
certain. My guess is a win over PC will do it; maybe a win over UML
will do it. An HEA Tournament Championship is guaranteed to do it.
:-)
- Maine's recent success has had 3 major factors, IMHO: the team is
healthy, the team has learned how to win close games, and many players
have "stepped it up a notch" from earlier performances. When Coach
Walsh came out with (a prediction of) Marty Kariya as best player a
week or three ago, I thought he was nuts. We all know I'm nuts and
Walsh knows what's what. Walsh was right. Several other players are
playing their best hockey right now. I'd name my favorites, but we
really do have a *TEAM* to be proud of!
- Thursday Coach Walsh probably spent more time chewing out Niko than
referee Bunyan. After Friday's game, Niko acknowledged playoff hockey
has begun and he is back.
- NU Coach Bruce Crowder had a few choice words for the referee on
occasion. I'm afraid the little tykes on the East side of the
rink learned a few 4-letter words. :-(
- Niko's first goal Friday featured a spin-o-rama move that caused an
immediate "Ohhhh" from the crowd and put everyone on the edge of their
seats ... and 2 or 3 seconds later, all hell broke loose as he
deposited into an open net from a difficult angle. Hopefully that
play was caught by a camera and will be replayed at the end of season
banquet!
- Since I complained earlier this season about National Anthem
performances, I should comment that the last 4 have really been good.
My favorite was the gentleman than sang a week ago, 2nd the Maine Pep
band, followed by the 2 women that did well. The latter 2 were just
too slow for me, but otherwise good. I'd mention 3/4 time, but I know
less about music than hockey. :-)
How 'bout dem Bears?
cheers, wayne
Wayne T. Smith
[log in to unmask] Old Town Landing
The College Hockey lists, Hockey-L and Hockey3 at http://lists.Maine.edu/
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