While responding to a HOCKEY-L post on BC, I thought I would offer some
enhancmements for the benefit of the loyal Black Bear supporters reading
this list.
 
Here goes:
 
RE: greenie's post (partially) on Boston College --
>
>seemed to roar out of the gate this year, holding onto
>top 5 (or so) ranking for quite a while. Of late it seems they've really
>been slipping rapidly from the top spot, with losses and ties to mediocre
>teams.
>
 
As to BC, they've also lost TWICE to the only remaining legitimate
contender for the nation's # 1 ranking, the University of Maine.
 
BC should be grateful that HE made the initial round of its conference
post-season a three-game series at the home of the higher seed.  BC
certainly could lose a one-game match to anyone else in HE (except for
possibly Mass-Amherst).  It seems by the final game of any two-game series,
Jerry York, his coaches and players finally figure out their opponents, and
likely get a bit more disciplined in their play.
 
If it were not a best-of-three match in the first round, BC might certainly
repeat their Beanpot performance and work their way out of the HE
post-season in a one-game draw.  Is it possible that if BC does not run the
table in all its remaining regular-season games, and into the Fleet Center
for at least the HE final, they may play themselves out of this year's
Round of 12 ?
 
What's even more amusing is that there seems a possibility that BC could be
matched against BU in the first round of the HE post-season.
 
Notes on BC's play:
 
I sense a bit of frustration sometimes in BC's play; when they lose their
edge, it is tough for them to play smart to hold victory or come back from
being behind.  Bad trend as the post-season approaches...
 
If the other side can stop the Gionta line, BC's next lines are not that
deep; then they're vulnerable.  Your side, of course, must have some
scorers of its own, and be prepared for contact.
 
HINT to shooters of BC's opponents:  go high on Clemmensen's stick side, or
wait to see him drop on his ass and flail around.
 
I'll limit my gloating (N.B. not on the Maine list, of course) about this
past weekend's result at Orono -- I was quite satisfied with having been
there in person on Saturday evening.  While I could never duplicate my
efforts from my student days to sit behind the opponent's bench, it's
almost as satisfying to sit behind visiting BC supporters and observe their
disappointment (and of course, attempt to enhance their feelings of
disappointment).  Nice to see the some BC fans turning on their own goalie
by the end of the game.
 
Note to Maine admissions office - there was a kid in a BC "superfan"
t-shirt on Saturday night who tried (only once) to get the visiting
supporters to cheer
E-A-G-L-E-S.  Never too ealy to see if he'll come to school at Maine to be
one of the Naked Guys !
 
While BC sends its older supporters to Maine and has them track face-offs
won by BC players, I'm still trying to find out if anyone knows how many
minutes Bubba Berenzweig played in the NC$$ final last year...
 
(What is BC going to do with that data, really, at this point in the
season:  If York doesn't yet know who his #1 and #2 men on the draw are at
three-quarters the way in, he ought to use a coin flip -- not an NFL coin
flip, though.
 
And I hope the man keeping those stats was not as liquored up as most of
his fellow "Pike's Peak" BC supporters.  I hope they travelled on different
transportation than the younger BC supporters there, or, God forbid, not on
the team bus.)
 
Great timeout by Shawn.  He certainly outcoached Jerry York.  York was so
psyched, he tried his own timeout early in the third, hoping, no doubt for
a similar result as Maine's timeout.  Sorry, Jerry...
 
Clemmensen may be playing with an illegal stick...notice the curve on that
sucker ?
 
While BC supporters complained about Shawn's strident objection to the
blown call on the delayed penalty, notice who was on the ice the longest at
the end of the period ?  Of course, if Mike Milbury had remained at "the
Heights", he would have beat Bunyon with a shoe.
 
Keep the "NO TRESPASSING" sign up on the balcony, especially for any
remaining televised home games.  It's a suitable alternative to the damn
"Krog for Sainthood" TV spots...
 
while waiting for my Anaheim tickets to arrive...
 
 
Dan Doucette UMaine 78 MPA 80