UW-Eau Claire took 3 out of 4 points from the Pointers this weekend.  They
tied at Eau Claire Firday night at 6-6 OT.  Saturday night, Eau Claire
whupped us on our home ice 5-3 (Last goal eampty net).  What can I say but
"We wuz robbed!"  Seriously, I do have a few strong comments to make about
this game.
 
First, Eau Claire and Point played largely even throughout the night, even
though the Pointers outshot them by a wide margin (after two periods, we led
in shots on goal 42 to 16).  Both sides got good scoring opportunities and
the second by Eau Claire was a thing of beauty.  On a 2 on 2 break, the EC
players worked a passing combination that faked the Point goalie out of his
shorts.  This seems to the EC strong point - excellent, smooth passing.  EC
is the surprise of the season in the NCHA; if I remember right, preseason
they were picked to end up last.  They are now 8-2-1 overall and may be the
team to beat this year.  My hat's off to an excellent coaching job.  Their
goalie was also supurb.  I saw him make a glove save at point-blank range on
a hard shot that I still don't believe.
 
Point played well too.  Stong offense, great penalty killing, twice killing
off 5 on 3 advantages, and Chin was excellent in goal despite the loss.  One
goal came while an EC man literally lay on top of him in the crease (I guess
he must have been pushed there), one on a deflected screen shot, one I
mentioned above, and one an empty net.  So where did that 5th goal come from?
I'm glad you asked.  EC's 4th goal was called by the line-judge and nobody
else.  Chin had made a glove save out of the air, no red light, no celebra-
tion by EC, until they saw the ref pointing.  Then a 5 minute break while
they talked it over (never checking with the goal judge, incidentally) and
allowed it.  I'm out at the blue-line, not the best seat in the house to call
it, but it sure didn't look like a goal.  From my angle, Chin was in front of
the goal line and did not reach back for the puck.
 
I hope somebody's still reading this.  My strong comments involve the
officiating.  This may have been the poorest called game I have ever seen.
And it went both ways.  If EC had lost, they probably would have left feeling
they had been robbed.  I have seen this crew before and was not impressed.
Last night went beyond the twilight zone.  They called penalties nobody else
saw (this crew does not let the players "play hockey"), failed to call
BLATANT penalties right in front of them, called things inconsistently, etc.
I'll tell you how bad it was - you all know how you cheer when the opposing
team has a penalty?  At least 3 times a penalty was called on EC and the
crowd just sat on their hands; everybody looks around at everybody else
saying "Did you see anything?"  Once, after a save, after the whistle, dead
time, an EC player spearing the Point goalie in the crotch while Chin was
flat on his back.  This brought a strong response, but the official was
Johnny on the spot and kept everyone separate.  Please note:  Chin never even
managed to get to his feet (he as in some pain).  So what happened?
Coincidental roughing penalties on the EC and on Chin!  Hell, he couldn't
even touch the other guy, who was an instigator and should have gotten a game
misconduct.
 
As I said, it went both ways.  The hockey was even and EC deserved the win,
and if Point had won I would have said Point deserved the win.  The officials
deserve something else again.  If anybody in Div I has read this far, don't
think you have all the bad officials.
 
Tom Rowe                              Internet: [log in to unmask]
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Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation
          Henry Kissinger
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