In response to John's complaint about Smolinski's assist in the Notre Dame
game:  (I apologize for not putting his comments up, it is difficult on ukcc's
ancient system.)
    I was at that game and do remember the play.  While I know nothing about
how the scoring was changed, I think I may know why he was given an assist.
I have seen elsewhere on at least one occasion, though in the NHL I believe,
where a man was given an assist without touching the puck.  In that case, the
player, through the use of an effective, but legal check, prevented an opponent
from getting his stick on the puck, allowing the puck to go through where a
teammate picked it up and scored a goal.  Now that I think about it I think the
assist man was Sergei Fedorov of the Red Wings.  He was awarded an assist
because without his check the man likely would have intercepted the pass.
Apparently, it wasn't interference either, BTW.  In the case of Smolinski, I
suspect that they justified the ruling by saying that if he hadn't tied his man
up at center ice the puck never would have gotten through to his linemates.
   I agree that it sounds flimsy, and is certainly suspicious given the
circumstances that John outlined, but it is a rule in the NHL and perhaps the
NC$$ has a similar one.  Maybe those of you with rulebooks can help out here.
    I can't say that I was upset.  I thought that Smolinski deserved the title
anyhow, Ouimet had better linemates on a wide-open offense.  That is my biased
opinion though, no flame intended.
                                               --Steve Moerland
                                                 MSU '92, UK 95(?)