Comments from a Michigan fan on the first two games of the West Regional.
 
First off, it was great to see college hockey fans from all over the country
at this arena.  It's very special to see the support for this great sport.
 Special hurrahs to the Minn fans who took up a whole section, along with
their pep band, and were so loud that it sounded like a Minn home game.
 Having no mascots for my home school, Goldy was a little different to
handle, but he and the ice-cheerleaders all added something different and
Minnesotian to the game.  Lowell's blue bird (river hawk) was a nice person
but pretty weird looking for a hockey game though.
 
The Minn/PC game was not a good game.  Some PC followers have commented that
if it's a boring game, then it's going PC's way, but this was beyond that.
 No flaming intended here....  Neither team skated well, passed well, checked
well.  PC was playing the whole game like it didn't want to lose and Minn
played like it didn't want to win.  Despite what the final score was, it was
still 2-1 after 2 periods and it could have gone either way.  PC was a slow
skating hockey club and never seemed to have more than 2 men attacking.  It
was 2 players would skate down the ice and other 3 would stand at the blue
line - their OWN!!  Minn controlled the whole game (dominated is not the word
to use) but just couldn't score.  It almost seemed that they lacked the
killer instinct.  They had PC but just couldn't put them away.  I know some
Minn fan is going to say, look at the final score that's all that counts, I'm
just telling you how I felt.  It seemed that every single CCHA game I saw
this year had faster skating, crisper passing, harder checking, and a much
more up-tempo game (see my comments about the MSU/Lowell game).  I know that
anyone can say this about their team at this time of the year, but if
Michigan comes out on top of their game, they would have beaten either Minn
or PC very easily.  However, you never know which Michigan team will show up,
so I know that today's UM-UM game is going to be a great game.
 
MSU and LOWELL put on a whole different show.  I don't know that I've ever
seen a more hard hitting, player-mugging game such as this one - with
basically no penalties called.  I hope that Michigan paid attention that the
refs aren't calling any penalties!!! MSU controlled the first 10 minutes of
the game but were down 1-0.  Lowell took advantage of every shot it had, MSU
did not.  Fillion, Lowell's goalie, was in a zone for most of the game and
midway into the first, you could tell Lowell would win just because of
Fillion.  This game, unlike the first, featured fast skating by both teams,
crisp passing, very hard hitting, and several extraordinary moments.  A
penalty shot on a controversial goal-non/goal.  The player, I think Concannon
(sp?) beat the goalie and fanned on the shot.  Another time in the third
period, MSU's third goal was called off and no explanation was given over the
PA system.  HEY, what's the story on that one??  Alban, in the third period,
would be tripped by his own man or Lowell's when he went to the circle during
a full team rush (what was doing out there??) And Lowell would get an empty
netter half a minute into the third.  I've seen Alban play about 4 times this
year - one spectacular game and 3 horrible games.  I wonder why Brusseau is
not playing???
 
On another note about MSU team and the crowd.  This game was essentially a
home game for MSU at Munn Ice Arena.  I keep hearing how every game is sold
out at Munn during the regular season.  This was the NCAA's and hundreds of
seats have been claimed by Minn/Mich/PC and college hockey fans in general.
 The place still did not sell out - about 5500 attendance announced.  Hey MSU
fans, what's up with that??  At the end of the game, MSU fans gave their team
a standing O - which I thought was a great gesture on their part.  My
question is to the MSU team.  Last home game of this season, last home game
for any upperclassman, fans are giving you a standing O - I think you should
have stayed on the ice after the handshake and saluted your fans.  Without
them, you wouldn't be at MSU.
 
Just my thoughts.  If anyone wants to flame me, email me privately, I'm sure
no else cares.
 
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