On Thu, 17 Dec 1998 12:02:48 -0500 Keith Kannenberg wrote:
 
> > (Although there was the time decades ago that BU beat Cornell on their own
> > ice ... was it 9-0?)
>
> Actually, it was a 0-9 Cornell win... by forfeit. (Couldn't resist).
> The game was at Lynah in December of '72.
 
BU won the game on the ice, 9-0.  They then had to forfeit that game and ten
others due to an ineligible player, whose name was Dick Decloe.  As Arthur Berman
mentioned, it was Cornell coach Dick Bertrand who blew the whistle on the
Terriers, after he learned that one of his players, Peter Titanic, played
with/against Decloe in the Canadian junior leagues.  I have long since gotten over
my anger toward the late Mr. Bertrand, as blame should be pointed toward where
blame is due, i.e., former BU coach Leon Abbott.  It was this situation that
ultimately led to the appointment of Jack Parker as Abbott's replacement.  Regular
readers of this list are well aware that cheaters should bear the responsibility
of their actions, not the whistle blowers.
 
This leads to a pair of questions.  First, are the circumstances under which
Decloe and Titanic were ruled ineligible still in force today.  If my memory
serves me correctly, the violation was for accepting of stipends while playing in
Junior A.  Such a stipend was not available to any player in Junior B.
 
Secondly, what is the official score for a forfeit?  In baseball a forfeited game
is scored 9-0, in football it's scored 1-0.  I always thought that in hockey it
was 3-0.  In 1984-85, BU won a game by forfeit against Michigan Tech after Husky
coach Brad Buetow instructed his team to leave the ice during the second period
after a dispute with the officials.  I recall the scored at the time was something
like 3-2 in BU's favor; the BU media guide lists the score as "1-0 (Win by
forfeit)."  Interestingly, it was Buetow's behavior at this game that led to his
dismissal from Michigan Tech.
 
Yeesh!  I actually mentioned Dick Bertrand and Brad Buetow in the same post.  I
must be getting old.
 
--
Edward N. Moller
Controller
Mount Ida College
Newton Centre, MA  02459-3323
[log in to unmask]
Tel (617) 928-4515
Fax (617) 928-4706
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.