On the basis of what I saw from them this weekend, it looks like Providence
and Northeastern are going to be better than expected, and I think coaching
has a lot to do with it.
 
PC posted two strong wins over Merrimack, 3-2 and 3-0.  Dan Dennis was
immense in net and looks to be the top goaltender in HE at this stage.  The
Friars played fine positional hockey against Merrimack both nights and were
able to win the important battles along the boards.  PC is not as talented
as some teams, but their rookies have fit in well and they will probably
challenge for home ice at least.  They will probably play a lot of
nailbiters and with a goalie like Dennis, will win more than their share.
 
Northeastern showed me a lot against Michigan State.  State was the more
talented team, but the Huskies worked extremely hard and earned the win.
In college hockey, hard work goes a long way, and it certainly looks like
Bruce Crowder has already been able to bring that work ethic to
Northeastern from Lowell.
 
HE may not be as "down" as many thought if these teams which were picked by
many in the lower echelon are able to be as successful as they were this
weekend.
 
It is also clear to me that Paul Pooley and Bruce Crowder deserve to be
considered among the very best coaches in the country.  If it was not
already obvious that Pooley is a good one after the last two years, it was
very clear to this weekend in that his team lost as many key players as
they did yet they seem to be back strong.  PC would do themselves well to
sign him up for another few years as soon as possible.
 
Crowder posted his 100th career win tonight just two games into his sixth
season, very impressive for a "new" guy and even more so given that he has
coached at two schools that have been considered tough to recruit to.  The
NU program definitely has a big-time aura around it, with the renovations
of Matthews Arena and the beautiful varsity club and luxury box, and
Crowder is an integral part of that.  NU will do better than expected, mark
my words, and before long they'll be challenging for HE.
 
Besides his 100th win, another interesting sidebar to NU's win over MSU is
that Crowder is now 3-0 against Ron Mason.  I don't know what that means
and he downplayed it afterwards, but he seems to know what it takes to play
well against the Spartans and is able to get his kids to do it.  This was a
big win for NU, especially the young guys, and it will go a long ways
towards helping them establish themselves under their new coach.
 
As a follower of HE, I hope to see these two coaches in the league for many
years to come.  They have brought a lot to their programs and the league,
and also to college hockey in general.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                [log in to unmask]               *HMM* 11/13/93
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