Greg Berge writes:
 
>In 85 -- the greatest final four ever played -- the
>field featured Providence, BC, and RPI.    Those are the tightest clusters I
>can come up with.
 
Uh,uh.  The greatest final four ever played was in 1977 at the Detroit
Olympia.  Back then it was still 2 western teams, in this case Wisconsin
and Michigan, and 2 eastern teams - BU and UNH.  The semis were played on
Thursday and Friday, with the final on Saturday night.  If memory serves me
correctly, Michigan defeated BU 6-5 on Thursday in a game where BU was
denied a chance to tie it up at the end when they were called for a
too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty when the ref ruled that the Terriers extra
skater jumped on the ice too soon.
 
The second semifinal - UNH vs. Wisconsin - went to overtime with Wisconsin
defeating UNH 4-3 on a goal that many have said should have been
disallowed. The winner was fired in on the face off, I don't remember by
who, but apparently the puck never touched the ice before being struck by
the Wisconsin player, a circumstance that is supposed to be a violation.
 
Anyway, after two pulsating games like this, the Wisconsin-Michigan game
went to overtime as well, with the Badgers winning 7-6.  The pandemonium on
the ice after the game, and at the Dearborn Hyatt late into the night, was
something I will never forget.  It was like the last days of the Roman
Empire.
 
That was my first frozen four, I've been to 12 since then, but it is the
one I remember the most.
 
Greg Ambrose, UNH '72
GO UNH BLUE!!!
 
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