First off, before anyone throws anything, let me announce that I will not
have the final results of the Conference Tournament Contest out until
tomorrow. I should have time tonight to finish the standings while I watch
MSU beat Wisconsin. :-)
Secondly, the number of entries in the NC$$ Contest is a little over 100
(I don't have the exact number) with a "Battling Mascots" entry and at least
three pairs of family members picking different teams (two husband/wife and
one father/son I can recall off the top of my head). There is still time to
get your hopes and fears in (I've seen a lot of "I can dream, can't I"'s
written besides picks) before the deadline, which is 4:30pm EST today (about
2 1/2 hours from now).
Since we are so close to the deadline, and, as is my wont, I will reveal my
picks for the tournament, with a little bit of analysis:
First round- New Hampshire vs. Denver- I've stated before that this may be
the best matchup of the first round and certainly the least
talked-about here on H-L. New Hampshire has been off for it
seems like an eternity, while Denver lost two heartbreakers
last weekend in the WCHA tournament. Something tells me that
UNH may come out flat, and Denver has something to prove after
a lengthy absence from the tournament. Take the Pioneers in
a one-goal game.
Clarkson vs. Lake Superior- From the least-talked about game to
the most. The Laker mystique appears to be flying in high
gear after winning the CCHA tournament and taking out two of
their biggest rivals, Michigan and Michigan St. on consecutive
afternoons. Clarkson is coming off what one would expect to
be a disappointing third place finish in the ECAC tournament,
after being knocked off by the upstart Princeton Tigers. LSSU's
looking somewhat like the Lakers of old, but there are some
subtle differences. The biggest two that I see is the lack of
a truly big scorer and the lack of a veteran goaltender on a
hot streak. Both of those factors, plus a few others, lead me
to smell upset. Take Clarkson.
Minnesota vs. RPI- The Engineers enter the tournament as the ECAC
champions, coming from a sixth-place regular season finish to
take out Harvard, Colgate, and Princeton to win the title. The
Golden Gophers are coming off a third place finish in the WCHA
tournament, following (by Gopher standards) a dissapointing
fourth-place finish in the regular season. Minnesota's 11
consecutive post season appearances have yielded no titles thus
far, and I don't see one here. But they just appear to be too
much for RPI in the first round. In the only game in this round
that I see being a "blowout," take Minnesota by as many as three
goals.
Wisconsin vs. Michigan State- Two teams with storied NCAA his-
tories who are surprisingly meeting each other for the first
time in the tournament. The two teams met in the College Hockey
Showcase in November, with MSU pulling out a 3-2 victory. The
Badgers won the WCHA tournament with an overtime win over CC,
while MSU blew a 2-0 lead in losing to LSSU in the CCHA final.
Both teams have been noticeably absent from the NCAA title re-
cently, Wisconsin's last in 1990, MSU's in 1986. Both made the
1992 Phinal Phour, and both lost to eventual champion LSSU. The
freshman classes from both teams in that tournament are now
seniors, with one last shot. And Wisconsin has the home ice.
A very close game, could go to overtime. The key to victory
for MSU will be more pressure on the net (sustained, not
necessarily breakaways) and solid goaltending with few shots
on goal for Mike Buzak. The Spartans accomplish both and squeak
out a win. Take Michigan State (a homer call, so to speak, if
I ever saw one).
Seocnd round- Maine vs. Denver- Not too much to comment on, Maine looks to
be the better team. Take the Black Bears.
Boston University vs. Clarkson- Even if you beat LSSU, they will
take a lot out of you. Take the Terriers.
Colorado College vs. Minnesota- A rematch of the WCHA semifinals,
which CC won by one. IMO, not as close this time. Tigers by
two.
Michigan vs. Michigan State- For the second year in a row, the
Wolverines get the #1 seed in the West AND have the chance to
play a team they've beaten four times previously. Last year,
it came back to haunt them when they lost to LSSU in OT about
1/4 mile away from here. The bigger ice surface can only help
the faster team, Michigan. But five times in one season is too
many. MSU in an upset (two for two on the homers).
Semifinals- Boston University vs. Colorado College- BU's been here before, and
this time no LSSU lurking around the corner. Terriers.
Maine vs. Michigan State- The Spartans have had a magical time in
Providence, winning the 1986 championship there and coming out
of the East Regional as the #5 seed in 1992. And Maine has
never beaten MSU in the NCAA's. They don't this time either.
MSU.
Finals- Boston University vs. Michigan State- Sometimes your luck runs out
just when you really need it. Such is the case here. As much as
it pains me to do it, I'm predicting BU to win it all (not anything
against BU, but, you know...).
So, my official entry:
HOCKEY-L NC$$ Tournament Contest Entry
Deadline: Friday, 24 March 1995
Name: G. M. Finniss
School affiliation: Michigan State
E-mail address: [log in to unmask]
First round winners: Denver, Clarkson, Minnesota, Michigan State
Semifinalists: Maine, Boston U., Colorado College, Michigan State
Finalists: Boston U., Michigan State
Champion: Boston University (but if this game comes to pass, I won't be
cheering for them)
Tiebreaker 1: 22 goals
Tiebreaker 2: 32 penalty minutes
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University 17-7-3, 25-11-3
Contest Central
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?
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