Assorted thought on three recent games:
 
1) Maine/Michigan
 
Not dissimilar to BU/Vermont - Maine beaten by a bigger, stronger
team. Most of the Michigan goals were screen jobs/point blasts,
reminding us that 100 percent of the shots you don't take, don't
go in. Given the missing players, you have to be impressed with
the Wolverines - I certainly wouldn't bet against them at this
point. If Maine doesn't get out to a quick start in Hockey East,
I wonder whether they'll be the national player that I anticipated.
 
2) BU/Vermont
 
Maybe I was too quick to assess Vermont as not deep enough -
the new defensemen, Kloubacek and Tremblay, look very promising.
The veteran forwards, Patterson and Eboli in particular, look
ready to rise to the challenge. Justin Martin adds some toughness
up front and will keep a lot of teams from pounding the heck
out of St. Louis and Perrin. Like Michigan, BU benefited from
its abilty to crowd the crease and fire from the point. That,
plus some great forechecking, made the difference. You have
to like Parker's decision to play Bates w/Grier and O'Sullivan -
there are three guys I'd like to have in a hockey pool.
 
3) Harvard/Acadia
 
No more games against Canadian teams, please. I have yet
to see a good one - and this may have been the all-time
snoozer. Acadia played it pretty close to the vest and
nearly walked out of Bright with the win. Harvard
couldn't finish, just like last year, but the youngsters
showed plenty of skill. As Richard Hungerford noted,
Craig Adams (only 17 years old) is a big-time player - but
I think Craig MacDonald and Mike Bent will put up more
points. Ben Storey and Ethan Oberman looked very comfortable
on the blueline, more so than McCarthy, Famigletti and
Hyland last year. That explains why Geb Marett is now a
forward. Is Ashlin Halfkight a Don Sweeney clone, or what?
I've never seen a college defenseman make so many offensive
rushes and have so little to show for it - sooner or later
he'll start finishing them off. For Harvard's sake, it
better be sooner.
 
Geoff Howell
Drop the Puck Magazine
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.