Just back from Milwaukee and the Badger Showdown.  Brown edged Wisco 3-2
in the opening round to earn the right to meet UNH in the championship
final.  Everything was in place for a major upset at the end of two periods
with the Bears twice fighting their way back into a tie to leave the teams
deadlocked 2-2 at the end of two.  But Cinderella left during intermission,
Darren Haydar, the nation's leading scorer, put the Wildcats in front for
good on a 2-on-1 rush at 0:32 of the final stanza, and the rest is an ugly
memory as UNH tallied eight more goals to win the Showdown title going away.
Haydar ended the tournament with 9 points (4 goals & 5 assists) and was
voted the tourney MVP -- he may well be this season's Hobey Baker Award
winner -- certainly the best offensive player I have seen this year, a true
sniper who makes an already skilled team into a Frozen Four contender.

    The Bears played five consecutive periods of solid hockey, took home the
runner-up hardware and look forward to a Capital District roadtrip next
weekend to play Rensselaer and Union.  They should be a better team for
having played at this elite level in Milwaukee, and with the exception of
the last period on Friday, well-prepared to deal with the balance of the
ECAC regular season schedule.

    By the way, after three visits, the Bradley Center continues to by my
favorite venue for hockey with incredible sightlines from every seat in the
building and six replay jumbrotrons (one on each side of the scoreboard and
one at each end of the arena) that are as sharp as any video picture I've
seen.  Until I get a look at the Excel Center in St. Paul next April, the
Bradley site is really special.  Aside from the 17,800 seats, no wonder the
NC$$ keeps bringing the Frozen Four back to Milwaukee.

    Best wishes for a Happy New Year.


Bill Corrigan

LET'S GO BRUNO!