CCHA FINALS:
 
                1st     2nd     3rd     FINAL
LSSU            0       1       2       3
Mich            0       1       0       1
 
Shots On Goal   1st     2nd     3rd     TOTAL
LSSU            5       12      8       25
Mich            9       6       10      25
 
Power Plays:
LSSU            0 for 3
Mich            0 for 5
 
Officials: Matt Shegos, Referee; John Edwards and John LaDuke, Linesmen.
 
Game Comments:
 
A relatively small crowd watched LSSU beat Michigan Sunday afternoon at
Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
 
Looking through a Michigan perspective:  It appeared that the Wolverines
didn't show up at The Joe Sunday.  Throughout the entire game, few passes
were on target, plays were not being set up well nor sustained for any length
of time.  On the other side, it seemed that only half of the Lakers showed
up as well.  While play was thusly relatively even throughout the first two
periods, it was far from league finals caliber.
 
Michigan started the scoring 1:09 into the second period.  Right Wing
 DennyFelsner sent a pass across the net to Brian Wiseman waiting inches from a
wide open goal.  Somehow, Wiseman's shot bounced of LSSU goalie Madeley, and
onto the stick of David Oliver, who was waiting in front of the goal.  Oliver
easily flipped the puck into the net.
 
The bounces, however, fell in favor of the Lakers.  Referee Shegos called off
Wiseman (holding) at 1:21 and then Michigan's David Harlock (High-sticking)
at 2:38.  While the Lakers kept the puck in the Woverine zone for almost the
entire 2-man advantage, a solid Michigan defense and Steven Shields kept the
puck out of the goal.  However, before the penalized Harlock could get back
into the play, Shields stopped a point blast from Laker Constantin.  The
rebound deflected up into the air and Laker Morin stepped up to bat, swinging
his stick baseball style and making solid contact, giving Shields no chance
to stop the puck.
 
As the third period started, it seems that some more of each of the teams
started to show up.  9:02 into the third, Shields stopped a shot and the
rebound sat on the ice in front of him.  Shields and Constantin lunged for
the waiting puck at the same time.  It appeared that both sticks hit the
puck at about the same time, or that Constantin got there moments before
Shields.  Nevertheless, the puck deflected off a Shields stick and bounced
slowly into the open net.  The Wolverines seemed deflated but got it together
to get some good shots on Madeley.
 
Unfortunately (for some of us), Laker Rolston caught Wolverine defenseman
Doug Evans sneaking into the Laker zone for a shot and intercepted a pass
intended for Evans, giving him a breakaway.  Rolston pulled a couple of moves
and was almost foiled by Shields, but the puck made it into the net.  As
a Michigan fan, it is hard to admit, but Rolston made some beautiful moves
and the goal was by and far the prettiest of the game.
 
>From a different perspective, Michigan Coach Red Berenson felt that his team
played well, but LSSU got some bounces and had an extremely good game
 fromMadeley.  I don't know what game you were watching coach :-), but we didn't
look that sharp to me.  I'm not taking anything away from LSSU and Madeley,
for Madeley played an awesome game and LSSU definitely played better than
Michigan.
 
A quote of interest:
In the Detroit Free Press, Lakers Goalie Madeley said that "it seems that
players try to finesse the puck around me..."  He believes that the best
way to score goals on ANY goaltender is to "keeping shooting the puck at
him, not trying to finesse it in, but force it in..."
Also, Madeley was asked about being a Hobey Baker candidate.  In response
to how he thought he would finish, Madeley said that he "would be happy to
finish fifth."  Who would Madeley select? "Felsner and [NMU's] Scott Beattie
are the two best player's in the country."
 
Finally, a comment on the officiating.
Froma spectator's point of view, it seems that by selecting a referee to
officiate the league finals, the league is saying that this is the best
official in the league this year.  Matt Shegos is definitely not that.  Whilehe
 did call a decent game at The Joe, his performance throughout the year has
been inconsistant and sometimes just unexplainable.  A friend, who is an
"on-site observer" for the CCHA (he grades the officiating), said that
"Shegos tends to call a good two periods and then I don't know what happens
to him during the third."  At the Finals, Shegos called only the calls he
had to make, and as this is usual for the CCHA finals, this was probably
ordered from the league office.  The game was very physical and there was
way too much stick work and holding.  However, Shegos' calls were consistant
for both sides, as what he would call on Michigan would be called on LSSU
(Except for his last penalty call on LSSU--he got taken by the acting of a
Michigan player and thought the hold was much worse than it really was...)
If it were my choice, I believe that the best ref this year in the CCHA
was Steve Piotrowski, and I would have liked to see hime ref the Finals.
 
 
For those who want to know, my prediction in the finals is
        Michigan 4, Maine 2.
 
Let's Go Blue!
 
Roger Spurgeon
Michigan Engineering '94
1991-92 CCHA Reg. Season CHAMPIONS!