Bri wrote:
 
>As unfair as it may be to UNH and other HE teams, Providence should
>get those points in question due to the Maine forfeit. Hockey rules
>state that if team A forfeits, it is recorded as a 1-0 win for team B.
>Maybe the rules are bad, but these are how they read currently and how
>they should be applied. If the rule is bad, you should change the
>rule afterwards...not in progress or ex post facto.
 
I agree in principle, but I think we are dealing with a situation outside of
the realm of a "normal" forfeit.  With a "normal" forfeit, if Team B cannot
play the game (or *chooses* not to, ala Scranton), then Team A is given a win
and a score of 1-0 is recorded.  In the case of Maine-PC, the games were
played, scores and stats recorded, etc.  The games were played (I assume) in
good faith, and PC lost all three.  Now PC is being given wins "ex post facto".
I don't really like any of the suggested solutions I've seen so far and don't
have one of my own, but I don't like the decision of HE either.
 
Mike "I know my hockey" Machnik said that a precedent was set in the past with
BU.  There is also a situation where the other team was not given the win.  I
forget the year (1988?), but I believe when Plattsburg was stripped of their
D-III Title due to NC$$ violations (sorry Heather :-( ), the position was
declared void rather than give the title to the 2nd place team.  Granted this
is a much more extreme situation, but I think this is how it was handled.
 
I would suggest that the rules committee (HE or NC$$) consider this special
type of forfeit and come up with something that is equitable to all parties,
both the teams directly involved and the other teams in the league.  Obviously,
one would hope the situation would never occur, but we don't live in a perfect
world....
 
 
                              Larry
 
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Lawrence E. Haag
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