I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Hockey Championships in
Providence, and had a fantastic time!  I thought Providence as a city did a
great job, but since it was my first Championship weekend, I didn't have
much to compare it to.
 
MAINE/MICHIGAN:
As the TV man from Portland asked me after the game, "Do you realize you
just watched probably the greatest college hockey game of all-time?"  What
can you really say?  I came into the championships expecting nothing from my
University of Maine team, and I came away proud as hell of them.  I did not
think they would be able to overcome Michigan's speed and scoring,
especially being so young and inexperienced, and when Michigan went up 2-0,
like Mike Machnick, I thought it might be over, because all the sudden
Michigan could fly around so lose and Maine had to be tight, and we went
crazy when Maine took the lead 3-2, and was shutting down the Michigan
offensive giant.  Then Dave MacIsaac took on his token move to allow the
other team to score, and Michigan tied it 3-3, at what would turn out to be
about the halfway point of the game.  So then into overtime we went, and I
thought for sure I'd have a heart-attack before the game ended, and when it
did, I had no idea who had scored it, just that the damn red-light in that
end of the building was finally on!  What a game, I will never forget it,
and if I would have seen nothing else that weekend, it made the weekend.
ESPN screwed up the coverage, but even so it was great for college hockey.
 
MINNESOTA/BU:
Coming into this game, we were actually going to cheer for BU.  But after
Maine's win, so many BU fans that I came in contact with seemed to have so
little respect for the game we just saw or Maine, and even some guys paraded
around the Civic Center with "I HATE MAINE" signs and things like that.  I
realize that not all fans are like this, but had Michigan won, I would have
given all the credit in the world to them, so needless to say, even though
we secretly craved an ALL-HOCKEY EAST FINAL, we cheered for Minnesota.  It
was a great game through two periods, but BU's great speed and team play
wore down the gophers defense, and they broke it open in the third, and made
it look a lot more lopsided than I believe the game was.  Congrads to
Minnesota, as they put on a great run late in the season to make it to the
final four.
 
MAINE/BU:
I can honestly say as a Maine fan this game was anti-climatic.  My group had
the attitude, "If we win, great, but if not, they've still had a far better
season than anyone would have dreamed, and second isn't all that bad for
this young team."  We had a feeling that Maine might be tired, but we knew
BU was so hungry.  They had been humilated the year before, and had not
beaten Maine all year.  Even though they won Hockey East tournament, if they
could not get by Maine, people would have slighted what was a great season
for them.  BU took the 3-0 lead, and Maine had enough in them to come back
once to 3-2, but BU put it away and broke the backs of the Black Bears, by
scoring a couple quick ones.  There was no question who the best team out
there was Saturday, and rightfully they won the National Championship.  As
much as I hate BU during the regular season, it is great to have the
championship back in the greatest conference in the country, Hockey East,
and my hat is off to Jack Parker and the whole BU program, they have had
many great teams over the last few years, and they did deserve to win one.
The most distastefull part for me was after the game the Maine band started
playing the "Stein Song", and I thought that was very poor.  Boston
University has just won the Championship, and I realize they are playing to
congradulate a great Maine team, but they should have just left it alone and
let BU celebrate with their band and their fans.  You play all year for that
moment, and the team deserves to have at least that time.
For Maine, I've said it all year, this isn't their year.  With so much
inexperience up front, they were bound to have some trouble putting the puck
in the net.  Bob Norton, who even though I think is a great guy and
commentator (but also hates Maine), said Maine would go as far as their
defense would take them, and that was the case.  They defense was steller on
Thursday, but they could not contain BU's legs on Saturday and lost the game.
Blair Allison made his case loud and clear this weekend as well.  I did NOT
think he was as good as his numbers indicated, but he showed me this weekend
that he is in fact a fabulous goal-tender, and I look forward to seeing him
play next year.  It wasn't his fault at all that BU won, the defense in
front of him just couldn't contain, and I'm sure he was tired as well.
So from a Maine point of view, a terrific weekend of hockey, and I am damn
proud to be a fan of UMaine hockey, they certainly played with a lot of
heart all year to make up for some lack of natural talent.  They only lose
three players to graduation, so look for them to be back next year.
Also, Shawn Walsh should be coach of the year hands down.  He took his team
that had nothing to the National Championship game.  Some coaches have done
a great job, but they didn't put it together like he did.  I'd put his job
against anyone else's in the nation.
Congradulations to Boston University, 1995 National Champions, many times
eastern teams get dumped on, but after all the rating indexes and the polls,
only two eastern teams, Maine and BU remained, a testament to how great a
league Hockey East has become!!
 
Already looking forward to next season,
 
 
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Deron  [log in to unmask]
University of Maine (32-6-6)
1995 Hockey East Co-Champions/ NCAA Runners-Up
Not bad for a Pre-Season 4th Place Team eh?
SHAWN WALSH For Coach of the Year!
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