Allen wrote:

"I need to step in and make a few comments as the regionals are getting
underway.  I just watched Maine beat Harvard, a good game, but many empty
seats.  It's between periods of the UND/HC games, and again, many empty
seats.  There has also been a lot of discussion about the lack of TV
coverage at the regionals.

As I ponder all of this I wonder if having the semi-finals so spread out
is
a good idea.  I don't agree with the 16 team format, but if we are going
to
stay with that, why not let the top 4 seeds host a regional on their home
ice.  I realize the concept of pre-selling tickets is appealing to the
league, but if you were playing in Maine or North Dakota tonight, you
wouldn't find room to stand in either arena, never mind a seat.

The bottom line is teams work hard all season to be where they are in the
standings, and the fans are right there with them.  Why nor reward both by
allowing the top 4 seeds going to have home ice advantage?"


I think that if RPI (host), Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Colgate, Cornell, or
Union had been the ECAC champion, things might have been different with
attendance in Albany. In conctrast, the Northeast Regionals in Manchester
have been sold out for months.

Thom Davis
UNH '71
Go Cats!