Mike Machnik wrote:
 
> ECAC
> * Two stunning upsets.  Cornell and Harvard meet for the
> championship Saturday in what is essentially a game to decide who
> goes to the NCAA tournament and who goes home.  Winner gets the
> automatic bid.
 
This is the second consecutive year that the ECAC Championship
tournament has featured stunning upsets in both semifinals.  This
year #4 Cornell defeated #2 Clarkson and #6 Harvard defeated #1
Vermont (after beating #3 St. Lawrence in the quarterfinals).  Last
year #6 Rensselaer defeated # 3 Colgate and #7 Princeton defeated #1
Clarkson (after defeating #2 Brown in the quarterfinals).  Rensselaer
went on to win the title by defeating Princeton in the championship
game.
 
One of the major differences this year is that Harvard had a losing
record (12-19-1) going into the semifinals, while both Rensselaer
(17-13-4) and Princeton (17-12-4) had winning records going into the
semifinals last year.
 
> * Consolation between Clarkson and Vermont is important to
> Clarkson's tourney hopes too, and Knights will also watch the HE
> scoreboard and hope Providence does not win HE.  If PC wins,
> Clarkson's NCAA hopes could be in jeopardy since one of Cornell and
> Harvard is guaranteed to go.
 
Again, similiar to last year, as the Clarkson-Colgate ECAC
consolation game was important to both teams (more so to Colgate).
They also had to watch the scoreboard, as Providence was attempting to
win HE and receive an automatic bid to the NCAAs.
 
> HE
> * One stunning upset leaves NCAA tourney picture wide open with
> Providence able to gain a bid only by beating Maine in the final
> Saturday.  Maine win means only BU and Lowell go from HE.
 
Same as last year, however, it was Maine that was upset by
Providence.  Also, this year it was not nearly the stunning upset
that the win over Maine was last year.  PC was 19-14-3 this year
before the game, while last year they were 13-16-4.
 
> * PC's third goal appeared to have been kicked in by Dillabough.
> Goal came just as BU penalty expired but was not a PPG.
 
It was clearly and intentionally kicked in.  However, although the
game may have gone differently if it had been waved off, it was not
the reason BU lost the game.
 
> * Providence-Maine championship tilt has interesting undercurrents.
> PC needs win to make NCAAs.  Maine will end season no matter what
> happens. And PC upset Maine in last year's HE semifinal before
> losing the final to BU by one goal.
 
With Maine and PC winning, this year's field has the exact same
matchups as last year, only in reverse.  BU-UML and PC-Maine meet in
the semifinals last year, with BU-PC in the championship game and
UML-Maine in the consolation game.
 
> * Shot clock was on the fritz for the second game (when I did the
> chart). Late in the first period I had to correct the official shots
> (listed as 8-8 on the board) to 10-9 for Maine.  But the shot clock
> apparently blocks out any changes to the first period totals once
> the final buzzer sounds, so the board could not be corrected.  2nd
> and 3rd period totals were correct since we had learned that any
> corrections had to be made before the period ended.
 
I noticed this.  It was very, very strange when Maine scored in the
second and was not given a shot on net!
 
> * Teams were unable to practice at the building on Thursday because
> of very bad ice conditions (detailed in the Boston Globe).  Bruins
> refused to allow any practices Thursday so they could prepare the
> ice for their game that night.  Ice was splotchy and "slow",
> possibly favoring PC in their game against BU.
 
The ice did affect BU, as several Terriers had trouble and
occasionally slipped during the game.  However, I did not notice any
PC, UML or Maine players having trouble.
 
My own little random thoughts (some of which occurred during the
second game):
 
* If UMass Lowell had won:
     It would have set up a showdown between the last two runners-up.
     It would have been only the second HE Championship game to
     not feature BU and/or Maine.
 
* Maine returns to the championship game after a two year hiatus.
  It is their 8th championship game appearance, the most for any team
 
* With the loss, BU's run of consecutive championship appearances
  ends at three.
 
* PC makes their second straight appearance and third all-time.
 
* Semifinal records:
  BU     5-3
  PC     3-5
  Maine  8-1
  UML    1-7
 
* Championship records:
  PC     1-1
  Maine  3-4
 
 
Sean Pickett            E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Go Terriers  NCAA and Beanpot Champions
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