There will be no recap from me on the games this weekend.  It was my first
trip to the FleetCenter, and I just wanted to go and be a fan.  My apologies
to those who are disappointed.
 
Another great Hockey East Tournament is in the books, and another reason for
why we have this event every year.  This year it was the Providence College
Friars who put on the show and pulled off what many people didn't give them
much of a chance to do, win the 1996 Hockey East Championship.
 
Even though I am a Maine fan, and was in Boston cheering my school on, I was
thrilled to see Providence come away with the win.  Providence came into
this weekend with a game plan.  The executed that plan both nights and it
paid off big time.  I can't believe what Paul Pooley has done with his team.
In such a short time as coach, Providence is going to the big dance, and has
a great trophy for the case back at Providence.  He made the finals last
year only to be defeated by eventual national champion Boston University.
It was a great run, but very few (myself included) thought he could do it
once again.  Many also thought Providence just hung onto the 4th seed, but
when push came to shove it was the methodical system of Pooley's that
prevailed over two more experienced tournament teams in BU and Maine.
Providence last won the Hockey East Championship in 1985, so certainly it
was a long time coming.  Kudos to Paul Pooley for establishing a system that
his team believes in and his 1996 Hockey East Championship Providence team
for stepping up and playing some great clutch hockey.
 
As a Maine fan I'd like to be able to point to the team and say, "We didn't
do this" or "We didn't do that", but I can't.  Maine played a pretty good
game, but Providence played a better one and that is why they are the
champs.  Maine did what they had to do, come out hard and take a lead.
Maine led 1-0, but they couldn't do any more damage then a late goal made it
1-1 going into the second. Providence played a great second period to make
it 3-1 and with the way they were executing the neutral zone trap Maine just
wasn't going to catch them.
 
Many people in my section agreed with the sentiment that Maine never looked
like they were going to win this game after the first period.  Providence
played so soundly that Maine was not getting many chances, and Providence
put in 3 power play goals.  They could have had more goals if it wasn't for
a terrific performance in what could be Blair Allison's final game.  Allison
is a junior because of Prop. 59, but is undecided on whether he'll return to
Maine.  Allison stopped several breakaways in the final period to allow
Maine to pull within one with 47 seconds left.  Try as they might Providence
bent but did not break.
 
I've already heard several Maine fans complain about the five minute major
to Tony Frenette for hitting from behind.  This was a key moment as
Providence scored two goals, including the game winner on this 5 minute
advantage.  I thought it was a very good call by the officials.  When Tony
made the hit I put my hands over my face and told my father he'd get five,
and he did.  It was the right call IMHO.  It was also ironic in the sense
that I've critized Tony for taking ill advised penalties in key situations,
and for the senior playing in his last game, he took a key penalty once
again.  Tony has done a great job this year, scoring 4 short handed goals,
setting his own personal scoring records, being among the team leaders in
goals and just playing hard.  I think he's a great player, and has a shot at
playing in the pros.
 
Brad Purdie had a goal tonight in his final game.  Purdie was key to the
Black Bears making it to the Championship game as he really stepped up with
the injury to Lovell.  Purdie had four goals the last weekend of the season,
had a hat trick in Maine's 8-4 quarterfinal win over UNH, and two(?) this
weekend at the FleetCenter.  Purdie and Frenette were both members of the
1993 National Championship team, however neither received much playing time.
Only Jamie Thompson, who took a year off in between to hone his skills in
juniors, remains from that team.
 
A perfect ending for Maine would have been to skate out of Boston with the
Cup.  I personally take great consolation in the fact that Providence will
represent this fine league in the NCAA's, a team who would not have had a
chance at the tournament had they not won Saturday night.
 
In many ways it is a relief to have this season finally over.  Fans of other
yearly contenders can surely understand how strange it must be knowing for
the entire second-half of the season that everything will be for naught in
the end.  For Maine hockey there has been a ton of unanswered questions to
this point, with no ability for fans to look to the future of their program.
Those questions will now begin to be answered.  For about three months Maine
has existed without a certain future.  Not knowing if they'd be in the HEA
Tournament, all the questions surrounding Shawn Walsh, and possible NCAA
post-season sanction.  No matter what the NCAA does decide come spring,
Maine hockey will now begin to establish a new future, and Maine fans can
begin to look to that future, wherever it may lie on the road ahead.
 
Best of luck to all Hockey East teams in the NCAA Tournament!  Keep the
Championship in the family!!
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Deron Treadwell - [log in to unmask]
University of Maine - GO HOCKEY EAST!  KEEP THE HARDWARE HOME!
Owner/Administrator: Maine Hockey Discussion List
UMaine Hockey on the web:  http://maine.maine.edu/~dtread41/mehockey.html
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