According to the USCHO, Harvard coach Ronn Tomassoni made the following
comment after his team's defeat to Brown last weekend: "Overall during the
course of the game we played well, but
the difference was their goaltender."
 
Mr. Tomassoni is only partly right.  Brown goaltender Scott Stirling did
have an excellent game, and was spectacular in the first period, when
Harvard outshot Brown by a wide margin.  Nevertheless, Stirling wasn't the
only, nor perhaps the main reason why Harvard lost.  Tomassoni was
thoroughly outcoached by Brown's Roger Grillo.  Between the first and the
second period I told a couple of concerned Brown parents not to worry,
because I was sure that Grillo would make the necessary adjustments.  This
was indeed what happened.  Not only were the shots more even in the second
period, but Brown took advantage of every flaw in Harvard's system to
expand its lead to three goals. Tomassoni had no clue on how to respond to
Grillo's adjustments.  Harvard continued to play, to put it mildly, a less
than intelligent game, complete with a number of poorly-timed, unnecessary
penalties.
 
Luiz F. Valente
 
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