OVERALL
* WCHA lead is followed as none of the four regular season first place
teams wind up winning their conference tournament championships.  Three of
the four do not even make it to the championship game.
 
* High powered Western teams have to be licking their chops at the chance
to face Cornell and Providence in the NCAA Tournament.  However, both won
tourney championships with outstanding defense and goaltending by shutting
down good offensive teams in their own leagues.  If it is true that defense
wins championships, and it did win the HE and ECAC titles, then it sets up
some very interesting matchups in the NCAAs.  Opponents will have to
dissect the tapes and find a way around the stifling Big Red and Friar
defenses.
 
HOCKEY EAST
* Consolation: BU roared out to 3-0 lead ten minutes in and led 5-0 early
in second, but Lowell bounced back to make it interesting at 5-3 after two.
BU defense took over in third and Terriers won going away, 7-3.
Pandolfo's two goals give him five on the weekend and earn him a spot on
the All-Tourney Team.  But the key to beating BU seems to be getting up on
them early.  Terriers are 24-2-1 scoring first, 5-4-2 when scored on first;
29-2-2 ahead/tied after one, 0-4-1 behind after one; 28-1-2 ahead/tied
after two, 1-5-1 behind after two.
 
* Championship: PC ekes out one-goal win in game that somehow didn't seem
that close most of the way.  Friars effectively shut down Maine offense,
with Dennis coming to the rescue in the third when Black Bears poured it
on.  Not one of the more exciting HE championship games, although it did
pick up in intensity late when Maine pulled within one.  But there was
never a sense that PC might let it slip away.
 
* Key to the game was major penalty to Maine's Tony Frenette for hitting
from behind at 11:39 of the second, a call that looked like a good one.
Game was 1-1 to that point and very defensive.  Friars scored twice on the
major, second goal coming five seconds before penalty expired as Maine's
Jeff Tory errantly knocked it into his own net after a centering pass from
Joe Hulbig.  That was the game-winner.
 
* MVP is PC senior LW Joe Hulbig, coming into his own this season as a
force after a slow start to his collegiate career.  Hulbig was a first
round pick out of high school, drafted 13th overall by Edmonton in 1992,
and scouts drooled over his size (6'3" 214).  A serious injury curtailed
his freshman year and part of this season, and he took more than two
seasons to get going.  This weekend he dominated play when he was on the
ice and picked up 3-2--5 vs BU and Maine, including being in on all three
Friar goals tonight.  He has 14-21--35 in 30 games this year.
 
* PC G Dan Dennis proved himself this weekend and in the tourney after some
questioned his selection to the All-Hockey East Team.  Dennis was the last
line of defense when BU and Maine pressed for tying goals late, and he came
up big time and time again.
 
* Blair Allison also played well for Maine, beaten all three times on power
play goals tonight and allowing only five goals in two games.  If not for
Dennis, he would have been the All-Tourney Team goaltender.  Dennis and
Allison were the two goaltenders chosen to the All-Hockey East Team after
the regular season, and it was fitting that they would duel for the
championship and give excellent performances.  Unless Allison turns pro,
both will return next year.
 
* Down 3-1 in what they knew would be their last game of the season, Maine
never quit and gave it all they had.  Unheralded Trevor Roenick, Jason
Mansoff, and Reg Cardinal played well both nights and typified their team's
hard work under Greg Cronin.  But tonight, the bounces went against them.
A disappointing end to the season for Maine, which hoped to close with a HE
Championship win, but still, nothing to be ashamed of.
 
* Friars' win marks their second HE title ever (1985 was first) and only
the third time that the title has not been won by BC (2), BU (4), or Maine
(3).  Northeastern in 1988 was the other champion.  Both PC title victories
came in games in which they had to win to gain an NCAA bid.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                   [log in to unmask]            *HMM* 11/13/93
>> Co-owner of the College Hockey Lists at University of Maine System  <<
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