Scores and a little bit o my own color commentary.
 
Clarkson  5   SLU 4
BU        4  Maine 3 OT
 
Well folks the game between the Black Bears & Terriers was  a
rouser!! BU took the lead in the first period (Tickets said
5:30 start when it was really 5PM, BU was kind and waited
till just after my arrival to score right in front of my
seats). Maine tied it up and that was it for the first.
The second was scoreless. Early in the 3rd Maine went ahead
by a 2-1 margin. BU came back and tied it, then went ahead
3-2 with 2:15 left. Looked like it would end that way, but
just 18 seconds later Maine tied it to sen it to OT. BU
scored on a one time shot off a beautiful feed (sorry but I
didn't take notes and can't remember the names) from the
right faceoff circle to a man on the left side. Maines
goalie Snow played excellent in the early going making a lot
of *TOUGH* saves and really keeping them in it. They
probably should have won, but BU never folded in what was a
very physical game.
 
BU definitely deserves a bid to the NCAA finals, which I
guess they get by winning the tournament. Maine played
Awesome and also belongs in the final 12, aas does BC
despite their early fall in the tournament. BU has shown
that they are unbeatable in the Gahden, winning both the
beanpot and the HE final against strong opponents. I don't
know what they're like on the road, so if they get a good
seed I would say watch out for this team they know how to
win the big game and could show up in the final four if they
don't get seeded too poorly and have to play Someone like
LSSU early on.
 
 
In the ECAC game. Well Clarkson posted a 3-0 lead in the
first and looked like they would romp. Then they fell asleep
and SLU capitalized on it coming back to tie it up. I
believe it was Clarkson that went back into the lead before
SLU again tied it at 4. Early in the 3rd period Clarkson
scored the winning goal on a questionable call by the goal
judge. The SLU goalie made a great grab of a puck shot up
over him whilke he was lying down. He slid backward onto the
goal line. I was seated right near the SLU goal line about
12 rows off ice. From my vantage point and that of the
instant replay camera it did not look like the puck was in.
The goal judge turned the light on rather late, and in my
opinion had a view that was obstructed by the goalies body.
The referee did not see the play as an SLU defenseman and a
Clarkson player were between him and the play. In this case
having not seen the play he could not wave off the goal and
let the goal judges ruling  stand. The SLU Goalie was very
very pissed at this and had the goal judge not been behind
the glass he would be in trouble. I was sort of rooting for
Clarkson to score again so they could claim a title they've
waited long for on something other than this unfortunate
note. They didn't, rather they fell back into the same kind
of defensive posture they showed with the early 3 goal lead.
Congratulations to Clarkson, but I don't feel that they
clearly earned the crown in this game, though they do have
the strength of their season behind them.
 
Having watched the ECAC the last 6 years (4 as color
commentator for WRPI) I can say this is the weakest ECAC I
have seen. I don't find it surprising that Clarkson is only
ranked 8th. If I recall right SLU was not the 2nd place team
in the division, Cornell was. Cornell's loss to SLU doesn't
help their chances for a final 12 bid, and even though they
beat Cornell, a second place finish probably doesn't do much
good for SLU (see last year.. RPI beat Cornell and finished
2nd to COlgate but still staayed home). I would say that
Clarkson is the only ECAC team deserving of a bid. Has it
happened in the 12 team system that a conference only sends
one team to the finals?? IMHO ECAC should only have one and
HE should get 3.
 
Jay H