I just returned from BC where the Eagles dominated Alaska-Anchorage
    but still lost, 3-2.  I see Clarkson, Cornell, and Providence have won,
    so I have gone o-fer tonight.  Not a good start.  Yet, it is the
    first time *ever* that all four road teams have won on the same night,
    either in the first round or in the quarterfinals.  That goes back to the
    beginning of the eight-team format in 1981.  No one could have
    predicted this would happen.
 
    This was only the third time an independent ever won a game in the
    NCAA Division I tourney; Alaska-Anchorage is only the second team to
    do it.  Merrimack won two games in 1988, one at Northeastern and one
    at Lake Superior.  BC was 17-1-0 at home coming in, but now they are
    on a two-game losing streak.
 
    We heard the BC radio guys on the way home, and there were two memorable
    quotes.  Sorry I can't remember the guy's name.  First: "Last year at
    this time there was the feeling of, "Who can beat us?'  Now, it's
    'Who CAN we beat?'"  And second - and this one deserves its own line:
 
    "Len Ceglarski can't coach his way out of a paper bag."
 
    The BC folks are VERY down at this point.  It could be over tomorrow
    night.  Still, I look at the fact that Anchorage was so outplayed
    by BC, in my opinion (Krake was the only thing keeping the game
    close the first 50 minutes), and I will stick with BC to win the
    next two games and the series.
 
    Here's the box:
 
    Alaska-Anchorage (18-15-4)   0    0    3  -  3
    Boston College (27-11-0)     0    1    1  -  2
    FIRST
    No scoring.
    Penalties: BC, David Emma (high-sticking), 0:37.
               AA, Jeff Batters (interference), 8:18.
 
    SECOND
    BC1, Bill Guerin #25 (unassisted), 14:36.
    Penalties: AA, Batters (slashing), 2:51.
               BC, Ted Crowley (roughing), 7:08.
               AA, Troy Coulson (holding), 9:19.
               AA, Jim Mayes (high-sticking), 15:04.
               AA, Brian Kraft (slashing), 18:16.
               BC, Steve Heinze (hitting from behind - major), 19:56.
 
    THIRD
    AA1, Rob Conn #28 (Kraft, Trent Pankewicz), 9:12.
    BC2, Dave Pergola (Jeff O'Neill), 9:55.
    AA2, Kraft #20 (Conn), 10:12.
    AA3, Steve Bogoyevac #11 (Coulson), 13:39.  GWG
    Penalties: AA, Batters (roughing), 9:26.
               BC, Sean farley (roughing), 9:26.
               AA, Brad Stewart (interference), 10:35.
               AA, Batters (slashing), 14:29.
 
    Shots on goal: UAA 11--5-11 = 27     Power Play: UAA 0 for 4
                    BC 10-19-16 = 45                  BC 0 for 6
    Saves: AA, Paul Krake (60:00, 45 shots-43 saves).
           BC, Scott LaGrand (59:30, 27 shots-24 saves).
 
    Now, some words:
 
    The referee was Shepherd from the WCHA; I was very impressed with the
    job he did in the WCHA Championship, and he called another good game
    tonight.  Linesmen were Demers and Earle from the ECAC, and they
    also did a good job.
 
    The first period was one to fall asleep to.  No scoring, very little
    up-and-down action, and only one penalty a side.
 
    In the second, BC turned it up and outshot the Seawolves, 19-5, but
    they only got one goal.  That came at 14:36, when Bill Guerin shot
    the puck off the faceoff and Krake made the save, but Guerin put in
    his rebound to break the scoreless tie.  BC had four power plays in
    the period and got no goals despite several great chances.
 
    The only other notable thing about the period came with four seconds left.
    Deep in the UAA end, Lorne Knauft hit BC's Steve Heinze, who was so
    angry that there was no call that he absolutely crushed Knauft (a
    big boy) into the boards.  Knauft crumpled to the ice and did not move
    at all, lying on his stomach.  The Seawolves' trainer came out and after
    about five minutes, Knauft slowly got up.  I believe he was probably
    knocked out.  Heinze was sent to the locker room and was given a major
    from hitting from behind, which now carries an automatic DQ - or so I
    thought.  He returned in the third to serve his penalty and continued
    the rest of the game; I can't explain this because I thought I remembered
    seeing this in the rule book (which is at home).  Knauft did not come out
    with his team to start the third, but he did come out for one shift
    and was on the ice for UAA's first goal; then he went right back to the
    locker room, but again he returned and played about the last six minutes.
    I can see how he would refuse to sit it out with his team on the verge of
    the biggest win in their history.
 
    The third period was played in halves, which is getting to be a custom at
    BC.  UAA had a 4:40 power play in the third after the final 16 seconds of a
    penalty to Kraft expired, but they couldn't do anything with it.  Krake
    continued to stand on his net in the UAA net, stopping McInnis and Emma.
    Finally UAA tied it up at 9:12.  Big gun Rob Conn had two shots blocked
    by BC players, then his third try found the mark with LaGrand on his knees.
    LaGrand had shut UAA out for 49:12, but it would only take 4:27 for them
    to get all they needed to win.
 
    With five seconds left in the first half of the third period, Dave Pergola
    put BC ahead, 2-1.  Jeff O'Neill threw the puck in along the right boards
    and Pergola beat UAA's Trent Pankewicz to it behind the net, then he
    wheeled in front and slammed it through Krake's pads at 9:55.
 
    It only took 17 seconds for Anchorage to tie it up.  The net appeared to
    be off when the goal was scored, but it could have been LaGrand who
    knocked it off.  Kraft got credit; there was a lot of action in front
    and it just looked like Kraft and Conn were whaling away at it.
 
    Brad Stewart was called for interference at 10:35, but BC couldn't
    score.  They got two good chances just as the power play came to an
    end from Marc Beran and O'Neill, but Krake again came up big.  Then
    at 13:39, the game-winner was scored.  Steve Bogoyevac came out of the
    right corner with the puck and blasted a shot over LaGrand's shoulder
    from the bottom of the circle to bring a hush over Conte Forum except
    for the Seawolves' celebration.  Krake played out of his skull the
    rest of the game, stopping Emma, McInnis, and Crowley on another
    power play, and making the biggest saves of the game on Franzosa
    with 1:53 left.  Franzosa's first shot was stopped, then Krake fell
    back in the net, lying on his back, but he reached up to stop Franzosa's
    followup.  I can't imagine how he didn't get the puck up over Krake,
    but it still goes in the books as a huge save.  BC pulled LaGrand
    with about 41 seconds left, but the Seawolves were not about to pull
    a BC and let this one get away.  Despite being outplayed, they earned
    this one with their hard work and tough defense, and their refusal
    to give up.
 
    I believed that if BC was going to lose a game to UAA, it would be this
    one.  It will take another miraculous performance from UAA and Krake
    to beat BC again.  Sure, it can happen, and maybe BC is really down on
    themselves which would play a big part tomorrow night (I don't know).
    We will see.
 
    Congrats to Clarkson, Cornell, Providence, and Anchorage fans!  The
    rest of this weekend should be VERY interesting...
 
 
    - mike
 
    p.s. the 1-900 number goes on hold as of tonight.