+ From: Mike Machnik <[log in to unmask]>
+     at BOSTON UNIVERSITY 8, NORTHEASTERN 5
+ . . .
+     BU coach Jack Parker flew off the handle when Keith Tkachuk got a
+     DQ for an obvious butt-ending major, which Scott Leavitt wasted
+     no time in calling.  It was similar to the stunt he pulled in
+     last year's NCAA quarterfinal series at Michigan State.  I don't
+     know what he could have been complaining about, since the
+     infraction was obvious on the replay.  Color man Bob Norton
+     believed Parker should have been ejected for his vociferous
+     abuse of Leavitt, and I have to agree.  But only after a long
+     time did Leavitt make a call - a delay of game penalty.  You
+     just can't allow that stuff to take place.  Hit him where
+     it counts if he won't stop and toss him.
+ . . .
 
I forgot to reply to this before, but since I saw it quoted again I
thought it would be a good idea to add what little info that I had
heard about the incident.
 
According to the school newspaper, Coach Parker agreed that the
butt-ending was a major and that a correct call was made there.  What
he was upset about was the fact that he felt that the NU player should
have been called for holding well before that incident ever took
place.  Apparently, Tkachuk was having his stick held for a long
period of time, which caused him to lash out in frustration.  [I
personally think that this penalty (holding of the stick) should be
called much more often than it is, to avoid retaliation penalties, but
it is rarely called, so I personally wasn't surprised that it didn't
get a call in this instance either.]
 
The paper also mentioned something about HE officials stating that
they did wish to improve their calling of stick holding during this
season; that was apparently something which coach Parker wanted to
make the referee aware of. :-)
 
Anyway, the butt-ending should never have occured no matter what was
or wasn't called beforehand.
 
adam bryant
Boston University