Adam Wodon contributes a couple of nice observations:
 
>it was St. Louis's worst two periods of the year
 
I don't think you can simply brush off the dearth of scoring on the play of
St. Louis(/Perrin).  The Lakers did have something to do with it.  The picket
fence they set up in their defensive zone took away the slot, and eliminated
those dazzling fast breaks the ECAC has grown to love and fear.  I think that
also was the reason that St. Louis and Perrin appeared to have been a little
too artistic with their play.  A lot of those moves at the blue line they
engaged in were the kind that they would normally employ down low, or especially
on the sides of the face-off circles.  They were pushed out front by that big
and aggressive Lake State defense, and I think it took a while for them to solve
it.  In fact I'm not sure they ever really solved it, their scoring was more the
result of their cumulative skill catching up with the law of averages--Grahame
was not going to keep them out of the net, just like all the other goaltenders
they have face the past seasons.
 
>Vermont plays great defense
 
This is the flip side of the previous argument.  The Lakers offensive futility
(one apparent fluke goal) was the result of a skill deficiency, it was because
there attack was rendered impotent by the defensive-conscious Catamounts.  While
the first line scores, the other two or three prevents the other team from
scoring.  The UVM system mates freelancing with disciplined play, and is the
only D-1 team that can pull it off.  I predict the UVM/Colorado semi will be
the highlight of Cinci and wish I could witness it in person.  (Thank you Time
Warner for ESPN2)
 
(previous sentence should read wasn't the result of a skill deficiency)
 
The key to the first semi will be whether the Catamount D can stop the high-
powered Colorado offense.  I think it is a foregone conclusion that St. Louis/
Perrin will get a couple of goals.  UVM will win if Thomas and the D can clamp
down on that gaudy Colorado offense to let the first line win.  No predictions
either way.
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Brian Morris                     RPI Engineers--An Underachieving Team
[log in to unmask]        Go Cats Go!
 
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