OK, let's do a little housecleaning first:  #5 Michigan-Dearborn defeated
#2 Arizona 11-6 in the Consloation Game.
 
And now, let me preface my report with this:  there is a God and He is cruel.
Yes, the Penn State Icers, going into last night's ACHA Division I Championship
game ranked #1 with a 33-0-0 record, lost to #3 North Dakota State 2-1 in
a well-played yet heartbreaking final game of the season.  All the goals came
in the second period.  The Icers scored first just 29 seconds into the peirod,
but the NDSU Bison would score twice to take the 2-1.  Despite outshooting the
Bison 41-18, Penn State would come up empty as NDSU netminder Duane Bartley
had probably the best goaltending performance in college hockey since Chris
Rogles had for Clarkson in the 1991 NCAA Quarterfinal upset of Lake Superior
State.  Even with extra attacker on in the last 1:30 of the game, Penn State
just could not get the puck past Bartley.  Dave Murphy had the best chance to
tie the game with under a minute left, as he was camped out by the post away
from Bartley, but the puck hopped over his stick.  NDSU finishes with a 15-9-3
record, while Penn State just narrowly misses the perfect season with a 33-1-0
final record.  John Gray had 16 saves for the Icers, as he finishes with a
28-1-0 record.
 
                1       2       3       T
#3 N. Dakota St 0       2       0       2
#1 PENN STATE   0       1       0       1
 
1st:  NONE
 
2nd:  PSU  M. Cevellero (C. Cervellero) :29
      NDSU Miner (Lund, Doubleday) 3:37
      NDSU Miner (Doubleday) 7:08
 
3rd:  NONE
 
Power play:  PSU 0 of 1, NDSU 0 of 1
 
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM:
 
                First Team              Second Team
                ----------------------------------------------
F               Chris Cervellero (PSU)  Ross Cowan (PSU)
F               Cory Walker (Arizona)   Jess Hubenschmidt (Mich-D'born)
F               Mike Grossman (NDSU)    Bill Ward (Iowa St)
D               Ben Bouma (PSU)         Todd Keller (Mich-D'born)
D               Craig Lund (NDSU)       Dan Anderson (Arizona)
G               Duane Bartley (NDSU)    John Gray (PSU)
 
TOURNAMENT MVP:  Duane Bartley, G, NDSU
 
I haven't yet heard who won the Bob Johnson Award, the ACHA's equivalent of the
Hobey Baker.  Penn State's Ross Cowan was a finalist.
 
Up next for the Icers:  a few months off.  We've still got a great group of
players for next season.  One of the highlights of next season will be two
games in Tuscon against the Arizona Icecats.  Also, the Atlantic League will
expand to six teams as Navy joins the ACHL.
 
Looking back, it's been a great season for the Icers, even if they did come
up just one game short.  This is a season that the players, coaches, and
fans will never forget.
 
I'll post the complete tournament wrapup when I get back from Spring Break....
 
 *****************************************************************************
 *       Jeremy Hall          [log in to unmask]          Penn State Univ.     *
 *                                                                           *
 *                CLARKSON GOLDEN KNIGHTS:  1991 ECAC CHAMPIONS              *
 *                                                                           *
 *                              PENN STATE ICERS:                            *
 *      1992-93 ATLANTIC COLLEGIATE HOCKEY LEAGUE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS      *
 *                      1993 ACHL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS                       *
 *                                                                           *
 *     LET'S GO TECH!!!!                                LET'S GO ICERS!!     *
 *****************************************************************************