Finally I get my college hockey fix in Southern California!  I missed
the preliminary games at the Forum on Saturday (scores were
Lake Superior 3, Princeton 1 and Maine 4, Western Michigan 1), but
I did catch the consolation and championship games on Sunday.  The
line scores were
 
Western Michigan     1   2   3   -   6
Princeton            2   1   0   -   3
 
and
 
Lake Superior        0   0   2   -   2
Maine                0   1   2   -   3
 
In the first game, Princeton seemed to be in control throughout much
of the first half of the game.  Of the teams in the tourny, Princeton
was probably the most physical team on the ice.  IMHO, Princeton made
a tactical error in the second half of the game by letting up a bit
on the physical play and trying to skate with the Broncos.  This
played directly into the Broncos' hands because they clearly had
forwards with whom the Princeton defensemen could not keep up.
Obviously, WMU lit it up in the third.  This rather surprised me
primarily because Princeton seemed to have so much success in the
first half of the game in bottling up the WMU offense at the blue
line.  Maybe the Tigers just got tired, especially after having
played a brutally physical game with the Lakers the previous night.
 
Since many of you saw the LSSU-Maine game on Prime, I'll keep this
one short.  I have already seen comments on the list about what
happened (officiating-wise) in the third period, but that didn't
come close to what could have happened in the first.  In the first
ten minutes or so, LSSU played like the defending NC$$ champs and
Maine was out of sync.  Put that together with a couple of
horrendous Maine line changes and LSSU should have had at least
two first period goals if it weren't for Mike Dunham (30 saves on
32 shots).  One breakaway featured an LSSU two on none in which
Dunham saved the original shot and the rebound.  Spectacular.  There
was at least one other break-away situation which should have been
converted, but Dunham was ON.
 
Through the first two periods, the shots were even at 17 apiece.
This is deceptive.  Many of LSSU's second period shots were hurried
and uncontrolled while Maine marginally out-skated the Lakers.  After
Maine scored the first goal (Salfi), I thought the score would end
up 1-0 considering the way both goalies were playing.  In the first
half of the third period, LSSU got several power plays after Maine
went up 2-0.  After a holding call when Maine was up 3-1, Shawn
Walsh had a fit which was easily deserving of a 2-minute minor, which
it got.  I didn't get it.  The Maine defense had been frustrating
the Lakers most of the night, and yet Walsh essentially sent an
extra Maine player off the ice personally.  In hindsight, I suspect
that Walsh was irritated at the number of calls going against his
team in the third.  Still, he's gonna have to learn to bottle it up
come the post-season.  To LSSU's credit, they ran the ensuing 5 on
3 beautifully and got a much needed goal.  LSSU ended up outshooting
Maine for the game by 32-26 (I think).
 
The rest has already been covered.  It was a great game, easily
filling its billing as the biggest-game-of-the-year-to-date.  One
wonders what may have happened had the stars of these teams been
present.
 
--
Stephen Leroy  (Cornell '88)                 | Disclaimer:  Caltech knows
Division of Geological and Planetary Science | better than to take
California Institute of Technology           | responsibility for what I
leroy@(cluster,satur1).gps.caltech.edu       | may claim.