(I tried to write this earlier today, but made a mistake and didn't have time
to retype it, so here it is now.)
 
As my students who had to endure me today in lab will tell you, I am still VERY
hoarse after the two days of pretty much constant yelling.  But a fan of college
hockey could not have asked for more in terms of excitement than the West Reg-
ional games this weekend.  Four one-goal games, including 3 OT's and 1 double
OT.  The crowd (as one would expect) was nearly capacity (approx. 6,000-6,100)
for the two games of local interest, MSU-Lowell and UM-LSSU.  Speaking as some-
one who was there, I do not think the place would have sold out had the Spartans
not been there (just my opinion).
 
GAME 1- Lake Superior- Northeastern
 
The Lakers were clearly outplayed in this game.  From where I sat (upper peanut
heaven on the visitor's side) I could see the replay monitor in the press box.
Whether the disputed goal was in or not, IMO it would have been a tough call to
overturn, becuase if it was in, it was BARELY in.  Originally I had planned to
cheer for the Lakers, because they are my second-favorite team and I did pick
them to win it all.  But I found myself more often than not cheering for North-
eastern.  You really had to feel for them after the goal (or not a goal) was
disallowed only to have Reynolds let one in off the back of his leg :15 into
OT.  For a team that many thought should not have been there only to be shipped
out here and having to play Lake Superior, the Huskies requitted themselves
well.
 
GAME 2- Mass-Lowell- chigan
GAME 2- Mass-Lowell- Michigan State
 
Another game where the losers outplayed the winners.  I got a chance to talk to
Ed Walsh, Lowell's goaltender coach, on Sunday, and he basically admitted that
the Chiefs did not play one of their better games.  But Roloson held them in,
Buzak made some key mistakes, and the Spartan power play, as has been the norm
lately, was listless at 1-9.  There were some bright spots for MSU.  Carter's
goal in the second to pull the Spartans within one was a work of art.  The
Spartans also hit three posts during the game, so it's not as if they didn't
have the opportunities.  The puck just didn't bounce their way.  As I said in
my pick of the game, it would come down to the goaltenders.  Roloson played
well, Buzak had some off-moments.  But expect the Spartans to be back in the
tournament next year, without a doubt.  (BTW, Ron Mason's 700th win will have
to wait until at least October 23, when the Spartans host UIC in the second
game of a weekend series.)
 
GAME 3- Lake Superior- Michigan
 
Since I didn't get a chance to stay throughout the entire Lowell-Minnesota game
(my wife and I have a bowling league which we had to attend on Sunday night),
this to me was the most exciting game of the Regional.  IMO, the only game where
the winners outplayed the losers.  Lake Superior seemed to control the play in
the first and third periods, while Michigan clearly dominated the second.  The
turning point, however, was in the second, when LSSU's Kurt Miller was able to
put one past Shields with :03 left to pull the Lakers into a 4-4 tie with the
Wolverines.
 
A lot was made of the fact that the Laker band kept playing the MSU fight song
(though they never played the long version).  We didn't mind too much.  It's
as if the Lakers knew which side of the bread the butter was on.  I don't think
they needed to remind us that the team on the other side of the ice was Michigan
, we knew that already.  Just one rendition of "Hail to the Victors" is us-
ually enough to remind the Spartan faithful of the rivalry.  And we responded
quite well, by cheering for the Lakers.  I don't think we'll be quite as hos-
pitable the next time that the Lakers come down US 27 to East Lansing.
 
GAME 4- Mass-Lowell- Minnesota
 
I went into this game really not knowing who to cheer for.  I mean, I had no
great love of Lowell, since they had taken the Spartans out.  Nor did I have
any particular fondness for Minnesota.  I hadn't even decided during the pregame
warmups who to cheer for, even though Minnesota's uniforms are ugly and the
Chiefs look like the Rangers.  As the Zamboni came on the ice, I still hadn't
decided.  Then it hit me.  With 3:00 to go before faceoff, I made my decision.
I cheered for Lowell.  Why?  Because on the ice before me, doing little half-
jumps and splits, were the Minnesota cheerleaders.  One cycle of "M-I-N-N-E-
S-O-T-A, Minnesota, Minnesota, Go GOPHERS!" was enough to turn my stomach com-
pletely.  I was so waiting for one of the Lowell players to trip one of the
cheerleaders up during the pre-game skate.  But, alas, it never happened.  And
seeing Goldy, the buck-toothed rodent, didn't help either.  (I'm sorry, but as
a semi-purist, I can't see cheerleaders at a hockey game.  That's why I can't
stand that green piece of crap that runs around Munn during the season.  And I
don't mean Sparty.  He fits right in with hockey anyway, since he needs a shave.
But the other weird green freak....)
 
Anyway, to the game.  I was waiting for Minnesota to do something to impress
me.  Well, they never did.  Lowell appeared to be playing a pretty controlled
game (which I had expected, from my conversation with Ed Walsh earlier) and
seemed to be dominating the play.  But, as I said above, I left after the second
period.  So I didn't get to see Minnesota's comeback.  Obviously, they played
a lot better in the third and in OT than they showed me.  As others have stated,
now I know why Roloson wasd
was HE's Golatender of the Year.  As with Northeastern, I was very impressed
with the Chiefs, who appear to have a very bright future ahead of them.  Watch
out, BU's and Maine's of the world, the Chiefs are a damn good hockey team.
Having never seen an Eastern team before, I was pleasently surprised with both
the Huskies and the Chiefs.
 
 
Anyway, to the Final Four.  One from each conference.  After seeing the two
teams who came out of the West Regional, I can say that both have already had
their big scare.  The Lakers, of course, have a slightly easier task in facing
Harvard than the Gophers do in BU.  If LSSU doesn't get lulled into the "look-
ing ahead" style of play as they did against NU, they should fare well against
the Crimson.  From what I saw of Minnesota (and this is no slight to Gopher
fans), they're in trouble.  If they play at all like they did in the first two
periods against Lowell when they face the Terriers, it's going to be a very
tearful homecoming.  Thus as I predicted on Friday, Lake St. and BU in the
final, with the Lakers, as they always do, finding a way to win.
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
 
P. S.  I will post the complete contest standings sometime later today as well
        as the semifinal odds sometime tomorrow.  But, now it's lunchtime and
        I'm starving.