Stevens Point survives major scare from St. Thomas.
 
FRIDAY:         St. Thomas Tommies      1       1       2     =   4
                Stevens Point Pointers  2       1       0     =   3
 
The game started well for Point.  We were up 2-0 in the first period and
playing reasonably well - not our best, but well.  St. Thomas, despite being
down and a little outplayed, did not panic.  In fact, that is what I will
remember most about them.  Despite being down in all 3 games, they never
panicked, always played with discipline.  They are a class club that shows
evidences of good coaching and proved they deserved to be in the playoffs.
 
Anyway, in the second period, things weren't going so well for us.  We looked
tired, lethargic - didn't seem to have much enthusiasm out there.  I've seen
this before and I attribute it to swelled heads.  We have had so much success,
and we are *SO* good when we play our best, that I think mentally we just
assume everyone is going to roll over and play dead for us.  Well, St. Thomas
didn't.  We were up 3-2 after two, but we were being outplayed.  And it got
worse in the third.  Considering it was a National quarterfinals on our own
ice, we played unbelievably bad in the 3rd.  The real story was penalties.  We
were taking a number of bad penalties.  We scored out 3rd goal shorthanded,
but St. Thomas scored both goals 3 and 4 on the power play.  We got just what
we deserved in that game.
 
SATURDAY        Tommies         1       1       0    =  2
                Pointers        1       3       0    =  4
 
Now this was more like it.  We came out and played our game for 3 periods.
Indeed, St. Thomas did very well to keep this game close being outshot 51 to
28 (I think).  At one time in the second we were up 4-1 before they scored on
a 5 on 3 power play.  We could be beyond good if we could just stay out of the
goshdurn penalty box.  St. Thomas continued to play disciplined hockey, but we
were too much for them.
 
MINIGAME        POINT WINS 1-0 !!!!
 
The winning goal came with about 5 minutes to play from a shot along the ice
from the blue-line right down the middle.  I believe their goalie was
screened.  There were 4 players on the ice all tied up, two in front of the
goalie about 15 feet out and two more just to the left of the right face-off
circle and the puch slid between these two groups to hit the right pipe and
carom in.  I may be deaf.  Certainly one new thing I know now is that the
building is earthquake-proof.
 
Other games:
 
Winners of quarterfinal games are
 
        Plattsburgh State       over    Elmira
        Salem State             over    Babson
        UW-Superior             over    Mankato State
 
No doubt Plattsburgh will play Superior and Point will play Salem next.  I
know next to nothing about Salem State.  Would appreciate someone on the net
posting something about the East Quarterfinals.  And don't take Superior
lightly:  They are a quality club we nosed out by one point in the NCHA
standings.
 
Tom Rowe                              Internet: [log in to unmask]
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As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand
          Josh Billings
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