Steve Rockey writes:
>Minnesota and Maine got fat in leagues that didn't test /prepare
>them for the playoffs.
First,Hockey East is a competitive conference,where any team can beat
anybody on a given night(see Northeatern vs. UMaine Jan 24.)! The in-league
records may make teams like NE,Merrimac and UM/Lowellseem less than competitiv
e,but NE beat UMaine(#1 at the time) ,UM/L gave UM 4! tough games thisseason
and Merrimac beat some good teams as well.
Second,UMaine did play *some* good non-league games this season:AT LA
vs. MSU(4-2 win) AT Milwaukee(3-2 Loss to Wisc.). However,the only other non-
league competition who would come to Maine was UAF,Kent State,Notre Dame and
Army. Nothing against those teams but they are not exactly top notch competiti
on. Note: UMaine also played versus Team USA and Team Canada,losing 5-2 and 7-
1 respectively.
What could the reason be that no high-quality teams play UMaine up
here at Beee-u-tee-ful Alfond???? Can't imagine!
Let's look at some numbers,shall we;
1992 at Alfond Arena(or CCCC in Portland,ME;or CMCC in Lewiston,ME)
WCHA opponents: NONE
CCHA opponents: NONE
other non-league games:
Kent State(CCCC): win
Kent State(CMCC): win
Notre Dame(CCCC): win
Notre Dame: win
UAF: win
UAF: win
Army: win(Dexter Classic)
1992 on the road:
WCHA opponents: Wisconsin loss (Badger Hockey Showdown)
CCHA opponents: MSU win (Great Western Freezeout)
non-league record: 11-1
vs. CCHA/WCHA : 1-1
In doing further research,I found some other interesting facts,
1) the last CCHA team to come to Alfond was *national powerhouse*
Miami(Ohio)!! No offense Miami,but 11-4 and 10-1 blowouts are not a good showi
ng. Those games were January 5-6 1991. Prior to that you have to go back to
January of 1990 to find another appearance(non-NC$$ playoff) by a CCHA team.
On the 19-20thUMaine won a series vs. LSSU with a 5-5 tie and a 7-3 win.Earlie
r that season,Bowling Green and OSU came up and were defeated(BG 7-4,OSU 10-1 a
nd 5-3)In the NC$$ tournament BG was swept 8-4 and 5-3.
2) The last (non-NC$$ tournament) appearance by a WCHA team in the Alfo
nd was on Nov. 24 1990when NMU came up (after losing 4-1 the night before in P
ortland,ME) and lost 4-2. Before that,you have to go back to December 29,1989
when Minnesota lost 5-3 to the Blackbears at Alfond. Denver also came up and
got swept that season as well.
3) UMaine has gone on the road to play against high-quality teams,in mi
d-season tournaments. This season in LA(vs.MSU) and in Milwaukee (vs.Wisc.-
aho is in the Phinal). Last season the Bears went to Detroit and beat MSU befo
re losing to UMichigan at the Great Lakes Invitational. The last time a strong
non-league foe came to Alfond for the Dexter was in 1989 when UMaine beat BG
and UMinnesota.
4) In all UMaine has a 42-14 -1 record vs. WCHA/CCHA foessince the 1987
-88 season. More impressively,it is 21-7-0 on the road and 21-7-1 at home.
*Very* consistent! Unfortunately,7 of the 14 losses have come in the NC$$
playoffs. A very inconsistent 7-7 mark.
What does all of this mean? Well one point of view;ok-MY point of view
is that in *SOME* cases other teams are just a liitle....shall I say timid? of
playing way up in the middle of no-where against a team that has sold out for t
he last 129 consecutive games(and is adding another 2000+seats next season) and
hasn't lost a game in Alfond since 1990!or a non-league game at home since MS
U in January of '89. I can see why they would be timid.
That is why UMaine can't schedule top-notch teams,and get "Big-Game
Experience" before the NC$$'s. That is one reason UMaine dosen't win the title
every season.
Before everyone starts fuming(probably too late already) I shall point o
ut that I have *heard* that UMaine has scheduled some great west teams for the
Dexter. I haven't heard who,nor have I seen the schedule,so I don't know who.
Hopefully,more Western teams will come play us up here now.
I would address the UMinnesota side of this,but I haven't the desire,tim
e or information,so someone else will have to defend the Golden Gophers.As fo
r the Bears-Wait 'til next year!!!!
John Forsyth
UM-Orono 1995
1992 Hockey East Regular Season Champions
1992 Hockey East Tournament Champions
1992 NC$$ QuarterFinalists
Class of 1992: The Winningest Class in NC$$ History
C-Scott PellerinTony Link
C-Mike BarkleyRandy Olson
C-Martin RobitailleBrian Downey
Steve TepperSteve Widmeyer
current Buffalo Sabre: Keith Carney
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