At the end of a very unbiased description of the game, Walter Olson writes:
 
> After rereading the above paragraphs, I have dwelt on penalties
> more than intended. I did not think that the penalties called were
> excessive or unwarranted. However, they did seem to set the tone of
> the game after the first period. Our radio color man, Dave Fisher,
> kept wanting more penalties called on both sides and discussed them
> through out the play by play.
 
As someone who was there, I'd have to agree with Dave Fisher.  The reason the
"brouhaha" erupted in the first period was because the refs refused to call any
individual penalties.  They took the marble theory one step further:  why call a
penalty at all when you can just wait until a scuffle breaks out and call
coincidental ones?   I know at least 2 Minnesota offsides in the first period
occured because the Gopher was being HELD in the zone.  I mean for 10 seconds or
so.  And goalie Jeff Moen took a chop to the neck from some Tech player.  (The
Gophers were not entirely innocent, either, of course, but naturally these are
the incidents that stick in my slightly biased memory! ;-) )  At the end of the
first period, I was afraid we were going to see a 0-0 overtime tie with the
teams wearing out the ice in front of BOTH penalty boxes, and no team ever
having a power play.  (10 penalties -- 14, if you count double minors as 2 and
count misconducts -- in the 1st period, ALL coincidental.)
 
At the beginning of the second period, the refs apparently realized they weren't
going to keep (or maybe "gain" is the more appropriate verb) control of the game
by calling only coincidental penalties all night.  I think the players realized
that if they committed a foul, there was at least a CHANCE now that their team
would suffer for it.  Ricci and Waisanen still weren't calling it close, by any
means, but with the game close, the teams decided to play hockey, not WWF
Wrestling.  And I think coaches Mancini and Woog should be given a LOT of credit
for that.
 
Pam Sweeney                            Go Gophers!!!
[log in to unmask]         1993 WCHA Playoff Champions!!!
[log in to unmask]              Ski-U-Mah!!!