Northern Michigan 3, Harvard 2, (2ot)
 
The first sixty minutes of this game were not very interesting. Both teams were slow
and not very adept at puck-handling. Harvard's forwards lacked the good passing and
spontaneous playmaking which they displayed through most of the regular season,
NMU just didn't look very good.
 
However, the overtime periods were thrilling. Call this Tripp Tracy's NCAA coming
out party - he will shine again in future tournaments (if he can carry his team back
again, that is). The overtimes were the story of the Wildcats' unremitting pressure and
Tracy's heroic and spectacular saves. Harvard tested Wildcat goalie Paul Taylor a few
times - the NMU defensemen had a tendency to break out of their end but leave the
puck behind - but nothing very exciting happened at that end of the ice.
 
And "that end of the ice" didn't change. Each goalie defended the same net in the third,
fourth, and fifth periods. Is that normal?
 
Other than Tracy, the most impressive guy on the ice was NMU sophomore
center Greg Hadden. Cornell fans can readily imagine Hadden as Shaun Hannah
playing for a much better team.
 
 
Minnesota 2, Clarkson 1
 
This had to be a disappointing loss for the Golden Knights, and a big win for the Golden
Gophers. In sharp contrast to the first game, both teams played superbly in this
meeting - the skating and passing were much sharper. Chris Rogles and Tom
Newman traded outstanding saves, especially through a nail-biting third period.
 
Congratulations to the Clarkson fans, by the way - they owned the building, turning
out a far larger and louder crowd than either western team (to be expected) and the
Crimson (which is inexcusable, but still typical and to be expected). I was really looking
forward to a shouting contest between the Clarkson and Maine fans - oh well.
 
The Minnesota D did a great job of containing Clarkson's explosive and higher skilled
forwards - Marko Tuomainen, Todd Marchant, Craig Conroy, and Hugo Belanger
were all over the building, constantly setting up great rushes - but there was always a
Gopher managing a last second block or deflection.
 
IMHO, the better teams lost both of these games. But hey - that's why they play 'em! It
was an enjoyable night of hockey, despite the dingy and rundown surroundings of the
Centrum, which features the most disgusting ice (looks like orange sherbet) and the
slowest Zamboni driver in the East. Let's just say the Centrum and Worcester deserve
each other. Hopefully the regional, should it continue to exist, will move on to better
buildings (the Knick, Providence, Hartford, the New Gahden, Conte) in the future.
 
Greg
Somerville
Let's Go Red!