Greg wrote:
>
> 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.
>
Here is where I have to get parochial and come to the defense of our local
facility.  I don't quite understand this at all.  The Centrum is widely regarded
as one of the best run facilities in the East.  Having been to most of the other
facilities on the list (surprisingly enough, even though Albany is my home town
I haven't been to the Knick....and of course, the new Gahden isn't built yet)
the Centrum holds its own with any of them.
 
There were two problems: the ice, while adequate, was a little chippy; and the
power went out for twenty minutes during the second quarterfinal.  It was the
result of a failure in one of the lines leading to the Centrum and adjacent
buildings.  In what I consider to be a tribute to good planning the Centrum
has a Mass Electric rep on site at all major events and they switched the build-
ing to another line and got the game underway after a relatively short delay.
Note: There is no truth to the rumor that Gopher coach Doug Woog had the wires
cut after watching Maine for one period.
 
Laing (sp?) Kennedy, the Cornell AD and head of the selection committee, was
impressed and has recommended that the Centrum bid for future events.  In fact,
BU and the Centrum have already bid for next year's Eastern Regionals and the
next available (96?) NCAA Finals.  The compliments for the Centrum are
consistent with those from Duke AD Tom Butters after last year's basketball
regionals....he called it the most well run regional he'd ever seen.
 
Another interesting note: Northern Michigan coach Comley was quoted as
advocating a return to campus sites.  Kennedy is opposed and called this year's
regionals "great for Eastern college hockey."  A full house on Saturday cer-
tainly didn't hurt the case for regional sites.
 
A few closing notes:
 
I enjoyed watching Friday's Minnesota-Clarkson game with resident guru Mike
Machnik.  Everyone should do this at least once.....  Mike is a fountain of
knowledge ranging from game analysis to college hockey trivia.
 
Was anyone else sick of the "M-A-I-N-E, Gooooooo Blue" cheer after the 50th
time in the first period on Saturday?
 
--
*******************************************************************************
Jon Greene
[log in to unmask]
Data General Corp., Westboro, MA
*******************************************************************************