Since I'm a UMass-Lowell supporter and provided whatever UML game reports
appeared this year, and there has been the controversy over Minnesota's
standing in the HOCKEY-L poll relative to UML, I figured I'd toss out my votes
in the final poll and my explanations:
 
1.  Lake Superior       ; need I say more?
 
2.  Michigan            ; #1 or 2 all year long and beat LSSU every time except
                        ; the one time it mattered most.  And that loss was in
                        ; OT...
 
3.  Harvard             ; #2 or #3 all year long and took LSSU to OT...  Also
                        ; beat BU head-to-head.
 
4.  Boston University   ; it was tough not to pick them #2, but the Holocaust
                        ; Final plus the Beanpot Debacle left me thinking that
                        ; in big games against top teams, they were a little
                        ; lacking.
 
5.  Minnesota           ; IMO there's a big drop between 4 & 5.  I put them
                        ; ahead of Lowell because they *did* win even though
                        ; the fresh legs were the difference.
 
6.  Mass-Lowell         ; It would have been legit to make it a tie for 5th,
                        ; but I can't stand homers so I bent over backwards to
                        ; be objective.
 
 
And regarding recruiting in-state, until it's legislated that in-state kids get
to use Megas, Bauers, and CCMs while them-there-foreigners-from-Nahth-of-the-
border have to choose between white figure skates and double-runners, I won't
particularly care where the new recruits come from as long as they can play
and cut it academically.  BU is in the enviable situation of being able to
*select* the cream of the local crop.  Lowell must *recruit* the talent
wherever they can find it.   It'll be nice if they can ever get to the *select*
stage but it doesn't appear that way this year.
 
Minnesota's tradition is fine, but when local xenophobes anywhere complain about
not having enough local kids, it only reminds me of a quote I'm paraphrasing
from that legend of winter's second best sport, Red Auerbach: "I'm here to win,
not to please the local yokels."
 
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* Dave Hendrickson "Robo" [log in to unmask] *     *'     ##     '*
*        A Hockey Polygamist and Get-A-Lifer        *   *##   ___##___   ##*
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* GO UMASS-LOWELL!!!    Go Maine!!           Go BU! * *      |  |___)  |     *
* --------------------------------------------------* *######|   ___  <######*
* Although I can't remember ever having an original * *      |  |___)  |     *
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* not Hewlett-Packard's.                            *     *,     ##     ,*
*****************************************************        '-*******-'