Mike Machnik wrote:
<A game worked by Frank Cole tends to be one in which the teams are
allowed to play.  Some referees always call things tightly, but Cole
seems to be a supporter of clean physical hockey (emphasis on clean).
He'll let go a lot of incidental stuff, on both sides, as long as the
game stays under control.  But if things get out of hand, you may
suddenly see a lot of trips to the box by both teams.
 
I think I have seen enough of Cole et al to say that the way the game
is called will be dictated by how the teams play.  If things get a bit
chippy and a lot of calls are made, I won't be surprised to hear some
HOCKEY-Lers jump all over them, but in these cases it is often the
teams' style of play that leads to penalties being called.<
 
I really respect Mike's posts, so this is in no way meant to criticize his
opinion of Frank Cole. He's certainly seen him referee much more than I have.
 
Cole worked the MSU-Wisconsin game last Friday with Scott Leavitt, and the
way they called the game was pretty similar to the way I've seen Cole work in
the past: lots of whistles early to establish HIS presence, then put the
whistle away. Of the 16 penalties called, 8 to each team, 7 were in the first
9:33 of the game and 13 in the first 29:09. Two of the early penalties were
"phantom calls," according to a referee observer at the game. There were
coincidentals at 8:43 of the third and a UW penalty at 19:21. The pattern was
pure Frank Cole. Make of it as you will.
 
Cole and Leavitt also worked the Minnesota-Colorado College game. There were
19 penalties called, 8 against Minnesota, 11 against CC. Again, there were 7
calls in the first 5:58. That's a very Frank Cole pattern to me. But maybe
it's just my imagination.
 
Steve Klein
Lansing State Journal
See you in Providence...