I'll admit, I was bitterly disappointed with the outcome of the two games
this weekend.  I could have handled losing two games to UNH because they
are a great team, but to get blown out twice with the title on the line was
really tough to take for this fan.  Let me just throw some random thoughts
in my head out there for discussion.
 
1.  When this season started if we would have said that we would be 25-5-4
and finish 2nd in HE and go to the NCAA's, would we have all been happy?
Absolutely!!  Somewhere along the way some of us let our expectations get a
bit out of control.  This was a 6th-place team last year, barely over .500
overall and under .500 in the league.  Maine will be #4 in the nation this
week, and that is solid.  We've had a solid year, but people are talking
about Anahiem and have been for a few months.  HOLD ON!  Maine *may* make
it there, but they've got to do a better job than they did this weekend and
if they don't we should not be disappointed.  I've been more irritated with
myself than anything the last day or two for allowing myself to have these
high, blind expectations.  Saturday was a championship/playoff style game
for Maine and we did not pass the test.  We can and will improve before
then, and I think the losses should show fan and player alike that nothing
is for certain!
 
1a.  What was really strange was Shawn Walsh was "downplaying" the UNH
series, but talking about going to Anahiem before this weekend.  Why?
Maybe the large ice sheet worried them, but c'mon.. Anahiem is a long way
away and with two losses we didn't help our case that is for sure!  Walsh
also took blame for the loss after Friday saying he didn't prepare the team
well enough for the large ice sheet.  Strange as well!
 
2.  Maine, as players on this team, need to learn how to win the big games
again.  They haven't been in this situation for awhile.  The largest game
this program played the last two seasons was the 1998 HE Final vs. BC, and
lost.  This weekend was a huge weekend, on the road.  UNH is not *that*
much better than Maine.
 
3.  Maine and UNH will meet up again and these losses should work in
Maine's favor.
 
4.  UNH crowd was terrific from what I hear.  Great to see that other
schools have that kind of atmosphere.  It was great at Alfond when Maine
played UNH as well.  UNH fans have Maine fans beat in one area.. when it is
"wear white night" they actually wear white!!
 
5.  UNH will almost certainly get a bye in the NCAA Tournament, Maine needs
more wins before they can sew that up.  There is a gentleman's agreement
that says if a team wins both the regular season and tournament titles they
get a bye.  Well, if Clarkson does that in the ECAC, Maine may be looking
at a #3 seed.  Clarkson and Maine are very close right now and whichever
one does better in its postseason tournament may decide who gets that all
important bye.
 
6.  Also watch out, if BC wins the HE Tournament, and Maine gets knocked
out early, Maine could also be a #4 seed if things line up correctly.. and
that *might* mean getting shipped out to the West Regional.  Maine has such
a good fan base I find it hard to believe they'll get shipped out west, but
one can never tell! :-)
 
7.  These UMass games Thursday-Saturday are not gimmes.  UMass goalie
Marcus Helanen is hot lately and when he was hot earlier this year we were
0-1-1 against him.  These are some serious games this weekend!
---
Deron Treadwell - [log in to unmask]
 
"Any idiot can face a crisis -- it's this day-to-day living
that wears you out."    - Anton Chekhov