What can be said about the Bears-Tigers game of last night?  It was a
fitting end to a great series, ending in disappointment for Brown fans,
but also with hopes.  Last night's game was one of the best I have EVER
seen (of course, the UMinn-Hahvahd NCAA Final is there as well).  These
two teams played with more energy than a 13-yr-old on a sugar high could
muster up.  The only displeasing things about the game were the refs and
the result.
 
Beginning with the refs and intensity level of the game, I would like to
say that the refs did all they could to not let their actions decide the
outcome, but their actions also influenced the game a bit.  Any objective
viewer could se that Princeton was getting away with a lot, and a penalty
would be called only when a Brown player would retaliate (although Jardine
did land one unnoticed jab).  While this was done to enforce neutrality,
Princeton got away with a lot of holding, and didn't let Brown establish
its playing style.  HOWEVER, Brown showed that it can adapt and succeed,
even with the loss.  The players played very well, and gave some back to
Princeton.  Brown showed that it can adapt to the style being played,
something they could not do earlier in the season.
 
This was a true hockey game...it had emotion, history, and high stakes
(Brown was looking at only 2 victories away from an NCAA bid, and a third
victory away from an ECAC Tourney title...something that these guys could
have taken) all incorporated into a great game.
 
Disappointment and Hope are tied together because in such a devastating
loss, a symbol of hope was found for Brown.  The team's season ended, and
what a great season it was, with the kind of game that makes people fans
of hockey.  There were not a lot of people in the arena, but the word has
spread among the students...these guys are for real.  And just to clarify
something...Brown is not located in a Providence "slum."  It is one of the
nicest neighborhoods of the region, so that "scared-of-the-city" argument
for a lack of fans is bogus.  What some may not realize about this game is
that after the third period...MORE sudents showed up!
 
Hope...what a wonderful thing.  Brown found another goalie  this
year...Audette was nothing less than stellar.  He played like the Finch of
'92-93, and the Parsons of '94.  It is just so sad that the winning goal
was a breakaway goal that skirted right through him...this is the same guy
that made two saves with at least two players ON TOP of him earlier in the
game.  He pretzelled himself in more ways than I assumed imaginable.  He
also has the ability to play offensively.  In a Stauber-esque display, he
charged out of the net to get a dumped puck and passed it up to a waiting
forward, catching Princeton on a line-change.  While it did not result in
a goal, the idea was there.  He showed poise and imitated experience to
the degree of almost carrying this team to Lake Placid...a lot of weight
on only a sophomore with only two previous starts.  I regret that I will
not be here next year to watch these two goalies (Audette and Parsons)
next year.
 
It was nice that the refs did not directly influence the result of the
game, but I also believe they let a little too much happen out there.  But
it was fun.  The team played extremely well this season, and even though
they did not get to Lake Placid, they proved that Brown is a force to be
reckoned with on the East Coast.  This series with Princeton should also
show the country that the ECAC is a league with talent and
emotion...College Hockey, who needs the NHL?  Of course, this comes from a
Norm Greed hater.
 
Adios...
 
Luis Eduardo Romo III
Brown '95
Thank You Bruno!
Go Gophers!
   ^You're the only ones left for me now!