First off, before anyone throws anything, let me announce that I will not have the final results of the Conference Tournament Contest out until tomorrow. I should have time tonight to finish the standings while I watch MSU beat Wisconsin. :-) Secondly, the number of entries in the NC$$ Contest is a little over 100 (I don't have the exact number) with a "Battling Mascots" entry and at least three pairs of family members picking different teams (two husband/wife and one father/son I can recall off the top of my head). There is still time to get your hopes and fears in (I've seen a lot of "I can dream, can't I"'s written besides picks) before the deadline, which is 4:30pm EST today (about 2 1/2 hours from now). Since we are so close to the deadline, and, as is my wont, I will reveal my picks for the tournament, with a little bit of analysis: First round- New Hampshire vs. Denver- I've stated before that this may be the best matchup of the first round and certainly the least talked-about here on H-L. New Hampshire has been off for it seems like an eternity, while Denver lost two heartbreakers last weekend in the WCHA tournament. Something tells me that UNH may come out flat, and Denver has something to prove after a lengthy absence from the tournament. Take the Pioneers in a one-goal game. Clarkson vs. Lake Superior- From the least-talked about game to the most. The Laker mystique appears to be flying in high gear after winning the CCHA tournament and taking out two of their biggest rivals, Michigan and Michigan St. on consecutive afternoons. Clarkson is coming off what one would expect to be a disappointing third place finish in the ECAC tournament, after being knocked off by the upstart Princeton Tigers. LSSU's looking somewhat like the Lakers of old, but there are some subtle differences. The biggest two that I see is the lack of a truly big scorer and the lack of a veteran goaltender on a hot streak. Both of those factors, plus a few others, lead me to smell upset. Take Clarkson. Minnesota vs. RPI- The Engineers enter the tournament as the ECAC champions, coming from a sixth-place regular season finish to take out Harvard, Colgate, and Princeton to win the title. The Golden Gophers are coming off a third place finish in the WCHA tournament, following (by Gopher standards) a dissapointing fourth-place finish in the regular season. Minnesota's 11 consecutive post season appearances have yielded no titles thus far, and I don't see one here. But they just appear to be too much for RPI in the first round. In the only game in this round that I see being a "blowout," take Minnesota by as many as three goals. Wisconsin vs. Michigan State- Two teams with storied NCAA his- tories who are surprisingly meeting each other for the first time in the tournament. The two teams met in the College Hockey Showcase in November, with MSU pulling out a 3-2 victory. The Badgers won the WCHA tournament with an overtime win over CC, while MSU blew a 2-0 lead in losing to LSSU in the CCHA final. Both teams have been noticeably absent from the NCAA title re- cently, Wisconsin's last in 1990, MSU's in 1986. Both made the 1992 Phinal Phour, and both lost to eventual champion LSSU. The freshman classes from both teams in that tournament are now seniors, with one last shot. And Wisconsin has the home ice. A very close game, could go to overtime. The key to victory for MSU will be more pressure on the net (sustained, not necessarily breakaways) and solid goaltending with few shots on goal for Mike Buzak. The Spartans accomplish both and squeak out a win. Take Michigan State (a homer call, so to speak, if I ever saw one). Seocnd round- Maine vs. Denver- Not too much to comment on, Maine looks to be the better team. Take the Black Bears. Boston University vs. Clarkson- Even if you beat LSSU, they will take a lot out of you. Take the Terriers. Colorado College vs. Minnesota- A rematch of the WCHA semifinals, which CC won by one. IMO, not as close this time. Tigers by two. Michigan vs. Michigan State- For the second year in a row, the Wolverines get the #1 seed in the West AND have the chance to play a team they've beaten four times previously. Last year, it came back to haunt them when they lost to LSSU in OT about 1/4 mile away from here. The bigger ice surface can only help the faster team, Michigan. But five times in one season is too many. MSU in an upset (two for two on the homers). Semifinals- Boston University vs. Colorado College- BU's been here before, and this time no LSSU lurking around the corner. Terriers. Maine vs. Michigan State- The Spartans have had a magical time in Providence, winning the 1986 championship there and coming out of the East Regional as the #5 seed in 1992. And Maine has never beaten MSU in the NCAA's. They don't this time either. MSU. Finals- Boston University vs. Michigan State- Sometimes your luck runs out just when you really need it. Such is the case here. As much as it pains me to do it, I'm predicting BU to win it all (not anything against BU, but, you know...). So, my official entry: HOCKEY-L NC$$ Tournament Contest Entry Deadline: Friday, 24 March 1995 Name: G. M. Finniss School affiliation: Michigan State E-mail address: [log in to unmask] First round winners: Denver, Clarkson, Minnesota, Michigan State Semifinalists: Maine, Boston U., Colorado College, Michigan State Finalists: Boston U., Michigan State Champion: Boston University (but if this game comes to pass, I won't be cheering for them) Tiebreaker 1: 22 goals Tiebreaker 2: 32 penalty minutes G. M. Finniss Michigan State University 17-7-3, 25-11-3 Contest Central WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?