Once again, Munn East became Munn Least for Michigan State as the Spartans bowed out in the semifinals of the CCHA tournament, losing for the first time ever to Michigan in the CCHA's. Usually, when MSU loses to UM, it is the defense that collapses or the offense that doesn't generate enough scoring chances. Friday, it was the goaltending. Chad Alban had one of his worst nights in Green and White, losing a skate edge on UM's first goal, going to the locker room for five minutes or so while Mike Brusseau played admirably against UM, then coming back and getting shelled. At the end, Chad did his best at trying to put Brendan Morrison in the hospital, but he couldn't even get that right on this night. All in all, there were some highlights for MSU, as they head into the NCAA tournament. Mike Brusseau looked at times spectacular in the pipes, the Spartan offense did generate some quality scoring chances, and two Spartans in particular had some nice goals. Richard Keyes, IMO, thoroughly abused highly touted Michigan freshman defenseman Bubba Berenzweig (sp?) in beating Marty Turco to tie the score at 1-1, and Mike Watt's blast from the right boards on the 5-on-3 power play showed once again why Watt can play almost any position on the MSU power play (point, wing, or in front of the net). Buty all three aspects of the Spartans' game aren't clicking together, and that is something they will have to correct before the twilight meeting with Mass Lowell on Saturday. Overall, I was impressed with the job that the NCAA tournament committee did with the 12-team field. I still see no justification in giving Vermont the #2 seed in the East, when both Lake Superior and Minnesota are ahead of the Catamounts in the PWR. Just because they are the second best team in the East at this time does not IMM justify giving them a first-round bye. For the third year in a row, it appears, the team with the toughest draw who is getting a first-round bye is Michigan, but they deserve it. Two years ago, it was Lake Superior at Munn, last year Wisconsin in Madison. This year, they get a team who could arguably be a #2 seed in the second round (Minnesota) and then getting most likely the defending champions, BU, in the semis should they win. And having to come to Munn again. But, don't worry. I won't be shedding too many tears for our downstate rivals. Doug Woog was right. Come Sunday, should his Gophers get past PC, he will find a whole tom of new Gopher fans in East Lansing (sorry, that's ton, my fat fingers again). Hatred for the Maize-and-Blue runs deep in East Lansing, and God strike me dead if I ever cheer to "Hail to the Victors" without, to borrow Dave's expression, middle finger firmly extended. And so we come to the end. Demands on my time have become too great recently, which has forced me to cut back dramatically on the amount of time I can spend either posting to or reading Hockey-L. (Besides, I've already caught the beginnings of grumblings from the Lowell and UM corners of H-L about the Tournament, and I'm not going through all this stuff again.) I don't prefer to do things partway, and since I can't do it full-time, better it be no-time. I will still be able to check in occassionally via Tim and Lee's web site, where I am still not sure whether I will continue to write the CCHA column for what little is left of this year or next year. I had hoped to do the Tournament Pool again this year, but I simply do not have the time. Whoever wishes to take it over, do so with my blessings (and prepare to deal with those who don't like the format, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO). So, let me delve into some parting shots: To the NCAA: Good job. You've done so well selling college hockey to the major networks that ESPN and ESPN2 are showing women's basketball all this weekend, exchanging the fastest sport for one of the slowest. Keep it up and we'll have to watch college hockey on channels that you can only get if you leave the microwave running (but only on 80% or above). College hockey can expand and should, into schools and areas where we have only dreamed it could go. But there is one major road- block to hockey expansion. Gender equity. Do the world a favor and tell the gender equity people to, put it bluntly, go to hell. Exempt college football from the mix, which will allow schools to offer more sports for both men and women, instead of cutting men's sports to fund women's. To the selection committee: As I said above, the field this year looks good, and the matchups solid. Keep up the good work. But, one small suggestion. Either go back to 8 teams or move up to 16. Giving four teams an extra edge, especially this year when one of them really doesn't deserve it, doesn't sit well in my book. If you can't go to 16, go back to the best-of three first round and quarterfinal matchups at the higher seed. To the CCHA: The conference has done a good job in promoting itself, and big time congratulations to Keith and everbody else who runs the CCHA web page. What the conference needs now, I think, is beyond the control of its higher-ups, and that is to make the conference competitive top to bottom. That's going to take a commitment from schools like Ferris State and UIC to college hockey, the kind of commitment that Lake Superior and now Western Michigan have shown to the sport, and the commitment that Ohio State appears ready to show to hockey. (Besides, Ferris really, REALLY needs a new rink. Ewigleben is a disaster.) To Michigan State: We haven't had the greatest of runs recently, but MSU is still one of the premier college hockey programs in the country, despite not being mentioned in the same breath with BU, Michigan, Minnesota, etc. especially by those who don't know enough about the history of the sport. Don't do something stupid to screw it up. And, for God's sake, PULL OUT OF THE GLI FOR A FEW YEARS! There is no reason why MSU must go there every year, especially if we're going to get screwed into having to play the second game on the first night every year. If the Wolverines think it doesn't give them an advantage to play the first game, then fine, let them play the sceond one some time. And get rid of the damn Slapshots. Their usefulness is gone. If we hadn't taught them the word "Sieve" this year, they wouldn't have a vocabulary worth mentioning. When I first got here in 1991, the Slapshots were something to be proud of, standing all of the time, carrying brooms into the second game of a series, etc. Now they sit on their asses and wouldn't know the real function of a broom anyway. Better to spend the money you use printing their stupid shirts to bring back cheese-filled pretzels in the concession stands, and give those tickets to fans who might know the words to the Fight Song. And move back the start time, especially on Friday, to 7:30!!!!!! You ever wonder why half of the stands are empty until the end of the first period? (I would have a few words for the Michigan fans as a group, but this is a family show and they're pretty much beneath the dignity anyway. Suffice it to say, that for their sake, I hope Michigan chokes for the 32nd year in a row. And it'll be "ALL THEIR FAULT.") And, finally, to the people I've met here and there, the friends and the enemies I've made on the list and off, I bid you a fond farewell. Many people in specific have made my stay here enjoyable, probably too many to mention. But some deserve special recognition. Wayne and Mike for keeping the list sane and focussed during its growing pains (a small part of which I may have had a hand in), Bill and now Glen for running the poll, Glen for his updated scoring lists, and Erik for the RPICH, Robin and Tim for CHODR, Keith at one time for TCHCR, and any others who produced ratings systems I forgot to mention. And, finally, to those of you who I've gotten into arguments or discussions with, know that I will miss those, whether on list or off. Two names come into mind here. Mike and I, though in different parts of the country, have had some good talks, both on and off the list, which has taught me more about college hockey than almosty anything else. And John at UM, who though is on the opposite side of the most intense rivalry in the country, has been a good friend lo these 2 1/2 years. I will still be around, watching college hockey and cheering for my Spartans, especially at Munn this weekend. But my writing days, at least in this venue, are over. Some actors leave the stage too late, making one picture or doing one play too many. Others die early, leaving so much undone. I hope that I am leaving this stage at the right time, if a bit too early. But better to leave with a flourish, rather than to simply fade away. (Real tearjerker, huh? No, I didn't think so, either.) G. M. Finniss Michigan State University 22-7-1, 28-12-1 WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU...wait a minute, I might be seeing a light...nah, that's just the train... HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.