The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Apr 4, 2009 15:49:00 GMT -5
Anybody here going to the Frozen Four at the Verizon Center next weekend?
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TBird41
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Post by TBird41 on Apr 4, 2009 15:54:59 GMT -5
Not me. But I am hopping on the Bemidji State bandwagon--Let's go BEAVERS!!!
(That's right--Minnesota is so much better at hockey than everyone else that even our 5th best college hockey program can make the Frozen Four)
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Apr 4, 2009 16:06:16 GMT -5
I was hoping too but never got tix. Should be a great time if they can get the ice good at Verizon.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Apr 5, 2009 11:47:39 GMT -5
(That's right--Minnesota is so much better at hockey than everyone else that even our 5th best college hockey program can make the Frozen Four) And your best team can't even make the tournament....
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Jack
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Post by Jack on Apr 5, 2009 13:19:13 GMT -5
How bout Hockey East, with two teams in the Final 4 and all 3 Hobey Baker finalists?
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Gold Hoya
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Post by Gold Hoya on Apr 6, 2009 12:10:24 GMT -5
Who's the host for this weekend? I can't think of a D-I program in the DC area.
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Jack
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Post by Jack on Apr 6, 2009 12:15:00 GMT -5
Who's the host for this weekend? I can't think of a D-I program in the DC area. I read somewhere that Navy is the nominal host, though I am not sure if they are D-I.
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theexorcist
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Post by theexorcist on Apr 6, 2009 12:19:36 GMT -5
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theexorcist
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Post by theexorcist on Apr 9, 2009 23:51:25 GMT -5
Made it tonight. Wow. The best was the Vermont-BU semifinal game (apparently Division I football doesn't matter like it does for basketball).
Vermont did a "Sucks to B U" chant.
Some guy behind me followed it up by yelling "Do you have indoor plumbing yet?"
Almost like a sociological study. And the second game was INSANE.
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The Stig
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by The Stig on Apr 9, 2009 23:56:03 GMT -5
Second game was indeed great. One of Vermont's defensemen had one of the most agonizing emotional swings I've ever seen. About halfway through the third period he scored the go-ahead goal, which was the first goal of his college career. A few minutes later he scored the game-tying goal... for BU.
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Apr 10, 2009 9:33:29 GMT -5
THis will be the first NCAA title handed out in washington, correct? Im not counting Cole field house because it is MD.
For those who were there: How was the atmosphere and how did the ice look? Did you get a sense that the visitors liked there time at the arena?
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theexorcist
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Post by theexorcist on Apr 10, 2009 10:10:43 GMT -5
THis will be the first NCAA title handed out in washington, correct? Im not counting Cole field house because it is MD. For those who were there: How was the atmosphere and how did the ice look? Did you get a sense that the visitors liked there time at the arena? The atmosphere was pretty darn cool: 1. Excepting the Frozen Four participants, I saw the following hockey jerseys (DEEP BREATH) College: Bowling Green, Boston College, Clarkson, Colorado College, Cornell, Dartmouth, Denver (their mascot showed up, too), Harvard, Holy Cross, Illinois (club), Lowell, Maine, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Navy (club), New Hampshire, North Dakota, Northern Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State (two sat next to me), Providence (gotta love the Skating Friar - www.thehockeynews.com/articles/17533-THNcoms-Hockey-East-CCHA-and-CHA-Logo-Rankings.html ), RIT, RPI, Union, Wisconsin Non-college: Capitals, Crown Royal, an Ovechkin one in Cyrillic, Sweden 2. Bemidji State had great fans, notably the three or four kids who put beaver teeth on - they also had lots of signs. When their season was pretty much blown to heck, the Beaver faithful, with about forty seconds, stood and cheered. You really had to feel for them. 3. But that's not the best part of the Bemidji State story! Traveling, even to the Frozen Four, was expensive for Bemidji. So they left their band home. So, no band, right? No! George Mason's band adopted them - apparently learned the fight song and everything. Outside, their percussion section was doing this really catchy number that ended with them doing "B-E-M-I-D-J-I!". I didn't know this until the second period - the kids were that into it. So, during the game, Mason (whose conductor wore a pale lime green suit) played their hearts out. Destroyed Miami's band. And OF COURSE they did "Living On a Prayer". 4. The place was pretty full (save the fan sections at ice level, which didn't include the two teams participating). The 400 sections were pretty darn full, if not fully. Atmosphere was great - save for one nitwit in our section, everyone was there to see hockey (methinks lots of people from colder climes had this voyage circled on the calendar no matter what). 5. The Booth stamped people's hand with an invisible stamp to allow them to return. They didn't do it at every section, so there were some lines, but it worked very well. Oh, and the Booth staff was very helpful for everything. Big kudos. 6. The first game was pretty blah - Bemidji couldn't string anything together, and Miami finally wore them down, so the atmosphere suffered. The second game was very different - two very good teams from the same conference who don't like each other. Lots of near fights. Everyone loved that second game - entering the third period tied was just how hockey should be. 7. The NCAA set up a thing where you could have your picture taken with the actual NCAA trophy (not behind glass or anything). Bauer, an equipment sponsor, passed out old-time hockey hats which were really popular AND is sponsoring a free skate on Saturday afternoon at the Booth. 8. NCAA skills competition and presentation of Hobey Baker is tonight. $10 - not sure if tickets are still available. Starts at 5:30, I think. Oh, and practices for Miami and BU run from now until around 1. 9. Best part? NO BANNERS! This unfortunately meant no 1984 NCAA champion banner, but also no WNBA attendance champion banners. The only banners allowed showed the schools that had won NCAA championships - one per school, with their years on it. Ya think Miami wants one of those banners to show up in Detroit next year? 10. One last thing - when they introduced Miami's starting lineups, the entire Miami section started doing a slow clap. SO cool.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Apr 10, 2009 10:40:17 GMT -5
I like every single part of that description, except the Bon Jovi part. (As Robert Plant once told Chuck Klosterman, if your starting-off point is Livin' On A Prayer, "that's really not a good place to be coming from.") Thanks for the details, exorcist. I was driving home from work yesterday on Constitution and saw a whole gaggle of fans, (mostly BU fans). It really made me regret not getting tickets for this. But I'm trying to save up a little now in the anticipation of expending huge dollars for tickets to a game during what I hope to be the Boston-Washington Eastern Conference Finals.
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Apr 10, 2009 14:20:16 GMT -5
But I'm trying to save up a little now in the anticipation of expending huge dollars for tickets to a game during what I hope to be the Boston-Washington Eastern Conference Finals. God i hope so! onfrozenblog.com/2009/04/10/we-are-chanting.htmlthat is an article about sitting in the BU section. i love "WE are CHANting" Hoya Blue that should be the new "we are goergetown" It looked awesome last night from that video. I hope the finals are a good game and not like the Bemidji game
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GIGAFAN99
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Post by GIGAFAN99 on Apr 11, 2009 21:07:00 GMT -5
Unbelievable. Congrats BU.
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FLHoya
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Post by FLHoya on Apr 11, 2009 21:13:17 GMT -5
Dear College Basketball,
THAT'S what we wanted.
Sincerely,
Fans
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mchoya
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Post by mchoya on Apr 11, 2009 21:37:56 GMT -5
Spectacular game.
However, what was Miami thinking with the last 3:36 to play? I don't think they attempted one shot on the empty net and were content with BU playing with the puck in their own zone for at least 15-20 seconds.
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theexorcist
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Post by theexorcist on Apr 11, 2009 22:05:41 GMT -5
Spectacular game. However, what was Miami thinking with the last 3:36 to play? I don't think they attempted one shot on the empty net and were content with BU playing with the puck in their own zone for at least 15-20 seconds. BU gave them nothing. At all. That was amazing.
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Post by washingtonhoya on Apr 11, 2009 23:32:49 GMT -5
That was a great game, and this is from someone who doesn't know Edited about college hockey. Watched it from Clyde's in Gallery Place, and the place was full of BU fans immediately after the trophy ceremony. Extra man or not, BU's forecheck with the empty net was incredible to watch, and the tying goal made the Miami fans so silent you could practically hear someone making the mistake of plunking down $10 to watch Fast & Furious at the Regal 14 next door.
That said, the winning goal left something to be desired. It was disappointing to see the Miami goalie on the replay with no clue where the puck was off the deflection.
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Apr 12, 2009 2:01:53 GMT -5
I LOVE HOCKEY!!!!!!!
I was sitting right behind the Miami section, next to a pair of rabid Miami fans. I didn't have a preference for either team, I just wanted to see a good game. Needless to say, I went home happy, unlike the shell-shocked fans around me.
The crowd was mostly BU, but I was around Miami fans so it evened it out. After the first Miami goal in the 3rd the Miami fans started going absolutely nuts, while the BU fans just looked stunned. After the next Miami goal the Miami fans could smell victory, while the BU fans looked like they didn't know what had hit them.
But there's a saying in hockey, "A two goal lead is the worst lead in hockey," and it's very true. With a one goal lead you play desperate, with a two goal lead you sometimes let off a bit, and once it becomes a one goal game the other team has the momentum and you can't stop them from tying it. That's exactly what happened to Miami. They tensed up and started playing cautious, while BU was playing like their lives depended on it. The goal with a minute left got the BU fans back in it and gave their players a huge confidence lift, while Miami seemed terrified. From there the only question was whether time would run out before BU scored again.
I sort of had a feeling BU would come back, but when I get that sort of feeling I'm usually wrong. I couldn't celebrate too much given the people around me, but I wanted overtimes all along and I got my wish. After the first BU goal, I said something like "Boy, this is going to be a long minute!" All I could do after BU tied it was sit there with my jaw hanging open. I couldn't believe that had happened.
The winning goal was a bit weak, but that's how hockey is. Sometimes the pucks bounce your way, sometimes they don't. BU won this weekend because they got two lucky bounces (the game tying goal against Vermont being the other). Miami lost to BC last year on a lucky BC bounce in OT, and the same thing happened this year.
All in all it was a great weekend of hockey!
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