National Championship!

Holy shit. Literally. The hockey National Championship this year is an all-Catholic title game.

BC rocked North Dakota 6-1. Kind of a shocker, not in BC winning, but in how lopsided the game was.

Then Notre Dame, yes, Notre Dame, stunned Michigan in overtime 5-4.

Since 2001, we have dominated Notre Dame at their sport. Now, we must dominate them at our sport. The National Championship rests in the balance.

Saturday. 7pm. ESPN.

Or, if you're me, you'll be at the game. So fired up. GO EAGLES!!!!!!!

I'd rather be an Eagle than a fuckin' leprechaun.
I'd rather be an Eagle than a fuckin' leprechaun.
I'd rather be an Eagle than a fuckin' leprechaun.
Fuck you Notre Dame!

(to the tune of "Battle Hymn of the Republic")

Tournament Preview and Picks

Sorry for my absence -- I've been away on vacation.

With 1 week left to go in the conference tournaments, and only 1 week away from Selection Sunday, I'm going to break down the tournament for you and where it stands right now.

CHA and Atlantic Hockey

I don't want to dwell on these useless conferences, but they need mentioning. In the CHA, Niagra won the automatic bid with a 3-2 win over Bemidji State. In the AH, Air Force finished a solid season and won their 3rd straight conference title with a 5-4 double-OT win over Mercyhurst. Niagra does have the advantage over Air Force due to a better PairWise ranking, so the Purple Eagles will avoid the #1 overall team in the tournament.

ECACHL

Locks: None

Should be In: Clarkson

Bubble: Harvard, Princeton

Clarkson 21-12-4 PWR: 9t

Colgate essentially fucked the bubble pulling off the upset of Clarkson and making the automatic bid out of the ECAC up for grabs. Clarkson should be safe, but they aren't a lock. The Golden Knights are tied for 9th, but they are the lower end of that tie (with MSU, who also was upset Sunday). They would have to somehow drop to 14th to be in trouble, and that just isn't very likely. Of all the teams that aren't locks, Clarkson is the best bet to get in.

Harvard 16-12-4 PWR: 15

Harvard is still has work to do before they can keep their season alive. They will square off with Cornell on Friday night. The Crimson are in the position where they must win the ECAC's automatic bid if they want to advance.

Princeton 19-13-0 PWR 16t

Who would have ever though that we would be talking about the Tigers as a possible NCAA tournament team? Well we are. Princeton is the highest seed left in the ECAC tournament with Clarkson eliminated. The Tigers will get Colgate next, which should be an easy win (just don't tell Clarkson that). But, like Harvard, Princeton needs to win the conference title to get in. The bubble is just to tight for them to get an at-large bid.

Hockey East

Locks: New Hampshire, Boston College

Should get In: None

Bubble: Vermont, Boston University

Vermont 16-14-7 PWR: 16t

The Catamounts know they are close....they just need to win the Hockey East title. After a very rocky start to their season, UVM has turned it around. They have an elimination game with BU in teh Hockey East semis. The winner gets a shot at the UNH-BC winner Saturday night at the Garden.

Boston University 19-16-4 PWR: 18t

Don't ask me how, but BU won today over UMass-Lowell....and their PWR ranking dropped. That's bad news for the Terriers. They must win HE to get in at this point. UVM stands in their way, and if they can get by the Catamounts, BU doesn't compare favorably to UNH OR BC. The Terriers have a combined 0-6-1 record agains the 2 schools this season.

CCHA

Locks: Michigan, Miami, Michigan State

Should get In: Notre Dame

Bubble: None

Notre Dame 24-13-4 PWR: 12

The Fighting Irish are all but assured a spot. With Minnesota State's and Wisconsin's season already over, no one is nipping at the Irish's heals. BUT, they aren't assured anything yet. If BU or UVM pulls the upset and gets an auto-bid AND if Northern Michigan pulls an even bigger upset and gets the auto-bid from CCHA, Notre Dame will be in serious trouble. Other than that, they should be a lock.

WCHA

Locks: Colorado College, North Dakota, Denver, St Cloud State, Minnesota

Should get In: None

Bubble: Minnesota State, Wisconsin

Minnesota State 19-16-4 PWR: 13t

Basically, at this point, it's going to be Minnesota State or Wisconsin getting the final at-large bid. The Mavericks have the edge in RPI, but that might not be enough. Minnesota State had a completely heartbreaking weekend against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Mavs squeaked out a 1-0 double overtime win Friday night, only to watch the best of 3 series slip away 2-1 and 3-2 with all 3 games going to double overtime. That's a lot of hockey. Now the Mavericks need a little bit of luck because they don't control their own fate at all.

Wisconsin 15-16-7 PWR: 13t

The Badgers might feel the repercussions of the Colgate upset. Clarkson not winning the automatic bid from the ECAC essentially takes away one bubble spot...and Wisconsin is sitting in that spot right now. The Badgers are sub-.500 AND would lose the direct comparison to Minnesota State. However, if things break a certain way, Wisconsin could get in...maybe. But it's not looking good.

So that's where we stand heading into the final weekend of college hockey before the NCAA tournament is announced. Next round of games is Thursday night with Minnesota and St Cloud State playing an elimination game for the right to play Colorado College. Then it's the CCHA, ECAC, HE, and WCHA semis on Friday and championships on Saturday.

And if you were curious, Boston College plays New Hampshire Friday night at 5:00pm.

The Weekly Slapshot

So, after winning the Beanpot in less than stunning fashion, we have decided to go back into a slump. We've now lost 3 of 4 games since beating Harvard. Not so good. Included was this past weekend where UNH decided to show with authority that they rule hockey east. The #3 team in the country beat us like they meant it: 2-0 and 5-1 en route to their 2nd straight HE regular season title. Fortunately, the pair of losses wasn't really reflected in the rankings. We're #8 nationally and we still have a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. BUT we are in 4th place now in Hockey East and 1 point behind BU and UVM. What?!?!?!?!

Well, we have 4 games left this year and a chance at redemption. This weekend is a home-and-home with Providence (they beat us 3-2 the first meeting) and next weekend is a home-and-home with Northeastern (they also beat us 3-2 the first meeting, but in OT). So, we need to rock out 8 big points and sweep these games. Otherwise, well, we only have a 2 point lead over both schools, and we really don't want to open the Hockey East Tourney on the road. That would be kinda pathetic.

Anyways, on to the tournament layout as of now......

Midwest (Madison)	Northeast (Worcester)	West (Colorado Springs)	East (Albany)
Michigan	New Hampshire	Colorado College	North Dakota
Boston College	Michigan State	Denver	Miami-Ohio
St. Cloud State	Minnesota State	Clarkson	Minnesota-Duluth
Army	Wisconsin	Bemidji State	Notre Dame
Last 4 In	First 4 Out	Next 4 Out
Wisconsin	Minnesota	Northeastern
Notre Dame	Princeton	Vermont
Minnesota-Duluth	Boston University	Quinnipiac
St. Cloud State	Providence	Harvard

Lots of Hockey East schools on the bubble, but that's no good for the greater glory. But the important thing to remember is PC and NU are playing for their tournament lives, so wins against us would go a long way.

But now, let's talk about the other side of the D-I hockey. You know, the 10 schools that just can't wait for this year to be over.

THE BOTTOM 10

1. Alabama-Huntsville - 6-19-3: Why are they #1? They're dead last in the CHA, that's why!

2. Brown - 5-18-4: Why aren't they they #1 with the fewest wins in D-I? Because, somehow, they are in 9th place (tied) in the 12 team ECACHL. Huh?

3. Western Michigan - 7-24-3: Why aren't they #1? Well, to be fair, they are playing in the second toughest conference in D-I this year (CCHA), so we won't hold their D-I most losses against them. To much.

4. American International - 8-20-4: Ahhhh, back to where they belong: the Atlantic Hockey basement.

5. Robert Morris - 14-12-3: Earns the Goat of the Week honors. They lost to the US Under-18 team 5-2 at home. Yes, they lost to a HIGH SCHOOL team. I know RM isn't very good, but high school kids?

6. Alaska-Anchorage - 7-18-7: Hmmm, this team loves overtime don't they? If you can't beat them, tie them!

7. Wayne State - 9-21-2: Obviously they have been partying with Garth a little to much, because they look hung-over during most games.

8. Connecticut - 10-19-3: Yeah, there are some other schools that don't have double-digit wins yet, but UConn is rocking the 3rd worst RPI in D-I. Good thing the basketball team is back on track, but this program looks more like club hockey.

9. Bentley - 9-17-6: They're last year in D-I and the 10 win mark is so close!

10. Alaska - 8-19-5: Not as bad as their other Alaskan brethern, but these Nanooks are pretty close. Maybe it's just the lack of sunlight during winter?

Until next week ...

The Weekly Slapshot

So, BC won the Beanpot. That's the big news. The not so big news is BU beat Northeastern which is bad 1) because I just hate BU and 2) because it hurts NU's NCAA Tournament hopes which is more just for the greater glory of Hockey East than anything else. That fact that we played BU 4 times as opposed to NU only twice is better for our RPI that BU won, so that's a plus at least.

From local hockey news (and local being Boston), let's take a quick look at how Hockey East has been shaping up.

Who's Hot: UNH, Providence, and BC

Who's Not: UMass, Maine, Merrimack

Basically, as it stands, Maine would miss the Hockey East Tournament, probably for the first time ever. So I'm not saying I'm rooting for BU against Maine this weekend, but it sure as hell would be funny if Maine continued to be miserable. Merrimack is consistently dead last in Hockey East, UNH is on top, and I'm a big fan of the Minutemen as long as they can stay 4 points ahead of Maine.

Now nationally.....

In a battle of #1 vs #2 in the country this past weekend, Michigan swept Miami. So Michigan has cemented themselves as the #1 team in the land. UNH is ranked 3rd, and Colorado College (also leading WCHA) is 4th. Who's missing from the national scene? Minnesota, who would currently be on the outside looking in at the NCAA tournament. Yeah, very weird year if Maine AND Minnesota miss the post-season.

So, without further adu, here is the NCAA field as it were to stand now. Oh, and since the Pairwise Rankings are out, I can do this VERY accurately now instead of educated guessing like early in the season.

Midwest (Madison)	East (Albany)	West (Colorado Springs)	Northeast (Worcester)
Michigan	Miami-Ohio	New Hampshire	Colorado College
Boston College	Michigan State	North Dakota	Denver
Minnesota State	Minnesota-Duluth	Notre Dame	Wisconsin
Sacred Heart	Bemidji State	Quinnipiac	Clarkson
Last 4 In	First 4 Out	Next 4 Out
Quinnipiac	Providence	Minnesota
Wisconsin	Princeton	UMass-Lowell
Notre Dame	Northeastern	UMass
Minnesota-Duluth	St. Cloud State	Michigan Tech

Now, because I know this is what you all are really clammoring for.....

The Bottom 10! (according to me)

1. Alabama-Huntsville (4-17-3) - I know they are in Alabama, and that's not exactly hockey central but they can only get 4 wins in the CHA?? Come on guys!

2. Brown (3-16-4) - Da Bears lead the nation....in fewest wins. But with 1 less game played than AL, we're giving them the benefit of the doubt that they win it. Yeah, we don't have much faith they would either.

3. Bentley (6-16-6) - To give them some credit, they are cutting their program after this year. Probably not a season to soon either.

4. Western Michigan (7-20-3) - Of the 3 20 loss teams in Division 1, they have the fewest wins. Maybe they should stick to football.....oh, nevermind.

5. Michigan State (18-8-5) - The #5 spot goes to the goat of the week, and when you're #6 in the country, you're supposed to beat sub-.500 teams, not give them 3 of 4 points in a weekend series. Obviosuly, this was not Sparta.

6. Wayne State (8-20-2) - Somehow avoiding the CHA basement for once. Oh wait, AL is there....

7. Ohio State (9-20-3) - How far the mighty have fallen. And to think this team was a #1 seed 2 years ago. Well, they have most wins of the 20 loss teams, so #7 is a good fit for the Buckeyes.

8. Connecticut (8-17-3) - Why am I arguing for them to join Hockey East again? Oh that's right. Merrimack needs someone to pick on so they don't drop their program.

9. American International (8-16-4) - The Yellow Jackets are having their best season ever I think. Or least they aren't the worst team in college hockey for once.

10. Holy Cross (8-13-7) - I guess when you're this bad you can boast that at least you have lost less than half the games you've played right?

Others Considered: Canisius, Mercyhurst, Beanpot referees, John Muse's glove saves

We won!

I HAVE EATEN MY BEANS FROM MY POT AND THEY TASTE GLORIOUS!!!!!!

Both wins in OT.

First BU then Harvard fall.

BC owns the Beans!

Yes, I write haiku's when I'm euphoric about sports wins.

Beanpot Preview

I wrote this Beanpot Preview a few days ago, but I couldn't quite figure out how to use Blogger. With some help from a friend, I was able to publish the Introductory post that you see below. Now that I've got it ironed out, here is my unedited Beanpot preview. It was tempting to go back and change a couple of predictions after the games had been played, but I decided to stick with my original text and take my lumps.

Northeastern vs Harvard - 5 p.m.

Season Series: This is their first and only meeting.

NU - 12-8-3

Always the cellar-dweller of the four teams, NU got off to their typical slow start losing 4 of their first 5 games. From there, it was all Huskies all the time. NU went 9-0-2 and captured the Badger Showdown title over the holidays. They got their highest national ranking in 2 decades at #8 in the country. However, since their win at Maine, they have seen their fortunes turn: they are 2-4-1 over their last 7 entering tonight's bout with Harvard. They are currently ranked #13 (prior to today's rankings).

Harvard - 7-10-3

The Crimson got off to an incredibly hot start. Harvard went 6-2-1 and was ranked #12 nationally. Saying the wheels came off the bus is an understatement: the Crimson have just 1 win in their last 11 games not including an exhibition loss to the U.S. under-18 team. Yes, a high school team beat them.

Prediction: Look for the Huskies to advance to their first Beanpot Final of the century with a 3-1 win over the Crimson.

Boston College vs Boston University - 8 pm

Season Series: BC leads 2-0-1

Boston College - 12-6-7

BC has been their typical two-faced selves again this season. A 3-4-5 start then gave way to an 8-1 run followed by a current 1-1-2 stretch. BC started the year ranked #2 in the country, but is currently ranked #9 (they were as low as #18). A solid mix of offense power and defensive youth, the Eagles are the easy favorites to win the 2008 Beanpot.

Boston University - 8-13-4

The Terriers are enjoying their worst season in recent memory. An 0-4-1 start has barely seen improvement over the course of the season. Inconsistent and unmotivated play has seen coach Jack Parker bench several veteran players at times to send a message, and he even went as far as making a Captain switch mid-season. BU will be looking to turn their season around versus their archnemesis and pull off the upset.

Prediction: BC's depth and experience are too much for a young BU team who will play in the consolation game for the first time since the mid-90's - BC wins 5-2

Introduction

As a Boston College alum and a huge hockey fan, I haven't really been able to find too much coverage of our hockey team outside of the usual sources like uscho.com, etc. This blog is my attempt at covering the team from a fan's perspective.