Bemdji State did what UND, Michigan, DU, OSU, Yale, Northeastern, Notre Dame couldn't do, they won their first game in their regional. What was even more amazing was that BSU was the four seed playing one odds on favorites to go to the final game of the Frozen Four. In fact the so called experts at INCH suggested that Notre Dame and BU just play 7 games and they would decide the championship in a best of 7 games series. Yeah how did that prediction work out for you.
The Bemidji State Beavers would not be denied and BSU shot that pontifications of the pundits all to hell. The Beavers had a plan and were never behind in this game nor did the Irish ever really challenge the Beavers either. The Beavers came in a the absolute under dog and whopped the number one seeds ass for three periods, it wasn't the kind of game where a less talented team scores a couple of goals then hangs on. THhe Beavers scored, attacked and counter attacked.
Today's match up was your basic David versus Goliath if you believe the pundits, no one game them a chance at all...
INCH --- SUNDAY STORYLINE
Did you hear the one about the Catholic hockey team that played on a Sunday? No? Well, you’re about to. Notre Dame should get past a Bemidji State team that has fared reasonably well against a collection of non-conference foes from the WCHA this season, but the Beavers haven’t seen anyone like the Irish. The Cornell-Northeastern match up, while it may not yield many goals, is intriguing in the sense that the two teams are awfully similar in many ways. With two of the country’s better goalies in tow, this game may break on which team converts on the few golden opportunities it’ll get.
Notre Dame’s versatility is quite remarkable. You’d think a team with the skill of the Fighting Irish would loathe playing against one like Cornell or Northeastern, clubs that prefer to proceed at a more controlled pace, but Notre Dame is quite adept at grinding out wins. The odds of either the Big Red or the Huskies bouncing the Irish in regional final aren’t very good, but the blueprint for upsetting Notre Dame has at its core a Herculean effort from either Ben Scrivens or Brad Thiessen.
So I guess the hockey writers will have to re-write the script. The Beavers are one game from going to the Frozen Four and the favorites are going home.
I also don't want to hear another person tell me that BSU doesn't belong in the tourney or that they took a bid away from a more deserving team. The Beavers took one of the top teams in the country on for 60 minutes and whooped that ass. I also don't want to hear anyone tell me that the AHA is better. What BSU did was more impressive than AFA beating Michigan. Lastly, why would I pump the tires of BSU Hockey? I attended BSU for two years and was a football player on the 1992 squad. I have a Beaver tattooed to my right calf. Yeah! I bleed green and white (Beavers and Sioux).
Yep, Notre Dame looked foolish next to the Beavers. It was not even close and the announcers made it clear that Bemidji was outplaying the Irish. They had no answer. I saddens me to say it, but the WCHA needs to go and lick their wounds. Next year, the tide will turn.
ReplyDeleteYeah the WCHA wasn't good this year. But they will be back again soon.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Bemidji State shouldn't even be in this tournament. They won a putrid conference tournament and went 3-7 against WCHA competition this season. Moreover, they have done extremely poor against the WCHA in the past few seasons as well (not sure exactly what their record is, but it's way below .500). This win over Notre Dame doesn't prove anything except that the Irish were over-rated all season playing a cup cake schedule. That being said, Bemidji's 10 games against WCHA teams this season has prepared them to play in this NCAA tourament. I am definately on their band wagon now that Duluth is out.
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