Midwest Regional: Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha, Harvard, RIT

[MavHockey14]

Re: Midwest Regional: Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha, Harvard, RIT

Congrats UNO!

Red Cows, it was nice chatting with you Saturday Night.

[Pure Mel]

Re: Midwest Regional: Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha, Harvard, RIT

Congratulations Nebraska!

[Red Cows]

Re: Midwest Regional: Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha, Harvard, RIT

Me and the Mrs. are home from South Bend. Needless to say, it was a great weekend.The Compton Family Ice arena is a very nice facility, but, small (at least, by UNO standards). There are some things I think they could have or should have done a bit differently that could use some improvement but, by and large I really liked it. Access to the O'Briens was nil, even with cash in hand. The burly guy at the door there was just like the Black Night in Monty Python and the Holy Grail who said to King Arthur at the bridge in the forest, "None shall pass".

I'm gonna save most of my thoughts for the UNO thread, but, one of the more interesting things that happened the entire weekend while I was in South Bend happened pregame, at O'Rourkes on Sunday afternoon before the championship game. Standing at the bar was a guy wearing RIT gear who was talking to a couple guys in Michigan State gear. The Michigan Staters immediately made it clear to me they were there to root for UNO since we are former CCHA brethren. The RIT guy then divulged his pretty crazy story to me. He lives in St. Paul, his daughter is a student at Notre Dame, his son is a student at Minnesota State Mankato, and HE is an RIT grad, having grown up in Rochester, NY. He wore Mankato gear on Saturday night and was actually relieved that they had lost because "Now I can wear my RIT gear". He said if MSM had won he didn't know what he was gonna do on Sunday and he was glad the choice had been made easy for him.

Ryan Massa showed everybody why UNO is in the position they are in, now, and even though I don't care for Dave Starman like a lot of others here in the forum (and, he also looks like Eddie Munster, all grown up, or, a vampire. in general), I appreciated it when I saw him on Sportcenter ESPNU late last night wondering aloud about how it is that Massa isn't a Hobey Baker finalist during discourse during the show about the championship game.

I also think that Zombo playing, for the first time since January 31st, was enormously uplifting to our guys as well.

I have video I shot (more than 10 minutes of it) that I will upload and stick in the UNO thread with a Dropbox link. It runs from the final horn until the the last person leaves the ice. In it, among a lot of things, you'll see Trev Alberts literally hug every member of the UNO staff and every member of the team as they leave the ice last night. I think he was the happiest guy on the face of the Earth last night, except for me and a lot of other UNO fans.

Also, to RIT fans, what a great, great place your building must be to see an RIT game in if the fans and students that showed up in South Bend are in any way representative of what it is actually like to be at one of your games. Yeah, we kind of outfanned you in South Bend, numbers-wise, but, at least you brought your band and helped create the kind of atmosphere that ought to exist at any NCAA game, in any sport, of this magnitude.

As far as the game was concerned, once the Mavs scored the 1st goal of the game in the 3rd, I thought we probably were going to win, and when Ortega scored the 2nd goal I was sure of it. The tenor of the game and the atmosphere in the building changed after the first goal and it REALLY did after the 2nd one.

FWIW, UNO and Providence have played exactly twice, previously. Once in Omaha at the Maverick Stampede in 2001 and once at RPI's tourney in Troy, NY in 2005 by scores of 4-3 (in overtime) and 4-2, respectively.

[komey1]

Re: Midwest Regional: Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha, Harvard, RIT

Good luck to UNO. Massa was huge. And congrats to RIT. Another great run for the Tigers.

[StimulisRK]

Re: Midwest Regional: Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha, Harvard, RIT

Also, to RIT fans, what a great, great place your building must be to see an RIT game in if the fans and students that showed up in South Bend are in any way representative of what it is actually like to be at one of your games. Yeah, we kind of outfanned you in South Bend, numbers-wise, but, at least you brought your band and helped create the kind of atmosphere that ought to exist at any NCAA game, in any sport, of this magnitude.

It is a great place to see an RIT game. Every game has the double the sized corner crew and the pep band, we really are lucky! It's a great atmosphere.

[dpm105]

Re: Midwest Regional: Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha, Harvard, RIT

Also, to RIT fans, what a great, great place your building must be to see an RIT game in if the fans and students that showed up in South Bend are in any way representative of what it is actually like to be at one of your games. Yeah, we kind of outfanned you in South Bend, numbers-wise, but, at least you brought your band and helped create the kind of atmosphere that ought to exist at any NCAA game, in any sport, of this magnitude.

Thank you. We are not the most glamorous program in the NCAA by any stretch of the imagination, but we are loud, proud (and obnoxious). http://www.uscho.com/frozen-four/201...o-go-home-yet/

It has taken some time for the same game day atmosphere we enjoyed at cozy Ritter Arena (capacity of 2100) to make it's way over to our shiny new Gene Polisseni Center (capactiy 4300) but I dare say we are starting to build towards that home ice advantage again.

I will be at the Frozen Four, rooting for a PC or UNO national championship. Enjoy the next two weeks, just be careful, after the first one, you'll get hooked!

[Red Cows]

Re: Midwest Regional: Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha, Harvard, RIT

I will be at the Frozen Four, rooting for a PC/UNO national championship.

I assume you mean "either/or" since UNO and PC play in the national semifinal?

[dpm105]

Re: Midwest Regional: Minnesota State, Nebraska-Omaha, Harvard, RIT

I assume you mean "either/or" since UNO and PC play in the national semifinal?

Yes, meaning I would be pleased if either of those schools win the whole thing.