CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

[gfmorris]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Both disallowed goals were the right call. Coby was trying to kick the puck up to his stick, but didn't get there with the stick. [Almost.] The NU high-sticking [think it was a Zanette] got called because he got his stick blade high before chopping down. The second call was pretty close to the borderline, but there wasn't enough evidence to overturn it, unlike with the Coburn goal.

As for the penalty in OT, it was a slash to the lower shin/ankle. Most slashes aren't going to get called in OT, but I wasn't surprised that one got called.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Also, the CBSCS announcers said, at one point, that Coby is the younger brother of Braydon Coburn. Ummm ... Braydon was born in SK. Coby's from ON. I'm betting NO. But CBSCS did get the Geoffrions right.

I was a little surprised that Starman pushed the Niagara-is-on-a-roll angle more than the UAH-will-be-indie angle. More people nationally know about UAH because of the CCHA shutting us down in August. That was surprising to me, given that Starman coached here a lot when he was with Macon.

What did frustrate me about the Niagara-is-on-a-roll angle was that I never, ever heard them mention that the one loss was to UAH. If I was pushing that angle as a broadcaster, I would pick on that, too, and make that point.

That said, the game was called pretty fair on TV.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Hey Burkie, if ya read this ... you have to be proud of how your team played. I hate that someone had to lose that game.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

For the Charger faithful...

*****http://www.knology.net/~dougeagan/WinningGoalDesmet-s.jpg******
The winning goal.


*****http://www.knology.net/~dougeagan/CelebrationCHA-s.jpg******
...and the celebration.

Enjoy!!!

Hey Doug ... you willing to let us print those up? I want one as big as I can get them for the house

[5hole]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Well, first off, a big congratz to UAH on a hard fought game and getting the W.

I'm back in the old hotel room, pulling an all-nighter since the game ended so late, then went to an unofficial function for those players who no longer need worry about curfew, etc. (scheduled before the Tourney even started), lost an hour to the clock springing ahead and I have a flight out at 6:15 ... so who needs sleep?

Bottom line here is that both teams played pretty well but they play different type games. We had all the stats on our side except the score. But UAH played their game - pack it in tight D, wait for an opportunity (maybe that should read PP opp) and score. It helps that they have one of the hottest- if not the hottest- goalies in D1. And a couple of fortuitous calls.

I only had the live look at the disputed goals. Contrary to what wsp67326 may have heard from the NU broadcast, that goal was apparently correctly decided. It was pretty clearcut - if Noonan's stick hit it before it went in, a goal. If it did not, no goal. I'm told they had a good camera view on it and it was an easy no-goal decision.

Not so easy on the second reviewed goal. More judgement involved, I would say. I talked to someone who saw the replay numerous times and he says it was the wrong call, not even that close. My take - they had already denied UAH's goal on review, so that may have entered into it. But the ref would also be overturning his own call. Too much to overcome.

As for the OT penalty ... poor decision, with confusion by the officials. You could see them trying to figure out what they were going to call. They ended up putting the wrong guy in the box. It looked to me like Burchirin had already shouldered the UAH player out of the play. There was a slash, but as Geof says, not usually called in OT. It certainly was not egregious,really pretty marginal. By getting the wrong player, it also took away one of our best on the PK.

So, since Douglas has claimed a lifetime right to bi-itch about Gardsie and the net 10 years ago, now I have something to bi-itch about too!

[gfmorris]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Hey 5Hole, re-watching the broadcast, they noted that both refs raised their arm on the OT slash. :shrug:

GFM

[5hole]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Hey 5Hole, re-watching the broadcast, they noted that both refs raised their arm on the OT slash. :shrug:

GFM

Wow ... terrible that they both blew the call.

[gfmorris]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Wow ... terrible that they both blew the call.

Hey, they did blow the call ...










... by putting the wrong Niagara guy in the box.

GFM

[5hole]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Hey, they did blow the call ...

... by putting the wrong Niagara guy in the box.

GFM

Well, that was already noted, Geof ... and it was significant.

From the USCHO game write-up:
BURKIE'S COMMENT -

Just 26 seconds earlier, Niagara’s Jim Burichin was whistled for slashing on a call Niagara coach Dave Burkholder was not pleased with.

“It was an overtime call that didn’t need to be called,” he said bitterly. “It was a real soft call in overtime.”

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20092010...#ixzz0iAsXYGjU

Like I said, now I have something to bi-itch about, too, for the next 10 years, at least.

[5hole]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Well, an FYI for all CHA fans ... and an apology to Douglas for not being able to execute on a well-intentioned thought. Before the Tournament I was chatting with Burkie in his office when he asked if I knew if there were a lot fans coming in from the other schools. I told him I really was not sure at all but that I knew Millsy was not making it, which left Douglas as the lone CHA FAN to have attended all the tournaments. He immediately jumped on it and wanted to acknowledge/honor him in some manner. He actually wanted to have a ceremonial puck drop at the start if the game but later said that would not work because of tv. So there was supposed to be an announcement ... I never heard it, don't think it happened. I guess a communications breakdown. In any event, great to see Douglas at the Tournament to finish off his perfect record. I'll tip my Niagara cap to you, Douglas ... thanks for all the CHA support and great photos. And you got your wish, even called the score!

BTW ... I did not even realize that the only CHA I missed was the first one in 2000 - and what a one to miss for a Niagara fan. Darn.

[gfmorris]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

While we're bi-itching ...

Look, I understand that NU has run the league this year. I'm thankful for that. But:

1. The folks that run purpleeagles.com tore down the 2010 Tournament page last night after the game. Just flat deleted it off of the site. Is this sour grapes from me? No, not really --- if you Googled "2010 CHA Championship", it was the first result that showed up. It was the best information about the tournament --- better than the league's own site. And that's GREAT! I'm fine with having the info, regardless of whether it's set in purple or not. But pulling it down after the loss was bad.

2. But what's worse is the official site's recap of the game, which doesn't quote any of the UAH personnel that other outlets quoted from the post-game presser: Cole, Talbot, or Desmet.

And yes, I'm bitter because the tournament was supposed to be in Huntsville and instead ended up in Niagara.

GFM

[5hole]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Hey, Geof, I'm not really sure how all that has come down ... how NU "ran" the league this past year or how Bemidji "ran" it for 8 or 9 years, or perhaps why no one from UAH stepped up to run it.

I have no idea why the tournament ended up in Niagara instead of Huntsville, either. Sorry you are bitter.

I'll agree with your comments on the site disappearing and the write-up. Legit to complain ... if I were you, I would contact the Commish on that.

Look, I have no idea about the running of this league ... does anyone actually get paid to handle this stuff? Anything? A nominal amount? Volunteer? I have no idea. I think the league essentially fell apart after the BSU announcement and is just playing out the string. I am glad, as you are, that someone stepped in just to try to keep things together for this final year, so maybe my expectations are not real high.

I was focused on the game, what I saw on the ice and heard afterwards. I thought it was fair game to make comments on controversial plays. I am not bitter, just a little bi-itching ... in much the same vein as I know happened after UAH lost to us 10 years ago and when they lost to Wayne State (2002 ...??)

[21st Century Schizoid Man]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

Just got back from the tournament a few hours ago. Congrats to UAH on their championship, it was great to watch the celebration afterwards and great to see their hard work paid off with a couple of gritty victories. Good luck in finding a home a conference home soon, hopefully this will help somehow. Matti Jarvainen is going to be awesome to watch in the future.

Rmu played well Friday afternoon, though they looked like they spent the game overthinking how to beat Talbot too much, they just never got that one bounce. Being a passionate NCAA hockey fan comes with a huge risk of heartbreak, you know and accept that before you buy your tournament tickets, you figure one year they'll have to win though and it would make up for the pain. Here's to next year!


I said at one point in the old thread, that it wouldn't surprise me if any of the four teams won the brass ring this year, that talent wise there wasn't much difference between the four and everyone knew each other so well that anything was possible. It was a fitting end to the CHA I guess, wide open and full of surprises.

Best of luck to Bemidji State in the WCHA next year, and in the NCAA's this year, it's been a pleasure watching your team these last 6 years, though frustrating from an RMU perspective.

And as far as Niagara goes, we'll see you in a few months. At least I can find the rink now, even in darkness, and even the nearby pizza place off Military Rd with all the unsavory characters and interesting pizza.

Atlantic Hockey doesn't really have much of a collective thread from all schools it would seem. I'll miss that.

[gfmorris]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

5Hole: I think the NU guys did a solid job running the league this year. I also sense that they did a good job with the tournament, based on everything I've read the national college hockey media to say. I was just disappointed with the postgame execution. I'm sure that the NU folks were quite disappointed with the finish; I'm sure I would have been were the situation reversed.

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: CHA Thoughts and Prognostications: Year 11, The Finale... Part Deux

File this under Coming Clean ...

I think it'd be fun if we all admitted who we really were. [I thought of this because I kept wanting to call 5Hole by his real name every time I've replied to him in the last 20 hours.] Now, some of us are pretty up-front about who we are and what our affiliation(s) with our member schools are. Some of us aren't, and that's always been fine by me. But as we ride off into the sunset, I'd love to know who everyone is.

As 5Hole, Millsy, and Monster will attest, I am who I say I am. But I will admit that, when I was the CHA columnist, Adam Wodon told me to quit posting on the message boards, at least under my name. I complied, and I think I was kind of a jerk under my nom de plume ... which after seven years I can't remember. I think a similar thing happened with Millsy when he was Webmaster for the league.

Anyone else?

GFM