2015 Women's Frozen Four Championship: Who Wins?

[D2D]

Re: 2015 Women's Frozen Four Championship: Who Wins?

Maybe if it hadn't gone on for so long I wouldn't have had the same impression. It seemed very awkward for both teams.

It was up to Harvard to force Minnesota to do something other than what they were doing. But knowing the game was over at that point, they chose not to put any pressure on the Gopher's D. And yes that whole scene never would have happened had Fry not taken that frustration penalty which, by the way, was very much deserved.

 

[Blackbeard]

Re: 2015 Women's Frozen Four Championship: Who Wins?

It was up to Harvard to force Minnesota to do something other than what they were doing. But knowing the game was over at that point, they chose not to put any pressure on the Gopher's D. And yes that whole scene never would have happened had Fry not taken that frustration penalty which, by the way, was very much deserved.

I basically agree. Just an odd, awkward situation I thought.

Didn't see the infraction and now that I think of it, I didn't see the empty netter either...the cameraman kept the camera pointed into the neutral zone and didn't follow the play...didn't even know the net was empty...was shocked seeing the celebration begin, thinking that Maschmeyer had been scored on from way out...if the play by play person had mentioned that the net was empty I missed it. I was thinking just before that that Stone had better start thinking of getting Maschmeyer to the bench...but she was still in net at that time.

The play by play person allowed a number of fairly lengthy stretches of silence during the game while the action on the ice continued. A couple of times I thought she had gone for a warm beer and a cold dog.

Anyway, glad it wasn't a blowout but wish the last two periods had been more competitive. A canoe tipper at the end would have been preferable for the women's game in general and for the East vs West thing specifically, but I get the fact that if it's your team that won you like it just the way it was.

 

[ARM]

Re: 2015 Women's Frozen Four Championship: Who Wins?

If you have the lead in the last five minutes of a championship game, I would do the same thing. You are there to win the championship, not to earn style points for the win.

That's the bottom line. If a Minnesota D had wound up for a shot that went off a shin pad, Harvard went off on a breakaway and scored to start a historic comeback, all we would talk about was what a dumb decision Minnesota made to try to add a fifth goal. Maybe in January, but not with an NCAA title at stake. If you've ever watched a basketball game where some kid decides to shoot when the came could have been over, you know that keep away isn't a bad thing.

 

[ne7minder]

Re: 2015 Women's Frozen Four Championship: Who Wins?

Though eyewitness accounts vary somewhat, it is clear that fans of women's hockey were progressively leaving a scoreless, then one-goal Frozen Four battle between the #2 and #3 seeds, with teams seldom seen in the midwest. Curious, no?

I think there were about 1500 left by the end of the second game which, given that neither team can draw a third of that at their own home games, was pretty good. I also was disappointed in the play, to me both teams seemed to play rather passively given what was at stake. Harvard played with a lot more authority tonight particularly on the PK which looked horrid on Friday as it sat back & waited for BC to do something which they didn't seem interested in doing. Midway through the second I told my wife this was the dullest 0-0 tournament game I could remember.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: 2015 Women's Frozen Four Championship: Who Wins?

Gotta say, didn't like the optics of the Championship Game ending with a game of keep away.

Anemic offence by HU tremendously assisted by UM's relentless forechecking and backchecking.

That's the name of the game for both U of MN women's and men's hockey. Fast forward, five player puck control with defensive integration leading to continuous puck control being the key. Some times its less effective/aggressive, sometimes more...but its always there.