Best college hockey game you've ever seen

[Kepler]

Re: Best college hockey game you've ever seen

In person: 1986 ECAC SF, Cornell beating Yale in double overtime at decrepit, gorgeous Boston Garden. I've never seen two teams work harder for longer.

Via media: 2006 NCAA Regional final, Wisconsin and Cornell in triple overtime, finally won by Wisco 1-0. From everything I've heard, the Wisconsin fans were also incredibly sportsmanlike and generous in victory.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: Best college hockey game you've ever seen

Though I would argue the December game against MSU was the BEST game I ever saw at Walter Brown Arena. (Cue defkit for the details) Basically, BU was down 5-2 at the start of the 3rd and reeled off four straight goals - 3 by Amonte) to go up 6-5. WBA was deafening.

I remember it being 4-1, but then my memory is going, so I double-checked the game summary.

The game was played on 18 November 1989 and the Spartans took a 2-0 lead after one period. Midway through the second Shawn McEachern scored to make it 2-1, but Don Gibson scored just 55 seconds later on a breakout started by goalie Jason Muzzatti (his second assist of the night) to regain the 2 goal lead. Shawn Heaphy scored with 44 seconds left the period to make it 4-1 after two. The Terriers opened the third with a bang as McEachern scored his second of the game just 20 second into the period and Joe Sacco scored 61 seconds later to make it a one goal game. Just 4:22 later Tony Amonte scored to tie the game and Ed Ronan scored unassisted 17 seconds later to give BU the lead. Mike Sullivan scored 56 seconds after that to give the Terriers a 6-4, which held up for the rest of the game. It wasn't a goaltender's night as Scott Cashman let in 2 goals on 6 shots in the first and 2 more goals on 9 shots in the second, but he did stop all 7 shots in the third. Muzzatti started hot, stopping all 13 shots in the first and 9 of 10 in the second, but he let in 4 goals on 7 shots in the third before being pulled after the fifth BU goal at the 6 minute mark. Mike Gilmore came in in relief and gave up a goal on the first shot he faced, before stopping the final 2 BU shots.

That was one of the best games I've seen, but there are so many more. My personal favorite may be the 1993-94 regular season finale against PC at Walter Brown where J.P. McKersie skated full speed down the ice to take on Friar goalie Dan Dennis in an all out fight late in the third period. I don't like fighting in hockey, but seeing McKersie charging down the ice and slamming into Dennis was amazing. In the end both goalies and 3 others from each team were given fighting majors and DQs, along with another Friar getting a major for cross checking and another Terrier getting a minor for elbowing. I'm still not sure how the other palyers ended up without any penalties.

Sean

 

[ibanezist00]

Re: Best college hockey game you've ever seen

For me, RPI's Big Red Freakout in 2011 vs. Yale. RPI won 5-2, and Yale was tops in the nation at that point vs. RPI ranked at #10, a lopsided favorite, and outshot RPI through the course of the game. The main reasons why I remember it so vividly and why it was so great is because the atmosphere was nothing short of ELECTRIC in that building the whole game, and during one of the intermissions a contestant won a 1-year lease on a Honda with a really nice shot that went directly in the puck-sized hole.

Just a great event all-around.

EDIT: some video evidence of the game. There are several good highlights from several sources on Youtube, though. I wish this one had sound with it to capture the atmosphere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOVQz8D6syY&feature=related

 

[drshoen]

Re: Best college hockey game you've ever seen

Mine is an old, regular season game between Clarkson and SLU - spring of 1989 (don't remember the date and can't find a boxscore). At Appleton Arena, tie score with 10 seconds to go in the 3rd. Scott Thomas gets the puck, skates down the right side into the zone, stops at the circle, turns and passes cross-ice to Martin D'orsonnes at the point, who one-times a shot past Les Kuntar with 3 seconds to go. I nearly passed out playing Billboard (the "we scored" Pep Band song). After losing to SLU 7-1 at home earlier in the year, it was quite a game.

 

[Husky4Life]

Re: Best college hockey game you've ever seen

2006 F5, Minnesota vs. St. Cloud

So much fun and my old man almost getting into a fight with a gopher fan after he kept yelling "See you at 2:00 Gopher fans dont be late!"

 

[bu3puckster]

Re: Best college hockey game you've ever seen

Northeastern Beating Boston College in OT for their first Beanpot win in 1980

 

[vizoroo]

Re: Best college hockey game you've ever seen

I almost always cheer for conference mates ahead of others. The exceptions being 2002 when I didn't cheer for either team, and 2004 when I didn't cheer for either team.

I read your explanation for 2002. 2004 was the year a seemingly crippled DU team beat #1 UND at the Regionals 1-0 in what INCH writers called one of the best college hockey games EVER. I must assume you hadn't forgiven the Pioneers.

 

[Hopkinja]

Re: Best college hockey game you've ever seen

No question - 1979 ECAC quarterfinal. Cornell versus Providence.

Cornell came back from a 5-1 deficit with 12 minutes left in the third to take the game to OT where they won 6-5. Highlight was Randy Wilson taking a slapshot at the empty net with 40-some seconds left and missing. Steve Hennessey picked up the puck behind the Cornell goal, passed it to Nethery at the blueline. Nethery skates blueline to blueline, takes a slapper as soon as he gets into the zone. The puck hits the PC goalie and rolls over his shoulder into the net.

It's the best game I ever saw...and I only saw the third period. I had a Chem exam that night and only got into the game when they opened the doors for the third period.

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: Best college hockey game you've ever seen

I read your explanation for 2002. 2004 was the year a seemingly crippled DU team beat #1 UND at the Regionals 1-0 in what INCH writers called one of the best college hockey games EVER. I must assume you hadn't forgiven the Pioneers.

It really had nothing to do with Denver. I was happy to see the Pioneers end their title drought. I didn't cheer for either team because I have some close friends who are Maine fans, and I only cheer against Maine when they play the Sioux. That being said, I was not cheering for Maine either. I just enjoyed the game.

BTW, the Sioux-Denver game from the regional that year was probably the best game I ever saw from a pure "great hockey being played" standpoint. Both teams played nearly perfect, and it was a weird deflection from the top of the circles that put Denver up with about 2+ minutes left. North Dakota hit a few posts in that game, including one about 90 seconds into the game (also one after Denver scored), where if that puck had went in, I think the Sioux would have rolled. North Dakota beat Denver by 4+ goals three times that season...probably the best Sioux team that I really followed, as I was in elementary school in '87.