Re: NCAA Semifinal: Plattsburgh vs. Norwich
Yesterday was all about risk and reward. The risk of a six plus hour drive from Maine wondering what would happen if the boys went down against Platty only to face the same drive back today. Ugh. The reward? The results of both games and the prospects of meeting SNC on Saturday. It all paid off.
I saw both games. I watched the OSU/SNU game as long as I could without taking sides but found myself favoring a scrappy SNC team. To be honest besides loving SNC's fight I admitted to my self I didn't want to see NU have to deal with Oswego. I was not disappointed, e.g. from the get go I thought that given their reputation Oswego, didn't have the focus and determination to match their reputation. Their passing didn't seem to be as crisp as I would have expected and when passes did connected they were often too short, to long, to soft, etc. It also seem that when he was on the ice, much was being asked of Oswego's star, Neil Musslewhite (who did score a goal) with plans to feed him the puck and let him do the heavy lifting. Wow, Neil is all he cracked up to be, e.g. "skilled lightning" but he could only do so much. Again, what a great hockey player.
Clearly SNC's aggressive forechecking caught Oswego by surprise and the just never got into a rhythm that allowed them to play as consistently as their record would indicate. SNC seemed to be smaller, very aggressive and given any break would exploit it. Nor was I as impressed with their playmaking and passing skills as I am with the Cadets but these Knights seized all the opportunities and took four of them to the bank. SNC came here with a clear plan, played it and it payed off. I try not to criticize other clubs but somehow I sensed that Oswego after coming off such a dramatic and dominant win over Bowdoin (that included four Musslewhite goals)--may have arrived in Lake Placid assuming that they would only have to go through to motions of two more games like Bowdoin before heading back to Oswego with a trophy. That maybe unfair of me but it is just a feeling in my gut. Closer to reality, about an hour after the game I happen to catch a glimpse through a window in the arena and watched a very dejected Oswego team load their gear into the bus for a long ride home. Sad--but we also should not forget that this is an Oswego team loaded with a dozen Freshmen just like NU so we will see this 26-3 crowd again and again.
The Plattsburg/Norwich game? Well it well a typical Plattsburg/Norwich scrap. Shots on goals were not posted on the score board so I was surprised later to see that the SOG in the 1st period were as even as they were. Actually, I thought NU had won that stat by a wide margin. The second period I would have called a toss up, e.g. Plattsburg owned the first half of the period but NU took control in the second half. Hands down Pier Oliver Cotnoir's zinger into the Plattsburg net late in the second was an absolute thing of beauty and once again Klinger really showcased why he is an All-American goalie. He has been amazing down the stretch. The third period was a blur of back and fourth until the final buzzer. Great game for both clubs. Both have a lot to be proud of teams, fans, etc.
Next up, SNC. And we can finally say it, "Okay Cadets you can now focus on the final game in the NCAA Division III playoffs." Just keep playing your game. Good luck.
