Bottom Ten Tourney - Regionals

[Bob Gray]

Today's games come from the Brown and Minnesota-Duluth regionals, with the Bemidji State and Bentley regionals kicking in tomorrow. The early games today are #2 Brown vs #7 Notre Dame and #2 Minnesota-Duluth vs. #7 Niagara. Later on #3 Holy Cross faces #6 Michigan Tech and #3 Lake Superior State faces #6 Fairfield.

The two early games will be getting started in just a few minutes. Bottom Ten reporters on the scene will be providing updates from both regionals as events develop.

[Bob Gray]

Here a few facts about the teams that are facing off as we speak:

Brown (2-16-4, 4-21-4) - Finished at #2 in the final regular season poll. Repeated as ECAC champs this year. Regional host. Scored the fewest goals in Division One hockey this year.

Notre Dame (7-15-6, 10-22-7) - Finished second in the CCHA, after having led for much of the season. Finished as an honorable mention in the final regular season poll. Allowed the second most goals in Division One this year.

Minnesota-Duluth (3-22-3, 7-28-4) - Won WCHA crown and finished at #4 in the final regular season poll. Gave up 16 more goals than the next closest Division One team. Played relatively well out of conference, 4-6-1.

Niagara (10-7-3, 14-19-5) - Barely squeaked into the tournament on the strength of their late season performances. First team with a winning conference record to make the Bottom Ten tournament. Not found in the final regular season poll.

[Bob Gray]

Brown Regional - Notre Dame 1, Brown 0
The first period is winding down and Notre Dame has a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal by Globke, a freshman right winger for the Fighting Irish.

Minnesota-Duluth Regional - Niagara 2, Minnesota-Duluth 1
There's been a lot of action in this one and Niagara would be ahead by more if not for a couple of big saves by Anderson. Welch and Bumbaco have tallied for Niagara and Francisco has responded for UMD.

[Bob Gray]

Brown Regional - We're now well into the third period and Brown and Notre Dame are still tied at one. It's been a pretty even game so far and it looks like the next goal will probably be the deciding factor.

Minnesota-Duluth - Niagara is now up by a 4-1 score late in the third period. Clayton scored the most recent goal for Niagara. It looks like the Bulldogs will advance to the regional championship.

[Bob Gray]

Brown Regional - We have our first upset of the tournament. Brown took the lead at 15:43 of third period on a shot from the slot by Petrig. Notre Dame had several chances late, but were unable to convert. Brown wins the game 2-1. Notre Dame advances to the regional final.

Minnesota-Duluth Regional - Niagara wins this one 4-1 and it really wasn't very close. The Bulldogs advance to the regional final.

Up Next:

#3 Holy Cross vs #6 Michigan Tech

and

#3 Lake Superior State vs #6 Fairfield

[Bob Gray]

Brown Regional: Michigan Tech leads Holy Cross 2-1 in the second period. Cabana and Durno have scored for Tech and Doria has responded for the Crusaders.

Minnesota-Duluth Regional: Tied up here between LSSU and Fairfield 2-2. Dubravin and Micek for LSSU and Metz and Greeley for Fairfield.

[Bob Gray]

Brown Regional: End of two. Michigan Tech leads 3-2 as the teams traded goals late in the second period. Dems for Holy Cross and Werner for Michigan Tech.

Minnesota-Duluth: It's been a wild one here, with Fairfield up 5-4 after two periods. Neither team is showing much defensively. Nightingale and Davis have scored for LSSU and Metz (his second), Cotter, and Calderara for Fairfield.

[Bob Gray]

Brown Regional: Michigan Tech defeats Holy Cross 5-3. Holy Cross faces Notre Dame in the regional final.

Minnesota-Duluth Regional: Fairfield defeats Lake Superior State 6-4. Lake Superior State advances to face Minnesota-Duluth in the regional final.

[Jon]

I'm so disappointed in Brown... they must have thought they were playing against PC or something...

[Bob Gray]

Brown Regional - Brown has tied it up 1-1 with a goal by Zielinski midway through the second period. It's a tight game that could go either way. Brown doesn't seem to be playing up to expectations.

Minnesota-Duluth Regional - Niagara has extended its lead to 3-1 as it continues to pepper Anderson. The Bulldogs aren't generating a lot of chances.

[Bob Gray]

Bentley Regional - In the late game here it was never much of a contest as Bentley easily advances to the regional final with a 5-0 loss to Union.

Bemidji State - A closer game here, with the defending tourney champs, Army, putting a real scare into the #1 West seed, Bemidji State. In the end though the Beavers advance, compliments of a 3-2 loss the the Cadets.

We're now set for the regional finals, with the winner of the four regionals advancing to the Futile Four in Schenectady. Here are tomorrow's matchups:

Brown Regional - Notre Dame vs. Holy Cross
Bentley Regional - Bentley vs. Alaska-Fairbanks
Bemidji State Regional - Bemidji State vs. Alaska-Anchorage
Minnesota Duluth Regional - Minnesota-Duluth vs. Lake Superior State

[Douglas]

Let's see... I'm not surprised Niagara couldn't cut it, their hearts weren't really in it, even with their early season woes and their late season slide. The potential was there and that is what knocked them out of this tourney.

Brown was truly an upset, had them pegged to make it to the futile four.

As for Bemidji, their late season slide in the rankings will most likely continue into the tourney. I see Army advancing in the tourney.

I would have thought Fairfield would have given a better performance, this appears to be a tourney of early upsets.

Holy Cross played their game and in so doing advanced to the next round.

Go Nooks!

[nanookfan]

Originally posted by Bob Gray:
Here are tomorrow's matchups:
Bentley Regional - Bentley vs. Alaska-Fairbanks

Here we go again. Are we going to have another alleged net cutting incident this year? For those who don't remember, last year, the Bentley folks were angry at an alleged hole cut in the side of the Nanooks goal, allowing Bentley to score the go-ahead goal and thus be eliminated from the Futile Four. However, the Bentley fans were never able to prove these allegations (little does anyone know I threw the scissors in the Yukon River! )

Course if a Bentley fan ever did it, they could throw the scissors in the Charles River...trust me, they'd NEVER be seen again!!!

One other note...wouldn't it be neat if the UAA and UAF met again in the Futile Four??? If that happened in the championship of the Futile Four, we'd be raising the banner in Fairbanks...after all, UAF has beaten Michigan, gave MSU a great game, but can't beat the Seapuppies to save their life.

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Let's Go 'Nooks!

[This message has been edited by nanookfan (edited April 04, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by nanookfan (edited April 04, 2001).]

[Bob Gray]

Bemidji State Regional - In the early game of this regional American International defeated Alaska-Anchorage 4-3 in a very close game. The Seawolves led in shots 33-24, but Alex Walsh's late power play goal gave the win to the Yellowjackets. The Seawolves advance to the regional final to face the loser of the Bemidji State - Army matchup.

Bentley Regional - In what might be considered a small upset, Hockey East champ Mass-Amherst defeats Alaska-Fairbanks by a score of 3-1. The Nanooks took an early lead on a goal by Jim Lawrence early in the second period. However, the Minutemen dominated the third period, scoring three times. The Nanooks advance to the region final where they will face the loser of the Bentley - Union game.

[Wardy]

I can't wait for the Bottom 10 Tournament participant banner to be raised to the Mullins Center rafters in October.

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Go UMass!
NJ Devils: 1995 & 2000 Stanley Cup Champions

[Ralph Baer]

Union's win is certainly going to cut down attendence for the Futile Four, not even any ECAC representative. Union can't do anything right -- an old story.

[nanookfan]

Any updates on the regional scores yet? I'm looking forward to that Bentley vs. UAF game.

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Let's Go 'Nooks!