NCRHA Nationals, Day Four

[RichardGraham]

Hi Folks,

Buffalo just defeated UNLV 4-2 at the Tour Inline Hockey Arena in a sloppy game. Buffalo scored the insurance goal into an empty net with 18 seconds left in the game.

Next up, Lindenwood vs. Ohio State University.

[RichardGraham]

Lindenwood takes an early interference penalty vs. Ohio State, but they control the puck initially. Now the Buckeyes set up their power play.... an aggressive penalty kill gets Lindenwood the puck... Ohio State gets a clear shot and the puck clanks off of the crossbar... long shot and rebound, cleared, 11 seconds left on power play... Lindewood gets control.. full strength.

Lindenwood is carrying the play and creates a power play chance... their first of the game, with 6:55 to go in the first. And they score quickly, 13 seconds in. 1-0 Lindenwood. Delayed penalty on Ohio State... gotta stay out of the box against these guys, boys. Takes 27 seconds this time, Lindenwood, you're slowing down. 2-0.

A few seconds later, 3-0.

Timeout, Ohio State.

I go upstairs to grab a Coke and it's 5-0. Game over but for the shouting, I'd imagine.

Ohio State on the power play -- they get a shot.

Lindenwood steals puck, gives it back, steals it again, roughing penalty on Ohio State. Three-on-three play. Ohio State gets third shot of the game, sends puck through the crease, no one there, time expires. 5-0, Lindenwood.

[RichardGraham]

Second period. 16-3 Lindenwood shot advantage. The can of Coke I got had obviously been frozen. I'll go up and get another drink. I predict two more Lindenwood goals by the time I return... Nostradamus, I ain't. Penalty on Lindenwood, Ohio State sets up power play... they get two shots, Lindenwood gets breakaway, Buckeyes' goalie makes nice save. Shots favor Lindenwood 23-6.

Another penalty on Lindenwood.... they kill it, then score an even-strength goal. 6-0. While Lindenwood coach Ron Beilsten ponders his options on the bench, the players on the floor make it 7-0, and that's how the period ends.

[RichardGraham]

Third period. David Hollingshead of pulls an "Itan" spin move, doesn't score, Lindenwood's John McGuinness and Mark Ell, take exception, rough him up, and take roughing penalties. And Ohio State scores! 7-1, Lindenwood leads. Five-minute major to Lindenwood's Tommy Bruce, then a minor to Ohio State. Lindenwood scores. 8-1. Shots favor Lindenwood, 33-10. 3:48 remains in the third. Ohio State power play, no shots.

[Note: Remember that the NCRHA site you want ends in .org. If you go .com, you get the North Central Reining Horse Association.]

2.5 seconds to go, Lindenwood takes one last (?) penalty. Puck drops, game ends. 8-1 Lindenwood.

[RichardGraham]

Ohio State's players suggested the move David Hollingshead made, which I called the "Itan" in my last post, be called the "Head," because:

"Hollingshead made it, and it hit the goalie in the head."

[RichardGraham]

OK, the next game is Divsion II, Lafayette vs. Maine, but I'm not going to do a blow-by-blow description -- there are some articles I'd like to finish up. If anyone else would like to throw some "live" coverage of this game into this thread, go for it!

[showtime89]

I'm listening to Maine/Lousiana-Lafyette game and wondered how the Divisions are broken down. Obviously it doesn't follow NCAA Division breakdowns as Maine is playing in D2. In '99, the last year I played it was Division I(4 year schools) and Division III(2 year schools).

So what's the dividing line for schools?

[RichardGraham]

Hi Folks,

Here are some of the scores from today's games:

7:00AM 1 Colorado Springs, CO DIII
Red Rocks CC - 6 St. Louis CC - Meramec - 6 Box Score

7:00AM 2 Monument, CO DIII
Oakland CC - 4 Nassau - 4 Box Score

8:00AM 1 Colorado Springs, CO DI
Buffalo - 4 UNLV - 2 Box Score

8:00AM 2 Monument, CO DI
Michigan State - 7 Florida International - 3 Box Score

9:00AM 1 Colorado Springs, CO DI
Lindenwood - 8 Ohio State - 1 Box Score

9:00AM 2 Monument, CO DI
UM - St. Louis - 7 Long Beach State - 5 Box Score

10:00AM 1 Colorado Springs, CO DII
Louisiana - Lafayette - 6 Maine - 12 Box Score

10:00AM 2 Monument, CO DII
West Chester - 3 Missouri State - 2 Box Score

11:00AM 1 Colorado Springs, CO DII
Neumann - 5 Elon - 2 Box Score

11:00AM 2 Monument, CO DII
Cal Poly Pomona - 7 Shippensburg - 2 Box Score

12:15PM 1 Colorado Springs, CO DII
Truman State - 8 Western Carolina - 0 Box Score

12:15PM 2 Monument, CO DII
UC San Diego - 6 Albany - 4 Box Score

1:15PM 1 Colorado Springs, CO DII
Grand Valley State - 5 CSU San Bernardino - 8 Radio | LIVE Box Score

[showtime89]

Rich, what percentage of teams would you say have coaches at the tournament?

[RichardGraham]

Hi Ron,

Good question. I haven't really been watching the benches that much, but I'd guess 80 to 90 percent have coaches. Considering my prophecy skills, I wouldn't put too much stock in my powers of observation, either. ;)

[showtime89]

I could probably count on one hand how many there were in '99. The only one I remember off the top of my head was Tremblay with Michigan State. Had Lunch with him and his wife between games. Cool Guy.

[RichardGraham]

Hey Ron,

Yes, I remember meeting Mr. Tremblay. He was an excellent coach, and I think he inspired some college players to become coaches.

That reminds me... I have to get working on a short piece about the coaches symposium that the NCRHA held at the Marriott a couple of days ago. At least, I think it was a couple of days ago, after about the 100th game, I begin to lose track of what day it is. ;)

[RichardGraham]

OK, Folks,

Here we go with an elimination game between Central Florida and Michigan State.

MSU draws first blood with 3:05 into the game. #16 (not listed on NCRHA roster) scores the goal.

A Central Florida hits the post, keeping them off the scoreboard. A couple minutes later, on the power play, they hit another post, and then MSU's goalie #92 (Caliguri, Michael Caliguri is listed as #30 on NCRHA's site) makes a nice glove save to keep CF at goose eggs.

A series of beautiful passes between Gianfranco Richter and Jeffrey Stamborski break the shutout with 4:00 left in the first, exactly. It's been an exciting, fast-paced game so far. 1-1 after one.

[RichardGraham]

MSU strikes quickly in the second, going up 2-1 on a power play goal by Evan Pomish. Shots favor MSU 15-9.

[Received a cell phone update from John Pellegrino of Ace Sports -- Buffalo is up 2-1 over UCI in their game at the Colorado Sports Center.]

MSU pots another with 8:56 to go in the second, going up 3-1.

With 4:59 to go, Central Florida scores to make it a 3-2 game.

Wow. Penalty shot awarded to MSU. I'm not really clear as to why. Save made! The score stays 3-2, in favor of MSU.

Interference call on MSU's Jim Goodliffe is followed by a penalty to Justin Sheridan, and Central Florida takes advantage, scoring to notch the game at 3-3.

[Colorado Sports Center update: UCI is leading 4-2 over Buffalo, with about five minutes left in the game.]

On the Sheridan penalty, CF scores again, taking its first lead of the game, 4-3, with 56.9 seconds left in the second... and that's the score as the period ends. The winner of this game will play the winner of the UMSL/Florida game that is up next here at the Tour Inline Hockey Arena.

[RichardGraham]

The third period starts off fast and furious, with a scrum in front of the Central Florida net just 31 seconds in... but there's no goal on the play.

MSU gets a point blank shot, but it's saved by Kenny Heim, CF's 6'6" goaltender.

Central Florida comes down the rink on the next rush and gets a goal from Jeff Cohen, the team's assistant captain; it's now 5-3 in favor of CF.

A roughing penalty on Rick Garcia gives MSU its first power play in a while. With 8:34 left in the game, it would be an appropriate time for the Spartans to get a goal... but Knights kill the penalty. Two great saves by MSU's goalie Joe Wurst leads to a Spartans' goal at the other end of the rink -- it's 5-4 now, with 5:11 to go. Shots favor MSU, 30-22.

Second penalty shot of the game awarded to MSU... that's the first time I ever remember seeing two penalty shots in a game. Jim Goodliffe takes it, and for the second time in the game, Kenny Heim makes the save. Wow! That's a nice stat to have.

2:32 remains... back and forth, getting a bit sloppy, bad passes, giveaways -- nerves? You betcha.

Scramble in front of CF net with 1:47 to go, faceoff to the left of Heim... timeout, Michigan State. Lots of blocked shots and loose pucks in the CF end, but no goals. CF clears the puck, Jeff Cohen rags the puck till there's only 1.7 seconds left in the game, gets a holding (?) penalty call, but it's moot. Central Florida wins, 5-4.

[Update from CSC: UCI leads Buffalo 10-3.]

[RichardGraham]

OK, Folks,

I took a little break, and here's the situation: UMSL is playing Florida, and the Gators scored on only its second shot to take the lead with 5:21 remaining in the first period. UMSL has the shot advantage, 10-2, but Florida has the 1-0 lead.

With 2:02 remaining in the period, however, the Tritons tie it up. I didn't catch the number or name of the scorer.

With 15 seconds left UMSL hits the post... and with 6.5 seconds to go, Florida takes a slashing penalty. Florida clears the zone and the buzzer sounds. At the end of one, it's 1-1.

[RichardGraham]

The second period starts where it left off, with a Tritons' power play:

PJ Tallo with the puck... to Adam Clarke, to Jason Holzum at edge of net, to Blake Propp, to Adam Clarke, to Tallo, to Propp, shot goes wide, to Clarke, shot, cleared... to Tallo shot/pass blocked to the rafters and out of play... Faceoff to left of net, Propp to Clarke, who shoots, rebound cleared, power play over...

7:59, (??) scores to give UMSL its first lead of the game, 2-1. UMSL has a large shot advantage, 19-2.

Clarke comes down, fires a backhander, scores, crashes back-first into the end boards. Ouch. Assist by Doug Purk, 3-1 UMSL.

High-sticking minor to Kevin Young of Florida... Gators goalie is down. Speared? Took a shot to the groin? Whichever = ouch. Tallo with puck to Propp to Clarke to Tallo... Clarke comes up with puck out of scrum against the boards -- action so close to the boards you can smell it... and that's not always a good thing... Clarke one-timer power-play goal; 4-1, Tritons. Shots favor UMSL 24-4. 5:18 to go in second.

Ben Lambert of UMSL catches my eye on one shift -- he just skates and skates and skates, always keeping moving. I mention it to his father, Jim, who is watching nearby, and he says, "He has to; he doesn't have the skills of some of the guys on the team. But he works hard, and he's great in the locker room. He's a real leader."

Gators get one back with 4:27 left in the period, goal by Ryan Hagaman; 4-2 Gators' lead.

1:32 to go in second, interference penalty on UMSL, Gators make 'em pay, and the score tightens up: 4-3. And that's how the second period ends.

[RichardGraham]

Third period: Gators with the puck, shot, penalty on 18 Jeremy Scott for hooking. Shot, rebound, Gators set up. Ryan Hagaman to Zachary Summers to Jesse Meyer - goal. Nice passing! 4-4 tie. Brand-new game, folks, with les than 10 minutes left in the game. UMSL outshooting Florida 26-10; Florida shooting at a 40% success rate.

Tight game... this one may go to overtime, may be a one-goal win in regulation... or one of these two teams might open things up. My guess is that it would be UMSL if that happened... but you know my track record with guesses...

The action slows considerably with 6:33 left in the game as Meade hangs on to the puck behind his own UMSL net... UMSL shot and save, 6:00 to go.

Now that Ron Sardina has asked, I'm watching for coaches, and Florida doesn't have one..

Hagaman fires one off the crossbar and into the netting for Florida with 4:43 left... Nice glove save by Bernardo Jaccoud, the Gators' goalie, to rob Eric Thompson of UMSL.

"Let's go UMSL!" is the new chant, and it's loud... 2:20 left in regulation.. Tallo with puck, shot, rebound, scramble, shot by Meade... goal! It's 5-4, UMSL, with 2:04 remaining... Timeout, Florida. Shots, 33 UMSL, 12, Florida.

Tallo races toward the net, tripped up by Richard Wareiczuk of the Gators; Florida's goalie leaps over Tallo as he slides into the net. Interference on Wareiczuk is the call... then an interference call on Clarke for interference follows soon after, 3-on-3 action on the floor.. empty net goal for UMSL's Blake Propp as Florida had pulled its goalie... Jim Lambert goes crazy, jumping up and down in joy....

20.9 seconds left; Florida down 6-4... I'd have to say this one's over... penalty on Propp, Gators' shot deflected away and over the boards... 8.9 seconds left... game over... UMSL wins, 6-4, and will play Central Florida in the semifinal.

If you want good hockey action, this NCRHA Division 1 elimination-round play has been all you could want. Kudos to all the hard work from the NCRHA staff, from Rob Coggin all the way down, and from Bill Mulhern, CJ Yoder and Brian Yingling to the newest Tour Inline Hockey Central employee... all of whom have been extremely helpful and friendly the entire tournament.

[BLIZARD_HOCKEY]

Why does the bracket not show the Central Flordia vs. UM - St. Louis. Souldn't that winner play the winner of Lindenwood vs. UCI for the National Championship?