From: paulm@meaddata.com (Paul Marchant)
Subject: Re: Wisconsin got screwed!!!
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 12:40:49 GMT

In article <1992Apr6.021226.1739@noao.edu>, alex@noao.edu (Alex Macdonald) writes:
|> In article <1992Apr5.135727.15427@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> ab870@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Eric Rickin) writes:
|> >
|> > [stuff deleted]
|> 
|>   I'd be interested in comments from people who saw this game. My
|> heart was in Albany with the Badgers but I was working and could
|> not view the game. I was hoping to make Brian F. eat his words
|> (with ketchup & mustard no less)- Derksen would NEVER give up
|> six goals. LSS is a quality team there is no doubt, quotes from the
|> Wisconsin players confirm this, but the feeling in Badgerland is
|> that the game was taken away from the players by officials
|> who still do not understand their role in hockey. Doug Macdonald,
|> a playr noted for his finesse and by his own admittance "not a
|> banger" recieved a 10 minute misconduct. I find this REALLY
|> extraordinary. He has never, to my knowledge, in his career at
|> Wisconsin taken a misconduct. The Badgers were also required to
|> kill 5, count em', 5!  5 on 3 power plays. I have seen some
|> pretty rough games, most notably when North Dakota comes to
|> town, but this seems excessive. Finally, the Badgers were underdogs
|> in this one, they were really not expected to do much and ending
|> up in the championship was a bonus. I know it doesn't always turn
|> out that the best team wins, that is part of sport (I saw a
|> wonderful soccer match between Liverpool and Genova of Italy
|> today on the Spanish channel "Telemundo" in which Liverpool
|> dominated with an amazing display of skills and offensive
|> potency but ended up losing 2-1.) But did the best team really
|> win this one??? 
|> 
|> Remember: Zent, Plante, Moore, Rafalski and Francisco will be back
|> next year. But will we have a goaltender to replace the MVP of the
|> WCHA?
|> 
|> Alex. "Stranger in a strange land..."              alex@khaki.kpno.noao.edu

I watched the game on ESPN and I watched it again, yesterday, off
tape. There is no doubt that the officiating was bad. Total of 24
penalties called. 10 to LSSU and 14 to Wisconsin, with one of theirs
being the 10 minute misconduct to MacDonald.

As far as Wisconsin getting screwed or if the best team won, well, I'd
disagree that they got screwed and I think the best team won.

Wisconsin was 2 for 8 on the power play. Lake Superior was 2 for 9.
I only counted four(only?) 5 on 3 situations for LSSU. They scored on
1 of those 4. Wisconsin had one 5 on 3 in the first peroid. LSSU had 2
in the first and two in the second. 

10 of Wisconsin's penalties were called by about midpoint of the game,
and the score was still 2-0. The second LSSU goal, with 6 seconds left
in the second was an even strength goal. It resulted from some poor
play by Wisconsin in their own zone. They could not get the puck out
of their zone. LSSU won the face off and number 7 for Wisconsin(sorry
I don't know his name) ended up tipping in the shot from the point.
You could see Derkesen(sp?) was upset becasue he had a line on the
puck and would have made the save.

In the third peroid, there were 4 penalties assessed to each team.
LSSU scored first on the power play, but Wisconsin tied it back up
on their power play.

The game winning goal was an even strength goal.

The killer for Wisconsin was the penalty that was called with 3
minutes left in the game. I do not know the guys name, but he was
called for elbowing. This will be hottly discussed, but he's my take.
3 minutes left, down by one, why call the penalty. Well, the Wisconsin
guy left his feet, ala the same play made by Mats Naslund in the
Olympics. He did not do the damage that resulted from Mats' hit, but
the point being that he was probably called for leaving his feet. He
had a good run at the LSSU player before launching in the air.

That left Wisconsin 1 minute to tie it. They wasted about 20-30
seconds trying to control the puck so that they could pull Derkesen.
They could not control the situation in the LSSU zone, although they
did get off some good shots. LSSU sealed it with an empty netter with
2 seconds to play.

The penalty with 3 minutes left did not help Wisconsin. But to imply
that it was the deciding point of the game, I'd argue against that.
Wisconin had their chances. They had 8 power plays. Only clicked on 2.
They got very emotional in the 3rd and lost their cool a couple of
times. LSSU outshot the Badgers 19-5 in the second. I believe they
outshot them in the 3rd as well, but do not have the stats.

My take is that they paniced when put under the gun. LSSU did not
appear to panic even when down 2-0. I know the Wisconsin team and
their fans were frustrated, but they did take a few stupid penalties.

Before the flames start, IMHO, the best team won. After the game they
interviewed Jeff Jackson, LSSU coach. When asked what was the
difference between this team and the team they fielded last year
(which was favored to make it to the championship). He replied that it
was emotional control. He said they got knocked off last year because
they lost control of their emotions. This year they didn't and it paid
off. It was evident that they controlled their emotions during the
game, while Wisconsin wore it on their sleeve. Perhaps a lesson to be
learned there.

I also don't think that the antics of the Wisconin players after the
game was/is indicative of them. If you didn't see, they were all over
the officials after the empty net goal. Jason Zent, who played
outstanding all night(scored all 3 Wisconsin goals) sucker punched
some LSSU player with both benches cleared. Another fight almost
erupted. Not a very classy way to lose, but again, I don't think it
was a reflection of the team, just venting some frustration.

Take heart Wisconsin fans, they'll be back. You've got a solid team
returning.

Flame retardent suit on. :-)

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