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Huskies catch a break
There is no use easing into it, so I'm just going to go ahead and say it.
The 17-15-5 SCSU men's hockey team, who were eliminated in the first round of the WCHA playoffs and who have won only three of their last 10 games, deserve to be in the NCAA tournament this season.
The Pairwise process, which picks the 16-team field, is a mathematical formula that takes in many factors including strength of schedule (SCSU had second hardest in nation), and as of this year, quality nonconference wins (SCSU had most in WCHA).
Yet many public figures in the hockey world, including Mankato coach Troy Jutting, and of course UMD Coach Scott Sandelin, have questioned the fairness of the election method after SCSU was let in.
In fact, a probable majority of hockey fans eyeing the tournament bracket, especially those residing in Duluth (whose team finished with a 22-15-5 record, defeated SCSU in the first round of the WCHA playoffs and was left out of the tournament), would probably spit on my boots for saying SCSU deserves its spot. However, they haven't been through what the Huskies and their faithful have for the last two-plus seasons.
During the preseason press conference held in early October, out of all the things head coach Craig Dahl noted his team needed to do, one really stuck out. It wasn't concerning a player, strategy or work ethic. Instead, he said his team will need to catch a break come playoff time.
It may have sounded like a desperate plea to those who have no recollection of the Huskies' past playoff history. But those who have been there with SCSU during their playoff faults of the last couple years know all too well that their team has been the ultimate annual recipient of 'the shaft.'
Don't get me wrong, things have been going extremely well for SCSU in the last five years, proof of which being that they are one of only three teams in the nation that have been in the NCAA tournament for the last four years now (along with Maine and Michigan). But things could have been better. Their tournament record is still 0-4. Ann Arbor, Mich., is a city that still haunts SCSU in their sleep.
In 2001, when the Huskies won the WCHA championship, they found themselves in a first round matchup with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Keep in mind tournament games are supposed to be played on neutral ice. On top of that, their best offensive defenseman Duvie Westcott broke his arm in the second period. The Huskies didn't have enough juice to make it past both of those obstacles as they fell 4-3.
Last season when the Huskies spent much of the season with a No. 1 national ranking, they found themselves in a familiar circumstance when they again drew a first round matchup with the Wolverines in, you guessed it, Ann Arbor.
This time the Huskies ran into a barrage of problems that ranged from Hobey Baker candidate Mark Hartigan making a rare mistake of mishandling a puck on a break away, to Blizzard the mascot getting into a brawl with Michigan players after they supposedly tried to trip a cheerleader. Still, the most crucial and memorable of which would make a great mystery novel called "The Case of the Phantom Toe." Ryan Malone's game-tying goal was called off by an off-ice official after reviewing the play. He said that Peter Szabo had a toe in the crease. A toe the Huskies still swear didn't exist, but even if it did, a toe doesn't make or break a goal. Michigan won 4-2.
Unfortunately for SCSU, the streak of postseason bad breaks was carried on to this season in the form of an injury bug. They lead the WCHA with an amazing 97-man games lost.
Yes, the Huskies deserve being in the playoffs this season and shouldn't feel any guilt or remorse for UMD. 'The shaft' has clouded both of these senses. People call SCSU's playoff berth 'unfair.' Nobody knows the postseason definition of that word better than the Huskies.
Around the Rink
-Dahl on his team finally catching a break and getting into the tournament: "The criteria are the criteria. The fact is that we had the second hardest schedule in the country and we had some big wins over some big teams. All and all 'did we deserve to be there?' Yes, according to the criteria. We caught a break, but we haven't played a game yet. I think we're still due for a break. Whether we get it or not remains to be seen."
-Jeff Finger will play for the first time since Feb. 1 when he tore and strained ligaments in his knee. He will complete the full starting lineup, which will be together for only the fourth time all season.
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