Running Into A Brick Wall

Last year I picked eleven of the twelve regional NCAA hockey playoff games correctly, and thirteen of fifteen overall including the Frozen Four. This year my prognastications have been a miserable failure. In the twelve regional regional contests I went 7-5, and only correctly picked one of the teams going to the Frozen Four, the Maine Black Bears.

My competition didn't fare much better, but nevertheless, I am forced to concede victory to him. He went 8-4 in the regionals and nailed two of the Frozen Four, Maine and Boston College. Since I had Maine losing in the national semifinals I can't pick up any more wins. The game that made the difference between us was the Michigan-BC contest that went to OT before BC pulled it out 3-2. Had Michigan won, I would have a one game lead, and two teams left. Such is life.

The one factor that I didn't give enough weight to in my soothsaying was goaltending. In a single game elimination tournament, the keeper is the X factor. I knew that Maine had a good un' and that Al Montoya of Michigan was solid between the pipes, which lead me to pick both teams to reach the Frozen Four. However, I overlooked Adam Berkhoel of Denver and Isaac Reichmuth of UMD. When I attended the WCHA Final Five, Reichmuth looked average at best in a 7-4 loss to the Gophers. But on Sunday he was the difference in the Bulldogs 3-1 win. Kellen Briggs did not play poorly for the Gophers, but he didn't make the key saves that Reichmuth did.

Despite the fact that they knocked out my beloved rodents, I'm going to be pulling for UMD to win their first ever national championship at the Frozen Four in Boston in a week and a half. And no sooner do the doors to one competition close, than another opens up. Jonathan at MangledCat.com, recently seen snowboarding with John Kerry, wishes to wager on the outcome of the UMD-DU national semifinal. I wasn't aware that there were any real hockey fans out in Colorado other than the bandwagon jumpers who cheer for the Avalanche, but I certainly won't hesitate to take up the challenge.

The prize? Loser buys the winner a copy of Hugh Hewitt's forthcoming, sure to be best selling, fair and balanced book on politics, If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat : Crushing the Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It.

I've already read the manuscript of course. Hugh sent me a copy to proofread and provide feedback. I don't want to break any confidences here, but let's just say that my favorite red pen got quite a workout. Repeat after me Hugh, I before E except after C. So simple and yet apparently so easy to forget.