Thoughts on the B-Pot

Three periods, three completely different styles from the BC Men's Boys, and one pre-planned date with BU in the Beanpot championship. Let's take a quick look on this Tuesday morning.

Period 1:
How flat did this team look? A complete collapse at the forecheck and spotty passing left Cory a lot more vulnerable that he should have been between the pipes. Schneids never had a chance on the 2 man breakaway of the Crimson, and the fact that a low far side shot that trickled in through the five hole is the only goal the Harvard got all period was a miracle. There was a significant lack of energy until about 5 minutes left in the first; part of this may have been due to the two early penalty kills but I think you can contribute part of it to the daydreaming about the BU Final.

Aside: The hockey team is going up against the biggest hype in the world next week and was pressure into having to perform to make "Heights Week" a two-sport affair. The Thursday/Friday matchups with Maine would have been days off from Conte if the best the Puckers could do was a consolation game. Now there is even more pressure to start off the week on a blazing note by stealing the Beanpot for the first time since '04.

Period 2: A little bit more progress. Decent passing but the moral of this period of was the special teams, pinpointed by Gerbe's Shortie/Game Winner. You could start the see the aggressiveness of York's squad as they faced Penalty after Penalty, and they knew they would have to catch the Crimson napping. Gerbe - someone called the best skater and hands guy since Tony Voce by members of this coaching staff - had to be the guy.

For the record, the first two goals were from the stellar Sophomore class (the empty netter was just a formality), showing how important it is for these younger players to play well. Boyle will produce, Rooney will produce, but, if this team wants to beat BU next week, Ferriero, Gerbe et al will need to show up.

Period 3: Domination. Fantastic passing, great goaltending, three or four fast breaks. The only thing that really bugged me is that they didn't put the Crimson away until 19:30 of the 3rd with the empty net.

So, you carry the weight of a week on your shoulders, now. Play the way you did toward the middle and the end of the game, and we can hopefully add a Beanpot Trophy to a pair of upsets in the Conte Coffin.