Did Denver deserve it??????

[verb1999]

Honestly...why would UMD take out the U of M if they were just gonna lose the next game? Those idiots. No offense Lee or you Duluth folk, but I find it rather pointless and embarrassing. I'll hate UMD now, for that...even though they're from Minne.<br><br>And Denver...good job. Your goalie rocks...and awesome job keeping Maine from yet another title. They're like the Buffalo Bills. <p></p><i></i>

[Bigtimeguy]

<!--EZCODE UNDERLINE START--><span style="text-decoration:underline"><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>ADAM BERKHOEL</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--></span><!--EZCODE UNDERLINE END--> played great tonight!<br>Great job Adam!!<br>His cousin, Charlie Doth plays alot like him. Doth is a goalie too. Doth is in the selects 17, Final 51. Next weekend is the final 51 play in Plymouth , Minnesota. GO DOTH !! <p></p><i></i>

[Ppgoal]

By far one of the worst college hockey games I have ever seen. The last minute was exciting, but it was too little, too late. Congrats to Denver, but I was hoping a more exciting game. <p></p><i></i>

[petey1321]

They've got to do something about that rule where they call off goals for toes in the crease. After that debacle of a season (the one where Dallas beat Buffalo in the finals), the NHL changed the rule so that the goal would stand unless the guy was interfering with the play, because calling off goals for somebody's toe is asinine. It's too bad that happened, though it's not like Maine didn't have plenty of chances to get that goal back. I just think it's a bad deal when somebody who didn't have anything to do with the play whatsoever having his toe in the crease so drastically affects such a huge game.<br><br>Other than that, I thought it was a good, hard-fought defensive game. Some great saves by Berkhoel and some definite Minnesota pride on that ice. Freshman Mike Lundin on the power play with the national title on the line...that's pretty cool. <p></p><i></i>

[LSandA]

Denver Pioneers...National Champions!<br><br>It is one thing to win games..It is another thing to win when the chips are on the line.<br><br>Whoever questions D.U., they were home watching it on ESPN. Talk is cheap. How tough is it to win a N.C.A.A. hockey championship? Few players ever know. <br><br>Congratulations to the Denver Pioneers. <p></p><i></i>

[Dafreak0]

You could take away the rule player in the crease and only have a goal called back if the player interfered with the goalie for the goal to go in. But then it will be judgment by the ref and that would always be creating a lot of constreversy and they would just be going back to the old rule with player in the crease. <p></p><i></i>

[Dons]

must we start a thread on IF a team won a prestigous tournament was deserving?... im a little upset that the susies beat them 6-1, and the pioneers end up being the national champs, but to debate if they deserved it is stupid..... they won the national tournament,....YES they deserved it.<br><br>atleast we kept her in WCHA <p></p><i></i>

[4checker]

All good points on the game. <br>Glad to hear some others felt the way I did. There is a fine line between excellent D and clutch-and-grab. May have been the dullest playoff game in history, at least until the 6 on 3 at the end. 2 great goalies, for sure. Looked like the Sioux or Gophs would have buried either team with offense, but that may just be jealousy talking. Thanks for keeping it in the WCHA, Pioneers. The Buffalo Bills reference actually came to me during the game as well. (As we subconciously block out our Viking nightmares.) Had no idea Lundin was such a big part of the Maine attack, good for him. Adding his brother next year too, aren't they? The hockey Gods were wrong on him needing Jrs. Kudos to him for not listening.<br>Fantastic to see all the Minnesota kids playing huge roles on all these good teams. Just because you don't end up being a fought-over recruit, it doesn't mean you can't play the game. There's a Lakeville kid who woke up a National Champion today. Thankfully there are still schools out there who don't care where you're from or what your name is. <p></p><i></i>

[verb1999]

Well...the only reason I made the topic title "did they deserve it" was to mock that Centennial one...I wasn't actually trying to debate whether they deserved it or not. I was rather just looking to vent my frustration with UMD. And the U of M. Denver's goalie is a true champion. The rest of his team...well...they got a goal. Good job. <p></p><i></i>

[Jesrober]

Congrats to Denver! I think things would have been different if the Gophers beat UMD. But at least it stays in the WCHA. The gophers will reclaim the title next year. Enjoy it while it lasts Denver.<br><br>Just thought I would add this. 5 of the players are from Minnesota, Including the goalie. I Wouldn't forget to mention Nick Larson from where else but Moorhead. <p></p><i></i>

[blueliner10]

hell yeah they deserved it they knocked off 3 teams ranked ahead of them all year and two of those were in the top 3 most of the year. how can anyone question if they deserved it or not. they got hot at the right time, that is the beauty of playoff hockey <p></p><i></i>

[Mitch Hawker]

4checker wrote: "Looked like the Sioux or Gophs would have buried either team with offense, but that may just be jealousy talking. "<br><br>Kind of like the Sioux buried Denver with offense (0 goals) and the Gophers buried UMD with offense (1 goal) in the quarterfinals?<br><br>Denver had a much better offensive team two years ago (with good goaltending), were ranked #1 and couldn't get it done (albeit in Yost Arena against the Wolverines) but got it done this year with defense. Kudos to the Pioneers.<br><br>I thought the championship game was an exciting physical affair in which both teams competed very hard. Sure, I'd like to see more goals, but the game was not one I would consider "boring" by any stretch of the imagination.<br><br><br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub33.ezboard.com/bmnhs.showUser ... wker>Mitch Hawker</A> at: 4/12/04 2:45 pm<br></i>

[4checker]

Just observations, didn't mean to offend anyone. <br>Thought I had mentioned that it was probably just sour grapes talking, but whatever. Denver realized early on that the Maine powerplay wasn't going to accomplish anything, and they played accordingly. <br>Smart. Effective. Champions. <br>Good for them, especially the Minnesota 5.<br> <p></p><i></i>

[gopher35]

Since when does winning a hockey game have anything to do with who deserves it ? They won. Of course they deserve it.<br>Denver, like all college Hockey, has become a ho-hum assortment and collection of top level, mid level and average hockey players. And none of it is their fault. As long as every elite college player turns pro before he graduates- Get use to it ! with every player that cuts out early, there is another 'lower' level player allowed to particiapte. Not all bad for those that get tp play, but sooner or later, and 'later' may be now, the level of play is drawn down. <br>U of M played like a bunch of pampered brats and 2 or 3 will leave because they'e heard the cash register ringng. Again, not their fault, but certainly something we will all have to get use to.<br>And as long as we are talking boring, put college basketball far ahead, due to the same problem and put football not far behind if they start bending the rule as it stands too. <p></p><i></i>

[pokecheck]

So what was the story the announcers were giving about Adam Berkhoel being cut as a Sophomore? Was he just on the JV squad or not in the program anymore?<br> <p></p><i></i>

[Finn70]

Denver may be the worst 'national champ' in many years. they have practically no offense and played a lot of the trap. Berkhoel is great but he was the only thing worth a crap on that team. put another goalie on that team and they would have been fortunate to win one game in the ncaa tourney.<br><br>The frozen four sucked. worst one in years. <p></p><i></i>