Inside College Hockey | 2004 NCAA Frozen Four

April 8, 2004
NCAA Frozen Four
Something Missing from Great Day

By Jon Barkan

BOSTON – Wow!

So that’s what college hockey looks like in person.

After living in Atlanta for the last seven years, the closest I get to seeing college hockey is either when Georgia plays Georgia Tech in club hockey after an Atlanta Thrashers game or on my DirecTV. Funny part is that my wife will look at me with a grin and just laugh at my addiction. (Hello my name is Jon and I am a college hockeyaholic – meetings at the Dugout every Wednesday night at 5 p.m.)

But after Thursday night at the FleetCenter, it all came rushing back to me. To borrow a line from the NBA, “I love this game!”

How can you not love watching two teams from the same conferences meet in a national semifinal? Both games pitted teams that knew each other implicitly. Both games were hard-hitting affairs and just a joy to watch.

In the first game, two teams that haven’t been in the national spotlight for a long, long time met. How can you not love seeing Denver, a national power in the 1960s, score four goals in the third period to knock out Hobey Baker finalist Junior Lessard and Minnesota-Duluth? UMD had a chance to put the game away in the second period, when they had a two-on-zero rush against Denver goaltender Adam Berkhoel. Lessard tried to go high on the glove-side and Berkhoel turned the game around with an incredible save that swung momentum to the Pioneers in the third period.

The late game matched two Hockey East powerhouses and rivals in Maine and Boston College. From the moment the puck dropped the building was just electric. Just when you thought that the BC fans outnumbered the Maine fans, they would stand up and let you know they were here in full force. When push came to shove, the Black Bears had the better goaltender in Jim Howard and he made the difference with 40 saves, many of which were just spectacular.

It’s been five years since I attended a Frozen Four and two since I have seen a college game live and you know what? I missed it.

How incredible it is to smell, hear and take in the atmosphere of the Frozen Four. It’s as special to me now as it was when I went to my first one in 1989.

But as the day wore on, I realized that I had missed something more than I missed the game of college hockey. I missed some old friends.

It was hard to not think of Herb Brooks on a day like Thursday. We lost college hockey’s dear friend to a car accident last August 11. Walking around the FleetCenter was strange without Herb. All of us are so used to seeing his smiling face and hearing his stories of yesteryear. Hard to believe we won’t hear anymore.

This was his stage. This is where he became famous winning three national titles in 1974, 1976 and 1979. How can he not be here? Just feels wrong not to have him here.

Mike Eruzione was here, and he and the other members of the 1980 gold medal Olympic hockey team are enjoying the rebirth of their success with the release of the movie, Miracle. Shame of it is, Herb isn’t here to enjoy it with them just one more time.

As the second semifinal game got underway, it was hard for me to not think of the late Shawn Walsh. Hard to look down at the Maine bench and not see his salt-and-pepper hair and his familiar scowl. Although I am sure he is somewhere laughing about how he built a powerhouse in tiny little Orono that can knock off BC, BU or any of the big time college hockey programs.

Many people didn’t like Walsh, and I understand why. But he and I had a very special relationship. He was just getting started at Maine and I was just getting started as a writer at the Northeastern News. For some reason, we formed a special bond. When he would come to town, he would call me and we’d meet for breakfast or lunch and catch up. He’d always asked me, “What’s the scoop, kid?” I miss our chats. I miss his candor and his bravado.

Two old friends who would have loved to have been in Boston, and somehow I am sure they were. But I wished they were here to enjoy one more game.

The Frozen Four is a very special atmosphere. It’s great to see all of the legends of our sport again. It’s great to hear Jack Parker tell a Cooney Weiland story. It’s good to hear Jeff Sauer talk about the penalty he received while in a bathroom in the locker room at Yost Ice Arena.

I think I’ll cherish my time with them more now than ever.

Did I tell you that it’s good to be back?