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Call me crazy, but I want this to continue. Maybe not to the extreme fashion that has been displayed recently, but intense enough to warrant excitement. I’m talking about the physical play and heated scuffles the University of Maine men’s hockey team has found itself involved in the past two weeks. Match-ups against the University of Massachusetts and Boston University have resulted in more penalty minutes than can ever be remembered in UMaine hockey history.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. Although the NCAA has regulations against fighting, or any type of physical altercation irrelevant to the game, there is nothing wrong with teams occasionally throwing down the gloves and settling a dispute bare-knuckle style. Sometimes the college game needs a bit of excitement.
Any college hockey fan will admit that each game has its lulls, where a fan sitting in the top row can be heard sneezing. This is where the “big hit” or intense altercation can come in handy. Aside from a goal, nothing sparks a fans interest more than an open ice check, or a crushing blow against the boards while chasing down an icing call. It’s the nature of hockey to play physical and the college game should embrace it.
During last weekend’s game against BU, the Black Bears and Terriers combined to shatter the conference record with 268 total minutes in penalties (the old record being 179 minutes), 246 of them coming with one second remaining in the game. Sometimes it takes games like this to spark a club and regain confidence. Neither coach complained about the physical play and recognized the intensity it brought to the match.
BU coach Jack Parker was quoted as saying “It was a great college hockey game to watch.” Maine’s own Tim Whitehead agreed and said. “The game was just as we expected it to be.”
Despite too much extra- curricular activity, each coach recognizes the importance of making a statement in a brute fashion. With only five seniors compared to the 15 freshmen and sophomores playing for Whitehead, the team is a fairly young and a spitfire group. I applaud the clean, let’s-just-play-hockey attitude put forth by the team. But with this type of youth, you should let the guys run rampant every once in a while and release some aggression.
Ah yes, the referees. We Black Bears fans sure love to hate the middle-aged “law” which graces each game to a chorus of boos and sarcasm. I know it’s their job to prevent fighting and dangerous hitting because, well, when it comes down to it these athletes are just kids right? Wrong. The NHL has a chorus of players younger than the average college skater who are free to roam the ice looking for unsuspecting punching bags. If they happen to engage in a fight, the refs stand admiring the altercation for a few minutes, and then break it up. Imagine if this were true in the NCAA.
Hockey is a game of finesse and skill, but also speed and power. Incorporating each of these components into a team generates some amusement for all types of hockey fans. I enjoy seeing an excellent top shelf goal or seam-splitting pass as much as the next person. I just don’t want to see it all the time. Rather, an intense skirmish behind the goal or Prestin Ryan boarding call will suit me just fine.
