After much research, thinking and throwing things at the wall to see if they would stick, here are my top 10 college hockey stories in 2008, which is a dailygazette.com exclusive.
1) Union finishes fourth
The 2007-08 season was an incredible one for Union.
The Dutchmen had a team-record seven-game winning streak. They got some scoring from their underclassmen, especially Adam Presizniuk, who became the first freshman to lead the team in scoring since Chris Ford in 1993-94. It all led to a fourth-place finish, the best ever in the program’s Division I history. The Dutchmen also received an ECAC Hockey tournament first-round bye.
Unfortunately, the Dutchmen didn’t advance in the postseason. Cornell swept the quarterfinal series.
2) A legend passes
On Sept. 19, a college hockey legend left us.
Ned Harkness, 89, died from complications due to a stroke. His influence over college hockey remains to this day. He led RPI to the 1954 national championship, and then won two more at Cornell, including the 1969-70 season in which the Big Red went 29-0.
In 1975, he restarted Union’s program. He was inducted into RPI’s Ring of Honor in 2007.
“It’s sad,” said Bob Fox, the goalie for the 1954 RPI team. “I guess nobody goes on forever. Some people, you just expect to. Ned was certainly one of those people.”
3) Princeton wins ECACH tournament title
When the 2007-08 began, Princeton wasn’t thought of as a team that would contend for the ECACH tournament title. But with Player of the Year Lee Jubinville leading the league in scoring, the steady play of Zane Kalemba in goal and the guidance from Coach of the Year Guy Gadowsky, Princeton finished second in the regular season, beat Yale in the quarterfinals, Colgate in the semifinal and Harvard in the final to win its first title since 1998.
4) Union wins Governor’s Cup
The Dutchmen hadn’t won a tournament title since taking the Concordia Christmas Tournament in December 1993. Union ended that skid in late October by winning the Governor’s Cup. The Dutchmen beat RPI in an overtime shootout in the opening round, and then downed Colgate in the final.
5) No Governor’s Cup in 2009
The Dutchmen won’t get to defend their Governor’s Cup next season. RPI, Union and the Times Union Center announced in December that the tournament won’t take place. Lack of attendance and when the tournament is played were factors in the tournament taking a hiatus.
6) Nick Petrecki
It was a great 2008 for Boston College defenseman and Clifton Park native Nick Petrecki.
First, in February, he scored his first two goals of his college career, the second one in overtime, giving BC a 6-5 victory over Harvard to win the Beanpot tournament title.
Two months later, Petrecki was celebrating another title as the Eagles beat Notre Dame to win the NCAA tournament.
7) Nate Leaman
Leaman had a good 2008 as well. Not only did the Union coach guide his team to its best finish ever, he received a two-year contract extension from the school, and he was named an assistant coach for the U.S. team for the World Junior Hockey Championships, the second time he has held that position.
8) Lightning Classic moved
The new ownership group of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, led by Oren Koules and former NHL player Len Barrie, didn’t make many friends in college hockey in August when it kicked out the Lightning Classic out of the St. Pete Times Forum.
That left Notre Dame, the tournament host, scrambling to find a new home for the tourney that also has Union, Minnesota-Duluth and UMass-Lowell in it. Notre Dame found a new home at the Sears Centre Arena in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates, Ill. The tournament, now called the Shillelagh Tournament, takes place this weekend.
Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson wasn’t happy with Koules and Barrie.
“I am extremely disappointed in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s decision to not continue the tournament,” Jackson said. “We had a verbal agreement to continue this for two more years, and as hosts of the Frozen Four in 2012, I’m not sure it’s the best message to send to the college hockey community by cancelling the tournament at such a late date.”
9) RPI has two players drafted
It wasn’t a great 2008 for RPI, but the Engineers had something to brag about in June when two of its players, both defensemen, were selected in the NHL draft. Jeff Foss, who completed his first year with RPI, was picked in the sixth round by the Nashville Predators. Incoming freshman Mike Bergin was chosen by the Dallas Stars in the seventh round.
10) Two-referee system
This season marked the implementation of the two-referee system. While fans might not like the number of penalties that are being called, the system seems to be working well. With the extra set of eyes, players aren’t getting away with the clutching and grabbing that they may have gotten away with in the past.
So, what do you think of my list? Agree or disagree? Is there something that you think should have been listed? Comments are welcome at the bottom of this page.
