Wow...both of those teams are lousy this year.

I don't follow that closely but are MSU fans upset with their coach?  Didn't they hire the Joe Bertagna of the CCHA?

Michigan's long NCAA run looks to end this year.  I think they've made the NCAAs 22 years in a row.  Of course, the last 2/3rds of that run have seen them crap out of the tournament every year.  A few FFs but not a lot to show on the national scene since '98.

MSU really deserved this hiring a guy like Anastasos.  Very similar to the Madigan hire at NU.

The 3 teams looking for a coach around this same time were WMU, MSU, and NU.  Western Michigan swung for the fences and hit the home run with former NHL bench boss Andy Murray.  MSU and NU are a mess.

Michigan... really it's kind of shocking how bad they are this year.  They bend over and take it in the rear almost every weekend this season.  Shocking.

Losing John Gibson to Mjr Juniors killed Michigan.  That team was going to be built around him and he bailed late.  He would have been their Jimmy Howard. 

MSU is just a joke who is run by a coach in Anastos who shouldn't be coaching in Pee Wees let alone the NCAAs

Red Berenson is prob the only coach who can rival Jerry York for class and wins, but Red must be 70 by now and on his way out.

Forgot who it was, but a BC player hit the crossbar vs MI which would have given us another NCAA title...it pi$$ed me off that the NCAA commercials that year included the MI celebration after their win in OT...FWIW

Jamie O'Leary hit the cross bar.

If you're so inlcined, there is a 10 minute youtube video of the BC-Mich '98 title game out there.  The Garden crowd was awesome.

Please do not remind me of that game. Don't forget that it was before BC finally won it in Albany. It is one of those games that will forever haunt BC fans.
Speaking of Michigan, they are probably the least likely of any host schools to make the NCAA regionals this year. UNH is highly likely but they have been in a fast nosedive. Bowling Green and Brown are actually both TUC at the present so they do have at least a shot at a tournament upset but unlikely to get in as at large unless they win almost all their remaining games.

^^^ totally agree with you. I believe we hit iron twice in that OT. I did watch that you tube clip and I wished I hadn't. That and Michigan State 2007 are my two worst memories of BC hockey in my life, hard to say what was worse

Was at the Michigan Championship game. Have not been able to watch a replay of O'Leary's cross bar to this day. Michigam goalie was way out of his net. Puck was flipped well over his head and caught iron.

if I remember correctly I think Farkus hit the left post.

Yes.  Two pipes in overtime. 

O'Leary crossbar.  Farkas left post that went through several bodies and Turco never really saw.  Lephart had a wide open net and the puck hopped over his stick on the pass out of the right corner, Michigan collected that puck and went down the rink and scored after a little possession.

O'Leary bagging that goal would have been a great story.  Local kid ends long championship drought in front of the home crowd (that semifinal and final crowd was CRAZY).  Then it ends up being a Canadian a few years later!  I'll always remember it for being a very well-played, clean and well-called game.  Very exciting game to be at.

This post was edited on 2/17 12:51 AM by maverick65

Very painful game, made worse by the Fleet Center location.   I too, have been unable to watch a replay, but my memory of the game winner was a tired BC defense, both teams at the end of very long shifts, and the Michigan player coming out of the corner, in slow motion to score the winner.

BTW, the Friday night game was another example of HE incompetence.  9 penalties were called on BC, 9 did not occur.  The last one on OT was dreadful and changed the outcome.  MC announcers after several replays thought the call was wrong, and the two of them are real homers.  

They said Bertagna was at the game.  If a ref is ever going to be held accountable, this seems like a perfect example.   And based on other accounts, I believe the Maine game a similar mistake in OT, where a goal was taken away.   I complain often about HE officiating, mainly because I think a solution is addressable by management.  Most, not all, of HE officiating errors, are a result of over-officiating.  Whistles when the game is moving along, and the viewer is led to believe the officials have been instructed to call a penalty on anything close.  In other words, error on the side of blowing the whistle.  This is a commissioner issue.