UMass Hockey falls in the end

Over the weekend, UMass hockey went farther than the program had ever gone before, reaching the 16-team NCAA Tournament.

After beating Maine four straight times at home to earn home-ice advantage one weekend, and then eliminate the Black Bears from the tournament the next, the Minutemen were bounced out of the Hockey East Tournament semifinals by top-seeded New Hampshire.

However, UMass had done enough already to prove they were finally worthy of making the national tourney, playing in the East Regional bracket in Rochester, N.Y.

They were the fourth seed of four, which I thought was a little low for them (they could have been a three seed). Nonetheless, they played No. 1 Clarkson (who they tied 3-3 in the second game of the season), and knocked off the Golden Knights, 1-0, in a thrilling overtime game.

However, what I truly had a beef with was the fact that the team they had to play in the next round was none other than the same Maine Black Bears. Maine had been given the third seed in the same bracket as the Maroon and White just two weeks after getting embarassed by them four straight times.

Then they went out and upset second-seed St. Cloud State, 4-1, to advance to the region final, setting up the most unlikely of matchups.

Maine won the game, 3-1, mostly due to the return of their injured starting goaltender (who admittedly missed all four games against UMass two week before).

The Black Bears are now in the Frozen Four this weekend along with fellow Hockey East rival, Boston College, as well as North Dakota and Michigan State.

Maine won the game against UMass fairly, the game in and of itself was what it was and everything the Minutemen were doing so well down the stretch disappeared in that game.

Still, it's appauling to me that they even had to play the Black Bears again. Maine should not have even earned one of the 16 spots in the tournament, nevermind get seeded above UMass in the same region.

I'll chalk it up to UMass still be a relative unknown in the hockey world (like I said, it was their first national tourney appearance), but how many times can you be expected to be the same team?

They were nearly the underdog in their own building two weeks ago, when they had tried to take two of three against Maine in the first round of the conference playoffs, one week after sweeping them to take the fourth and final home-ice spot (UMass finished fourth, Maine fifth in Hockey East).

UMass swept Maine again, making it four in a row. The next week they lost to UNH in the semis, then this past Friday they knocked off Clarkson, only to end up right where they were before, having to get past Maine.

This is no attack on Maine - they only did what they had to. But the NCAA selection committee must have really thought Maine goalie Ben Bishop was the difference in the first four losses, because they gave the team one last shot against UMass, this time with their star netminder.

I guess they turned out to be right, because Maine won. But once again, how many times can you beat the same team? UMass and Maine were probably evenly matched this season, but the Minutemen won when it (presumably) counted.

That should have knocked Maine out of contention for a tourney bid. Instead, they got a fifth chance to take down the Minutemen, effectively negating the value of the first four losses. Eventually, you're going to get one, and Maine did. But as I see it, they had their chance and blew it, they shouldn't have been given another one.

The fact that both teams had to win their opening round games just to meet again is irrelevant, the Selection Committee knew what they were making possible by putting them both in the East Regional.

Now, the magic season that UMass coach Don Cahoon helped build is over. The players are back in Amherst going to classes, but they're schedule's a little more open now that there are no more practices to attend or team meetings to get to.

Meanwhile, Maine is going to St. Louis this weekend with a chance to be deemed the best team in the country. Are they really? Even if they win those games, did they deserve the shot? I don't think so.

Teams like Minnesota and New Hampshire were ranked No. 1 in the country at different points this season (Maine was too very early on) and neither won a single game in the tourney, while Maine has won two already.

Does that legitimize them? Sure, they're a good team. I thought so after that fourth-straight L to the Minutemen, but do they deserve to be there over someone else? No. UNH and Minnesota deserved they're shots, even if they didn't follow through on them.

I know I sound like a homer, particularly complaining about this after the fact, but I would have the same issue if the roles were reversed, or if UMass was not involved at all.

Narrowing a large field of good teams down to few is always hard, but this one should have been obvious. UMass will be watching from home this weekend while Maine is there with a chance to win it all, and there's just something wrong with that.