Coaches support PC on home ice
PROVIDENCE — While there might have been rumblings elsewhere over Providence being seeded in the East Regional, a brisk 10-minute walk from campus, none of the other competing coaches felt the selection committee made a wrong decision.
“For me, it just make sense. I don’t know why you wouldn’t want a local team in a regional in your city. I think it’s great,” said Western Michigan coach Andy
Murray. “North Dakota will defend its home turf in Fargo, N.D., this weekend. I just think that’s the way it should be. . . . Having them here is the right thing to do.”
Harvard’s Ted Donato said, “Our focus truly is on playing our best hockey against a very good Providence team. No matter where you go, you’re going to play a good team. Is there a benefit being so close to their campus? Absolutely. It’s a good challenge for us. We’re close to home, as well. The less travel for us is helpful.”
The Friars, who are 7-51 all-time at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, began their 2015 NCAA championship run in the building by defeating Miami (Ohio), 7-5, and Denver, 4-1.
“I know a lot of people that might be unhappy that we’re here, but for NCAA hockey, this was the right move,” said PC coach Nate
Leaman. “We need this site to go. We need the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and Brown to keep bidding on the NCAA Regional because this is a great site. . . .
“By the committee putting us here to help attendance, I think it’s a good thing for the sport.” Army coach Brian Riley, a member of the selection committee, said, “It all played out the way it should be according to the pairwise, No. 1 versus No. 16, No. 2 versus No. 15. The only flip-flop was Cornell and Air Force, but I think this is where Providence should be.”
Local takes flight
Air Force coach Frank
Serratore on the long trek from Colorado to Rhode Island: “I’m glad we’re the Air Force and not the Busforce.”
On describing his team, Serratore said, “We have a lot of good to very good players, but our marquee player is (goalie) Shane
Starrett (from Bellingham). He’s 6-foot-5, he’s athletic. When you’re a great penalty-kill team (tops in the nation at 89.9 percent), you need your goalie to be your best penalty-killer.”
Starrett is 23-5-4 on the season with a 1.99 goalsagainst average and a .924 save percentage. . . .
Western Michigan’s Murray, a former NHL bench boss with the Kings and Blues, was asked about having a healthy team going into the tournament.
“I don’t think there is any of the 16 teams in the playoff that are healthy,” said Murray. “If you have a bruise or a strain or something like that, at this stage of the season, if you don’t have something like that you probably haven’t been playing hard enough.”
Been there before
Harvard’s Donato is one of three coaches in this year’s tournament who have won an NCAA title as a player. Donato was the Most Outstanding Player for the 1989 Crimson tournament championship squad.
The other two are Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik, played on Wisconsin’s 1990 winners, and Denver’s Jim
Montgomery, who skated on Maine’s 1993 champs. . . .
The Providence arena carries a certain what if moment for Harvard. Back in 1986 the Crimson, who featured the likes of current Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and former GM Peter Chiarelli, lost to Michigan State, 6-5, in the championship game in the then-named Providence Civic Center.
Michigan State won its semifinal on Thursday night, and enjoyed an extra 24 hours rest. Harvard dismantled top-seeded Denver on Friday night, and Hobey Baker winner Scott
Fusco was hurt his knee in the game. After one shift in Saturday’s final, Fusco was a no-go.
Harvard led the Spartans, 4-2, going into the third but ran out of gas. The NCAA quickly changed the rule on having semifinal games on separate days.