According to the results of 2010 NCAA Hockey Tournament – In Sunday night’s game the top-seeded Miami University moves on to the Frozen Four in Detroit after beating Michigan Wolverines by 3-2 double overtime.
The Michigan wolverines finished seventh in the final conference standings. On last weekend, after their first-round remove of Lake Superior State, they were schedule with an intrastate competitor for a tough best-of-three series.
Last night thrill was rising with every passing moment in a back and forth hockey game as both teams were attacking fiercely on each other. Miami finally rose as victorious in sudden death after being tied at two through three periods. That was truly a splendid game and a remarkable victory but excitement caused some controversy in the first overtime as well.
It came into sight that Michigan had scored the game winning goal but suddenly it was found that the puck was on the goal line inside the post behind Miami goalie Connor Knapp. So resultantly, Michigan put it in the net,
but it was all for naught because the only play that can be reviewed in that situation is whether the puck crossed the line before the whistle or not. The controversy caused a great sense of anger among all Michigan fans.
I am not much familiar with the Hockey rules and that’s why I can’t say anything about the decision but if you are then go ahead and feel free to say what you feel in the space given below.
Michigan Hockey
The error was not really in disallowing the goal under the circumstances. Although nearly simultaneous, the instant reply showed that the referee’s whistle did in fact precede the Michigan player’s shot. The officiating blunder was in whistling the play dead when the puck was clearly loose and not frozen. The Michigan player naturally pounced on the loose puck and sent it into the net. The referee lost sight of the puck as the shot was taken and whistled the play dead.
This was an unfortunate officiating error because the blunder did not simply change the flow of the game or undermine a Michigan opportunity (as perhaps a mistaken off-sides call or a bad penalty call would have). This mistake changed the outcome of the game. If the correct call is made, Michigan wins the game in overtime.
The unfortunate thing in this whole officiating debacle is that no side emerges unscathed. Michigan clearly should have won and will forever wonder what could have happened had the whistle not been blown. A Cinderella championship perhaps? And no matter what happens in the next few weeks, Miami’s future successes at the tournament will be tainted.
The only way to resolve this in my mind is to say that both sides were subjected to the same opportunity to have a bad whistle blown. In addition, the referee followed the officiating guidelines governing that situation: if the referee loses sight of the puck in the scramble, he must blow the play dead. Clearly, he lost sight of the puck, and even though the puck as displayed on replay was shown to be loose, he had no option but to blow the whistle.
Tough break for Michigan.
I have something to say… I’ve played hockey for 22 years. I’ve coached and refereed. I’ve watched games weekly since I was 8 years old. I was at this event. I watched the video replay at the event. I am aware of this particular referee’s controversial calls in past events. After all things considered, Michigan should have won this game. The ambiguity of the so-called rule is quite flawed. However, when no single player stopped play as a result of a penalty call, its obvious that the puck is “hot.” The broadcasting crew even stated, before the “officials review” that the goal should have been allowed. If a player has the ability to make such a play as to intentionally direct the puck in the net with moderate force from the blade of a stick…then possession of the puck is present!!! This was a mistake and it cost a good team their “Cinderella” run. A bitter sweet congratz to Miami, I suppose.