December
23, 2003
Dunkin' Donuts Coffee Pot
Dunkin'
Donuts Center • Providence, R.I.
THE
FIELD
Saturday,
December 27
St.
Cloud State vs. Harvard, 5 p.m. ET
Clarkson vs. Providence, 8 p.m. ET
Sunday,
December 28
Third-Place Game, 5 p.m. ET
Championship, 8 p.m. ET
LAST
YEAR
This
is the first year of the Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Pot.
INTERESTING
HISTORICAL FACT
Of these
four teams, only Harvard played in a holiday tournament
last year (finishing third at the Badger Hockey Showdown).
In fact, none of these teams has won a holiday tournament
this decade. Providence was the most recent to ring in the
new year with a championship, capturing the 1999 Rensselaer
Holiday Tournament.
Bonus
Interesting Historical Fact: Dunkin’ Donuts founder
Bill Rosenberg established a chair at the Harvard Medical
School and was a big donor to the Harvard Institute of Human
Genetics. Good karma for the Crimson, perhaps?
WHO
TO WATCH
 |
| Ryan
LaMere is part of a balanced offensive attack for St.
Cloud State. |
Harvard defenseman Noah Welch has the types of skills that you just can’t see on television, and this is a good opportunity for fans outside the ECAC to appreciate someone who has a good chance to be a Hobey finalist.
Clarkson has two underrated offensive starts in Mac Faulkner and Chris Blight, a couple of juniors from Ontario who both average over a point per game. They skate alongside rookie Mike Sullivan in a line that’s easy to track – Sullivan wears #10, Faulkner is #11 and Blight is #12.
Balance is the watchword offensively for both Providence and St. Cloud State. The best individuals to keep an eye on for these clubs are in goal. The Friars’ Bobby Goepfert – who, a year ago, was wowing scouts at the World Junior Championship – is 6-2-1 on the year despite a sub-par goals-against average (3.18) and save percentage (.899). In the other net, enjoy watching Adam Coole, who’s resurgence after transferring from Minnesota Duluth has been well-documented.
HOW
WE SEE IT
This could be the most intriguing tournament of the holiday season, since all four teams seem to have some mystery surrounding them. The host school, Providence, is young and talented – a combination that can lead to routs of UNH followed by four-game winless streaks, which is exactly what’s happened in the Friars’ last five games. Thanks to a postponement they haven’t taken to the ice in nearly a month, so they might want to sip a little caffeine before warmups.
Saturday the Friars will face Clarkson, a team that’s emerged from the shadows of last season to post a respectable 6-6-3 first-half record under new head coach George Roll.
Harvard and St. Cloud State both saw their 2002-03 seasons end in Worcester, about three hours apart. Despite that similarity, much different results were expected from the two teams this year – it appeared to be rebuilding time in St. Cloud, while Harvard seemed ready to ascend to the top of the ECAC. But hold that thought. Things have gone quite the opposite thus far, and they face off Saturday with the Crimson hoping to finally realize their promise, and the Huskies hoping to continue a remarkable first-half run.
All in all, it’s a great opportunity for these four mysterious teams to start the second half on a good note. You’d think Harvard would have the most potential of the group, but St. Cloud or Providence might be considered the favorites based on the first half.
