Hockey at its finest

NHL, Division I college or Division III … it really doesn’t get much better than the show Plattsburgh State and Norwich University put on Saturday evening in the championship game of the Primelink Great Northern Shootout.

Sure, anyone can debate that Division III college hockey players can’t really be considered the equal of Division I players in terms of pure skill and talent, but that’s not the point.

The point of any athletic endeavor should be evenly matched teams or individuals playing to the best of their abilities in competitive circumstances while providing compelling entertainment.

 That’s what happened at Kreitzberg Arena on Saturday. A 1-1 game through five minutes of sudden death overtime and an enthralling, crowd-pleasing, extended shootout to determine a champion. Great team play, great individual play, great environment, great time.

This was fun to watch; it had to be fun to play (coaching might be an entirely different perspective).

The Cadets and the Cardinals will meet again, Jan. 5 on the same rink. That ought to be quite a game, too, one any real hockey fan at any level should enjoy.

Reserve your seat now.

Following the pros

A glance at the scoring leaders in the ECHL (no longer the East Coast Hockey League; just the ‘ECHL’) reveals some well-known names to Vermont college hockey followers.

Ranked 10th in overall scoring is Rick Cleaver, the former Norwich University standout. He has eight goals and 19 points for the Kalamazoo Wings, although he’s currently on loan to the Hershey Bears of the AHL, where he’s played one game.

Sitting in 17th place is one of UVM’s former mighty dynamos, Scott Mifsud of the Gwinnett (SC) Gladiators. Mifsud had seven goals and 17 points in a dozen games.

Another Cadet, Nikita Kashirsky, is tied for 18th with 10 goals and 16 points. His 10 goals are fourth among rookies.

Meanwhile, home-grown UVM mighty mite Peter Lenes of Shelburne has six goals and nine points for the Ontario Reign, with whom he’s rapidly become a fan favorite.