Crimson Tide

Kelly Cooke

With baseball season over, it's time to turn to Princeton women's hockey. They had their first home games of the season this weekend, and the results were not good, losing to Dartmouth 3-1 and Harvard (gasp!) 9-1.


After opening the season on the road with wins against RIT and Robert Morris, I had some hopes for this team, but they were dashed in their performance against Harvard. They did lose to the Crimson in Cambridge last year, 10-1, but I've never the Tigers lay an egg like they did on Saturday at home.

Blame can be spread all around. The defense was particularly outmatched, as Harvard had no trouble keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Princeton couldn't mount much of an offense, either. Even on power plays they couldn't muster an attack. The public address announcer for Princeton, after a penalty is over, says, "The teams are now at even strength." I turned to my friend and said, "The teams now have the same number of players, but they are not at even strength."

Harvard's Lindsey Frye had a hat trick by the second period. The only good news was that Kelly Cooke, now a senior but still no bigger than a minute, continued to be the Tigers' leading scorer. Her goal was something of a fluke, though, as she fired a shot that the Harvard goalie cleared, but the puck struck the crossbar and went in. The news wasn't all good for Cooke, though, as unless my eyes deceived me, one of Harvard's goals was deflected in off her stick. In an event like that, the nearest offensive player to the puck gets credit for the goal, so there's no black mark against Cooke's record.

Tiger fans can only hope that the team needs time to gel, and that Harvard is a buzz saw that no one could beat. I'll keep thinking that--otherwise it will be a long season.

No Joy in Mudville

There's not much to say about the shellacking the Tigers received at the hands of the San Francisco Giants in the World Series, losing four straight, two of them by shutout (the Tigers were only shutout three times during the regular season). Who knows if it was the Giants excellence, or the Tigers acting like choking dogs, or perhaps both?

I listened to this series, except for a half inning or two, on the radio between pizza deliveries, so the entire effect was a little more removed. If I had seen it in person I might be more nauseated--it's almost as if I can pretend it didn't happen if I didn't see it. At least they didn't lose to a team I hate.

The signs were all bad from Game 1, when Justin Verlander laid an egg. I mean, he didn't just lose to Barry Zito, he allowed an RBI single to him! That seemed to deflate the Tigers' balloon, and they responded by being shut out in two straight games, the first time that's happened in a Series since 1966. According to Orel Hershiser on the ESPN radio broadcast, the Giants' pitching was pretty good, but not Koufax-like. He thought the Tigers' batting approach was all wrong.

Then there were just flukes that indicated it wasn't to be. A ball hitting the bag. A bunt single rolling up the line. Prince Fielder thrown at at the plate, and hitting less than .100 for the Series. Then, the final image, triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera, the tying run in extra innings, watching a pitch go right down the middle for strike three to end it all. If the Tigers had supernatural help in the ALCS against the Yankees, it boomeranged on them here.

Perhaps there is something to a team that sweeps a league championship series having big problems when they face a team that went to seven in theirs. The Giants ended up winning seven straight games, even without their pitching rotation sent. I guess the Tigers will only win if they go to seven in their own ALCS.

Still, it was a good year--it's easy to be morose in times like this, but how many teams (I'm looking at you, Cubs fans) would give an eye tooth to even get to the Series? Surely there will be some changes--another bat would be welcome--but I imagine the core of this team will be back, and in the hunt next year. Like their city mates the Pistons, who had to climb the ladder one rung at a time to win the championship back in the '80s, perhaps this is a three-year process.

The baseball season is over. How long until pitchers and catchers report?

They Might Be Giants

I was talking to my dad on Sunday about who we would rather face the Tigers in the World Series. Of course, you have to be careful what you wish for, but I wanted the Giants to win, because I thought the Cardinals were one of those teams that were really tough to kill. How wrong that was, as they went out Yankee-like, scoring only one run over the final three games. The Giants are now the team that are a tough out.

The Tigers and Giants, both original-16 franchises, have never faced each other in the post-season. Somehow the John McGraw Giants missed them from 1907-1909, when Detroit lost three World Series in a row (to the Cubs and Pirates). In a way, this race is 25 years too late--many thought that this would be the Series in 1987, but both teams were upset, by the Twins and Cards.

Jack Morris and Jeffrey Leonard are gone, replaced by new stars. The name most bandied about is Justin Verlander--those that pick the Tigers cite him as the biggest reason. But the Tigers face a similar problem to one they had in 2006: a long layoff. Teams that sweep in the League Championship have a hard time with teams that go seven, and I don't know if intra-squad games can make up for it.

But the Tigers have their pitching set up. The Giants will probably go with Barry Zito in game 1, and though Zito had a game for the ages in game 5, he's no Justin Verlander. I've heard a lot of the Giants' home field advantage, but they did lose twice to Cincinnati and once to St. Louis at home.

I'm also worried about the guy pictured, Marco Scutaro, who was an on-base machine. Conversely, the Giants have very little power, especially against right-handed pitching. The Tigers have four top right-handed starters.

The Tigers have the better starting pitching, the Giants the better bullpen (a potentially huge problem for Detroit), and the lineups are about a wash, with the Tigers having more power and the Giants the better singles hitters. I don't dare make a prediction, but I feel confident. Game 1 is huge, because if Verlander loses, that could be confidence sapper.

How Sweep It Is!

I've been remiss in updating this blog, when it comes to the Detroit Tigers (the Princeton women's hockey team gets started this weekend, so I'll be back with game recaps). As an out of town fan, it's hard for me to write things that aren't just parroting news reports I read. But I can't help but comment on the great state of affairs for Motown baseball this year. For the 11th time in their history, the Tigers are going to the World Series.

For the most part, I've been following the Tigers' post-season on the radio. I'm working as pizza delivery guy, but I have Sirius/XM radio, so while driving around town I've caught most of the action. For the Oakland series, I was home for game four, when Jose Valverde blew a two-run lead and extended the series to five games, making me very angry. But Justin Verlander came in to save the day.

For the Yankee series, game one was the fulcrum. I was working, and when I got in the car and turned on the radio I was just in time to hear Raul Ibanez's game-tying homer off Valverde, which made me pound the steering wheel in frustration. I got home and learned that it was the second home run of the inning that Valverde allowed. Manager Jim Leyland earned my enmity for keeping Valverde in after one homer, given his performance against Oakland. But, amazingly, the Tigers were able to win the game, and after that it was fairly easy (though there tense moments in game 3 in the 9th inning).

Listening to New York media, it's all been about the Yankees' lack of hitting, and A-Rod being pinch-hit for/benched. Little credit has been given to the Tigers' pitching, which had historic E.R.A. numbers for starters and limited the Yankees to only two runs for the entire series. That's to be expected, I suppose, but it's also some delicious schadenfreude--this is the third time in seven years that the Tigers have knocked the Yankees out.

The MVP of the series went to Delmon Young, and I can't argue with that--he had the game winning RBI in all four games. But I might give consideration to Phil Coke, who is pictured above in a victorious pose. After Leyland lost confidence in Valverde (and to a lesser extent, Joaquin Benoit), it was Coke he turned to. Listening to New York radio today, they say the Tigers don't have a bullpen. But Coke was brilliant, getting two saves (one of them two innings) and finishing off last night's game (not a save situation). It is true that the Tigers will be hoping for great and deep starting pitching in the World Series, for Coke's magic could run out, but let's give credit where credit is due.

I was thinking about it last night, and this is perhaps the greatest era to be a Tiger fan since the Ty Cobb days, when they went to the World Series three years in a row (but lost them all). They hadn't been in the post-season two years in a row since they were in back-to-back World Series in 1934-1935. They then went to the Series in 1940, and again in 1945, not to go back again until 1968. That team had one last gasp with a division title in 1972, but it would take until 1984 for them to win it all again. Then, after one last gasp from that team in 1987, they would until 2006 (with some awful years in between) between playoff appearances.

But now, under Leyland, they have won two pennants and been to the post-season three times. That may not sound great by Yankee standards, but for the Detroit faithful it's a wonderful era. But Leyland has not won a championship with the Tigers, and it looks good this year. Except--

The Cardinals. They haven't won yet, but it looks like they will. The Tigers have already played the Cards in three of their ten World Series, a statistical anomaly, and have only one once (in '68). The Cards are like what the Yankees were in the late '90s--you've got to put a stake through their heart. They get great contributions from all their players, and they have good pitching (the Tigers didn't hit particularly well in the ALCS until game 4).

For now though, it's time to relax and bask in the victory over the Yankees.

Making Their Move

While at the Hall of Fame last weekend I tried to keep an eye on how the Tigers were doing, as they had a big series against the White Sox. They won the first two games, moving into first place (and accordingly, on the standings board outside the Hall). On Sunday, I was taking the trolley back to the parking lot and a couple behind me were checking the scores on a smartphone. I asked about the Tigers-White Sox score, and was given the good news. A sweep!

So after a first-half of mostly spinning their wheels, the Tigers have now won 15 of 17, and are in a flat-footed tie with the White Sox, the Indians four back. On the ride home I wondered about picking up extra help, especially a fifth starter, which has been held down all year by rookies. Drew Smyly has done well, but has spent a lot of time on the D.L., and Jacob Turner, who won Sunday's game.

The Tigers then threw the switch, trading Turner and a few other prospects to Miami for Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante. Turner was named a top 10 prospect by Baseball America, so this is clearly a win now move. But Sanchez is a good pitcher, going 5 and 7 so far this year, but with a 3.94 ERA. Infante is an even better pickup, for the Tigers had the worst stats of any team this year at second-base. Immediately they solve that problem, with a lifetime .276 hitter.

The Tigers have traded a lot with the Marlins, probably since Dave Dombrowski worked there. One of the great pickups they made was Miguel Cabrera, who continues to be one of the great hitters in baseball. On Sunday he socked two home runs, the second was his 300th in his career, and he is not yet 30 years old.

If Sanchez can be a reliable starter and Infante can hit decently, the Tigers should be unstoppable in their quest to win the division.

At the Break

It's been a bit of a ride the last week for the Tigers. After inexplicably dropping two to the last-place Twins, the Tigers came back to the win the last two games of the series, then swept the Royals, heading into the All-Star break with a five-game winning streak. They are now above .500 and 3 1/2 games behind the White Sox, who are also playing very well.

The Tigers sent three to the All-Star game. Prince Fielder was voted to start at first base, and Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander were chosen as well. Verlander was then tapped to be the starting pitcher, perhaps more in honor of his season last year than this, although his numbers this year are right up there.

On Monday night, Fielder was the first Tiger to ever win the Home Run Derby (I find it amusing that this manufactured event now has records and statistics), although it was his second win personally. I find this event kind of boring--how long can you simply watch batters jacking the ball out of the park, but it's made even worse by the baying of the bumptious Chris Berman, who is so in love with himself saying "back back back back" that listening to it is like listening to chalk scrape against a blackboard.

So I was lucky that when I flipped around and fell back to it I saw Fielder, at least in his second and third-round appearances. Eschewing a helmet, which left his dreads floating free, his bulk tightly wrapped in a powder blue jersey, Fielder resembled some sort of space age lumberjack, whacking away at a redwood. He hit the farthest home runs, several landing in the Kaufmann Stadium fountain, and out-slugged Jose Bautista to take the crown, his adorable sons flanking him.

But that would be it for Tiger glory at the All-Star festivities. Fielder would go quietly in his two at bats, and Miguel Cabrera would bounce into a double-play. Verlander would get the worst of it, allowing five runs in his only inning, the key blows being a double by Ryan Braun and a bases loaded triple by Pablo Sandovar. Verlander, never at his best in the first inning, threw heat, but a fastball without movement or precision can be hit by good hitters. He did strike it out two, but both were on off-speed pitches.

I can only hope that Verlander shrugs off this unfortunate display on the national stage with aplomb and goes back to his usual self, and that Fielder continues to hit moon shots. The Tiger bats have heated up, finally. Delmon Young has hit four homers in four days, and Jhonny Peralta was starting to hit. Last year the Tigers were tough outs from spots 1 to 8 in the order, and they've got to get that groove back in order to move into the division lead. They've also got to get consistent starting pitcher, but I think that's working out fine, especially if Doug Fister can come around.

It should be noted that Justin Verlander's greatest achievement this summer, if the rumor is true, is that he is dating supermodel Kate Upton. Maybe that's why he didn't look good on Tuesday.

The Force is Not With Us

After watching the Tigers four times since my last post, I'm a lot more worried than I was then. Yes, they swept the lowly Minnesota Twins, but then went 2-5 against the Red Sox and Yankees, and the one victory I saw felt like a loss.

The Tigers are failing at almost all levels of the game. Only their number three and four hitters, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, are hot. Call-up Quintin Berry has proved a nice surprise as he replaces the injured Austin Jackson, and may have found himself a permanent part of the lineup, but otherwise the Tiger lineup is full of outs. They are getting little production from any other spot in the lineup.

Second base continues to be a bugaboo. Ryan Raburn, who after good years as a utility man, finally had a chance to establish a permanent starting position,  but hit beneath his weight and was sent down to AAA. Danny Worth has proved to be no better. The Tigers haven't had a reliable bat at the keystone position since Placido Polanco left.

The bullpen is dreadful. In Saturday night's game, the only win of the four games I watched, I had to endure Jose Valverde, who was 49 for 49, blow his third save of the year, and it was only the second of June. He came in after Octavio Dotel had blown a lead, only to be saved when Cabrera launched his second moon shot of the night into the centerfield ivy (the second one actually went into the camera well). Then Valverde came in and promptly hit two batters and walked two more, tying the game. Interestingly, with the bases loaded and the Tigers still ahead, Jim Leyland did not remove Valverde when he faced Robinson Cano. He could have gone to a warmed up lefty, Duane Below, but stuck with Valverde, who seemed to have no clue as to where the strike zone was. Amazingly, he sawed off Cano and got a pop out, but then walked Mark Texeira.

The Tigers won the game in the bottom of the ninth, finally getting some help from the bottom of the order. Brennan Boesch singled, Jhonny Peralta singled him to third, and Omir Santos, the third-string catcher who could not be pinch hit for because he was literally the only player on the team who was able to catch, and had already committed two errors in the game, managed to get good wood on a pitch from the Yankee reliever and hit a sacrifice fly to right. The Tigers were all smiles, and the little-played Santos will have that game to remember, but was one of the ugliest wins you're likely to see.

What may be most troubling is that I saw Justin Verlander pitch twice, and he was hittable both times. He got a bit roughed up by the Red Sox, with one key pitch being a 3-2, bases loaded fastball to Daniel Nava, who lined it down the left-field line to clear the bases. Verlander then lost his third straight start, which he hasn't done since 2008, to the Yankees on Sunday, giving up a home run to Derek Jeter on the first pitch and walking the next two batters. Verlander has historically had bad first innings, and complained about a delay from a ceremony honoring Magglio Ordonez, but that couldn't be used later in the game when Alex Rodriguez homered off the brick wall, just under Hank Greenberg's retired number. Verlander may be throwing hard, but a major league hitter can turn on a 100-mph fastball if it's in his wheelhouse. Verlander is not locating his pitches well, and hasn't won since his near-no-hitter against the Pirates.

The Tigers are in danger of falling out of this quickly. They are six out after a torrid recent stretch of games by the White Sox. They certainly have the talent to bounce back, but they just aren't gelling. Defense and fundamentals are a problem, and without a reliable closer this may all be for naught.

As to why Darth Vader was throwing out the first pitch on Saturday night, I know not. It isn't fitting to have a representative of the Empire on the field while the team in the opposing dugout is Major League Baseball's Evil Empire, the Yankees.

Underachievers

In preparation for this entry, I've been reading a few articles on what the reaction is to the decidely unimpressive ball that the Detroit Tigers have been playing lately. After a 10-3 start, they have gone 10-21 since then. They just concluded getting swept by the division-leading Cleveland Indians, and are now six games back and four games under .500.

I see there are cries at firing manager Jim Leyland, hitting instructor Lloyd McClendon, or even GM Dave Dombroski. I won't vouch for McClendon, but as to the other two: what are these people smoking?

As fans are wont to do, these fans have short memories. It was a year ago that the Tigers, after getting swept by the Indians, were also six back. But summer came and the Tigers got hot, leaving everyone else in the division in their trail. Now, lightning doesn't necessarily strike twice, but there is a lot of reasons to be hopeful. They ended up beating the Indians ten straight.

For one, the pitching is solid. Justin Verlander hasn't lost a step. He took a no-hitter into the ninth against Pittsburgh last week and lost a tough 2-1 decision yesterday. Doug Fister has come off the DL and had some hard luck, but looks sharp, and rookie Drew Smyly is giving the Tigers more than they could have hoped for. Max Scherzer has been inconsistent, but did strike out 15 last Sunday. Rick Porcello has also been inconsistent, but if he keeps his pitches down he's fantastic.

The bullpen has also been a problem. Jose Valverde isn't as reliable as he could be, and neither has Joaquin Benoit. Leyland has been criticized for taking pitchers out too soon, but I'll trust the guy who has managed for over twenty years than the fan in the stands.

What the Tigers have had trouble doing is hitting, which of course is what no one would have guessed. More accurately, it's been timely hitting. During the Cleveland series, they scored only two runs a game but left a total of 30 on base. The big-time hitters are getting numbers you'd expect, if a little on the low side: Miguel Cabrera has 8 homers and 35 RBI, while hitting .305, while Prince Fielder has 7 taters (low for him), 25 and .286. Alex Avila, Jhonny Peralta and Brennan Boesch are all hitting below .250, and Ryan Raburn has gotten off to a horrible start, hitting only .144.

The Tigers' most reliable hitter has been the lead-off man, Austin Jackson, who has shortened his swing and is batting .331, with 5 homers and 17 RBI. Of course, he just went on the disabled list.

It's too early to give up yet. The AL Central is not a hotbed of great teams, and if the pitching stays strong the bats are bound to get hot. But here's hoping they don't fall too much more behind.

On the plus side, the Tigers are now winning over Minnesota, 7-3, in the sixth. Hold on!

The Temple of Steinbrenner

Being an out-of-town fan, I don't get to see too many Tiger games in person any more. They are making one trip to New York this year, and to take advantage I sprung for a few seats on Sunday's game. It was my first visit to the "new" Yankee Stadium, or as I like to call it, The Temple of Steinbrenner.

I'd always liked Yankee Stadium, thinking it a great place to see a game, and it is certainly sad to see it go, but like Tiger Stadium and many others throughout the league, they have been sacrificed to the needs of the modern day. The new stadium is certainly a palace, with numerous shops and restaurants, and also with a great sense of history. For the first time, I was there early enough to visit Monument Park, where the greats of the team have been honored in bronze.

I went with my friend Bob, who is a Mets fan but also a baseball fan. We had seats in the upper deck, but between third and home, so had a great view of the field. I don't mind being high up, as long as I'm in foul territory.

The Tigers threw Max Scherzer, and Yankees C.C. Sabathia. Scherzer was never sharp; he ended up walking seven and throwing 119 pitches without getting out of the fifth inning (the first time that had been done since 2004).

But the game remained close. It was 2-1 after Prince Fielder lined a home run in the top of the fourth, and 3-2 after Miguel Cabrera doubled in Brennan Boesch. The Yankees were leaving men on base at a record-setting clip; at one point they left the bases loaded in consecutive innings.

This got my friend Bob in action. Bob is an endless reservoir of curiosity and trivia. Armed with a smartphone, he checked on the major league record for men left on base. Turns out is 20, set by the Yankees themselves in 1956. After the sixth inning, they had 14. Bob and I then were likely the only people in the ball park who were aware of that, and secretly rooted for the Yankees to tie or break the record.

They didn't. They would only leave 15 on base, winning the game 6 to 2. Andruw Jones, amazingly still in the league, added a home run. Curtis Granderson also homered, with Austin Jackson getting his glove on the ball but losing it when the glove hit a railing.

The Tigers, mired in a funk, are now 11-11, certainly not what they anticipated, although they are only a game out of the division lead. It's early, though, and if they can get it together, early in the season is not a bad time to have a slump.

I didn't wear any Tiger gear, so wasn't the victim of any taunting. A few brave souls did, but they received nothing more than good-natured ribbing. In the men's room after the game was over, Frank Sinatra's recording of "New York, New York" reverberated throughout the stadium, as it does after every game. I stood in a long row of men at urinals, all singing, a truly bizarre sight. I couldn't resist joining in.

Home Run Barrage

It's frustrating being an out-of-town fan. I get to see the Tigers play irregularly--usually only when they play the Yankees, or the occasional ESPN or Fox game. Fortunately, when a team is good, they will be on more often, and I had my first chance to see them yesterday against the Red Sox. It made what had been a shitty day a little more tolerable, as they routed the Bosox 10-0.

The slugging started early, with Miguel Cabrera, still sporting evidence of the ball he took off the cheekbone in spring training, smacking his first home run in the first inning. He would add an another, one that needed umpire review, as it somehow went over the fence, came back on the field, and then rolled under the bullpen gate. Cabrera would also make some sparkling plays on defense.

The new arrival, Prince Fielder, had two of his own. One was a long ball to left-center, the second a missile to right that took less than a second to land in the grandstands. The Fox crew came up with a great bit of trivia--the last time the number three and four hitters each had two home runs in one game was July 4, 1968 (Jim Northrup and Norm Cash). Alex Avila added a two-run shot for good measure.

The only discord in the game was when Doug Fister, the capable starter, had to leave in the fourth inning with a strained muscle in his side. He will go on the 15-day DL; let's hope that rest will do the trick. The relief core was more than up to the task, shutting out the Red Sox the whole way, with Duane Below picking up his first-ever Major League victory.

The Tigers are now 2-0, certainly too early to anoint them winners of anything, but if they can keep up the hitting machine attack like they did against Josh Beckett, it figures to be a fun season.

2012 Season Preview

Prince Fielder

Tomorrow the 2012 season kicks off for the Detroit Tigers, with defending A.L. MVP and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander taking on Boston's John Lester to start a six-game home stand. The opening will be tough, as those six games will be against the Red Sox and Rays, who figure to be in the hunt for the playoffs this year.

From all the reading I've done, the Tigers are prohibitive favorites to win the A.L. Central this year. That perennial doormat Kansas City is picked by many to finish second indicates that the normal competition, the Twins, White Sox, and Indians, are in flux or rebuilding.

Certainly the Tigers seem to have it all, especially as far as pitching and offense. The Tigers have as good a four-man staff in all of baseball, with Verlander, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister, and Rick Porcello. Porcello could be a key, as he has been up and down in his career. This spring, Porcello was 2-0 with a 1.59 E.R.A. As long as he keeps his pitches down, he's effective. Verlander was 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA, and Fister was 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA. Scherzer had the roughest spring, going 1-2 with a 5.76 ERA.

The bullpen is also stacked. Returning are Jose Valverde, who was perfect in save situations last year (at least in the regular season). Joaquin Benoit will be the eighth-inning man, and the Tigers have added Octavio Dotel to pitch the seventh. Once Dotel throws a pitch, it will be for a record 13th team. He's had a sub-2.00 ERA this spring. In long relief will be Phil Coke and Daniel Schlereth.

The question will be with the fifth starter. Right now it will be rookie Drew Smyly, who will get a few starts with Toledo in Triple A before he will be needed later in April. Of course, the Tigers could find someone off the scrap heap, like they did with Brad Penny last year. If they can get a .500 record out of a fifth starter, it should be sufficient.

As far as the lineup goes, it's loaded, especially with the addition of Prince Fielder via free agency. The number 2 though 7 hitters are all dangerous: Brennan Boesch, Miguel Cabrera, Fielder, Delmon Young, Jhonny Peralta, and Alex Avila. The lead-off hitter is Austin Jackson, who is not a prototypical lead-off hitter, in that he strikes out way too much. The Tigers have worked on him this spring in taking more balls and shortening his swing, but if that doesn't work they really don't have any other option.

At least Jackson covers a lot of ground in centerfield. Defense figures to be the Tigers' weakness this year. With the arrival of Fielder, Cabrera has moved to third base. I asked my go-to guy on the Tigers, my dad, how he's been playing, and his answer was "adequate." Many think the experiment won't last, and Cabrera will end up DHing, but hopefully he can block enough balls and drive in enough runs to offset his errors. In the outfield, neither Young or Ryan Raburn are world beaters in left, or Boesch in right. Figure on a lot of high-scoring games this season.

The defense up the middle is better. Avila is a good signal caller, and this year he has a decent backup, as Gerald Laird returns to the team. Laird can't hit a lick, but he's great at throwing out base stealers, and will give Avila much needed days off. Peralta at short is fine, and Ramon Santiago at second (platooning with the multifaceted Raburn) is also reliable at second. As mentioned, Jackson patrols the vast centerfield well.

So, how far will the Tigers go this year? Anything but a division title will be a disappointment, and to exceed last year's effort will require a trip to the World Series. The New York Times picked them to face the Miami Marlins in the Series, which would be fun.

Here are my highly unresearched picks for this year:

AL East: New York Yankees
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Anaheim Angels
First Wild Card: Texas Rangers
Second Wild Card: Toronto Blue Jays

Play-in: Rangers over Blue Jays
Divisional Round: Tigers over Rangers, Yankees over Angels
Championship Round: Yankees over Tigers

NL East: Miami Marlins
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks
First Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies
Second Wild Card: San Francisco Giants

Play-in: Phillies over Giants
Divisional Round: Marlins over Phillies, Diamondbacks over Reds
Championship Round: Diamondbacks over Marlins

World Series: Yankees* over Diamondbacks in five.

*Note: this prediction is made due to the uncanny fact that for the last six times Kentucky won the NCAA basketball championship, going back to 1949, the Yankees have won the World Series. Also, by my picking the Yankees to win, they most certainly will not.

2011-2012 Superlatives

Julie Johnson

Paula Romanchuk

The season for the Princeton Tigers Women's Ice Hockey came to an end last weekend, as they fell to the Harvard Crimson in two games. They played tough, losing 5-3 (the last goal on an empty net) and then in overtime, 4-3, after tying the game with about a minute to go with an extra attacker.

The season had to be considered a disappointment, given that this is the lowest seed the Tigers have been since the ECAC was realigned eleven years ago. But there were some outstanding performance by many players, and they deserve to be recognized. Of course, they will be officially by their team, but a group of fans (actually, it's just me and two other guys) who call ourselves the Baker Rink Irregulars (Sherlock Holmes fans will get the gag) give out our own awards. They are:

MVP: Rachel Weber. Easy call. Weber, who played all but one period in goal this year, had a brilliant season, and was named Ivy League goalie of the year and second-team All ECAC. If it weren't for her steadfastness between the pipes, Princeton many not even have made the playoffs.

Rookie of the Year: Ali Pankowski. A solid blueliner, Pankowski excelled on the power play, and already may have the Tigers' heaviest shot. When she winds and blasts it means a loud bang if the puck hits the boards, and oohs and aahs from the crowd.

Most Unsung: Heather Landry. A senior, Landry is an occasional scorer, but never a dominant presence. This year she had to fill in on the top line when Olivia Mucha went down, and could always be seen working hard.

Most Improved: Kelly Cooke. The diminutive Cooke may be the Tigers' fastest skater. When she arrived as a freshman, I thought she was a star in the making, but could disappear in some games, and hasn't scored as much as I anticipated. This year she re-emerged as a scoring presence, and if you wanted to find her on the ice, all you had to was look for the puck.

Pearce Award: Denna Laing. Named after Kim Pearce, who exemplified playing through pain, this year the award goes to Denna Laing. I read in the local paper that during the week leading up to the playoffs, she was wearing a sling. She ended up scoring twice and getting an assist in the playoffs.

Perfect Attendance: Julie Johnson, Paula Romanchuk, Charissa Stadnyk. These three seniors played their entire four-year careers without missing a game for any reason.

Best Pony-tail: Ali Pankowski. It falls below the bottom of her number on her jersey!

Going Out in Style: Princeton 3, Union 0

From left to right: Danielle DiCesare, Rachel Weber, Paula Romanchuk, Charissa Stadnyk, Julie Johnson, Heather Landry, Anne-Marie Ervin

Barring a series of miracles that would dwarf the "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Olympic Games, yesterday was Princeton's last home game of the season. They head into the playoffs as the number seven seed, and thus would only return home if they and the number eight seed, Brown, made it to the finals. Trust me, it won't happen.

But the Tigers ended the regular season with a fine game, and rewarded the large Senior Day crowd. Coach Jeff Kampersal started all six of his seniors in uniform, and each played a role in the victory. Primarily it was goalie Rachel Weber who provided the biggest noise--she stopped 15 saves to get the shutout.

None of the seniors got goals, but they did provide assists to the underclassmen who got them. The first goal was by Sally Butler, who ends the season with the most goals on the team. She was assisted by senior Heather Landry. This goal came after a scoreless first period. The Tiger added a second goal in the period on the power play, and it was two seniors who made perfect passes: Julie Johnson to Paula Romanchuk behind the net, who dished to Ali Pankowski in the slot.

The Tigers added a goal in the third when Denna Laing scored on a power play on feeds from Gabie Figueroa and again Landry.

I had told my friends in the crowd before the game that I thought Weber would get the shutout, and though the dominating Princeton D held Union to 15 shots, some of Weber's saves were cat-like.

During one of the intermissions, the mother of senior Danielle DiCesare had a great idea, and I hope it becomes a senior day tradition. As usual, the team hung the road jerseys of the graduating seniors (including Anne-Marie Elvin, whose career was cut short by concussions but served as the team's manager) on the balcony. Mrs. DiCesare pulled them down and they were worn by the mothers of each of the players. Not only was this a nice family moment, but it enabled us to see who belong to who.

Also as usual, the Tigers held a skate-around after the game for young fans. I'm not young, nor do I skate, but a large crowd headed onto the ice. The kids skated and got autographs, and the adults hobnobbed with parents and players and took photos. Such a lovely way to end the season.

I will not be attending the playoff games in Harvard next weekend. It's an uphill battle; since realignment ten years ago no seed lower than a five has ever won an ECAC quarterfinal. In addition, Princeton has not played well in Harvard for the last few years. But anything can happen. After the end of the season, I'll be back to post a wrap-up.

Just Enough: Princeton 2, RPI 1

Brianne Mahoney

The script looked like the same, grim scenario: Princeton goalie Rachel Weber gave up an early goal, this time 23 seconds into the game, before the notes from the National Anthem had cleared the arena. Already the Tigers were behind the eight-ball; an uphill battle for a team that values goals like pink diamonds.

But the Tigers showed a little resilience, and battled back to tie and then go ahead, winning the game against Rensselaer 2-1. It was an impressive win in some ways, as RPI had everything to play for; their inclusion in the playoffs hanging in the balance, while Princeton is set as the seven-seed. But the Tigers played some smart and vigorous defense, and Weber, after the early misstep, played brilliantly.

I didn't even see the first goal, but I did see the Tigers' two goals. The first, midway through the first period, was by Denna Laing, who recovered a rebound off a slap shot by Brianne Mahoney.

The second and game-winning goal came off the stick of Sally Butler, who was in the right place at the right time, the puck almost falling in front of her as if ordered, and slapped it home.

The Tigers had a lead with more than half a game to play. In the stands we joked that they needed to now kill off a penalty lasting well over 20 minutes. In fact, RPI controlled the action for what seemed an eternity, an almost four-minute forecheck. At one point the puck was loose in the front of the net, Weber was out of position, but two Tiger defenders stood like a phalanx in the crease, and a shot bounced harmlessly off their torsos. After icing the puck, coach Jeff Kampersal was forced to call a timeout just to get his exhausted players off the ice.

With the sterling play of Weber and her blueline protectors, including Mahoney, who shadowed the RPI wings claustrophobically, the Tigers kept RPI off the scoreboard.

No Offense Intended: St. Lawrence 1, Princeton 0

Gabie Figueroa

This is a broken record, one that's been spinning a long time, making the tone-arm bounce for a decade. The Princeton Tigers, being coached by Jeff Kampersal, struggle to score. Through dozens of players, and now a new pair of assistant coaches, the team has always been one that has good goaltending and defense, but to whom goals are like Bigfoot sightings--few and far between.

The latest travesty was against St. Lawrence yesterday. Princeton can get shutout in a variety of ways--this time they almost doubled the Saints shot total, 31-17, yet still lost 1-0. There were several tantalizing moments--Denna Laing missed an open net in the first period, while Corey Stearns and Sally Butler seemed to say, "The hell with this, I'm gonna score come hell or high water," but just couldn't get the puck in the net. There was even a goal waved off, but for unknown reasons. When that happened I turned to my friend and said, "Don't the refs realize we don't get many of these?"

I've never played the game, so I have no real understanding of what this team's problems are. Maybe it's the players--Gretchen Anderson was the last consistent scorer the Tigers had, and she graduated in 2004. But I look at the stats for D-I and see plenty of players with high scoring totals. The Tigers do not have anyone in the top 50 in scoring, a certainty given they now average only 1.96 goals a game. Princeton does not offer scholarships, and they're not a legendary hockey program, so they won't get the best players, but come on!

It's therefore easy to blame the coach, as the story has been the same for several years now. When St. Lawrence scored early in the game--Jessica Hon grabbed her own rebound and lit the lamp--I had a sinking feeling the Tigers would not score. It's not fair to Rachel Weber--by far the Tigers MVP--that she has to pitch a shutout in order to have a chance to win. She would have a spectacular win-loss record on another team, one that can score.

I grew frustrated watching the Tigers' offensive scheme, what there was of it. At some moments, the passing was crisp and effective, but at other times there seemed to be no discipline--players just dumped and chased, seeming to make things up on the fly. At one point four of the five skaters were gathered around a puck frozen against the boards--if it came free, who was the player going to pass to? Kampersal has never believed in one man, one puck--it's like a free-for-all.

At least the defense played well in this game, limiting St. Lawrence to just those 17 shots. I thought Gabie Figueroa had a great game, patrolling the blue line. She seems to have great vision on the ice, and though occasionally a puck will sneak past her out of the zone, she does a nice job. I also admire Ali Pankowski, who has the heaviest shot on the team. In this game, Kampersal employed a different set up on the power play. Instead of two players on the point, he had a sort of "triangle and two," with one player on the point, two at the face-off circles, and two in the slot. Unfortunately, he had Pankowski in close. She should be back on the point, as her shot is the best chance to making it through the crowd. Instead, Kampersal had Charissa Stadnyk back, and her shot isn't blistering enough to make it through.

The regular season winds up next week with two home games. I hope to celebrate a few goals.

Jekyll and Hyde: Clarkson 2, Princeton 1

Corey Stearns

Last weekend's road trip to Dartmouth/Harvard best illustrated the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of Princeton's women's ice hockey team. Both opponents were in the top ten, far above the Tigers in the ECAC standings. Yet the Tigers hung on for a tough 2-1 over Dartmouth (largely through the efforts of their goalie, Rachel Weber), and then took a 1-0 lead after one period against nemesis Harvard. But then the wheels came off, spectacularly, and Weber allowed seven goals in the second period en route to a 10-1 loss. How could this be the same team?

Last night, back home for the beginning of a season-ending four-game home stand, Princeton played well, but lost to a superior Clarkson squad, 2-1. It has to be disheartening to Weber that she has to be almost perfect to win--Princeton has only scored 2.04 goals per game, which is 29th out of 35 teams in Division I. She played well enough to win last night, but the Tigers just can not mount an effective offense.

After a scoreless first period, the Golden Knights struck first, with Kali Gillanders blasting a shot in from the blue line over Weber's left shoulder. The Tigers knotted the score at one in the same period, when Charissa Stadnyk's slap shot rebounded off Clarkson goalie Erica Howe's pads and Brianna Leahy gathered it and fired it in.

But in midway through the third period, Brittany Styner of Clarkson managed to knock the puck past Weber, who was unable to corral a rebound. Tiger fans were discomfited; they had to score one goal to force overtime, two to win, and that seemed impossible.

The Tigers had their chances. Sally Butler snuck out on a breakaway, but her shot went too high. My game puck goes to Corey Stearns, who was all around the opponent's goal this game, but just couldn't convert. In fact, the Tigers out-shot the Golden Knights, 25-24, but from my eye Princeton had better scoring chances.

Princeton seems locked in the seventh position of the ECAC standings, which means they will go to the playoffs, but will be on the road (likely against Harvard, where Bright Arena has turned into a chamber of horrors). Since the realignment of the ECAC ten years ago, this is the lowest seed the Tigers have had, by two notches. Clearly something needs to be done to address the incompetence in scoring.

Cookie Monster: Princeton 3, Robert Morris 2

Kelly Cooke

After coming back from their exam period, the Tigers kicked off their second half with a nice win over Robert Morris, in the two teams' first-ever meeting. Princeton dominated the first two period, and held off the Colonials, who seemed to awaken in the third period, to hang on for a 3-2 victory.

The Tigers struck first, with a shot by Kelly Cooke going off of the Colonial goalie's mask, the rebound slapped in by Danielle DiCesare. In the second period, the Tigers moved up two-zip when Rose Alleva fired in a shot from the face off circle.

Later in the period, Robert Morris pulled within one when Rachel Weber seemed frozen on a shot that sailed past her stick shoulder. Weber makes so many great saves that it seemed odd she'd let one go that was so easy. But the Tigers got the goal back when Ali Pankowski slapped a power play goal in from the slot.

The Tigers out shot the Colonials 23-12 in the first two periods, but Robert Morris, perhaps shaking off the effects of a long bus ride, woke up in the third period, and out shot the Tigers 12-6. On a power play, Colonials' forward Rebecca Vint charged through the zone like a bulldozer, and her shot went off Weber's pads right to Thea Imbrogo, who had an easy goal.

The Tigers managed to hold on for the win, though it wasn't easy. With only a minute and a half to go, Heather Landry was whistled for interference, and RMU pulled their goalie and had a 6-4 advantage. But the Tigers killed that off (they also did the same to 54 seconds of 5 x 3 to begin the second period).

There were lots of positive signs. For one, that the Tigers racked up two power play goals is terrific, as this was one of the weaker parts of their game. And though she only had one assist, I give the game puck to Cooke, who seemed to be everywhere at once, always around the puck. Cooke, or Cookie as she is known to the fans, seems to hover above the ice like a water bug. She's only five-foot one, but plays with a lot of heart.

While the Tigers were on winter break they fell in the standings to seventh, so they will need one of their usual second-half winning streaks if they have any hope of home ice in the playoffs. A playoff spot, barring a complete collapse, seems assured, but they have some tough games ahead. This weekend they visit Dartmouth and Harvard, and then will end the season with four games at home.

Fielder's Choice

The phone rang on Tuesday--it was my dad. He normally calls on Sundays, so I knew there must be something unusual going on. I hoped nobody had died. No, instead it was Tiger news. They'd signed, pending a physical, Prince Fielder. Happy happy joy joy!

I've heard all the commentary. Some people seem to think this is a bad idea, but I wonder what they're smoking. Fielder, who is only 27, has averaged 38 home runs a season. His batting percentages are .282/.390/.540. He has finished in the top four in the MVP voting three times in the last four years. He plays every day. What's the downside?

Some say he's not worth a nine-year contract, and that players with his kind of girth break down after 32-33 years old. Well, that may be, but for the next five years he figures to keep the Tigers at the elite level of the American League. When it comes to years six through nine we'll worry about that then. It's not my money. If Fielder can get a championship before he's too fat to move, it's worth it.

It's amazing how these things come about, and reminds me (and others) of how the Yankees got Alex Rodriguez. In both situations it was an off-season injury that changed things radically. The Tigers had no interest in Fielder, a first-baseman, because they already have one of the best first basemen in the league, Miguel Cabrera. But when Victor Martinez, their DH and cover for Cabrera, batting behind him, went down with a torn ACL, the Tigers lineup suddenly had a huge crater it. Names like Carlos Pena, Johnny Damon, and Casey Hotchner were bandied about in the press. When Pena was signed by the Rays, I figured the Tigers would just make do. But then--boom!

This will create some interesting problems for manager Jim Leyland. Cabrera, who was approached to get his blessing before the signing, has said he will play third base, where he hasn't played regularly since 2008. I wonder if Leyland agrees. Cabrera, generously, is 260 pounds, and is not exactly cat-like. When the Tigers acquired him, they started him at third, where he made five errors in 12 games, and promptly moved him to first base, where he has remained. I think a more reasonable proposition is to have Cabrera and Fielder rotate at 1B-DH. It's only when Martinez comes back that a logjam exists, but that's a problem most teams would like to have.

Comerica Park is also not as generous in allowing home runs as Miller Park. The highest total for a left-handed hitter is 14 home runs. I expect Fielder, though, who is in his prime, will at least double if not triple that mark. No matter, he is sure to help the Tigers. It was thought Martinez was irreplaceable, but the Tigers (who one writer called "the Yankees of the Midwest") went out and got somebody better. Dumb Bill Plaschke said on Around the Horn  last night that Fielder would only add a win or two. Well, the Tigers won 95 games last year. That sounds good to me.

It's also something of a homecoming for Fielder. His father, Cecil, played seven seasons for the Tigers during the '90s, and young, roly-poly Prince was a fixture at Tiger Stadium, as seen in this photo. Father and son, I've read, have been estranged, but have recently made strides at reconciliation. I hope they do, and I hope Prince does his father proud by smashing many taters for his new club.

Morris, Trammell Fall Short of Hall Vote

As a Tiger fan, I root for former Tiger players to get in the Hall of Fame. Of all the players who sport Tiger caps on their plaques in the Hall, only one, Al Kaline, played during my memory. Sparky Anderson spent most of his career managing the Tigers, but chose a Reds cap for his plaque. The last Tiger to be inducted was Hal Newhouser, a star from the '40s, elected by the Veterans' Committee.

Two Tigers were on the ballot this year, and one came pretty close while another wallows in below-50-percent territory (75 percent is necessary for induction). The odd thing about this is that the more deserving player is the one who gets the lower vote totals.

Finishing second to Barry Larkin, the only player elected this year by the writers, was Jack Morris, who garnered two-thirds of the vote, falling 48 short, in his 13th year on the ballot. He has two more tries--only one player (Gil Hodges), has gotten more than 50 percent of the vote and not gotten elected to the Hall. But Morris faces stiffer competition in the next two years, particularly from pitchers like Curt Schilling, Gred Maddux, Roger Clemens, and Tom Glavine, who will be new to the ballot.

Morris pitched for 14 years in Detroit, winning 198 game for the Tigers (254 in total), and more games than anyone in the 1980s. He was the ace of three different World Series winning teams ('84 Tigers, '91 Twins, '92 Jays) and pitched one of the most brilliant games in World Series history, the seventh game of the '91 series.

Yet I'm not entirely in the Morris boat--I have one foot in, one out. The detractors cite his 3.90 E.R.A., which would be the highest of starting pitchers in the Hall. He never won a Cy Young (he did finish third twice and fourth once). But Hall of Fame credentials are notoriously selective. For example, it can be said of Ted Simmons: More RBI than Bench, more runs that Carter, more hits than Berra or Fisk. But Ted Simmons is no Hall-of-Famer, and has never come close in a vote.

I'm not patient enough or statistician enough to delve deep into the numbers. Joe Posnanski, a writer for Sports Illustrated, is, and has voted thumbs down on Morris, comparing him to Dennis Martinez, who came nowhere close to election. Indeed, baseball-reference.com marks Martinez as closest to Morris. Martinez was 245-193 with 3.70 E.R.A., and a 1.26 WHIP. Morris was 254-186, 3.90 E.R.A., 1.62 WHIP. However, Morris averaged 16 wins and 12 losses to Martinez's 13-10, and of course Morris pitched on a bigger stage more often. Then again, Morris' post-season record of 7-4, 3.80 wasn't exactly Christy Mathewson-like.

But sometimes numbers don't tell the whole story. Defenders cite that his E.R.A. was due to "pitching to the score," i.e., if his team had six runs, he would try to make sure the opposition didn't score more than five. That sounds like rationalization to me. But Morris was a battler and a workhorse--he finished in the top five in innings pitched six times and in games started eight times.

Morris jumped fourteen percentage points last year. All signs point to him being elected eventually, but given who's coming up it may not be by the writers. Would I vote for him. Eh...I'm not sure.

I would definitely vote for Alan Trammell, the Tigers' shortstop during their glory years of the '80s. Posnanski is all for him, citing how similar his stats are to Larkin's (and this is no knock on Larkin). Bill James calls him the ninth greatest shortstop of all time.

Yet Trammell garnered only about half as many votes as Morris, 36 percent. That's up 14 points, but he's still got a long way to go. He's got four more years, so there's time, but not much.

Let's compare him to Larkin, who baseball-reference.com cites as his second closest match (his first is Edgar Renteria, admittedly not a feather in his cap). Trammell had 2,365 hits, 185 home runs, 1231 runs, 1003 RBI, and hit .285/.352/.415. Larkin numbers in those categories: 2340, 198, 1329, 960, and .295/.371/.444. Larkin had 379 steals to Trammell's 236, a big edge.

When I look at fielding statistics, I see categories that baffle me, but I don't think anyone would say that Larkin was significantly a better fielder than Trammell. Larkin has a slight edge in offensive categories over all, but not enough to justify his election while Trammell bobs around the 30 percent mark. Larkin did win an MVP award, but as Posnanski pointed out, Trammell should have won the 1987 MVP, and he was MVP of a World Series.

A similar and worse fate befell Trammell's double-play partner, Lou Whitaker, who appeared only once on the ballot and got 2.9 percent and promptly fell off.

So, my question is, to those who voted for Larkin and not Trammell, why not?

Oh, So Close: Princeton 2, Dartmouth 2

Brianna Leahy

It would be hard to top yesterday's tie between Princeton and Dartmouth for pure excitement. My friend, after the game had completed, turned to me and said, "That overtime period was the best hockey I've seen all year." I had to agree. Unfortunately, the Tigers let a point slip away on a defensive lapse.

After dominating Harvard the night before, I was half expecting the Tigers to show tired legs the next day, but they came out strong and, as with the Harvard game, took a lead near the end of the first period. This time it was on a shot by Gabie Figueroa from the point. But Dartmouth tied it in the second on an artful shot by Kelly Foley, who impressed me the entire game with her skating ability. She took the puck in front of the crease, skated out a few feet, whirled and fired the shot seemingly without looking, hitting the roof of the net past a helpless Rachel Weber.

Weber had a great game, making 39 saves, but her opposite, Lindsay Holdcroft, was making some acrobatic saves of her own. The Tigers had plenty of chances, but it was still 1-1 halfway through the third period. Then, on a power play, Ali Pankowski boomed a shot from the point that was tipped in by Breanna Leahy. I looked at the clock, saw less than ten minutes to go, and said aloud, "Now it's time to hold on for dear life."

The Tigers, who had a marching line to the penalty box all game, held off Dartmouth for over a minute down 5 on 3, but with less than three minutes to go, somehow Reagan Fischer of the Big Green slipped past defensemen Charissa Stadnyk and Brianne Mahoney, without being offside. A pass from that damn Foley girl went right through to her, and she skated unopposed against Weber. Her shot hit the top shelf of the net and the game was tied.

The remainder of the game and the entire five minutes of overtime was perilous for both teams, as there were many scoring chances. A big crowd cried aloud with each attempt. Both teams were whistled for penalties in the extra frame, both were killed off. The Tigers, in fact, killed off ten penalties and were perfect on the penalty kill, though the officials missed a call on Dartmouth when a player absolutely leveled a Tiger at mid-ice, and somehow the Tigers got called for the infraction.

The game ended with a flurry of shots at Holdcroft, and as time expired Denna Laing put one right at the Big Green goalie, but Holdcroft held on and the game was over.

The Tigers now have a road trip to Colgate/Cornell before breaking for exams. As with previous years, the battle will be for home ice in the playoffs, which will require some help and some exemplary play. With their inability generally to score goals, they can't afford to make mistakes like they did yesterday. We'll take the tie, but they should have won that game.

Tenacious D: Princeton 3, Harvard 0

Heather Landry

Since last I posted about the Princeton Women's Ice Hockey team, they played two games on the road, both at Ohio State, and both ending in ties. They were out shot by the Buckeyes almost 2-to-1, but due to Rachel Weber's goaltending and some lucky breaks, they came out with two points.

Last year at this time, the Tigers were 3-10 and then went on a magic streak, buoyed by Weber's standing on her head in goal. Could it happen against this year? After last night's 3-0 win over Harvard, it just might be. The Tigers played their best game of the season, firing on all cylinders, shutting down the top-ten ranked Crimson.

It didn't start well. Less than one minute into the game the puck snuck past Weber, and it appeared that the Tiger faithful would be in for a long night. But the refs reviewed the video and waved it off, determining that it was kicked in. Given new life, Princeton pounced, attacking the puck and dominating play. Of course, dominating play and scoring are two different things for the Tigers, but near the end of the period Sally Butler, the Tigers most prolific scorer this season, tallied a goal to give Princeton the lead.

The second period was scoreless, but Princeton still wasn't checking the standings to see that Harvard had a better record. In the third, Butler scored again, and further insurance came on a power play by Danielle DiCesare.

The Tigers defense, a young squad after losing two to graduation last year, are showing their stripes. Gabie Figueroa, Rose Alleva and froshes Ali Pankowski and Brianne Mahoney were exemplary in keeping the puck out of their own end, while Paula Romanchuk, once a scoring force for the Tigers, has settled into a role as their best defensive forward. She won 13 of 16 faceoffs.

For this article I want to give special props to Heather Landry, a senior wing. She has always been a battler, but never a flashy scorer. With Olivia Mucha out for the season (the charm of boutique college sports is that you can find out the health of a player by asking them--Miss Mucha sat two rows in front of me, sporting a cast and sling on her busted wing) Landry has taken her spot on the first line with Butler and Denna Laing. She was all over the place last night, constantly in the mix, and contributed assists on both of Butler's goals.

With the Crimson defeated, the big test will be the Dartmouth Big Green today, because often the Tigers leave everything on the ice and have a let-down in the second game of the typical two-game home stand.