College Hockey or World Class Soccer?

Not that anyone cares, but I am going to rant about the NCAA hockey championship game. I don't like Boston College, so I figured that I would be rooting for Wisconsin to win the title game tonight. I have had my issues with past Wisconsin teams under their former coach (read: goon squads), but those days are behind them. However, Wisconsin has disappointed me tonight.

I am wondering if I saw a world class soccer match tonight. I say that because I have never seen a team rewarded so much for diving. Everytime a BC player breathed on a Wisconsin player, the Wisconsin player fell down and writhed in pain. My favorite was when the most egregious diver, Robbie Earl, fell down and started rolling around after a slight love tap from the BC player. After noticing that no penalty would be called, Earl charged the net at full speed, received a pass, and scored. In other words, "Earl dives, he scores"!

Wisconsin scored their winning goal on a late 3rd period power play resulting from a "hooking" call that was nothing more than an olympic caliber dive. They were lucky because the referee of the game tonight was Matt Shegos, a CCHA ref that is so bad that he has his own cheer at Yost Arena.

I hate BC with a passion, yet I wanted them to come back and win the game tonight. I'd rather see the Eagles win than a team that is an embarassment to hockey.

Diving has no place in sports. Kids should not be taught that embellishing and flopping around the ice will be rewarded. You play hard and play honest. I don't want hockey to turn into soccer, where every tackle appears to result in a career threatening injury, until the player is back at full speed after the yellow card has been booked.