Anxiously awaiting

I am sitting here 2 hours + from the beginning of the 2010 NCAA hockey championship tourney and I am chomping at the bit. As of 3pm my brain will effectively check out to everything but the hockey tourney until the end of the Midwest regional final on Sunday night. Sure I will talk to people, attempt to work, get distracted by basketball to some degree, and even visit some old friends but my mind will be wondering (all apologies to my Happy Couple friends).

I will be attending the Northeast regional (big surprise - I actually bought the tickets this year before I knew BC was going to be there - I know - I have issues). And the debate is whether to come home following the BC game to make it back to the house to watch most of the Miami/UAH game or stick around for what might be a very interesting North Dakota/Yale tilt. Prior to last year I would hands down have stayed in Worcester but after watching the success that Air Force and Bemidji had last year and the near misses from teams like UAH and Niagara in the past I think I might want to catch a little of this contest.

I know I can DVR but lets face it some of the joy is taken out of watching when you already know the score which I undoubtedly will if I remain in Worcester as they are sure to announce it during the evening. Of course Mrs. Pike is probably all for coming home as she does not get to watch her Redhawks that often, even on TV. And if UAH somehow pulls it off, I would not want miss what would undoubtedly be the biggest upset in college hockey tourney history (no offense to Holy Cross but at least they had a winning record that year).

I won't go so far as to say I am rooting for UAH (not if I want to keep a happy household that is) but I will say I am interested in seeing this contest. Miami needs to be careful. Minnesota got tripped up by Holy Cross when they took them too lightly and the Redhawks need only look to their own regular season stumbles against Robert Morris to know what can happen on any given night. For UAH, this is a chance to prove that they belong in the CCHA (or whatever other conference will take them). They might literally be playing for the life of the program. Not sure that is the type of motivation I would be wanting to play against if I was Enrico Blasi.

But before that drama, the excitement starts with Denver v. RIT. And I can't wait!