Miami (OH) blew it like Jenna Jameson, give up 2 goals in final minute of Championship

on 04 15, 2009

I know this is a couple days overdue, but if I were to write this Easter weekend it probably wouldn’t have been legible (one too many holiday drinks). Anyways, Miami (OH) University totally BLEW IT in the College Hockey championship game. I’m talking Jenna Jameson-style-blew it. Given the magnitude of the circumstances, I’ll go out on a limb and say this was the biggest choke job in sports history…ever.

The David vs. Goliath Cinderella story for Miami (OH) was one minute away from becoming an actuality. Up 3-1 with 60 seconds left in the third period, it looked as if Miami was going to knock off the nation’s top team to snatch the University’s first championship in any sport, while putting an end to the 200 year drought since being founded in 1809. It was so close Miami players could taste victory. How could they possibly blow a 2 goal lead in the final minute, right? No one’s choked that bad since the 2007 New England Patriots.

Boston University pulled their goalie in a desperate attempt to comeback. After Zach Cohen’s goal took the deficit to 1 with just under a minute left, you could sense maybe it just wasn’t meant to be for the RedHawks. The goal rejuvenated Boston players and fans and spread panic to the Miami team. Led by an assist and goal from Nick Bonino in the final minute, BU miraculously rallied back to send the game into overtime. Similar to the Kansas comeback against Memphis in the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship game last year, it was clear ALL the momentum had shifted to Boston and there was a minuscule chance for Miami to triumph in OT.

As if things couldn’t get any worse for the RedHawks, the overtime goal to put the official stamp on perhaps the biggest choke job in the history of sports was a deflection which flew unnoticed over the goalie’s glove. Some may argue it was a miracle that Miami even made it to the title game and competed with BU like they did, but that should not help RedHawk fans and players sleep at night. Sure it’s a great story that the underdog had the top team in the nation on the brink of elimination, but that doesn’t eliminate the sour taste left in their mouths.

This was one of the more entertaining games I’ve ever seen, and I give BU credit for their comeback-it was nothing short of a miracle. In all seriousness though, Miami players and coaches should be placed on suicide watch after having their hearts ripped out and stepped on like they did. Miami has waited 200 years for a championship, and might be waiting another century or two following that colossal collapse.

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