March 5, 1974, UNH vs RPI, ECAC Quarterfinal

Gordie Clark

Jamie Hislop

Cliff Cox

“Charles Dickens had the French Revolution in thoughts when he wrote: ‘It was the most effective of instances, it was the worst of instances,’ however that description is especially acceptable to the bittersweet season simply concluded by the College of New Hampshire hockey crew.” Arthur Kaminsky, The New York Instances, March 10, 1974

The proud historical past of the College of New Hampshire Wildcats males’s hockey program started on an outside rink in 1926. The trendy period dates again to 1961 when the Jap Faculty Athletic Convention developed a hockey league and UNH was an authentic member. The ECAC established a 15-member Division One (DI) convention starting within the 1964-65 season however UNH didn’t grow to be eligible till the 1968-69 season.

Of their first 5 DI common seasons, UNH completed no greater than fifth place. They certified for the 8-team Quarterfinal spherical of the DI ECAC Playoffs in 4 out of 5 seasons, however by no means earned home-ice benefit. A weekly nationwide coaches’ ballot for school hockey started within the 1972-73 season however UNH had by no means made the High 10.

The Better of Instances

All that modified in 1973-74 – a season crammed with first-time accomplishments. For the primary time in crew historical past, UNH completed the ECAC common season in 1st-place. In truth, they topped the ECAC standings the complete common season.

UNH made a mark on the nationwide scene for the primary time on December 3, 1973. The Wildcats received the primary two ECAC video games and their 4-2-0 total report was ok for #6 within the nationwide ballot. From Jan 28 to Feb 24, 1974, UNH was the #2 crew within the nation.

Within the February 11, 1974 nationwide rankings, UNH got here as near #1 because it ever had. The Wildcats had been 13-2-0 within the ECAC and 19-5-0 General. 4 of the ten coaches representing the ECAC, Western Collegiate Hockey Affiliation (WCHA), and Central Collegiate Hockey Affiliation (CCHA) ranked UNH #1. Nevertheless, Michigan Tech retained the highest rank. On the finish of the 1973-74 common season, UNH lead the ECAC with a 15-5-0 report (22-8-0 General) and had been ranked #4 nationally.

UNH’s potent first line of the captain Gordie Clark and Jamie Hislop and Cliff Cox led the ECAC common season in scoring. Hislop (55 factors) was the #1 scorer adopted by #2 Cox (53 pts), and #3 Clark (51 pts). They scored 69 objectives mixed. Clark was named a primary crew All-American, changing into the primary two-time All-American in UNH historical past. Hislop and Cox earned first crew All-American honors two years later of their senior season.

Sophomore UNH goalie Cap Raeder completed the season with the most effective Objectives Towards Common (2.64) in NCAA hockey and the third-best Save Proportion (.908). Raeder additionally earned first crew All-American honors, making 1973-74 the primary UNH season with two All-People.

The 1973-74 season was Head Coach Charlie Holt‘s sixth season behind the UNH bench. By season’s finish, he earned the Spencer Penrose Award as NCAA Coach of the 12 months for the second time. He additionally received the award in 1969 and 1979.

Interview

I’m grateful for the chance to interview 1973-74 UNH Captain, 2-time All-American and American Hockey League Corridor of Famer Gordie Clark, through e-mail, about his recollections of the 1973-74 UNH hockey season.

Mike Lowry: What are your most lasting recollections from the 1973-74 common season?

Gordie Clark: As Coach Holt and Coach Norton labored so laborious to mould our crew towards success within the 71/72 and 72/73 seasons, I might clearly see the extent of skating and talent bettering in all positions on our crew. We had 12 gamers returning for the 73/74 yr, and once I noticed the scale, pace, talent and character of the freshman class on the ice, I knew we had one thing particular. Tim Burke, Paul Powers, Jim Harvie, Barry Edgar, Gordie MacRae, Tom Osenton!

WNAC Channel 7 Boston despatched the first girl sports activities anchor, Barbara Borin, to interview me which meant others felt UNH was in for a particular yr. Fairly good strolling round campus on an attractive day with a really sharp 1st girl anchor!

The Worst of Instances

The UNH hockey crew was flying excessive coming into the 1973 Christmas break. On Friday night time, December twenty first, they beat Boston Faculty 5-4 in time beyond regulation on the outdated McHugh Discussion board. With an undefeated report of 6-0-0 within the ECAC and 9-2-0 total, UNH was nationally ranked at #4. A couple of hours after UNH triumphantly skated off the BC ice, unimaginable tragedy struck.

After the BC sport, three UNH gamers from Ontario – Warren Brown (Sophomore Left Wing, Scarborough), Dave Bertollo (Junior Left Wing, Hespeler) and Jim Harvie (Freshman Defenseman, Sarnia) – headed residence for Christmas in Brown’s automotive. At round 1 AM Saturday morning, whereas driving on the Massachusetts Turnpike, they had been rear-ended by a truck. The intense accident resulted within the demise of 19-year-old Warren Brown. Bertollo and Harvie additionally suffered accidents.

“It is awfully laborious for younger males to even comprehend one thing like that, not to mention play championship hockey afterwards.” mentioned New Hampshire’s extremely revered coach, Charlie Holt. The crew misplaced three of their subsequent 4 video games.” The New York Instances, March 10, 1974

Gordie Clark: I’ll always remember the day Coach known as to inform me concerning the crash that took Warren Brown’s life as he, Harv and Bert had been driving residence to Canada on Christmas break. Warren had NHL dimension, energy, character, skating, a bodily edge to his sport and already had 7 objectives in 11 video games! Coach and Assistant Coach Norton stored in contact with all of us and all of us linked to one another.

The Brown household attended a night for Warren, advised us how a lot Warren liked UNH and his teammates, and that Warren would need this crew he liked to proceed our journey.

Resilience

Within the speedy aftermath of the tragedy, UNH’s report fell from 6-0-0 ECAC/9-2-0 General to 6-2-0 ECAC/10-5-0 General. Their nationwide rating dropped from #4 to #6. Needing a spark to get the crew again on monitor, Coach Holt juggled the lineup and created the Clark-Hislop-Cox (C-H-C) line. UNH went on a blistering 10-game win streak, together with 8 ECAC wins, and rocketed up the Nationwide Rankings from #6 to #2. Throughout one 5-game stretch, C-H-C averaged 5 objectives per sport.

Lowry: UNH’s high line with Cliff Cox at middle and also you and Jamie Hislop on the wings, solely began enjoying collectively in early January, 1974. What had been the strengths of every of you and why did the road play so effectively collectively?

Gordie Clark: Clearly, teaching within the AHL and NHL after my enjoying days had been over, I came upon how a lot time coaches spend on placing new traces collectively. I might say it was a 50/50 success fee – some traces by no means made it work and others did. When Coach put Jamie LW, Cliff C and me RW, the road linked instantly, and as soon as that line stays collectively each observe and each sport there’s a sense you develop of simply figuring out the place every of us are on the ice.

Cliff was clearly the middle – good on face-offs, work with the D-men down low in our zone after which as soon as the D received the puck he offered himself so they might move the puck to him and begin the push. All 3 of us had been proper photographs and Jamie was a lot better than me on his backhand to obtain pucks and passing the puck on LW. We might all skate, make performs and rating when the puck was within the “capturing zone.”

With one sport remaining within the 1973-74 common season, UNH was awarded the #1 seed and residential ice for the opening Quarterfinal spherical of the ECAC Playoffs – each for the primary time in crew historical past. That they had misplaced the earlier two video games and had dropped from #2 to #3 nationally.

The ultimate sport towards St. Lawrence was residence at Snively Enviornment. College students ready in line for a pair hours previous to gametime had grow to be routine. The end result would haven’t any impact on UNH’s first-place end within the ECAC standings. St. Lawrence was battling for one of many final playoff berths.

With UNH forward 4-3 early within the last interval, Cap Raeder – arguably the most effective NCAA goalie on the time – suffered a proper ankle harm. He tried to renew play however was unable. Freshman goalie Dan Magnarelli, who’d performed in solely 4 intervals all season, entered the sport. St. Lawrence received 5-4. The uncertainty of Raeder’s enjoying standing for the Quarterfinal sport 5 days away grew to become a darkish cloud hanging over Durham.

1974 ECAC Quarterfinal – Thrilling Highs, Crushing Lows

The New Hampshire, UNH’s student-run newspaper, reported followers beginning to lineup exterior Snively Enviornment’s entrance over 5 hours previous to the doorways opening*. All through the sport “Snively shook with noise because it by no means had earlier than and presumably by no means will once more”.

The melodrama surrounding goalie Cap Raeder’s availability and talent to play started throughout warmups. Frenzied cheers of reduction and enthusiasm greeted his arrival on the ice. Raeder hung in there early within the first interval and Cliff Cox scored to place UNH forward 1-0.

The brutal impression of Raeder’s ankle harm shocked the gang with about 6 minutes left within the opening interval. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers, the eighth seed within the ECAC Playoffs, scored 2 objectives eight seconds aside culminating in 4 objectives over a 1 minute, 20 seconds span. Raeder was accomplished. The immense stress of not permitting any extra RPI objectives shifted to the shoulders of largely untested freshman Magnarelli. The comparable burden of overcoming a 3-goal deficit fell to the gamers in entrance of him.

The primary interval led to an uncommon situation. Two units of matching penalties had been known as, leaving 3 gamers and a goalie for every crew on the ice. The second interval would start with 1 minute and 45 seconds of 3-on-3 hockey with RPI main 4-1.

Lowry: Forty-six seconds into the second interval you, Hislop and Cox scored. A second aim got here 19 seconds later and a 3rd 40 seconds later. The highest-scoring line in ECAC hockey had tied the sport at 4-4 with 3 objectives in 59 seconds. As you watch the replay, what ideas come to thoughts?

Gordie Clark: The primary thought I had once I watched the video of our 3 objectives in 00:59 is when Coach got here within the locker room to clarify the refs placing 2 gamers from every crew within the penalty field for two minutes. Then he mentioned Jamie, Cliff and Gordie will begin! All of us kind of appeared round as a result of usually it’s 2 forwards and 1 defenseman.

Ready for the puck to be dropped Jamie, Cliff and I checked out RPI and so they had 3 defensemen. Coach Holt knew precisely what he was doing – from the drop of the puck we dominated the puck skating ahead, 3 objectives behind, as they skated backwards to defend a 3 aim lead. It could not appear lengthy however a 1:45 shift (45-50 seconds isnormal) skating full out is hard. It reveals Jamie, Cliff and me after every aim with our chests heaving and mouths extensive open respiratory laborious! However as our followers screamed and teammates yelled we simply stored going!

After UNH tied the sport at 4-4, goal-scoring – and UNH followers’ emotions- shifted forwards and backwards. RPI went forward 5-4 on an influence play aim late within the second interval. Cliff Cox answered early within the third, finishing the hat trick. It was his twenty seventh aim in 31 video games. RPI regained the lead with lower than 5 minutes left in regulation.

With the clock ticking perilously near 00:00, UNH’s junior winger Mike Burkart reignited crowd euphoria, tying the sport at 6-6 with 1:37 remaining. Minutes later, UNH and RPI had been headed to time beyond regulation.

An unlikely RPI hero named Rick Smith introduced UNH’s epic season to an finish. The freshman middle, enjoying in solely his eighth school sport, had scored his first aim of the season through the second interval. Only one minute, 38 seconds into time beyond regulation, Smith beat Magnarelli for the second time. Shocked UNH followers, who had cheered on the crew because it rose to school hockey prominence, had been left questioning what might need been.

Lowry: What are your recollections of the loss when it occurred? Have the following 50 years modified your perspective on the that means of your final sport in a UNH jersey?