Sioux Ambush Icemen's Title Hopes

DETROIT--Something wasn't quite right. Harvard had just scored its second goal of the game at Joe Louis Arena, but something wasn't quite right.

As always, the players congratulated one another in front of the net. The band played "10,000 Men of Harvard" to celebrate the tally.

Adam's Ribbings

But once the band had completed its song, nothing but silence emanated from the Harvard rooting section. For the first time in memory, Crimson hockey fans didn't bludgeon the opposing goalie with cries of "sieve, sieve, sieve."

It wasn't that Harvard fans weren't supportive of their team--they wouldn't have paid $120 to fly to Detroit if they weren't.

They were just shocked.

The University of North Dakota had launched a two-pronged attack at Harvard. The Crimson supporters responded with silence.

The first attack came on the ice. Harvard was losing a contest by a three-goal margin for the first time in 75 games, and it was difficult to know how to respond.

By the time Harvard scored its second goal, the game--and the dream of a national championship--had died. Suddenly, the same taunts that the same Harvard boosters had directed at Bowling Green fans last weekend didn't seem so funny.

"Your season's over."

The second attack came in the stands. Plain and simple, the UND fans hammered the Crimson boosters into sub-mission.

After watching their performance against Bowling Green, one would have thought that Crimson fans could cut it with the best.

But WCHA fans play in a different league altogether. The Fighting Sioux have serious fans, pardner.

Granted, UND rooters aren't the first to get gussied up in green from head to toe at gametime--other fans have paid similar homage to their school colors. And the electric guitar in the UND band may be original--but not quite earth-shaking.

But the most amazing aspect of North Dakota fandom was singled out immediately by one Harvard booster: "What the hell is this? I've been going to games for four years, and I've never seen cheerleaders before."

Don't misunderstand me. These cheerleaders weren't like Bright's Favorite, Big A1.

These cheerleaders were like the ones you can find at your average high school football game. The eight-woman ensemble actually performed a dance routine between periods.

On the ice.

Harvard fans may be cheerful, even witty. But there's no way to compete against a show like that.

So, for the first time in a long, long while, Harvard fans were reduced to a state of stunned silence.

As the game ended, the Harvard fans gave the Harvard hockey team a standing ovation.

A perfect touch at the end of an imperfect evening.

And after being so defeated on so many fronts, were the fans pleased that they had trekked to Detroit?

"Oh yes," one said. "As much as anything, this is to say thanks to them. It's not often you get a 28-5 team."