"No, Cats, No"

The losing team got the biggest applause.

In the closing minutes of Saturday's Harvard-Vermont ECAC consolation game--a game Harvard won easily, 7-1--UVM fans stood and cheered.

"Go, Cats, Go," they yelled.

"V-E-R-M-O-N-T," they yelled.

Although the University of Vermont is located over four hours away from Boston, UVM had the largest crowd of any of the four schools participating in the ECAC Final Four.

Harvard, only a subway ride away from Boston Garden, had the smallest.

The Crimson crowd remained as witty as ever, however, Late in the game, the Harvard band pulled out one of its classics. Said the band members: "Hey, Vermont, don't worry, all you need is a touchdown."

In the final moments, as beaten but never bowed Vermont fans screamed, "Go, Cats, Go," the Harvard crowd struck back with "No, Cats, No."

ECAC Trivia question: Name Harvard's four winners of the ECAC MVP Award.

St. Lawrence and Clarkson are located only 10 miles away from each other in upstate New York. But this weekend, the Saints and Golden Knights traveled over 400 miles, only to meet each other in the finals.

One can imagine the letters home:

"Dear Grannie:

"We travel over seven hours to Boston and wind up playing Clarkson. Couldn't they have just let us stay home?

"Havin' fun. Love ya, Pete."

"Dear Grannie-poo:

"Guess what? We played St. Lawrence in the finals. We lost, like we did those two other times. Now, it's back on that stupid bus. I had fun in Boston, but it's such a long haul. Should have just let us play in Potsdam.

"Keep smilin' like you always do. Love and big hugs, Johnny."

SLU's Pete Lappin and Clarkson's John Fletcher played a big role in getting their teams to the finals. But that doesn't make the bus ride home any more comfortable.

Vermont fans continued their tradition of lifting up newspapers during the introduction of the opposing team...Clarkson has qualified for 25 of 26 ECAC Tournaments, but has won only one...In the inaugural tournament in 1962, St. Lawrence beat Clarkson, 5-2...Faces in the crowd: Brown Coach Herb Hammond, Yale Coach Tim Taylor, Cornell Coach Brian McCutcheon.

Trivia answer: Gene Kinasewich (1963), Dave Hynes (1971), Mitch Olson (1983) and Lane MacDonald (1987).

Past ECAC Champions

1987 Harvard

1986 Cornell

1985 RPI

1984 RPI

1983 Harvard

1982 Northeastern

1981 Providence

1980 Cornell

1979 New Hampshire

1978 Boston College

1977 Boston University

1976 Boston University

1975 Boston University

1974 Boston University

1973 Cornell

1972 Boston University

1971 Harvard

1970 Cornell

1969 Cornell

1968 Cornell

1967 Cornell

1966 Clarkson

1965 Boston College

1964 Providence

1963 Harvard

1962 St. Lawrence