Once Again, the French Don't Show Up

I want to take you back to March 24, 2012.  That day, the second day of the Wockey Pool had wrapped up and as I sat down to my computer to update the Wockey world, I typed the following:

“Far, far from the college hockey venues of America, sitting in a posh loft on the western end of Paris sits an elegant young lady, sipping a martini, watching the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower, quietly laughing to herself as the thought of leading the Wockey Pool crosses her mind.  This woman attended UW-Madison, lived for a while in Boston, yet college hockey only appears on her radar once a year when she placates her cousin by participating in his silly, little Wockey Pool or Le Piscine Wockey as they would call it in France if anyone in France actually cared.  I can see her filling out her bracket now--she picked Ferris State to go to the Frozen Four because she thinks Matthew Broderick is cute.  She chose Union because that's the side she would have supported in the Civil War (the American one--not the French one).  Her name is Elena Luoto Meister.  She knows less about college hockey than you or I.  And she just might end up taking all of our money.”

On that day in 2012, after two days of Wockey, Elena Luoto Meister led the Wockey Pool.  On this day, March 30, 2013, after two days of the 2013 Wockey Pool, Ms. Meister has flubbed her way into Wockey history.

For the first time in the seven years of the Wockey Pool, we have a bracket that has scored ZERO points.  I’m no math whiz, but I’m fairly confident that is a record that will never be broken.

Perhaps distracted by the child she’s preparing to welcome to the world less than two months from now, Elena somehow managed to select all eight games incorrectly in the first round of the tournament.  As mentioned above, she lives in France, so perhaps this is all her way of sticking it to us American-types.  Nevertheless, whether intentional or not, Elena Meister is your 2013 Wockey Puckhead!

In honor of her history-making blunder, Elena will receive this all-too-appropriate t-shirt!



Now her new little girl will be able to instantly see what type of sad, pathetic loser bore her into this world.  In fact, I’d be surprised if baby Meister’s first word isn’t “Puckhead”.  Well done, Elena!  And by “well done” I mean “horribly done”!

While we’re on the subject of losers, several more brackets entered the “not this year” category after another day of slaughter for the favorites.  20 brackets had North Dakota winning the NCAA title.  18 had Boston College.  Another 15 went for Notre Dame.  All three fell on Saturday.  As a matter of fact, with two games still left to play in the second round only 42 brackets still have their champion pick intact.

As for the few who are doing well, eight brackets have Massachusetts-Lowell winning the tournament, a positive after the River Hawks advanced to the Frozen Four.  However Yale, which upset Minnesota and North Dakota to reach the Frozen Four was picked to win it all by zero people (which if you haven’t been paying attention is the same number of picks Elena Meister got correct).  In fact, only four Wockeyites even picked the Bulldogs to reach the Frozen Four, and only one, Tim Evanson, has them making it to the final.

So that brings us to our leaders after day two.  Julie Hegland, Jason Kuss, Brian Ringham, and Jason Sturm all lead the pool with 26 points.  Sturm’s pick to win, Minnesota, is out.  The other three have champion picks who are slated to play tomorrow.  What I’m saying is that this could all look very, very different after tomorrow’s games are played.

Those who have been around the pool know that last year was an anomaly in the sense that many of the games played out according to the seeds.  The fun and excitement of the Wockey Pool and the NCAA Hockey tournament occurs when things shake out the way they have this year.  After Boston College was knocked out tonight, we were assured that we will have a first-time NCAA champion.  With apologies to Wockey favorite Wichita State, it is so rare to see surprises like these in sports anymore.  It’s refreshing that in college hockey, this type of thing happens nearly every year.

So if you haven’t tuned in yet, now is the time to get on board!  If you’d like to catch the two games tomorrow, the first--St. Cloud State vs. Miami--will air on ESPNU and online at ESPN3 at 3:00 CT.  The second--Union vs. Quinnipiac--will air only on ESPNU at 5:30.  St. Cloud is looking to join Yale as four-seeds to make the Frozen Four while Union is a 3-seed.  Also, St. Cloud State is the alma mater of your favorite Wockey commissioner.  Frankly, we could use all the support we could get considering that most of us killed so many brain cells in college that we now think half our team looks like Jesus.

For one more day this weekend, Wockey on!

Your Glorified, Horrified, Dora-fied Wockey Commish,

Alex