What Joe Nieuwendyk Is Missing...

With a 3-2 victory over Minnesota Monday night that clinched the WCHA post-season title, Wisconsin became the first team this year to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Playing in the unfriendly confines of St. Paul. Minn., the Badgers (28-12-1) thumped the Gophers (32-8) with three second-period goals. The goals, scored by Dennis Snedden. Paul Raheim and Tony Scheid, snapped Minnesota goalie Robb Stauber's three-game shutout streak.

In the WCHA consolation game, defending national champion North Dakota (21-20-1) breezed past Minnesota-Duluth (19-20-2). 6-0. With the NCAA tournament expanded this year to include 12 teams. North Dakota still has a chance to enter the tournament as the third team from the WCHA.

A .667 Hitter: Harvard freshman Ted Donato likes the power play. Both his goals against RPI Saturday night were power-play tallies. In fact, of Donato's nine goals this year, six have come during power-play situations.

Those Other Leagues: The CCHA will hold its semifinals this weekend at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.

Two teams familiar to Harvard--Michigan St. (24-13-3) and Bowling Green (26-11-2)--will square off in the first game. Lake Superior St. (29-5-6), the playoff favorite, will take on Western Michigan (22-15-3) in the other semifinal contest.

In that other Eastern hockey league. Providence (13-16-5) and Maine (29-6-2), the nation's top-ranked team, will close out their two-game series tonight. Lowell (19-15-1) travels to Matthews Arena tonight and tomorrow. Where host Northeastern (17-11-4) waits.

The Hockey East title game is slated for March 14 at Boston Garden.

Joltin' Joe: As Clarkson was defeating Cornell at Lynah Rink in Saturday's night mini-game. Big Red Coach Brian McCutcheon probably wished that Joe Nieuwendyk could have hung around Ithaca for just one more year.

Nieuwendyk, last year's ECAC Player of the Year, decided to turn pro and play for the Calgary Flames. In 67 games for Calgary, Joltin' Joe has been one hot Big Red Flame. He has scored 46 goals, the fourth best mark in the NHL, and has dished out 34 assists for a total of 80 points.

The Flames are not complaining. With the star rookie, Calgary (39-21-7) is in first place in the Smythe Division and has already clinched a playoff spot.

Rough Players Institute: You have to question the style of play Mike Addesa's Engineers practiced during last weekend's ECAC quarterfinal series with Harvard.

RPI is an aggressive squad. Nothing wrong with that. But the Engineers consistently kept hitting, shoving and kicking way after the whistle blew. And it wasn't just one player, it was the entire team.

It has been rumored that RPI administrators will conduct on-campus hearing tests next week.

ECAC Final Four: Some quickie ECAC Final Four stats:

.Harvard and St. Lawrence are the only two teams from last year to repeat as Final Four participants. Last year in the championship game, the Crimson defeated the Saints, 6-3.

.Vermont has never won an ECAC Championship.

Clarkson has made the most post-season appearances (26) but has managed to capture only one title.

.Harvard has the most ECAC playoff wins (35) of all four teams.

.Before winning its quarterfinal series against Colgate, Vermont had posted a 2-6-1 playoff record.

.This is Harvard's 20th appearance in the ECAC playoffs. It is St. Lawrence's 15th appearance.

.The Crimson has captured more post-season titles (four) than the other three teams combined.

.The last time St. Lawrence met Vermont in the playoffs was in a quarterfinal series last year. In the two games, the Saints outscored the Catamounts. 12-1.

.The last time Harvard faced Clarkson in the playoffs was in the 1986 ECAC semifinals at the Garden. The Golden Knights, aided by a Luciano Borsato empty-net goal, defeated the favored Crimson, 4-2.