UNH did indeed beat the Maine Black Bears, 3-2, last night before over
6400 fans (about evenly-divided in loyalties) at the Cumberland County
Civic Center. A goal by Eric Royal off a great feed from Eric Flinton
gave the Wildcats the 3-2 lead early in the second period. It was the
decisive score and also a timely one since it came just under a minute
after Scott Parmentier's goal tied the game for Maine. The two teams then
held each other off the board the rest of the way, a more significant
event for the 'Cats and Trent Cavicchi in the nets, since the Black Bears
began to take full control of the game in the third period. It was to no
avail for them, however, and the Wildcats emerged victorious, aided by
excellent penalty killing at the very end of the game with Blair Allison
pulled, and UNH a man short for the final 1:12.
 
The key sequence in the game came late in the second period when after a
wild scramble in front of the UNH net, the puck ended across the Wildcat
goal line. Referee Bob Fowkes immediatly waved off the goal saying that
the puck had been kicked in. Maine Coach Shawn Walsh took exception to
this interpretation, at one point grabbing a stick and pointing to the
spot (near the heel?) where he claimed it had hit, and thence into the net.
My take on this is that Fowkes may have invoked the now rarely-seen "kick
shot" rule, which disallows a puck which has been propelled into the net
by a stick pushed forward by a kicking motion from being called a legal goal.
It could be that MR. Fowkes just didn't see well enough to *notice* a
stick on the puck at all (thus "kicked in" in his mind), but, I wonder if
that was his call?
 
Anyway, it was an excellent college hockey game with a large and
appreciative crowd however you measure your loyalties.
 
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Robert J. Constantine                | >>  The Corner Man  <<
Chemistry Library                    |
Parsons Hall                         |  "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit
University of New Hampshire          |   of Hockey"
Durham,  NH  03824                   |
(603) 862-1083                       | UNH in '94-'95= Go "Homeless" Cats!
E-mail: [log in to unmask]          |
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