In an upset, Mass Amherst defeated host Boston College 5-4 in the
Hockey East First Round.
 
#9 UMA will travel to Orono to meet #1 Maine, Saturday night at 8 pm.
The winner will advance to the HE semifinals at the Boston Garden.
NESN will have the game live.
 
The Minutemen never led in the game until sophomore defenseman Dale
Hooper's shot from the point deflected in off a BC player with 1:51
left.  The goal was only Hooper's 3rd of the year and came on a power
play.  The BC penalty that caused the power play was the only penalty
called in the last 26:38 of play.  It was an obvious penalty, but BC
might be right to be upset at the call since Hooper had gotten away
with a clear board/hit from behind perhaps a minute earlier.  It was
certainly a very tough way for BC to lose.
 
It was a seesaw battle with BC scoring, then UMA, and so on as the
game was tied 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, and 4-4.  UMA's Rob Bonneau had tied the
game at 12:39 of the second period on a big goal that came just 14
seconds after BC had taken a 4-3 lead, and there was no more scoring
until Hooper's goal.
 
The game was very evenly played.  A key for UMA was holding BC to only
six shots and no goals in the final period, as their defense played
very well tonight led by Hooper.  He was named the game's #3 star, but
I would have made him my first star.  He anchored the point well on
the power play (2 for 5) and broke up several dangerous plays in his
own end.
 
Mike Evans, Tom Perry, and Jon Jacques each added a goal and an assist
for UMA.  BC's Jamie O'Leary had a goal and two assists, and Ryan
Haggerty had two assists.
 
Another key was that although BC led four times, they were never able
to establish a two-goal lead that would have put the young Minutemen
in a deep hole.  Each time that BC went ahead, UMA hung in there and
got the equalizer before long.  UMA coach Joe Mallen did a good job of
keeping his team focused.
 
Neither goalie particularly shone tonight.  Brian Regan made 20 saves
for UMA, and Greg Taylor turned aside 21 for BC.
 
With the BC students on break, the attendance was very small,
officially 723 (capacity 7,884).  The game was not shown on tv.
 
The win was only UMA's 6th of the year (6-27-2).  BC finishes the
season at 11-22-2.  This was the Minutemen's second victory over BC
this season, as UMA defeated BC 5-3 back on January 7th.  It was their
first win ever at BC, as the Eagles took both of their regular season
home games with UMA.
 
Ironically, the two schools that have entered HE as expansion teams
since the league was formed have both played BC in their opening round
HE series, and both posted wins against the Eagles.  Merrimack lost a
best of three quarterfinal to then #1 BC in 1990, but Merrimack posted
a 6-3 win in the second game of that series.
 
However, Merrimack has never won a HE playoff series, and now UMA has.
Congratulations to the UMA staff and players for a well-earned win
that has to mean a lot after the tough opening season they have had.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93