Fans at the sold-out Cumberland County Civic Center sat on their hands 
for 50 minutes wondering how their Maine team could be ranked so highly 
and why they were playing more like the Lewiston Maineiacs that the 
Black Bears from Orono.

Brown had scored just 1 minute into the 2nd period and was leading 1-0 
when the play of the game (my play of the game at least!) happened at 
5:36 of the 3rd period: Greg Moore hit Pete LeCain from behind and into 
the boards, snapping LeCain's head back.  You could have heard a pin 
drop ... and Moore immediately knew what he had unintentionally done.  
LeCain would recover and play a shift or 2 later, and Brown would wear 
out the ice at the Maine end of the rink.

But Maine has a tremendous penalty kill, and would work some magic to 
kill the entire 5 minutes.

Now I say the hit was the play of the game because Maine players stepped 
up to play hard during those 5 minutes and would score the tieing goal a 
half a minute later, playing at a furious pace.  Maine would keep up 
that pace for the final 9 minutes, scoring the winning goal at 15:24, 
and just missing an empty net goal near the end of game.

My stars of the game:

Maine - Matt Lundin, Rob Bellamy and Travis Wight.  I'd give some 
honorable mentions, but the team-play through much of the game was not 
good. 

Brown - Jeff Prough, Paul Crosty, and Kevin Kliman.  Honorable mention: 
Matt Vokes (just because), Pete LeCain (because he shook off an awful 
hit to come back to play), and Ryan Garbutt (because he puts up with 
that awful last name and because his charging the goalie penalty 
appeared to be caused by a push from a Maine player).

This and that ---

* Both Maine and Brown killed all 7 of their power plays.

* Maine has GOT to work on the play when a lone Maine defender has to 
cover on a 2-on-1 break.Twice tonight (one yielded the Brown goal) and 
in previous games the Maine defender has been stuck out in no-man's 
land, covering neither the puck carrier, off-wing, nor passing lane.  
Strange that such a tremendous defensive squad would do this so 
consistently (poorly).  (Nota bene: I don't know which side of the puck 
is up).

* The pre-game Maine reception seemed a great success as the fairly 
large room was packed with a couple of hundred Maine fans (and the Maine 
Pep Band).

* Coach Whitehead was reported to promise, at the reception, Maine would 
come out early with a jump in their skates.  By my account he was mistaken.

* It was great fun to tour the CCCC during pre-game and 1st intermission 
seeing and visiting with so many familiar Maine fans.

* The game was a 6661 sellout, with standing room tickets sold.

* Rob Bellamy seems to love to hit, and it's a fan favorite!

* Was the last 10 minutes of excellent Maine play due to Maine or 
Brown?  I think Maine, but maybe Brown tired or maybe they were affected 
by the major penalty or failure of their power play?

* Every game it seems there's one play where I don't understand the 
rules, despite having watched college hockey for 27 years (admission: 
I've NOT watched hockey for more years than I've watched it).  This 
games play came at 19:58 of the third period.  At even strength and with 
the Brown goalie pulled for an extra skater, Maine shoots for the goal 
and misses, with the puck passing through the goalie's crease and 
hitting the side of the goal cage.  Icing was called.  Why was icing 
called when the puck went through the crease?   Answer: the puck 
traveling through the crease doesn't matter, it's still icing if it 
passes the goal line (and doesn't go in the net).  Maybe it did years 
ago or in another time warp?

* It was my very great pleasure to view the game with my son Justin and 
Eric Fenton's parents.  Nonni: they asked about you and John!    Eric is 
managing a youth hockey league and helping coach a women's hockey high 
school team.  He has 3 kids ... 4, 4 and 3 years old.  Garth Snow is a 
new proud dad with his first child.  Remember surrogate families?  The 
Fenton's sure do, and quite fondly, thank you. :-)

cheers, wayne