At 8:50 AM -0500 12/2/1997, Cathy Hart wrote:
> Here is a view point I had this emailed to me privately, with the exception
> of the name here is the text:
>
> "Yikes...I was with UNH people when it occurred (Mowers hit) and spoke
> with the doctors that immediately attended to him.  Also spoke with
> people right down on the ice who witnessed the whole thing.....  Ben
> started his move with force and Mowers TURNED his back on him...Guite
> could not stop, his momentum and size prevented it...he was  NOT
> penalized  further as the refs did not feel he could stop and did not
> feel it was intentional.
 
Not sure what not being penalized further means because he did apparently
get the gate.  That seems to reflect the referee's view that it was a
flagrant violation as defined by the rules.
 
I know some UNH folks wanted the league to hand down additional penalties.
But I can't recall an instance in which this has occurred other than in
brawl situations.  However, I do recall that after the 1989
Northeastern-Merrimack brawl, one Northeastern player was suspended
indefinitely (wound up being a couple of months) for intent to injure...but
this could have been imposed by the school, again I'm not sure.
 
Now, as for the hit...it isn't unheard of for players to be hurt and
hitting from behind to be called when a player is unable to stop his
momentum and hits an opponent who turns his back at the last second.  If
this was clear, then it does go down in Guite's favor.  It also points out
why it is not so easy to do something to "stop" these hits as some have
called for.  In some cases a player has someone lined up for what would
have been a clean hit and then the opponent turns the wrong way at the last
instant.  I don't know what you can do about that.
 
And again, I didn't see it, so I can't say if this is really what happened
or not.  All I know is I have seen things like that before, so I can
believe it is possible.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                [log in to unmask]               *HMM* 11/13/93
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