I'm surprised at how little has been said about the Maine vs. Michigan
game.  Maybe that's because some feel there is nothing worth saying.

There was some good and some bad but overall I echo the comments that
Maine played well.  Al Montoya was the difference of that game, and I
think you also have to say the home crowd might have made a difference
as well.  In a 2-1 game, can a home crowd not make a difference?

I thought Maine gave Michigan more of a challenge than Colorado College
did.

The good.. Maine competed well.  For the most part they did play smart
and didn't turn the puck over too badly.  Frank Doyle got the start in
net and played well.  Maybe he didn't control his rebounds as great as
we might like, but I still don't think he can really be faulted on
either of the two goals.  I think the consensus was that Doyle *should*
start, but many thought Whitehead would go with Howard.  He surprises
us again.  Good decision.

The bad..  Prestin Ryan and his continued affinity for the sin bin.
The cross-check after the first Michigan goal was especially classy,
fortunately a Michigan player retaliated.  Prestin did not build on his
great 2002 NCAA Tournament this year and needs to really pull it
together this off-season.

Compare Prestin to Freddy Meyer at BU, another guy who likes the
penalty box.  If Prestin is going to be taking those penalties, we need
the kind of performance from him that Meyer gives BU on the PP and with
his offensive abilities.  We saw last year that Prestin does have that
ability.

I thought the penalty that set up the game-winning goal (and the goal
itself) was typical of this season for Maine.  The Michigan player went
wide and the defenseman was beat and just leaned into him until they
both went down.  Maine's defense has proven their inexperience and here
it was in the most critical of moments.. allowing yourself to be beat
wide so you have to take a penalty late in the game.  The penalty was
legit I guess, but that defensemen shouldn't have been in that position
in the first-place.

And the game-winning goal itself, the puck deflects just at the right
moment to the wrong person.. bang.. game over.

There is a thought in hockey that you create your own luck, and Maine
certainly did not do that in the latter half of the season.  But they
did work hard and do more things right than wrong on Saturday, but they
did not get the bounces.  Michigan gets two, good, lucky bounces and
convert.  Robert Liscak has a breakaway and hits the post, the puck
bounces along the entire length of the goalline without going in.  No
luck.

Marty and Colin Shields made a great play to tie the game and I give
Maine A TON OF CREDIT for coming back and for not falling apart when
they went down 1-0.  I thought that they did show the heart we have
been looking for, but the late goal was just too much to overcome.

I honestly didn't expect a win and I am happy that Maine played well in
the game.

We will have the whole offseason to discuss the future of Maine hockey
and I think there are some really scary things that have been seen this
year.  With so many seniors, Maine will turn over a lot for next year,
but at least will have solid goaltending to build from.  I for one do
not think that the turnover is bad, because this year was an atypical
year for the program and I'd just as soon have it be forgotten.




=====
Deron Treadwell -- [log in to unmask]
http://www.blackbears.net

GOD BLESS OUR BRAVE SOLIDERS!