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Sunday, March 14, 2004
Maine needs late rally to bounce Merrimack
By KEVIN THOMAS, Portland Press Herald Writer
Copyright 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
HOCKEY EAST PLAYOFFS
HOCKEY EAST PLAYOFFS
FleetCenter
Semifinals
Friday: Massachusetts vs. New Hampshire, 5 p.m.
UMaine vs. Boston University, 8 p.m.
TV: NESN
Final Saturday, 7 p.m.
ORONO -- With the University of Maine trailing 2-0 to Merrimack, it did not look like a good night for the top seeds in Hockey East. But the Black Bears rallied for three goals, two in the third period, to beat the Warriors 3-2 Saturday night at Alfond Arena and sweep their Hockey East quarterfinal series, 2-0.
Todd Jackson scored the winner when he skated in on goalie Jim Healey and then swatted in his own rebound at 7:43 of the third period. John Ronan and Colin Shields also scored for Maine. The Black Bears outshot Merrimack, 36-11.
Second-seeded Maine (28-7-3) advances to the semifinals Friday against surprising No. 8-seed Boston University (12-16-9). The Terriers downed No. 1 Boston College 4-2 Saturday to win their series, 2-1.
The other semifinal game Friday will be between No. 3 Massachusetts and No. 4 New Hampshire.
Merrimack dropped to 11-19-6, and is 0-12 in Hockey East playoff games in the last six years.
But the Warriors gave Maine plenty of trouble in losing two one-goal games (2-1 on Friday night).
"We wanted to give ourselves an opportunity to win, and we did that both games," Merrimack Coach Chris Serino said. "We just didn't get it done. It's tough enough to keep them out of the net without giving them easy ones."
Serino referred to the two Maine goals in the third period, both courtesy of Merrimack breakdowns.
Ronan tied it at 2:15 of the third period on a short-handed effort. Healey lost his stick, but the Warriors were moving the puck up. Defenseman Eric Pederson retrieved Healey's stick. But as he was handing it back to Healey, Ben Murphy stole the puck and fed Ronan. He blistered a shot from the high slot, over Healey's shoulder.
"I lost my stick and there was just a lot of confusion, basically," Healey said. "Mistakes happen and that was a pretty big one."
Ronan has a knack for big goals - the winner last week against Boston College, and two years ago in the NCAA playoffs. He soon saw his chance again.
"I looked up and saw him handing off a stick. It was amazing," Ronan said. "I just stepped in and ripped it."
Jackson's score came when Derek Damon won a faceoff in the Warriors' zone and defenseman Mike Lundin passed it over to Jackson.
"All our guys were tying up their whole team, so I had a clear lane to the net," Jackson said. "The goalie kicked it right back to me and I put it in far side."
Merrimack took a 2-0 lead on its first six shots. Maine outshot the Warriors 12-4 in the first period, but trailed 1-0 when Brendon Clark lifted a backhand over goalie Frank Doyle's glove at 17:05.
"The guy had plenty of time and maybe I should have been more aggressive," Doyle said.
On the Warriors' first power play of the game, Maine made a rare penalty-kill miscue as both forwards charged toward defenseman Bryan Schmidt at the point. Schmidt zipped the puck down to wide-open Tony Johnson in the left circle. Johnson ripped in a shot under Doyle's arm at 7:19 of the second period. At the time, Maine was outshooting Merrimack, 16-6.
Maine got its third power play when Eric Pedersen hit Matt Greyeyes in the head at 11:33. As the power play ended, Maine was still pressuring. With Prestin Ryan causing havoc in front of the net, Shields took a pass from Jackson in the left circle, firing a shot by Healey at 12:39.
Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:
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