Some "suspension" ...   Darling suits up as the backup in Friday's game 
and plays Saturday.  The PPH article lists missing a team workout as the 
violation of team rules.  Maybe coach sympathized with his excuse?

Friday's game was pretty exciting for an MC game!  Saturday's game was a 
real snoozer, but for a few early game odd-man MC breaks, the lone Maine 
goal, an event that had the referees talking for the remainder of the 
game, and a post-game fight where pairs of Maine and MC combatants were 
put in the penalty box for the duration of the post-game handshake 
(penalties assessed were 2-minute roughing).   Someone should teach the 
(HEA) "Hanson brothers" the NCAA definition of a fight. :-(  Besides the 
"fights", several players tugged and danced.  Simon was one of several 
people trying to make peace.  More than one MC player looked up at him 
and went elsewhere for their post-game recreation.

The event that got the referees talking seemed one that caught the 
officials unprepared: one of the 2 linesmen went down with a leg injury 
and could not continue.   You'd think the NCAA or HEA might have 
contingency plans for this, but if they did, they were well hidden.  
Several off-sides calls were made/not made from 20-30 feet away.  After 
a considerable time, they seemed to settle in to what was essentially a 
2-man referee crew with a linesman around to drop the puck and call the 
trailing blue line.    If anyone saw what they were doing (more 
accurately), please report!

The game was so dull and the building so quiet that at one point radio 
color analyst Larry Mahoney said "Shhhh!".  When announcer Dan Hannigan 
stopped talking, Larry said, in effect: "Don't talk too loud, Dan, you 
might wake someone up!"  It wasn't so much a slam on the fans as a 
comment on the game.  Dan, halfway into the game, reported the game 
score at 0-0 and commented "you haven't missed a thing".   It wasn't one 
of those team scrimmage efforts; players were trying.  MC was just very 
effective at keeping Maine far, far away from scoring chances.  I'm 
guessing Maine had more shots blocked by the defense than by the MC Goalie.

In an effort to free Maine's first line for scoring chances, Maine 
matched MC's first line with a checking line.  Maine's first line (and 
power play) spent considerable time in the MC zone, but with no goals to 
show for it.

Still a win and a tie was a better result than the split I thought might 
happen.  Go blue!

cheers, wayne


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> MAINE'S DARLING SUSPENDED
> http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2008/11/21_maines.php
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