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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