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Saturday, March 13, 2004
Defense keeps Maine afloat
By KEVIN THOMAS, Portland Press Herald Writer
Copyright 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
TODAY'S GAME
TODAY'S GAME
Who: Maine (27-7-3) vs. Merrimack (11-18-6)
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Alfond Arena, Orono
Series: Maine leads, 1-0
ORONO -- Another odd-man rush had the Alfond Arena crowd on its feet, cringing. But there was Prestin Ryan in the middle of two Merrimack players, swatting away the pass.
The University of Maine began its postseason push Friday night, and the Black Bears did it with defense. They got outplayed often, but still held Merrimack to 15 shots and beat the Warriors, 2-1.
Maine (27-7-3) took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three Hockey East quarterfinal series. Game 2 is tonight at 7.
Colin Shields scored both goals for Maine - one short-handed, the other four-on-four. Goalie Jimmy Howard and his teammates withstood an aggressive Merrimack attack.
"I don't know how many chances they had, but they definitely pinned us in our zone," Ryan said. "We didn't get our wings back, and the (defensemen) have to move quicker, too.
"But we came out harder in the third period, put our foot down and got down to business."
Maine limited Merrimack (11-18-6) to four shots in the third period. Howard gave up a power-play goal in the first period but shut down the Warriors from then on. Howard has not allowed an even-strength goal in nine games.
Maine outshot the Warriors 27-15, but Maine Coach Tim Whitehead was not pleased. Plays like Ryan breaking up a two-on-one were needed too often.
"I thought they outworked us and we got very lucky," Whitehead said. "I still don't think we won the loose pucks that we should have won.
"On the positive side, we improved as the game went on. And we got the win - that's another positive."
Conversely, Merrimack Coach Chris Serino liked his team's effort, despite the loss.
"We played the way we wanted to play," Serino said, shaking his head. "Territorially, it was an even game. We just didn't put the puck to the net. We just got too fancy with it. We got to throw everything we can at this kid (Howard)."
Maine took a short-lived 1-0 lead while killing a penalty. Michel Leveille batted the puck off a defenseman's stick at the Black Bears' blue line, and Shields took off with it. Skating in untouched, Shields snapped a shot over Jim Healey's glove at 7:29.
It was the third time this year that Leveille and Shields have teamed for a short-handed goal, Maine's 11th of the season.
But Merrimack was still on the power play, and the Warriors scored at 8:34. Tim Reidy freed himself briefly in the left circle and beat Howard over his glove with a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced in.
Merrimack played a defensive first period (shots were 5-5), but the Warriors got good scoring chances. With two minutes left in the period, Howard slid over to stop Jordan Black's one-timer, and also his rebound.
The Black Bears moved ahead in the second period. Defenseman Tom Zabkowicz sent the puck into the zone. Shields picked it up at the bottom of the left circle and swept it under Healey's stick at 13:43.
Merrimack had only six shots in the second period but had two two-on-one rushes. Both times, the Maine defense (Mike Lundin, then Ryan) broke it up.
Maine got its fourth power play late in the second period. Merrimack's Matt Johnson had a short-handed breakaway, but Howard stoned him.
In the third period, Merrimack's chances dried up. Even when the Warriors pulled Healey with one minute remaining, they could not get another shot on net.
"They played well," Howard said. "We were just one goal better."
Tonight, Maine is expected to go with Frank Doyle in goal.
NOTES: Maine is now 4-0 against Merrimack this year and 44-8-4 all-time against the Warriors.
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