In a game played Saturday night at the Volpe Complex at Merrimack, the Warriors
stunned the Western Michigan Broncos 5 to 3.
 
Western Michigan opened the scoring at 7:24 of the first period.  Tom Auge
scored from Colin Ward and Pat Ferschweiler.
 
Western Michigan made it two to nothing at 18:07 of the first period.  Pat
Ferschweiler scored an unassisted goal.
 
Merrimack cut the lead to 2 to 1 at 4:33 of the second.  Howie Rosenblatt
picked up a loose puck in a scramble and put the puck in the net.  The assists
went to Cooper Naylor and Doug Greschuck.
 
Western Michigan made it three to one.  I apologize, I missed the second assist
on this goal, but it was scored by Tom Auge.  One assist went to Pat
Ferschweiler.  It was scored at 5:05 of the second period.
 
Merrimack cut the lead to 3 to 2 at 12:43 of the second period.  Jeff Massey t
took a Teal Fowler feed off of a face off, and put it by Western Michigan
goalie Mike Power.
 
Merrimack tied the game in the third period.  Rob Atkinson scored a fluke goal.
It bounced off the goalie's stick and through his pads.  The puck was shot from
behind the net.  It prompted this Merrimack fan to say it's about time one went
our way!  The assist went to Matt Hentges.  It was scored at 7:09.
 
Merrimack iced the game with two shorthanded goals, on the same penalty.
Doug Greschuck was whistled off for holding at 7:48.  At 8:16 Howie Rosenblatt
scored on a slap shot from the face off circle.  The assist went to Agostino
Casale.  Then at 9:32, with Greschuck still in the box, Rob Atkinson fired a
shot that trickled by Mike Power.  Dan Gravelle got the loose puck and fired
it in the empty net for a five to three lead.  Atkinson got the only assist.
 
The shots were:
 
Western Michigan     9   10   8     27
Merrimack            7   12   6     25
 
Scoring:
 
Western Michigan     2     1     0       3
Merrimack            0     2     3       5
 
Saves:
 
Gosselin (Merrimack)   7   9   6      22
Power (West. Mich.)    7  10   5      22
 
Some comments:
 
The game was full  of penaltys.  I just fit them all on my program.  For the
third straight game, Rob Atkinson played a good game.  He could be a good
star for Merrimack.
 
The Western Michigan Coach Bill Wilkinson surprised me by not pulling Power w
with his team down 5 to  3 in the final minute.
 
Merrimack found a way to stop Mike Eastwood.  Not an easy task.
 
Merrimack may have found a temporary answer to their goaltending problem,
Yannick Gosselin played quite well in his first start of the year.
 
Tonight was Merrimack's head coach Ron Anderson's 150th win.  His coaching mark
is 150-88-6 in seven years.
 
Also tonight, a moment of silence was held in honor of the University of New
Hampshire coach, who died suddenly either Friday night or Saturday morning.
 
Kevin Yetman
Merrimack College
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