First of all, thanks to Mike Machnik for helping rectify a problem some
had with sending me mail.  It's somewhat interesting to me how some have
NO problems sending me mail while others do.  Hopefully, everybody can
contact me now!!
 
In regards to the Lowell-Merrimack rivalry, I, too, would like to see in
rekindled.  I think part of the reason that I consider BU to be my "most
hated" team is due to the success they've have against us.  (Lowell has
only beaten the Terriers twice in their history).  Many times Lowell has
outplayed BU, and has lost (this may be biased) on a fluke play, cheap
call, etc.  [Although the vast majority of the time BU was just a far
superior team]  Up until this season I was starting to wonder if there
really was a jinx.  In my eyes, as a Lowell die-hard and BU-hater (ok,
strong disliker), the Lowell win at Tulley this year was one of the
greatest, if not the greatest, wins in Lowell's Division 1 history.  I had
waited a long time for that win and I was really emotional after it was
over.
 
I was just a casual observer of Lowell's glory D2 days and had never been
to a game.  (I started becoming a college hockey junkie during Lowell's
2nd D1 year). But I have heard the fantastic stories that Mike related to.
 I have a good friend who's brother played on two of Lowell's championship
teams and she tells me the same sort of stories.  Brawls in the parking
lots, in the stands, ticket lines a mile long, fans sitting ON TOP OF THE
REFRESHMENT stands and just general nuttiness!!  The Merrimack fans would
all throw tennis balls on the ice after their first goal (I believe this
tradition still exists to a lesser degree) and the Lowell fans would all
turn away from the ice when the Merrimack team came out, etc.
 
Part of the reason that I think this rivalry has diminished is something
that Mike touched upon.  Since both programs "went south" in the recent
years fan interest greatly diminished.  I've been to Lowell games in
recent years that only had a few hundred people.  As much as I HATE
fair-weather fans, they're out there, and if a team's not winning then
people won't put their fannies in the seats.
 
At the time of the heated rivarly, both teams were at the top of Division
2.  The thinking among Lowell backers was that in order for the team to
gain respectability among the D2 elite, it had to beat Merrimack.  I
believe (I may be wrong) that it was Merrimack that Lowell beat for it's
first nat'l title.
 
Another thing that may have toned things down a bit is the school's
decision (in moving to D1) to "tone" things down.  With the move to D1,
the school wanted to make games more of a "family" affair and tried to
eliminate the "wild men" and other sorts of rowdy antics.  Could this be
the same at Merrimack.  It's great that we alums and locals can go to see
games and follow our teams, but it's having a large, nutty student body at
the games that make the "atmosphere".  (E.g.  Duke basketball, etc..).
Both schools should make an effort to get the kids back in the seats as
well as the townies.  [I've been told that the UML school paper gives
hardly any press to the team].
 
Enough ramblings for now, I'll save some for later.............
 
 
 
 
 
**************************************************************************
Steve Weisfeldt                                   Go Chiefs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Univ. of Lowell (now UMASS-Lowell)  1986, 1988    (Go River Hawks????)
[log in to unmask]                          Is is October yet??????
**************************************************************************