Here's the scoreboard for games played involving ECAC and/or
Hockey East teams:
10/26/90 Army 2 at Air Force 5 NC
Maine 3 at Lake Superior 7 NC
Colgate 6 at Lowell 4 NC
Alabama-Huntsville 6 at Merrimack 6 NC ot
Providence 4 at St Lawrence 2 NC
New Hampshire 5 at Vermont 4 NC
10/27/90 Army 3 at Air Force 3 NC ot
Ottawa 1 at Clarkson 10 NC
Alabama-Huntsville 4 at Lowell 10 NC
Maine 6 at Lake Superior 3 NC
Colgate 4 at Northeastern 2 NC
Boston University 9 at RPI 7 NC
Providence 7 at Vermont 3 NC
Does anyone know if the BU-RPI score was indeed 9-7? Keith
has 9-4, and I only saw a score so I'm not sure which was
right.
I was at the Huntsville-Merrimack tie Friday, and I got home
in time to catch the replay of the Colgate-Lowell game on
cable. A few (long-winded) comments:
ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE 6 at MERRIMACK 6 (ot)
Both teams will not be among the best in the country, so maybe
this was a good game for them to open up with. Huntsville has
returned almost everyone from last year. They're a very small
team (only player Friday who weighed over 200 was D Shane
Prestegard at 205), but they work very hard and their top line
of Kelly-Moller-Goonan made a lot of things happen. Kelly was
named second star of the game with his two goals and two assists,
and Goonan put up the same numbers. Moller had a goal and three
assists. After that Huntsville just has no offense, so teams that
are more balanced will probably have a field day with them.
As for Merrimack, the Warriors were forced to sit F Teal Fowler
and D Doug Greschuk because of their DQ's in the Lowell exhibition.
That left a problem because Coach Ron Anderson wasn't thrilled with
leading returning scorer Aggie Casale's play at center last week
(Casale was Andy Heinze's left wing last year), and he wanted to
shift Casale back to wing. He decided to move freshman Cooper Naylor
up to center the top line in Fowler's absence, and Naylor played
well, winning a majority of faceoffs and setting up Casale for
a few decent scoring opportunities.
Anderson has to be pleased with the play of several of his other
young players. The future of this team is its youth, and they will
be counted on to step in immediately and show what they can do.
To this end, many people were very impressed by rookie LW Rob
Atkinson, who notched his first collegiate goal to put Merrimack up
6-5 with 4:29 left in the game. Atkinson wasn't afraid to take
chances in the offensive zone, and that's what coaches like to see
out of rookies. Remember this guy; he's going to get some votes
for the All-Rookie Team.
The best player on the ice (and, coincidentally, the #1 star, but
that's not too surprising since I'm one of the people that pick it)
was second-line sophomore center Dan Gravelle. Gravelle has really
improved since a year ago when he was demoted to the JV team and
only played 10 games all season for the varsity - but three of those
were the first round playoff series vs. BC, and he probably ranks right
behind Heinze, Gosselin, and Casale as one of the biggest reasons the
Warriors almost pulled an upset. Gravelle simply owned the faceoff
circle; he won nearly 75% of his draws, and late in the game and during
overtime, Anderson sent him out to take every important draw. He
wheeled and dealed like a pro and oohed and aahed the crowd to no end.
With Atkinson on one wing and banger Jeff Massey on the other, Merrimack
may have two solid lines, unlike last year when the Heinze-Casale-whoever
line always played 3/4 of the third period.
Gravelle ended up with two goals and an assist, but his first goal,
an apparent tip-in off a shot from freshman Dan Hodge, was changed to
Hodge from Gravelle (and Massey) after the tape was viewed post-game
and showed that the puck actually went in off of a Huntsville player.
Hodge and the rest of the defenseman did not play well in their own
end, but he will improve and showed some talent (before being asked
to sit).
Overall, the Warriors played very well offensively and probably could
have hit double digits against the Chargers (as Lowell did the next
night), but on defense they were sorely lacking; goalie Mike Doneghey
did give up a couple of bad goals, but he was also hung out to dry
too often. I agree with Kevin that D'Amore or Gosselin will probably
get the call against Western Michigan; they will probably each play a
game in the Fri-Sat series. But I don't think WMU will blow out
Merrimack; on the contrary, after seeing WMU play Ferris the opening
weekend, I think the weaknesses that the Broncos have are the kind
that Merrimack can take advantage of, and I think the teams will split.
COLGATE 6 at LOWELL 4
This was a very close, well-contested game that turned into a blowout
and then just as quickly ended up an exciting game. Lowell was without
star goalie Mark Richards, but replacement Garry Scott was more than
capable and the goals he did allow, most on the power play, were not
his fault. Colgate has awarded Dave Gagnon's job of Chief Dufflebag
to Greg Menges, and he likewise didn't look too bad. The 4-2 win
he got the next night against Northeastern must have gone a long way
towards boosting the confidence his teammates have in him.
The teams exchanged goals in the first period, and Colgate got one
in the second on Mark Dupere's second goal of the game to lead 2-1
after two. The real difference between the two teams was that
Colgate took advantage of Lowell mistakes (overcoverage along the
boards on the power play, stupid penalties), and by the 12:24 mark
of the third it was 5-1 and almost time to bring out the fat lady.
But a couple of Colgate penalties resulted in a string of Lowell
power plays, and this time the Chiefs capitalized, scoring three
goals in less than four minutes to wake up the dormant Chief fans
and cut the lead to 5-4 with two minutes left. Riley pulled Scott
with a minute left, but the Red Raiders fought off the charge and
Craig Woodcroft nailed the empty netter at 19:55 to wrap it up.
Colgate is still a good team, very well-coached, but the difference
this year will be that they are closer to the rest of the pack. I
think they'll still have a decent season, and guys like Dupere,
Woodcroft, Greyerbiehl, Band, etc. all looked like they're ready
to try their best to defend their title. Opponents had better
not make the mistake of writing off the Red Raiders or they will pay.
In other action:
NEW HAMPSHIRE 5 at VERMONT 4
UNH came from behind to win as Kevin Thomson broke a 4-4 tie
at 13:45 of the third. Scott Morrow had evened the score at
15:29 of the second period.
PROVIDENCE 4 at ST LAWRENCE 2
The Friars got goals from Mario Aube and Bob Creamer to go
up 2-0 after one, but SLU's Martin Lacroix scored twice in
the second to make it 2-2. Larry Rooney hit paydirt on the
power play at 5:08 of the third for the eventual game-winner,
and Bob Cowan iced it with an ENG at 19:35.
- mike
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