At 3:43 PM 11/5/95, Pam Sweeney wrote:
>Mike Machnik wrote [after Friday's UMass win over Merrimack]:
>>Merrimack falls to a dismal 0-3-1 in HE, 1-3-1 overall.
>{huge snip}
>>On the other hand, things continue to get more depressing for Merrimack.
>{snip}
>>Not only is a home ice spot in jeopardy, after it seemed a viable goal
>>prior to the season, but seeing the way PC and UMass have played, it is
>>quite conceivable that Merrimack could finish 9th and out of the playoffs.
>>It is unquestionably time to hit the panic button.
>
>Well, I would discourage anyone from hitting the panic button this early in
>the season!  4 games is too soon to be judging how your team will turn out
>AND how the teams they've struggled against so far will turn out.
 
As I mentioned to someone else in email, there was a significant amount of
negativity from Merrimack followers after this weekend's sweep by UMass.
That tends to have the opposite effect on me.  Thus my comments after
Saturday's game which, despite another loss, were not as dark.  I was
determined not to fall into the same trap, mainly because I don't feel the
team has been playing as badly as some people think.
 
Still, my comments above, which came after Friday's game, were ones I'll
still stand by.  Because of the scoring difficulties and the early success
teams like PC and UMass have had, it is realistically "time to hit the
panic button", because the lack of scoring has been at the root of the
0-4-1 HE record and I cannot see it changing soon.  There will be no new
players added, and the current players have not shown signs of being able
to generate offense in the way that the team needs if it is to fulfill the
preseason picks of Merrimack finishing 4th or 5th.
 
That doesn't mean the situation will not change.  Stranger things have
happened.  I think my assessment is, again, a realistic one in that the
situation does have to change somehow for things to get better for
Merrimack.  I think that's an assessment any impartial observer would make,
and I always try to be as unbiased as I can in my comments.
 
>Take it easy, Mike!  :-)
 
Don't worry, I am taking it easy. :-)  After Friday's game at UMass, in
which UMass scored in the final minute to win following a tying goal by
Merrimack, Heather got in the car and I said, "Excuse me, I have to do
something first."  I shut the car door and screamed, "ARRRGGGGHHH!"  Then I
got in the car, we both laughed, and we drove home.  That was really it for
me, and I intended it more to be something we could get a good laugh out
of.  Heather said, "I hope the UMass security doesn't think someone was
being attacked in the parking lot." :-)
 
The key thing is, it's only a game and I know this well enough by now.
Yes, the start of the season has been disappointing, but life goes on, the
sun still comes up in the morning.  We were quite angry with some of the
Merrimack followers for some of their comments this weekend, and as I said,
I think that hearing those things strengthened my resolve not to feel the
same way - and besides, I don't agree with those folks.  It may well happen
that by the time the end of the season rolls around, I will have the last
laugh.  Besides, I am generally a positive person.
 
One thing I told Heather is that day in and out since HOCKEY-L began,
whether the outcome was good or bad (from our point of view), I was not
going to be one of those bandwagon jumpers - I'll "file my report" either
way.  I respect that in other people, and I felt I wanted to be respected
in the same way.  So just as I came home after the win over BU last year
and sent out a post, I came back after the games this weekend, did the same
thing, and went to bed.  And you know what - I woke up the next morning,
and the sun was shining.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                   [log in to unmask]            *HMM* 11/13/93
>> Co-owner of the College Hockey Lists at University of Maine System  <<
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