Miscellaneous snippets from Alfond Arena, Orono...
 
1. It was great meeting Ken S?, President of the Friends of Princeton
   Hockey.  We exchanged "Friends" newsletters and had a fine time
   talking support of our teams, and goings on in the Princeton, NJ area
   ...  a beautiful area in which I spend a couple of weeks every year.
 
2. A local photographer was in the Maine penalty box when Maine
   super-defenseman Chris Imes was whistled for a penalty.  The
   photographer commented that Chris didn't spend much time there,
   meaning Chris gets called for very few penalties.  Chris replied that
   the other team did seem to score most every time he got a penalty.
   Acadia scored their lone goal of the night moments later.
 
3. A Colgate player entered the penalty box and quipped to the minor
   official...  "It's hard to get away with anything behind the play
   with this 2 referee system".
 
4. Kudos to a Colgate Dad who drove a zillion hours from Ontario to see
   his son play a couple of games.  He wasn't alone ...  all three
   visiting teams had small, but friendly and enthusiastic followings.
   Wish I had a nickel for every time I gave directions to Freeport and
   LL Bean :)
 
5. Acadia and Maine hockey have an interesting shared hockey history.
   Acadia AD Don Wells (?) was on hand this weekend (it was that or
   spend his time back home shoveling 17" of snow ...  Maine had
   unseasonably warm 40-50 degree temps).  He was the coach of the
   Acadia team that played the inaugural game in Alfond Arena back in
   1977.
 
6. While seeing more blown off-sides calls in the 4 games than we have
   seen all season, the officials missed a goal.  It was one easy to
   miss, but an obvious mistake nonetheless.  Even an announcer in the
   rafters of the Alfond saw it :) The play: from well in front of the
   net, the puck was "roofed" into the exact center of the net.  It
   struck the center support and bounced out and down at almost the
   angle it entered.  Obviously the Goal judge couldn't see this and on
   ice officials, not out of place, did not either.  At least it didn't
   affect the winner.
 
7. The Maine-Princeton game started strangely with a 2 minute penalty to
   Maine for "too many men participating in warm-ups".  That's a first
   for me!  The situation, as I've heard it related: Chris Imes hurt his
   knee at the end of the 2nd period of the Acadia game.  (He came out
   for only his first shift of the 3rd period).  Chris was evaluated and
   it was left up to him (to play or not).  So Chris skated during
   warm-ups.  Apparently Walsh did not want to skate with only 17
   players (in the case Chris could not play), so Brian White was suited
   up and he, too, skated in warm-ups.  Brian did not suit for the game,
   as Chris played.
 
   Note: Rule 2-3.a/b define the maximum number of players and pre-game
   do's and don'ts.  Had Brian White NOT skated warm-ups, he WOULD have
   been eligible had Chris Imes not been able to play ...  assuming the
   official game report form was filled out with Brian's name just prior
   to submission at start of game.
 
8. Maine certainly had chances to tie the Princeton game and even had a
   2-1 while killing a penalty very late in the game.  But then
   Princeton had just as many chances at a 4th goal.  IMHO, someone
   finally played Maine correctly, but it took an "off night" by the
   Maine forwards and a Chris Imes at 50% for Princeton to win.  Also,
   from the AP story one might think that Konte had a fabulous game with
   a zillion saves.  Truth be known, he had a fabulous game with only a
   handful of saves each period.  It was a smart, hustling, planned,
   team win for Princeton.
 
9. Wayne, the coach, would have removed Allison and Imes at the 9 minute
   mark of the 2nd period of the Acadia game.  He also wouldn't have
   played Imes in the PRinceton and would have used that, and other
   absences due to injury as a motivation aid.
 
   But my only coaching was recently with wife Becky as we enjoyed the
   birth of our son, Benjamin.  It was a simple game plan and she
   executed it to perfection.  She gave me high marks, but I think I was
   the beneficiary of good team play :) Ben will be three weeks old this
   Tuesday.
 
10. Acadia had a tough time adjusting to NCAA hockey.  Part may have
   been a difference in holding and interference calling, but a huge
   difference and maybe part of the reason for a quick 5-0 Maine edge
   was in body and stick checking.  Time and again, an Acadia forward
   would rush over the offensive blue line, expecting to be hit, only to
   have a Maine D poke or skate away with the puck.
 
11. In a post-game interview, Chris Imes said of Princeton: they don't
   break down;  they're smart, steady and well-coached.
 
12. Coach Shawn Walsh said after the tournament that scheduling a
   Canadian team was a mistake;  he didn't expect to have one in the
   (Dexter Classic?) future.  If he gave reasons for this remark, I
   missed them.
 
13. Princeton's Gavin Colqhoun can trash-talk with the best of them :)
 
Happy New Year everyone,
 
Wayne Smith
The College Hockey Discussion List administrator
Systems Group - CAPS              BITNET/CREN:  wts@maine
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