I'd like to take a moment to congratulate BC and their fans for the Eagles'
quarterfinal series win at Merrimack, 7-6 and 5-3.  These were two
hard-fought games that were not decided until the end, and BC played some
of its best hockey of the season to win the series.  I was quite impressed.
BC has had trouble all year with inconsistent team defense and goaltending,
but they have shown an ability to put it together when they need to, and
that's exactly what they did here.
 
The most impressive thing about BC's win might have been that after
Merrimack had roared back from a 7-2 deficit in Game One to make it 7-6
with four straight third-period goals, seemingly having the momentum going
into Game Two, BC was still able to regroup and play well the next night.
 
And they did it against a Merrimack team that settled down after the first
two periods of Game One, when their playoff inexperience was most evident,
and which also played well over the last four periods of the series.  BC
was outshot 45-22 in the 5-3 win and over the last four periods, the shot
total was 68-28 in favor of Merrimack.  Wow.  BC didn't beat a team that
rolled over and died.  But they did get excellent goaltending from Greg
Taylor when they needed it, and more importantly, they got a complete team
defensive effort that you need to win in the playoffs.  And the key scorers
did their part and took advantage of the chances they got.  It was a
well-earned win.
 
MERRIMACK
"This year, we learned how to win." - Senior captain Rob Beck
 
The loss to BC was quite a disappointment for Merrimack and its followers,
because the frame of mind was so different from what it has been in the
past.  This Merrimack team had a confidence that teams in the past have not
had.  That was displayed in the way they came back in the third period of
Game One and in the way they kept working hard till the end of Game Two.
There was a sense that they would somehow find a way to pull it out and
force a Game Three.  That didn't happen, but just the fact that that
confidence was there and that they were shocked and disappointing at not
winning, tells you how far the program came this season.
 
But the disappointment will wear off, and there is no discouragement.  Much
was accomplished this year, things that may not seem like much to followers
of programs that are accustomed to winning, but here they mean the world.
This is a program that just a few months ago, some people were saying did
not belong in DivI.  That isn't being said anymore.  The numbers show it,
in the way they went 8-2-1 down the stretch in Hockey East to gain home
ice, finish 5th, and get to .500 in the league for the first time ever.
That all came after a 3-11-1 start that was the worst in school history.
 
A year ago or even several months ago, it would have been tough to look
into the crystal ball and try to divine where this program would be in a
year or a few years.  That crystal ball seemed pretty cloudy back then. :-)
Today I can say with confidence that like BC and others, I believe
Merrimack is a program that has even better years ahead of it.
 
A lot of things changed this year.  Fan support down the stretch and in the
playoffs was terrific, and new fans came to the rink to see the team play.
Recruiting interest is apparently higher than it has ever been, as
prospects who might not have considered Merrimack before are either already
committed or close to committing.  Eight seniors will graduate and
virtually all played a key role in the team's success and cannot be easily
replaced, but there is a solid core that returns, including five of the top
seven scorers, all of whom had 23 points or more.
 
The big question remains the rink situation, and it does appear that things
are moving in the right direction.  Joe Bertagna said on NESN Friday night,
"Merrimack [is/will be] breaking ground," which some people said to me
sounded as if it *is* going to happen, and while I cannot give you anything
official, I can say that what Joe said on tv does support things I have
heard very recently.
 
The toughest thing about being knocked out by BC was the way that the
seniors reacted.  We've been proud at Merrimack to have had good kids who
play hard and work hard on and off the ice.  Academically they have set the
standard for Hockey East.  But they also showed that you can put together a
team that does well on the ice as well as in school.  That is a credit to
the kids and to the coaching staff.  The seniors were the leaders, and they
gave everything they had.  These were guys who still did not want to take
off the Merrimack jersey, 30 minutes after the game had ended.  The
emotions in the locker room afterward were difficult to endure and visibly
affected everyone who was around them.  It was hard to comprehend that they
had played their last game.
 
But as I said, something was begun this year, and there is every indication
that it will carry over to the future.  When a senior captain like John
Jakopin tells a rookie like Sandy Cohen in the locker room afterward, "You
have to carry on and pick up where we left off...finish what we started,"
there is something special happening.  Merrimack hockey has always had a
long and proud tradition, even in the lean years of late.  The graduating
players have left a legacy and passed the torch to the younger guys - in
the words inscribed in the Montreal Canadiens' locker room, "yours to hold
it high."  When a future Merrimack team makes it to the FleetCenter and
wins a Hockey East championship, this team will be remembered as one that
paved the way.
 
The best compliment I can give this Merrimack team is that as an alumnus, I
was extremely proud to have them represent me and the school.  They
believed in themselves and persevered when others told them it was a waste
of time, that the odds were against them.  This was a season to celebrate
for many reasons.  A foundation was laid for the future.
 
And that future does look bright.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                [log in to unmask]               *HMM* 11/13/93
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