Just a few comments on the NMU-BU and Minn-Maine games...got a more
complete Minn-Maine box below.
BU 4, NMU 1
BU advanced to the final four in Milwaukee by posting a 4-1 win over an
NMU club that was coming off a double overtime win versus Harvard less
than 24 hours earlier. David Sacco's goal and an assist led the way as
the Terriers allowed only one goal, that a SHG.
Goals in the first and last minute of the first period helped BU build a
2-0 lead after one. BU was all over NMU from the opening draw, and Mike
Bavis got the Terriers on the board 49 seconds in when he came in to bang
home the second rebound after shots by Mike Pomichter and Sacco. NMU had
a 5x3 early on for a minute and a half, but they looked pretty disorganized
and couldn't mount an attack. BU was likewise sloppy on their two PP
chances of the period; one came when Frederick hammered Dan Donato with
a vicious cross-check upside the head that could have drawn the NMU star a
major.
Late in the period, BU began to press and kept the puck in the NMU zone,
and it paid off when Kaj Linna's shot from the point was tipped home by
Steve Thornton as 30 seconds remained in the period.
The Terriers kept up the pressure in the second but Paul Taylor made
several big saves for NMU, one off a Prendergast breakaway. While
shorthanded, Frederick had a breakaway as Linna was down injured at the
left point, but Frederick shot the puck right into BU goalie Derek
Herlofsky. Just 12 seconds after the penalty expired, BU struck for its
third goal at 2:58 when Sacco screened the goalie and tipped a Linna shot
through the pads.
Both teams were hitting well, and BU's Jon Pratt was on both ends of big
hits. NESN announcer Dave Shea commented that it looked like Pratt was
skating as if he hadn't been fed in a few days. But Pratt would be on the
receiving end late in the period when he had his head down and was crushed
by Carpenter at center ice.
BU probably should have declined penalties taken by NMU as Frederick and
Hadden produced several great chances. Their work paid off at 14:05
when the two carried up ice on a 2x1. Frederick dropped it for Hadden
once across the blue line and Hadden faked the pass, then let go a quick
shot through Herlofsky's pads for a SHG to make it 3-1 BU.
But NMU just didn't have the guns or the legs to pull any closer. Taylor
had to stop Pomichter twice and then Thornton on good bids early in the
third to keep his team within strking distance, but the BU defense was
outstanding when it counted and that's what will carry them. The Wildcats
almost got a gift with two minutes left when Brennan tried to bank a pass off the boards behind his own net and the puck hit the side of the net, then
deflected up into the air and landed just behind Herlofsky on top of the
net - inches from going in. BU added an empty-netter with 17 seconds left
by Pandolfo for the 4-1 final.
5W Minnesota (22-12-8) 0 1 1 - 2
1E Maine (40-1-2) 2 2 2 - 6
FIRST
1. ME1, Jim Montgomery 28 (Paul Kariya, Cal Ingraham), 4:56. PPG
2. ME2, Chris Imes 12 (Ingraham), 7:18. PPG
SECOND
3. MN1, Andy Brink 5 (Justin McHugh), 3:13. PPG
4. ME3, Montgomery 29 (Kariya, Ingraham), 11:06.
5. ME4, Kariya 25 (Montgomery), 13:30. SHG
THIRD
6. ME5, Matt Martin 5 (Montgomery), 5:00? PPG
7. MN2, Scott Bell 12 (Darby Hendrickson, Eric Means), 8:02. PPG
8. ME6, Justin Tomberlin 13 (Martin, Montgomery), 15:06. PPG
SHOTS ON GOAL: Minn 9-12-12 = 33
Maine 9-14--7 = 30
GOALIES: Minn, Jeff Callinan (30 sh-24 sv), Tom Newman (0-0).
Maine, Mike Dunham (33 sh-31 sv), Greg Hirsch (0-0).
POWER PLAYS: Minn 2/8, Maine 4/6.
ATTENDANCE: 12,045 (sellout).
NOTES
Special teams was the story as Minnesota only allowed powerful Maine one
goal at even strength, but the Black Bears came up with four PPGs and one
SHG to roll to their 40th win, tying the record for most wins in a season
set by North Dakota in 1986-87. Both of the Gophers' goals came on
the man advantage. Jim Montgomery led the way for Maine with two goals
(nearly a hat trick several times) and three assists, while Kariya had a
goal and two assists. Kariya now has 25-71--96 in 37 games, five assists
away from tying the NC$$ record for assists in a season held by Wayne
Gagne of Western Michigan. Montgomery's outburst gives him 29-62--91 in
43 games.
Maine got things started at 4:56 on the PP. Peter Ferraro fed Kariya
behind the net, and with the Minnesota defense clearly concentrating on
Kariya, the freshman found Montgomery streaking in from the right point
for a blast that made it 1-0. Somehow, Ingraham got the second assist
instead of Ferraro, but it was clearly Ferraro who fed Kariya. The Black
Bears made it 2-0 at 7:18 when All-Hockey East defenseman Chris Imes took
a cross-ice feed from Ingraham and blasted one that was blocked, but with
goalie Jeff Callinan out of position, Imes had an open net in which to
deposit his 12th goal of the year.
Maine almost made it 3-0 late while shorthanded as Kariya and Montgomery
combined for a 2x0, but Kariya opted to pass instead of shooting and
Callinan stayed with Montgomery to make the nice save.
As the teams were getting ready to return to the ice for the second period,
a power failure outside the building caused a long delay and made the
intermission about a half hour long or more. Power was quickly restored,
but the teams returned to the locker rooms while the lights slowly came
back up. Maine's mascot, Bananas, entertained the crowd but soon tired
and collapsed on the ice, then lumbered off. Announcers Dave Shea and
Bob Norton were falling over laughing at Bananas' predicament.
Minnesota came out storming in the second and pulled within one on a PPG
of their own at 3:13. Andy Brink took a feed from Justin McHugh and let
go a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Dunham to make it 2-1.
Dunham redeemed himself in my eyes after his struggle in the HE semi vs
Lowell; he denied the Gophers several times when his team was out to lunch
and that's what the Black Bears need to get from their goaltenders, because
as I've said, they will give up enough scoring chances throughout a game.
The Gophers were working hard in the offensive end and forcing Maine to
turn over the puck, but from about the midway point of the period, the
play started to swing back to Maine. Kariya kicked off a great goal by
Montgomery at 11:06 when he made a blind pass from the corner in his
own end cross ice to Ingraham at the red line, and Ingraham fed the
captain for a breakaway. Montgomery walked in, faked a move to the front
and backhanded it past Callinan for what might have been the biggest goal
of the night. Montgomery and Kariya would click again shorthanded just
two minutes later to make it 4-1. Montgomery grabbed a loose puck along
the boards at center ice and quickly hit Kariya, who was streaking along
the far side. Kariya's blast from the top of the circle went just under
the crossbar, and instead of Minnesota scoring on the PP to come within
one again, they were down three.
One play that stuck in my mind was when Johnson flew up ice and looked
to have a great scoring chance, but Kariya got back and broke up the play.
I don't think we would have seen him do that five months ago.
Matt Martin gave Maine a 5-1 lead five minutes into the third on another
PP when he got the puck off the boards from Montgomery, skated to the high
slot and wristed one over Callinan's shoulder. Scott Bell got that PP
back at 8:02 after some good puck movement by the Gophers, and he banged
it in while on the doorstep for his 12th of the year. Minnesota tried
valiantly to fight back with both Richards and Steege having good chances,
but Dunham turned them away. When Bell went off for playing without a
helmet late, Maine baseball player Justin Tomberlin collected a nice goal
to close out the scoring as Martin passed down low from the point to
Tomberlin who deflected it in to make it 6-2.
An interesting move was made by Shawn Walsh with 12 seconds left and
the game over. He pulled Dunham at that point for backup Greg Hirsch,
and Dunham received a huge ovation. This was undoubtedly meant to contrast
with last week's pulling of Dunham in the HE semi after Dunham struggled;
Walsh smiled as Dunham came over to the bench and his teammates
congratulated him on coming up with a big performance. Just another
example, I think, of what a great coach Walsh is.
Minnesota has nothing to be ashamed of - neither does NMU, as both came
into Worcester and won first round games against teams that were very
good and looked to have a chance to do something in the tourney. The
way both teams rebounded from rough starts to come on and perform as well
as they did down the stretch is admirable, and I think it is a sign of
things to come next year. Maine was just too powerful and sure looks like
a team on a mission. Michigan will have their hands full.
---
Mike Machnik [log in to unmask] Color Voice of the Merrimack Warriors
alternate address days: [log in to unmask] *HMN* 11/13/93
(Any opinions expressed above are strictly those of the poster.)
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