At 10:43 PM -0800 1/17/97, Kevin Todd wrote [on INFO-HOCKEY-L]:
 
 I don't know how many people out there know or have listened to Wally
> Johnson in the past (he is SLU's SID and color commentator)...In my 10
> years of watching and listening to SLU hockey I have never once heard
the
> man complain about a loss due to refs...Well I have heard everything
now,
> because he was simply incensed by referee Murphy's performance
> tonight...he was calling for Murphy to be suspended or possibly even
> fired...this is how bad it was...By the end of the game, he appearantly
> left the booth in search of someone to talk to about the job done in
this
> one...it is unfortunate also that such a close and good game by the
> players could be marred by this type of thing...UMV's crowd (who I used
> to think of as rather knowledgeable) was crying foul the whole night
even
> though the PP's were 1 for SLU and 7 for UVM...with UVM having a full 2
> minutes of 5-3...
 
Having attended the game, it was not poorly officiated.
 
Overall,   UVM went 1 - 7 on the powerplay, and SLU went  0  - 1. What the
number of penalites doesnt state is that anyone who has watched Eric
Perrin and Martin St Louis knows that they get held, poked.slashed, and
grabbed by their opponents. Some games the referee calls it tight, other
times he lets things go. Last night, calls were made. Late in the third
period, there was a call that could of been made against Martin St Louis,
but, Murphy let it go.
 
The call that put the SLU down two men was far from questionable. Murphy
had called a slash on McGrath, while in the offensive zone. While Thomas
was skating to the bench, and no more then three feet from his crease, he
got FLATTENED by Prpic, which drew Prpic a charging the goaltender
penalty.
 
The difference in the game was clearly Clint Owen in goal for SLU. UVM
swarmed and had numerous scoring chances in the first period, but was only
to beat Owens once. He ended the game with 43 saves.
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.