1/9/91 Hockey East Overall Non-league
GP W-L-T Pts GF-GA || GP W-L-T GF-GA W-L-T
========================================================
1 Boston College 10 8-2-0 16 51-39 || 19 14-5-0 87-61 | 6-3-0
Boston University 10 7-1-2 16 50-23 || 19 13-4-2 112-60 | 6-3-0
3 New Hampshire 9 4-4-1 9 34-30 || 21 15-5-1 100-69 | 11-1-0
4 Maine 7 4-3-0 8 33-26 || 23 17-5-1 126-69 | 13-2-1
Merrimack 9 4-5-0 8 34-46 || 18 8-9-1 84-91 | 4-4-1
6 Providence 8 3-4-1 7 39-37 || 18 13-4-1 105-65 | 10-0-0
7 Lowell 10 2-7-1 5 32-53 || 19 5-13-1 68-102 | 3-6-0
8 Northeastern 9 1-7-1 3 37-56 || 19 4-14-1 80-111 | 3-7-0
1/8/91 New Hampshire 3 at Boston College 5 HE
Merrimack 0 at Boston University 4 HE
Chris mentioned the UNH-BC game, I'll add a few comments. It was revenge
of sorts for BC since the Eagles had dropped a 5-3 game (no empty-netters)
at UNH earlier in the season. Score was 0-0 after one before UNH went up
2-0, as Chris said. I haven't seen a paper today so I apologize for not
being able to post more.
at BOSTON UNIVERSITY 4, MERRIMACK 0
This game had the potential to be a good one until referee Bill Jones
became the star, handing out 27 penalties for 16 combined power plays. It
wasn't a particularly violent game, which made it even worse. Earlier in
the season, he whistled an incredible 40 minors in the Huntsville-Lowell
game, so at least things weren't as bad as that one. John Bradley (31
saves) earned his third shutout of the season, the first time since 1968-69
a Terrier netminder has done so. But Mike Doneghey probably had the better
game in the Merrimack net, stopping 32 of 36 shots before leaving late in
the third. It may have been his finest game as a Warrior goalie, certainly
his best this season. Steve D'Amore, who had held BC to three goals on
Saturday, did not dress due to an injury in practice, and Ron Anderson went
with Doneghey over The Goose. For BU, Bradley has posted a better GAA and
save pct. than Scott Cashman on the season, though Cashman has played about
one game more.
The first period started out with great up-and-down action and it looked
as if the Warriors were about to have their best game against BU since they
entered Hockey East last season. BU has been the one team to consistently
dominate Merrimack. But as play approached the ten-minute mark, Jones
began calling penalties left and right, issuing seven minors in a four-
minute span. This was to be the MO for the remainder of the game and the
result was a game with no flow at all - which worked to BU's advantage.
BU got two goals in the first period, both power play goals and neither
was Doneghey's fault. After Agostino Casale couldn't beat Bradley on a
breakaway, BU pressured in the Merrimack zone, and when Matt Hentges'
attempted clear was intercepted at the blue line by Scott Lachance, the
result was Tony Amonte's rebound goal at 12:33, only #6 on the season for
him. Just 59 seconds later on another power play, Ed Ronan was allowed to
camp in front of Doneghey and he calmly tapped in a pass from Shawn
McEachern to make it 2-0. In between the two goals, Howie Rosenblatt also
had a breakaway for Merrimack, but his shot was deflected by Bradley out
of play. Shots were even at 16 for the first period.
BU had the edge in play (and power plays) in the second, outshooting MC
16-9, but it took until 18:54 for Peter Ahola to give the Terriers the
all-important third goal. His shot from the left point flew right past a
screened Doneghey, with McEachern and David Sacco getting assists.
In the third, Lachance made it 4-0 when he walked in from the point around
Ds Tim Doyle and Claude Maillet and fired a 15-footer over Doneghey's right
shoulder at 5:45. There was very little offense in the period, as shots
were only 6-6. With 5:03 remaining, Doneghey left the game for The Goose,
who saw his first action since injuring his knee against Lowell the day
before Thanksgiving; he faced no shots the remainder of the game. At 16:32,
Dan Gravelle and Amonte went off, both getting cross-checking with Amonte
getting an additional two for decking Gravelle after the whistle. Jones
ruled that the cross-checkings cancelled; since MC's Casale had gone in the
box at 14:57, it was to be 4x4 and then 5x4 when Casale returned. Jack
Parker did not appreciate this and when Jones would blow his whistle to
start play, Parker would call his (confused) players back to the bench.
Eventually a bench minor was assessed by Jones for delay of game, but the
Warriors couldn't score on the ensuing 5x3. (I don't know exactly
what Parker was upset about, but he was upset.)
It's worth noting that both coaches had words for the officials, including
Anderson, who is usually pretty reserved. Hopefully the next meeting of
these two clubs in February at Merrimack will turn out to be a better game
than this one was.
Shots were 36-31 BU for the game. This was the first game BU had all its
players back, as Amonte returned from a shoulder injury and Lachance,
Keith Tkachuk, and Petteri Koskimaki (Finland) were back from the juniors.
Koskimaki, by the way, almost ended up in Helsinki, according to the BU
people. And Saturday night at UNH, Parker was holding his lineup until
just before game time as Tkachuk and Lachance's plane was supposed to
arrive at Boston's Logan Airport at 5 pm - Parker hoping that they could
make the appr. 1 hour drive to UNH by the 7 pm game time. (I think they
made it.)
- mike
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