Thanks to Sid (BU) and Larry & Ryan (Maine) for scores of those two games
tonight...the complete Hockey East scoreboard as I have it for 2/5/93:
 
at Maine 7, UMass-Lowell 4
  27-0-2.
at BU 4, UNH 0
  Terriers win 4th straight, 12-1-1 since Christmas, 16-1-1 in last 18.
Providence 5, at Northeastern 2
  Friars win three straight from Huskies, climb from tie for 4th into
  3rd all alone with losses by UNH & UML.  Huskies lose 6th straight,
  1-10-1 in last 12, 2-13-1 in last 16.
BC 5, at Merrimack 4
  Eagles climb into 6th with loss by NU and take season series from
  Merrimack.  Game-winner was, oddly enough, an empty-netter as BC scored
  it to make it 5-3 before Merrimack pulled with in 5-4 with the goalie
  pulled.
 
Just heard these ECAC scores on the radio (thanks WEEI):
Colgate 5, at Princeton 4
  Red Raiders making their move!  Last not long ago, now tied for 8th.
at St Lawrence 6, Vermont 3
at Yale 4, Cornell 3 (ot)
  Yale win keeps RPI from climbing into 2nd.
 
Oh, one DivIII score from Heather: Plattsburgh 9, at Oswego 2.  Cardinals
remain unbeaten in SUNYAC, close to clinching SUNYAC title and home ice
throughout SUNYAC playoffs.
 
T-BALLS REVISITED
Part of me wants to ignore this because it was so despicable, while part
of me wants to applaud the fans for being so enthusiastic at other times
during the game.  But the part that feels the story should be told has won
out.  (Guess I feel like Sybil tonight.)  Forgive me if I sound angry, but
I am.
 
Merrimack drew *two* penalties for delay of game tonight as the fans threw
tennis balls four separate times.  Folks who were at odds with me last week
over whether the tennis balls were a good thing or not, told me after this
game that their view had changed.  "Tacky" was one of the words they used.
 
1. After what the fans perceived as a single penalty to Merrimack's Tom
Costa for some pushing and shoving, a rain of tennis balls came onto the
ice.  The penalties turned out to be matching, but the fans didn't seem to
be aware of this right away.  At this point, 9:36 of the 2nd, an
announcement was made about objects being thrown on the ice, but since
Merrimack had yet to score its first goal, we all knew we were going to see
more when they finally did score.  As the ice was being cleared, Merrimack
goalie Mike Doneghey, clearly upset, fired several tennis balls into the
Merrimack student section.
 
2. At 16:40 of the 2nd, Merrimack got on the board.  More tennis balls came
out, and Merrimack was hit with a penalty.  Several Merrimack players
skated by the student section and glared at them.  Somehow, a small group
of young kids about 10-11 years old got hold of some of the tennis balls as
they were being cleared.  The announcement was again made and worded, "...
objects being thrown on the ice HAS ALREADY RESULTED in a penalty to the
home team."  BC did not score on the power play.  After the penalty was
announced, the fans started chanting "bullsh*t, bullsh*t", and having lost
my patience, I yelled, "SHUT UP!!!" from the press box...they shut up and
looked over at me.
 
3. At 4:42 of the 3rd, Merrimack scored its 2nd goal.  More tennis balls
and another delay of game penalty.  Some of the tennis balls came from the
BC side and Merrimack argued this, and an announcement was again made, but
this time it included, "Would the fans from the BOSTON COLLEGE side please
stop throwing objects on the ice."  Some of them did come from that side,
but they came from the kids who had been allowed to collect them before,
and some did also come from the Merrimack section again.  BC again did not
score on this power play.  Merrimack players again appeared frustrated and
several yelled at the fans.
 
4. At 9:09 of the 3rd, Merrimack scored its 3rd goal.  One tennis ball came
out from the Merrimack side.  Referee Steve McBride handled this well,
though: he quickly looked over as soon as the goal was scored, spotted the
culprit, and directed a security officer over to remove the person from the
game.  No penalty was given.
 
No more tennis balls came out, even after Merrimack's 4th goal, but I don't
know if that was because they were scared not to throw them or because they
were out of tennis balls.
 
Needless to say, I was livid at this ridiculous display tonight.  Bill
Fenwick's comments about the fans being liable to go too far were proven
true.  I don't yet know what will be done to prevent this in the future, but
all I can say is that the Merrimack personnel appeared quite upset at what
had happened.  I don't think it decided the game, but it absolutely
affected the team and caused them to be shorthanded for four minutes
unnecessarily.  If the fans want to show up and hurt their team like this,
they should go and sit on the other side, although I'd prefer they didn't
show up at all.  As far as I am concerned, if anyone still thinks the
tennis balls are a good thing, they can get lost.  It's bush league and
there will always be some idiots who will take it too far anyway.  Merrimack
needs fan support, but what we saw tonight was not support by any stretch of
the imagination.
 
Oh yeah, there was a game played tonight too.  Details and box to come
shortly.  Merrimack plays at home again tomorrow night against UNH.
---
Mike Machnik    [log in to unmask]   Color Voice of the Merrimack Warriors
(Any opinions expressed above are strictly those of the poster.)    *HMN*