Fri. December 6, 1996 at Kelley Rink (Conte Forum), Chestnut Hill, MA
Maine 6, BC 3            HOCKEY EAST GAME
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNIV. OF MAINE      2  1  3  - 6   (7-6-1 overall, 2-4-1 Hockey East)
BOSTON COLLEGE      0  3  0  - 3   (6-7-1 overall, 3-4-1 Hockey East)
 
       Shots on Goal         Pen - Min   Power Play
UM     12 -14 - 11 -- 37      6 - 12       3 - 5
BC      6 -12 -  8 -- 26      9 - 18       1 - 3
 
UM - Javier Gorriti (60:00)   6- 9- 8  - 23 saves
BC - Greg Taylor (60:00)     10-13- 8  - 31 saves
 
Sat. December 7, 1996 at Kelley Rink (Conte Forum), Chestnut Hill, MA
BC 5, Maine 3            HOCKEY EAST GAME
------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNIV. OF MAINE      1  1  1  - 3   (7-7-1 overall, 2-5-1 Hockey East)
BOSTON COLLEGE      2  2  1  - 5   (7-7-1 overall, 4-4-1 Hockey East)
 
       Shots on Goal         Pen - Min   Power Play
UM      8 -12 - 8 -- 28       9 - 18       0 - 6
BC     11 - 9 - 5 -- 25       7 - 14       3 - 8
 
UM - Javier Gorriti (59:55)   9- 7- 4  - 20 saves
BC - Greg Taylor (60:00)      7-11- 7  - 25 saves
 
FRIDAY'S GAME
-------------
Maine carried most of the play in this game in the first and third
periods, and got some breaks in the 3rd to help score the final 3 goals
to finish off the Eagles.  Walk-on goalie Javier Gorriti had his first
Division I start in the game and played well, while BC's Greg Taylor
saw his first action since suffering a broken hand several weeks ago.
 
First - (played in 2 10-minute sessions due to asymmetric rink layout)
UM struck first when Taylor was jostled as a shot came from the point and
it fell loose in the crease, where Bobby Stewart pushed it home.  Play
was up and down after that for most of the period, with Maine getting
some decent offensive flow and BC playing very uncoordinatedly.  At one
point, Taylor was forced to make big saves on a Maine breakaway during a
BC shift change.  Another UM breakout late in the period found Scott
Parmentier streaking in while a backchecking BC forward tried to cover
him.  Parmentier pulled up slightly when he couldn't get around the
player, and fired a shot that was partially screened and hit the twine.
 
Second - BC played much harder in this period and was rewarded early.
Blake Bellefeuille pushed a lead pass into the Maine zone along the right
boards, where Marty Reasoner collected it for a 2-on-1 opportunity.
Reasoner passed to a wide-open Brian Callahan coming down the slot, and
he nailed the easy one to get BC on the board.  Gorriti made some nice
saves after that, and Maine got the goal back on a power play when a
centering pass from the right corner from Dan Shermerhorn deflected into
the BC net.  BC responded with a goal just 32 seconds later as Reasoner
scored in front after winning a faceoff back to the point.  (While none
of the score sheets listed this as a PPG, I was there and saw UM's Ben
Guite go to the penalty box before the faceoff that set up the Reasoner
score.  And the penalty was put on the scoreboard before the goal.  But
I don't think the rink announcer ever got around to mentioning the penalty,
and the official game summary sheet did not list either the penalty or
attribute the PPG.)
 
Taylor then started to find his zone and made some good saves on UM breaks
and point blank attempts.  Reasoner got his 3rd point of the period
during a 4-on-4 after another faceoff win back to the point led to a Mike
Mottau shot.  Reasoner collected the rebound and slid to the slot where
he tied it at 3-3.  Maine had some late chances but could not find the net.
 
Third - Maine got most of the pressure in the period, and though Taylor
made some early saves to keep it even, the trend was obvious.  The game-
winner came just 5:12 into the period during a power play, and was hotly
disputed by BC.  A tangle of a BC and UM player at the side of the crease
had Taylor held down on the ice and out of the goal.  After a few frantic
seconds the puck was passed to Steve Kariya, who slid it through some
defensemen's legs and into the open net.  Taylor, the coaching staff, and
the BC crowd all wanted it waived off due to interference, but it was
not called.  BC senior co-captain David Wainwright then compounded the
problem when he acted out his frustration by deliberately flattening
Gorriti behind the UM net.  Off the ensuing faceoff, Parmentier was sent
flying in on the left side, beat the slow defense moving left to right,
and scored low left just 8 seconds into the power play.  Brian White
finished the scoring a minute later on a soft screened shot from the right
point that slid past Taylor and just inside the near post.  The 3 Maine
goals came in just 2:01.  The rest of the game was anti-climactic, with
BC unable to gain any advantage and Maine protecting the lead.
 
The Black Bears deserved the win, with much more cohesive play than BC and
some effective offense, while Gorriti did a good job in the net.  BC was
out of sync for much of the game (with the exception of the Reasoner-led
efforts in the second period), and then lost their composure when the
breaks did not go their way in the third.
 
SATURDAY'S GAME
---------------
BC got the split of the weekend series with a 5-3 triumph that featured
a turnaround on the special teams and a sparkling night from goalie Greg
Taylor.  Taylor became the #1 career saves leader at BC (3,055), passing
Scott Gordon on the alltime list.  Maine got 28 shots on the evening,
and just missed the net on numerous other occasions.  BC got 3 powerplay
goals, but more importantly shutout the Black Bears man-advantage all
6 times to preserve the win.
 
First - (played in 2 10-minute sessions due to asymmetric rink layout)
BC showed they would not be the same team as the night before as they
put on good forechecking pressure early, and Gorriti had to be sharp to
keep the game scoreless.  UM got the first goal, though, after Taylor
lost his stick under pressure in the BC end.  An attempted clear by the
BC defense was weak, and Cullen fired toward the net from the left point.
The rebound came straight out to Shermerhorn as he skated in on Taylor,
and he slid to the right and put it behind the goalie for the score.
BC came right back just 20 seconds later with a power play score.  Brian
Callahan collected a quick pass in front of the net and scored just 3
seconds into the power play (and 3 seconds before the end of the first
half-period horn.)
 
BC scored again at 11:39 after nice forechecking freed the puck for Nick
Pierandri along the right boards and a 2-on-1 break.  He fed Chris
Masters in the middle for a high shot and the lead.  Maine had great
chances the rest of the way, but missed 2 open nets and was stymied by
Taylor on several close-in shots/rebounds.  Two late BC penalties gave
Maine a 5-on-3 to open the second period.
 
Second - Taylor set his saves record during the 5-on-3 UM power play,
as BC's defense did a nice job shutting down the Maine offense.  But
continued Maine pressure finally evened the game when Matt Oliver
collected a rebound and maneuvered it past a diving Taylor at 6:16.
Like the first period, though, UM took a penalty immediately after their
score, and BC made them pay.  Marty Reasoner got his 9th of the season
by collecting a rebound in the right circle, skating through to the slot,
and lifting it past a sprawling Gorriti (who was partially screened by
other players.)  That seemed to lift the Eagles, who maintained heavy
pressure on the Maine net and got frosh Ben Guite to take a delay penalty
for knocking the net off the magnets.  Callahan got his 2nd of the game
by collecting a loose rebound after a nice setup by Hemenway and Chris
Masters and lifting it home.  Taylor had a great kick save late in the
period to keep it at 4-2.
 
Third - Taylor continued to sparkle in this period, but also had some
luck as Maine's shots went wide of open nets on occasion.  Maine carried
the play, and BC did not get many opportunities of their own.  Maine had
2 more power plays that they could not convert, which turned out to be
the story of the game for them.  Finally, Brian White scored at 16:07
when BC cleared it right to him at the point, and his shot flew behind
a Roenick screen to beat Taylor.  They could not get the equalizer
when Parmentier was all alone in front but could not control the shot.
Reasoner later managed to control the puck up the left boards and across
the center red line, and fired into an empty net with 13 seconds left to
seal the victory for BC.
 
Notes - UM had some bright moments on the weekend, especially their
offensive flow and speed.  Gorriti showed signs of his ability but was
not consistent enough to gain the sweep.  BC again found themselves losing
the first game of the weekend and having to fight hard to get a split.
The return of Greg Taylor certainly was a lift, and BC is beginning to
have success on the power play, especially with Reasoner and Callahan.
Basically, though, both these teams played like the .500 teams they have
been to this point in the season.  Both have hopes for improvement due
to the growth of their young players, but they haven't reached the point
where they put out consistent efforts night after night.
 
I think Maine got used to having strong goaltending, and it has been an
adjustment for them to realize that they cannot trust the keeper to bail
them out on defensive breakdowns.  Offensively, they looked good this
weekend in moving the puck, but they have to find the net when they get
the good chances.  BC continues to give up breakaway chances, both from
their forechecking style and defensive mistakes/bad breakout passes.
Taylor helps them survive those, but it isn't a plan for the long term.
And the offense is a bit too one-dimensional, with much of the scoring
threat coming from one line (Reasoner, Callahan, and Bellefeuille).
When 2 of those 3 leave for the World Junior Championship, it will be
interesting to see where the offense comes from.
 
BC plays Wednesday night at rival Boston University, a game that will
be televised by NESN.  Maine is off until Dec. 20, when they play
Dalhousie in the first round of the J.C.Penney Classic at Orono.  And
the Denver Cup schedule in late December is affected by the ban on
Maine television appearances.  Maine plays Denver in the late game on
Friday, but Maine will play the early game on Saturday regardless of who
wins on Friday to avoid TV.  It is possible the championship game of the
Cup will come before the consolation.
--------------------               ----------------------
Rick McAdoo                        [log in to unmask]
"Volunteer reporter"               A positive BC fan.  GO EAGLES!
 
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