Sunday, March 12, 1995 at Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA
HOCKEY EAST QUARTERFINAL GAME
#7 Merrimack Warriors (14-18-5)              1     1     1  -  3
#2 Boston University Terriers (26-6-3)       2     2     0  -  4
FIRST PERIOD                                                          BU-MC
1. BU1, Jacques Joubert 24 (Shane Johnson, Mike Prendergast), 6:00.    1-0
2. MC1, Ryan Mailhiot 4 (Mark Goble, Chris Davis), 17:47.              1-1
3. BU2, Joubert 25 (Prendergast), 18:08.                               2-1
SECOND PERIOD
4. BU3, Joubert 26 (Prendergast, Bob Lachance), 0:18.                  3-1
5. BU4, Shawn Bates 14 (Lachance), 4:19.  SHG GWG                      4-1
6. MC2, Daryl Krauss 11 (Casey Kesselring, Matt Adams), 8:04.          4-2
THIRD PERIOD
7. MC3, Krauss 12 (Mark Cornforth, Davis), 1:49.  4x4                  4-3
SHOTS ON GOAL: Merrimack            3-11-10 = 24
               Boston University   18-15-13 = 46
SAVES: MC, Martin Legault (L, 9-15-4, 58:56, 46 sh-42 sv).
       BU, Derek Herlofsky (W, 14-4-3, 60:00, 24 sh-21 sv).
POWER PLAYS: MC 0 for 4.  BU 0 for 3.
PENALTIES: MC 5/10.  BU 8/24.
REFEREES: John Gravallese, Scott Leavitt. LINESMAN: John Jones.
ATTENDANCE: 2,548 (capacity 3,684).
THREE STARS: 1. C Jacques Joubert, BU (3-0--3).
             2. G Martin Legault, Merrimack (46 sh-42 sv).
             3. RW Mike Prendergast, BU (0-3--3).
 
Jacques Joubert scored a hat trick and Shawn Bates added a shorthanded
goal to stake BU to a 4-1 lead early in the second period, and the
Terriers held on for dear life to escape with a 4-3 win over Merrimack
Sunday night in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
 
BU advances to the semifinals at the Boston Garden next Friday and will
meet Mass Lowell at 8 pm.  Maine will play Providence at 5 pm in the
other semifinal.
 
BU completely dominated the first half of the game, including an 18-3
shot advantage in the first.  But after Bates' SHG made it 4-1 at 4:19
of the second, Merrimack hung in there and refused to give up, scoring
twice to make it 4-3 early in the third.  The Warriors outscored BU
2-0 over the final 35:41 of the game.  They had several chances to tie
late, including with goaltender Martin Legault pulled for an extra man
in the final minute, but BU held them off.
 
With the way BU carried play and opened up the 4-1 lead, I don't think
many would have been surprised if Merrimack had packed it in and lost
by 5 or 6 goals.  The loss was certainly a tough one to take for the
Warriors, especially the seniors who gave it all they had in the third
period in trying to bring the team back.  Legault and the defense
picked up their play as the game went on, and they played superbly in
the third as the team fought unsuccessfully to even it up.
 
As a longtime Merrimack follower, I felt quite proud of the performance
the team gave in refusing to give up when everyone in the rink had to
think the game was over.  It was difficult to watch players like Adams,
Goble, Cornforth, and Hodge as they consoled each other after the game
and seemed reluctant to leave the ice.  Players like these will be gone
but not replaced, and their efforts will certainly be remembered in
the future when Merrimack finally does get to the Garden and beyond -
and it will happen someday.
 
BU played a very strong game and deserved the win.  Joubert played like
a captain should and led his team well.  Bob Lachance and Mike Prendergast
also played well, and the defense was superb - what you would expect from
a team as good as BU is.  I wish BU the best of luck the rest of the way.
 
More will follow later; it is quite late right now and I'm rather
emotionally drained.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93