Elsewhere in HE last night, BU led BC 3-2 late in the 2nd and UNH led
Brown 4-1 after two; I didn't get finals yet.
Wednesday, December 9, 1992 at Schneider Arena, Providence, RI
HOCKEY EAST GAME
Merrimack Warriors (6-8-1, 1-6-0 HE) 0 1 2 1 - 4
Providence Friars (5-8-1, 3-6-1 HE) 1 0 2 0 - 3
FIRST PERIOD MC-PC
1. PC1, Craig Darby 6 (Dennis Sousa, Erik Peterson), 6:56. 0-1
SECOND PERIOD
2. MC1, John Barron 1 (Matt Adams, Tom Costa), 19:00. 1-1
THIRD PERIOD
3. PC2, Mark Devine 1 (Brady Kramer), 4:32. 1-2
4. MC2, Rob Atkinson 3 (Dan Gravelle), 10:30. 2-2
5. MC3, Jim Gibson 6 (Mark Goble, Wayde McMillan), 14:34. 3-2
6. PC3, Bob Cowan 3 (Peterson, Darby), 18:39. 3-3
OVERTIME
7. MC4, McMillan 10 (Goble), 0:53. GWG 4-3
SHOTS ON GOAL: Merrimack 3-13--9--2 = 27
Providence 9--8--9--0 = 26
SAVES: Merrimack, Mike Doneghey (W, 5-4-0, 60:53, 26 sh-23 sv).
Providence, Brad Mullahy (L, 2-5-1, 60:53, 27-23).
POWER PLAYS: Merrimack 0 for 4. Providence 0 for 1.
PENALTIES: Merrimack 2/4. Providence 5/10.
REFEREES: Steve McBride, Bob Fowkes. LINESMAN: Dennis Hughes.
ATTENDANCE: 1,027.
THREE STARS: 1. Merrimack, C Wayde McMillan (1-1--2, GWG).
2. Providence, RW Craig Darby (1-1--2).
3. Merrimack, G Mike Doneghey (26 sh-23 sv).
Just 53 seconds into overtime, Wayde McMillan picked up a loose puck off
the stick of Mark Goble and backhanded it past Providence goalie Brad
Mullahy to give Merrimack its first Hockey East win of the season, 4-3.
The win broke a nine game HE losing streak for Merrimack dating back to
last February, as well as a ten-game HE road losing streak dating back to
January. Oddly enough, it was the first overtime game in 54 meetings
between the teams, as PC leads the all-time series 44-10-0. It was also
the first win for Merrimack in Providence since the 1988-89 season.
The first period was dominated by PC which outshot Merrimack, 9-3. The
lone goal came at 6:56 when Craig Darby deflected a shot from the left
point from Dennis Sousa just past Mike Doneghey's skate. It was Sousa's
first career point; he was seeing action because freshman defenseman
Scott Balboni was out with an injured back.
Merrimack came out skating in the second period and there was a lot more
action. The Warriors were also the recipient of six minutes in power
play time which they didn't score on but did have decent puck movement
and pressure. Friar Todd Huyber was called for a double minor by
referee Steve McBride at 10:56 when he slashed down Teal Fowler, then
held Fowler down on the ice. McBride, as usual, was entertaining to
watch; I mentioned in my color commentary that McBride is one of those
officials who likes to be as much part of the game as the players and
Dan replied by mentioning the time that McBride was being heckled by a
fan at UNH and McBride gave him a certain gesture Dan couldn't talk about
on the air. :-)
Merrimack held the edge in shots, 13-8, and controlled much of the play;
they finally got on the board with one minute left in the second. Tom
Costa's pass up to Matt Adams found its way to John Barron, who fired a
shot from the left circle that got by Mullahy's left skate to make it 1-1.
Barron had an outstanding game, knocking opponents off the puck and
generating good opportunities. The goal was the senior's first of the
year.
Providence went up 2-1 at 4:32 of the third period when Mark Devine
beat Doneghey from about 35 feet out. Doneghey can have trouble at
times with the long shots, but he has been very consistent lately,
posting an 88% save percentage in his last three games and making more
big saves than allowing questionable goals. He would come up big
several times after the goal to keep Merrimack within one until they
could tie it and go ahead.
At 10:30, Dan Gravelle centered the puck to Rob Atkinson who beat
Mullahy to the short side as Mullahy seemed drawn off the post. Other
than McMillan's winner, this was the key goal of the game for Merrimack
as another by PC might have dashed the Warriors' chances. Just four
minutes later, Merrimack went up 3-2 on a goal by Jim Gibson. McMillan's
shot from the slot was kicked to the corner by Mullahy, but Mark Goble
was quick to get to it and center it to Gibson for his sixth goal.
As time ticked down, Merrimack started to sit back and was content to
get the puck and throw it out of the zone, but with only 1:21 left the
Friars were able to tie it at 3-3. Erik Peterson centered the puck from
behind the net to an uncovered Bob Cowan who slammed it in, and the
stage was set for McMillan to score his tenth goal in the extra stanza.
McMillan now has 10-7--17 on the year and trails only Gravelle (9-10--19)
for the Merrimack lead in scoring.
POSTGAME
The win keeps Merrimack unbeaten in overtime this year at 1-0-1. PC
lost its first OT game of the year, as the Friars are 2-1-1 in OT now.
After surrendering 41 goals in their first four HE games (10.25),
Merrimack has allowed 13 in their last three (4.33). Merrimack scored
11 in those first four HE games (2.75) and has 10 in the last 3 (3.33).
Team defense and goaltending have been the difference in play.
We looked at this game as the first of a string of games for Merrimack
against HE teams they could skate with and beat, and the result clearly
showed that to be true. PC, which has played the Warriors physical in
the past, skated most of the time and Merrimack kept right up with them.
Neither team is among the best in the country, but much of the rest of
Merrimack's HE schedule consists of teams they can play with, so it will
be important for them to win those games and not finish last (or get sent
to Maine for the playoffs). If BC went on to lose to BU, Merrimack is
only three points out of 7th at the break and potentially only four
out of 6th depending on how UMass-Lowell does this weekend against
Northeastern and Maine.
It's difficult to gauge just how important this win might be; certainly,
it means a lot to get a win in HE and to finish the first semester on
an upbeat note, but Merrimack is now off for over three weeks and the
effects of a win or loss were likely to wear off by the time New Year's
Day rolls around.
Providence looked to be a team on a par with Merrimack (or vice versa).
The Friars' first two lines of Peterson-Cowan-Darby and Hulbig-
Quenneville-Ridolfi are their most dangerous with a dropoff after that
(except for Brady Kramer on the third line), but Quenneville was
noticeably quiet tonight and his line wasn't too effective. Therien
did not control the game like I thought he might from his defense position.
The Friars' inexperience on defense (three freshmen) meant Therien
had to concentrate more on playing back, and Merrimack did a decent job
of keeping pressure on him when he had the puck. He did get to make
several rushes deep into the zone but he was watched closely.
Merrimack next plays on Jan 1st at 2 pm at home against Union. Providence
will play an exhibition against Moscow Spartak on Dec 27th, then travel
to Troy, NY for the RPI Invitational where they will take on Clarkson
on Dec 29th. Both teams will return to HE play on Jan 8th as Merrimack
will host UNH and PC will host BU.
---
Mike Machnik [log in to unmask] Color Voice of the Merrimack Warriors
(Any opinions expressed above are strictly those of the poster.) *HMN*
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