Got back a little while ago from Alfond Arena where Maine and
Team USA skated to a 3-3 tie.  I'll try to post the box score
tomorrow morning, but for now some observations.
 
- [This one mainly for Hockey-L readers] If this was the same team
  that beat BC 9-3 and BU 8-0, and if there is anything like
  transitivity in hockey scores (and we all know there isn't) -
  Maine is going to be pretty tough this year.
 
- The scores went like this Maine 1-0, tied at 1-1, Team USA 2-1,
  Team USA 3-1, Maine 3-2, tied at 3-3.
 
- Team USA dominated parts, but certainly not all of the game -
  Maine hung in and put on a great deal of pressure, particularly
  at the end.
 
- The player of the game (although he got only the third star -
  first went to Matt Martin and the second to Jim Campbell) was
  Garth Snow.  He kept Team USA in the game by making a number of
  top notch saves - including on two breakaways - one by Paul
  Kariya.
 
- The game was quite physical and the Maine fans (as is their wont)
  kept calling for penalties whenever a Team USA player bothered a
  Maine player.  [I've been sick of that for 9 years now - so shoot
  me, I still root for Maine but I can do without the ridiculous
  partisanship.]  Anyway, my guess is that the referees decided this
  game would be called a bit less strictly than a typical Hockey
  East contest.  HOWEVER, a couple of Team USA players did do some
  pretty stupid things - including Darby Hendrickson literally putting
  a head/neck lock on a Maine player.
 
- Speaking of penalties, the first three of the game (including Maine's
  first penalty of the year called on one *my* calculus students!) were
  called on Maine, but Maine killed off each one.  I think Maine's first
  goal was scored on Team USA's second penalty - but I'm not certain.
 
- Team USA is big and strong and fast, but seems to lack any real
  creativity.  They certainly don't have a Paul Kariya (or even a
  Mike Latendresse or Martin Robitaille) to set up the guns in front.
  They like to wheel in center ice and attack, and the defense (or
  at least some of them) like to jump in, but they all seem like
  slashers with no real finesse.  [I don't want to criticize them
  having just watched them this one game, but that's my first impression.]
 
- Jeff Lazaro (formerly of the Boston Bruins, now property of the
  Ottawa Senators, and a former UNH Wildcat) is a new addition to the
  Team USA roster.  He looked pretty good out there and dished out some
  nice checks including open-ice checks on Kariya and Latendresse that
  they probably felt down to their skateblades.
 
- Team USA played without Ted Drury, Chris Ferraro, Derek Plante, and
  Brian Rolston.  I'm not sure how many of them are expected back for
  the Olympics, but I think they could use something.  [I was impressed
  by Rolston both in the NCAA's and the World Junior Championships.]
 
- A couple of Maine notes.  Both goalies (Blair Marsh for periods 1 and
  2 and Blair Allison for period 3) looked pretty good - Marsh stopped
  Peter Ferraro on a breakaway and each made some nice saves and didn't
  appear rattled.  Of the Maine first-year players I was impressed by
  Trevor Roenick and Barry Clukey (of US High School all-time scoring
  leadership fame) - both put in some strong physical shifts.  This
  isn't to slight any of the other first-year players (Tory and Mansoff
  looked pretty good on regular defensive shifts), but those two stood
  out - given the type of game it was, what they had to give was what
  was highlighted.
 
- Paul Kariya assisted on the first two Maine goals and was on the ice
  (I'm pretty sure) for the third.  He was (to quote a famous Hockey-L
  administrator) the best player on the ice - no surprise.
 
As I said, I'll try to post the box score in the morning.
 
With best wishes,
 
Charlie Slavin              [log in to unmask] or Slavin@Maine
Adminstrator for OlymPuck - The Olympic Ice Hockey Discussion List
Department of Mathematics
University of Maine
Orono, Maine 04469-5752
USA