One other score: BU beat PC 6-2. Maine led Lowell 6-4 late and UNH was
shutting out BC late, 6-0.
Friday, February 7, 1992 at Matthews Arena, Boston, MA
HOCKEY EAST GAME
Merrimack Warriors (12-15-0, 3-12-0 HE 8th) 0 2 0 - 2
Northeastern Huskies (13-14-0, 4-11-0 HE 7th) 0 1 4 - 5
FIRST PERIOD NU-MC
No scoring.
SECOND PERIOD
1. MC1, Teal Fowler 17 (Cooper Naylor, Matt Crowley), 4:45. 0-1
2. NU1, Adam Hayes 3 (Tom O'Connor, Matt Saunders), 11:38. 1-1
3. MC2, Jim Gibson 4 (Crowley, Alex Weinrich), 13:02. 1-2
THIRD PERIOD
4. NU2, O'Connor 4 (Paul Sacco, Hayes), 10:25. 2-2
5. NU3, Rob Kenny 15 (unassisted), 11:06. GWG 3-2
6. NU4, Saunders 6 (Hayes), 18:54. ENG 4-2
7. NU5, Dino Grossi 11 (Bob Kellogg, Darryl MacNair), 19:55. ENG 5-2
SHOTS ON GOAL: Merrimack 8-15--5 = 28
Northeastern 12-10-18 = 40
GOALIES: Merrimack, Steve D'Amore (10-14-0, 59:00, 38 shots-35 saves).
Northeastern, Todd Reynolds (5-7-0, 60:00, 28 shots-26 saves).
POWER PLAYS: Merrimack, 0 of 2. Northeastern, 0 of 1.
PENALTIES: Merrimack 3/6. Northeastern 4/8.
REFEREE: Drew Taylor. LINESMEN: Jeff Bunyon, Dennis Hughes.
ATTENDANCE: 2,253 (capacity 6,000).
THREE STARS: 1. Adam Hayes, NU (1-2--3).
2. Tom O'Connor, NU (1-1--2).
3. Steve D'Amore, Merrimack (38 shots-35 saves).
Northeastern came up with two goals in 41 seconds halfway through the third
period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead, and the Huskies added 2 empty
net goals to ice a 5-2 win. NU took sole possession of 7th place with the
win and consigned Merrimack to last place in Hockey East. Both teams
have 6 HE games left.
Amazingly, the win was the first for NU at home over Merrimack in four
years. The Huskies last beat Merrimack at Matthews Arena in March 1988,
the first game of the 1988 NC$$ First Round (a 5-3 win). Since then,
Merrimack had won five straight at NU. The Warriors had an 8-1 advantage
over NU in the last 9 meetings and had won 10 of the last 11 dating back
to December 1987. Merrimack has lost 6 of its last 7 games this year now
and it doesn't get any easier with games vs Maine and Providence upcoming
in the next week. NU has played its best hockey of the year lately,
winning three of its last five.
The first period was scoreless and was almost all up-and-down action.
Merrimack scored early in the second when Teal Fowler took a pass in the
slot from Cooper Naylor and beat Todd Reynolds, who continues to play
well and gives the NU staff some peace of mind for the future. The
Huskies, who had been shut out in the last meeting 2-0, finally got on
the board at 11:38 as Adam Hayes banged in a rebound. This came after
the Warriors had dodged several bullets, including coughing up the puck
for a 2x1 that the Huskies botched up. But at 13:02 Merrimack regained
its lead, as Jim Gibson (returning to the lineup after three separate
injuries) scored his 4th. Matt Crowley carried up the right side and
blasted a shot that hit the post and bounced out to Gibson, who easily
put it in.
Crowley continues to get better and better and was my 3rd star over
D'Amore. He is returning from a spleen operation.
The game's first penalty wasn't called until Matt Saunders went off for
interference with 1:51 left in the second period. There would be only
three power plays in the game, 2 for Merrimack.
The Warriors should have felt lucky to be up a goal entering the third,
and even though they had outshot NU 15-10 in the second, D'Amore would
face a barrage of 16 shots in the third while his team managed just 5.
D'Amore was the only thing keeping Merrimack ahead through the first half
of the third, but NU finally broke through at 10:25 when Tom O'Connor
knocked in a rebound. Then at 11:06, the winner was scored by Rob Kenny
as the senior stole the puck, went in and beat D'Amore with a wicked wrist
shot to the stick side. D'Amore was pulled late in the game and the Huskies
scored two empty-netters for the 5-2 final. Saunders picked up the puck
near the Merrimack blue line and easily put it in at 18:54. Dino Grossi
added the other ENG with a long flip shot from his own blue line at 19:55,
prompting some to ask WHY he could put that in and miss the shot from the
crease against BU in the Beanpot. (Because David Sacco got a stick on it,
that's why.)
EPILOGUE
Merrimack surrendered 40 or more shots for its third straight game, and
the injuries to three key defensemen are really showing. Another awful
third period was the key to this loss. Northeastern played a strong game
to earn the win.
The Huskies next meet BC in the Beanpot Consolation Monday at 5 pm. Then,
they host UNH Fri Feb 14 and go to BU the next night. Merrimack hosts
Maine Monday and goes to PC Friday, and chances of being sent to Maine
for the playoffs look more and more likely.
Not doing radio, I spent the 2nd intermission and half of the third period
talking to NU women's hockey coach Don MacLeod. There is a real battle
going on at NU between MacLeod and the NU administration, reaching all
the way to the top and school president Dr John Curry. I'll send out
some of the details because I think people should know what is going on
as this proud program heads down the drain.
Present at the game was former Huskie and current Boston Bruin Chris
"Knuckles" Nilan. Fans could have their picture taken with Nilan for a
price which was donated to the school. No, I didn't have mine taken. :-)
---
Mike Machnik [log in to unmask] mikem@{beanpot,bubba}.ma30.bull.com
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