Hi to all you late night hockey-lers.  Got a score for you from Merrimack
The final was Merrimack 6  Lowell 1.  Also, I got a final from the Maine
Northeastern game, that one was Maine 5   NU 3.
 
Tonight's Merrimack game was an incredibly positive one for the entire
Merrimack club.  It seemed like every guy on the team had at least one
chance to score.  Dwayne Roloson for UMass-Lowell was good in the nets
or this game would have been a lot higher scoring.  But tonights real
story was the play of the Ironman, Steve D'Amore.  I think the ghosts
of Washington Capitals' goalie Jim Hrivnak, a Merrimack grad, are starting
to be felt by D'Amore.  Tonight, Steve looked like Hrivnak on several
occasions.  All but one of I believe 32 shots (* Mike will post the box later,
you can tell from there *) Steve got.  And most of the shots, at both ends
were excellent shots.  The goaltenders at both ends had to make several
saves.  In short though, Steve D'Amore did his Jim Hrivnak and Ray Leblanc
imitation.
 
Hockey-ler Guy Ragault played a solid game.  He didn't figure in the scoring
but had several good oppurtunities.
 
Merrimack also saw the return (* to the bench anyway *) of Yannick "The
Goose" Gosselin.  Goose, who was suspended by Coach Anderson in December,
and then underwent arthroscopic surgery on his oft-injured knee, was back
in the lineup tonight.  He didn't get to play.  I was hoping he would
in the last few minutes, but I can understand Coach Anderson not putting
him in...Merrimack can't afford to lose any of its remaining games.  If it
does, it will in all likelihood face a trip to Orono in the first round of
the HE playoffs.  Not a fun thought.  Maine did us a favor tonight by
beating NU.  If we can beat NU tomorrow night, we'll move out of last place,
and have a 2-1-0 record against NU, which will help if a tie breaker is
necessary.
 
Lowell coach Bruce Crowder surprised me, and I think a lot of other people
when with about six minutes left in the third and his team trailing 5-1,
he pulled Dwayne Roloson when Merrimack was shorthanded, thus making it a
6 on 4.  The plan didn't work, as Brendan Locke got the puck at the red line
and dumped it in the empty net.  I can see his logic, I mean, you're down
5-1, why not?  It was a surprise though.
 
That's all for tonight.  Have a good one all, and cheer on Team USA as they
go for the bronze!
 
Kevin
 
e-mail MIGHT reach me at:
 
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"Second best IS second rate!!!"  -me