2/6/91 Hockey East Overall Non-league
GP W-L-T Pts GF-GA || GP W-L-T GF-GA W-L-T
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1 Boston College 16 12-4-0 24 76-56 || 30 23-7-0 143-92 | 11-3-0
2 Maine 16 11-4-1 23 84-55 || 32 24-6-2 177-98 | 13-2-1
3 Boston University 17 10-5-2 22 76-52 || 29 18-9-2 154-99 | 8-4-0
4 Providence 15 8-5-2 18 70-57 || 25 18-5-2 136-85 | 10-0-0
5 New Hampshire 16 7-7-2 16 60-60 || 29 19-8-2 131-102 | 12-1-0
6 Merrimack 16 7-9-0 14 58-72 || 27 13-13-1 120-124 | 6-4-1
7 Lowell 17 4-12-1 9 50-83 || 29 9-19-1 103-139 | 5-7-0
8 Northeastern 17 1-14-2 4 60-99 || 28 4-22-2 106-159 | 3-8-0
2/5/91 New Hampshire 5 at Lowell 2 HE
Providence 5 at Merrimack 3 HE
2/8/91 New Hampshire at Boston College HE
Boston University at Merrimack HE
Lowell at Northeastern HE
Maine at Providence HE
2/9/91 Maine at Providence HE
2/11/91 Harvard vs Northeastern NC Beanpot
Consolation
Boston College vs Boston University NC Beanpot
Championship
PROVIDENCE 5, at MERRIMACK 3
The Friars went up 2-0 in the first, then fell behind 3-2 in the second only
to come back and get the win. Mike Boback (10:47) and Mark Doshan (15:25)
both scored on shots that The Goose probably should have stopped, but Howie
Rosenblatt (17:50) scored his 18th from right in front of Brad Mullahy to
get the Warriors on the board. There was some scuffling at the end of the
period, resulting in Rosenblatt (a Providence native) ending up in the box
and PC coach Mike McShane calling him names. McShane's Steve Rooney and
Jeff Robison joined Rosenblatt, all three penalties coming at 20:00. The
first period was almost completely up-and-down action. BC coach Len
Ceglarski called Merrimack "one of the best skating clubs in the country",
and when a team like Providence decides to skate too, the result is some
fast, exciting hockey. The penalties at 20:00 were the first of the game.
After the 4-on-3 was killed off, Merrimack really began to dominate play.
The 4th line of John Barron-Brendan Locke-Jim Gibson was the most effective,
and they tied the score when Barron poked in his own rebound at 4:16, his
5th goal of the year. When Teal Fowler (#12) scored on the power play at
12:58 from pointmen Claude Maillet and Tim Doyle, it looked like the
Warriors were on their way to kncoking off the Friars for the second time
in a week and a half. But PC is a good club, and they quickly retook the
lead, Gary Socha (#12) beating The Goose at 15:35 and Boback netting his
second of the game on a nifty play from Shaun Kane and Rooney at 17:58.
Boback's goal came on the power play. After referee Drew Taylor let
several obvious Friar infractions go, he called Gibson for throwing an
elbow behind the Friar net at 17:11. Merrimack held the edge in shots
14-7, but several great stops by Mullahy were the difference. All six of
the game's power plays (three aside) came in the second period, which
ended with PC up, 4-3.
The third period saw Providence continue their edge in play for a bit, but
then Merrimack fought back and tested Mullahy a bit. Leading scorer
Agostino Casale (19-18-37) was sent in alone and nearly faked Mullahy
enough to flip the puck past him, but Mullahy somehow got a piece of it and
deflected it over the glass. As the clock ticked down, Bob Cowan finally
nailed the insurance goal with 2:41 left. Mario Aube hit him with a cross
ice pass, and The Goose couldn't get over quickly enough to stop Cowan's
blast from the left circle.
The Goose ended up with 30 saves, but it wasn't one of his better outings.
Brad Mullahy stopped 32 shots and was named second star. Boback earned
first star with his two big goals, each of which put the Friars ahead.
Brendan Locke played perhaps his finest two-way game of the year and
was named third star for Merrimack.
NEW HAMPSHIRE 5, at LOWELL 2
UNH jumped out to a 3-1 first period lead on the way to the win. Dave
Gatti put Lowell in front 1-0 at 5:03, but Kevin Thomson and Scott Morrow
(two goals) gave UNH the lead they wouldn't relinquish. Savo Mitrovic
made it 4-1 at 10:23 of the second, then Dave Pensa and Joe Flanagan
swapped goals in the third for the 5-2 final. Mark Richards had 31
saves for Lowell, which was outshot 36-18, and freshman Jeff Levy made
16 saves.
IMPLICATIONS
Last night's action all but eliminated Merrimack from home-ice contention;
having lost the season series to Providence 2-1, the Warriors would need
five points in their final five games (BU, Maine twice, UNH, Lowell) -
or at least, five more points than Providence. UNH also has five games
left (BC, PC, Lowell, Merr, Maine), and from Merrimack's viewpoint,
the UNH game is the biggest of the year as the Warriors can still finish
fifth. The question is, is it better to go to PC or to BU for the
quarterfinals?
New Hampshire looks to finish anywhere from fourth to sixth. To finish
fourth and gain home ice, they will probably have to beat PC in addition
to getting at least as many points as the Friars in the remaining four
games. They could finish sixth if they lose to Merrimack.
Providence is in the best shape; remaining games are with Maine (2),
UNH, BU, BC, and NU, so they have a game in hand on UNH and Merrimack. If
they get hot, they could even beat out BU for third, on whom they have
two games in hand.
NOTES
David Emma (BC) was named HE Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday
2/3, tallying 5-2--7 in two BC wins. Including the Beanpot, he has scored
in 18 straight games. Mike Murray (Lowell) is the Rookie of the Week for
the same period with 1-3--4 in Lowell's 7-2 win at Yale (he had 4-2--6 in
22 games prior to that).
BC is 8-1 against teams ranked in the Top Ten (whose?) at the time BC
played them.
Before the Beanpot, BU was 7-6-1 in its last 14 games. They began the
season 10-3-1.
Before last night, Lowell was 7-for-its-last-74 (9.46%) on the power
play.
In terms of total points, Maine's Jean-Yves Roy (66) and Jim Montgomery
(65), and Emma (64) were the nation's leaders prior to the Beanpot.
Maine's 9-3 win at NU was just its 2nd in its last 13 games at Matthews
Arena (2-9-2 since 1983).
UNH is 9-0 at home when classes are in session and 11-2-1 overall at
home. The Wildcats have sold out five times at "Lively" Snively Arena.
EXPANSION CONT.
The Hockey News reports that HE Commissioner Stu Haskell has been
talking to two schools about the possibility of their joining the
conference. No mention was made of who the schools are.
OTHER SCORES FROM LAST NIGHT
Bentley 4, Wesleyan 1
Connecticut College 4, Amherst 1
Fitchburg St 9, Framingham St 1
St Michael's 1, Plymouth St 1 (ot)
Salem St 3, Colby 3 (ot)
UConn 7, Holy Cross 5
- mike
p.s. anyone have the Fairbanks-UW score?
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