Mike Zak writes:
>   Ted Weiler says:
>   >The boards are,... backed by concrete so the boards don't give much.
>
>   He's right.  It was determined, I don't know how, that the boards were
>   too hard.  To soften them up, cuts were sawn into the steel supports to
>   allow the boards to give a little more on impact.  About the size of
>   the ice surface, it is the usual NHL size.  I can't remember the numbers.
 
Despite the attempts, I wonder if the boards at Clarkson will be of the "quiet"
type.  Merrimack has always had the loud boards, and players say they love
playing there (high school, college) because when you slam someone into
the boards, it is LOUD.  The fans love it, too.  Clarkson is a pretty physical
team, and I don't know if the new boards will work to their advantage.
 
Lowell had the same boards Merrimack had, but they replaced them a couple
of years ago.  Now a game at Lowell is like going to the symphony.  Needless
to say, Merrimack pretty much scrapped their plans to replace the boards
when they found out what Lowell ended up with.
 
As far as this home ice advantage goes, Merrimack has one of the biggest,
and that's just because of the rink.  When the Warriors start making a
move towards the upper echelon of HE and the fans return, it should be one
of the top home ice advantages in DivI.  First, the rink itself is ICE COLD.
We affectionately refer to the Volpe Complex as "the Igloo".  There are
heaters which were installed recently, but it is up to the AD as to if and
when they will be turned on during a game.  The Merrimack ice is very good
and fast, and since the Warriors have always been a good skating club by
design, this is a definite advantage.
 
The national anthem is a high-quality recording of Huey Lewis and the News
singing the Star Spangled Banner.  One of the long-time team assistants,
John Savastano, contacted Huey's manager and got a copy of the tape, which
they can only use before hockey games.  It is always worth a laugh when
a team that has never played at Merrimack before (or in a while) hits the
ice, focused and mentally ready to play - then they hear the unmistakable
sounds of Huey and look at each other as if to say, "It can't be...".  The
result always seems to be that Merrimack jumps all over the opponents early
before they get back in the game.
 
Should Merrimack start to pack them in again like they did during the three
straight ECAC East titles, the fans will again be a factor.  Like Walker,
the fans are right on top of the players, not more than a few feet from
the ice.  Unfortunately there are no stands behind either goalie, but
supposedly plans are in place to expand the seating by placing bleachers
behind the visitor's net.
 
>   The first game in the new arena will be against Boston College during
>   Parents' Fall Weekend.  I'm gad that Clarkson is playing BC, especially
>   since it is Coach Len Ceglarski's last year.  Ceglarski was coach at
>   Clarkson for a long time, in the late 60's and early 70's I think.
 
Yes, Ceglarski coached Clarkson from 1958 to 1972, taking them to 4 Final
Fours.  Clarkson won 1 ECAC title under Ceglarski.  Sorry I don't have
his exact Clarkson record handy; I know it is in both the BC and Clarkson
media guides.
 
 
- mike