(Box from BC game summary sheet)
Saturday, January 27, 2001 at Kelley Rink (Conte Forum), Chestnut Hill, MA
BC 7, MAINE 2 HOCKEY EAST GAME
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UNIVERSITY OF MAINE (HE) 0 1 1 - 2 (10-9-6 overall, 5-6-4 HE)
BOSTON COLLEGE (HE) 5 2 0 - 7 (19-6-1 overall, 12-3-1 HE)
Shots on Goal Pen - Min Power Play
ME 13-12- 5 -- 30 8 - 16 1 - 10
BC 11-10- 4 -- 25 12 - 24 3 - 6
ME - Matt Yeats 6- x- x - 6 saves/5 goals (19:00)
Mike Morrison 0- 8- 4 - 12 saves/2 goals (41:00)
BC - Scott Clemmensen 13-11- 4 - 28 saves/2 goals (60:00)
Referee - John Gravellese
Assistants - John Jones, Tom Quinn
Attendance - 7770
1st Period
BC1 Brian Gionta 18 (Eaves, Voce) 7:57
BC2 Brian Gionta 19 (Kobasew) SHG 10:21
BC3 Brian Gionta 20 (Orpik, Scuderi) PPG 14:37
BC4 Brian Gionta 21 (Dolinar, Lephart) PPG 17:23
BC5 Brian Gionta 22 (Giuliano) 19:58
Penalties
BC - Allen (holding) 4:02
BC - Orpik (delay of game) 9:25
ME - Begg (roughing) 14:29
ME - Nault (holding) 16:55
BC - Dziama (roughing) 17:47
2nd Period
BC6 Chuck Kobasew 15 (Kolanos, Giuliano) PPG 1:43
BC7 Krys Kolanos 19 (Voce) 4x4 10:27
UM1 Francis Nault 2 (Heisten, Reimann) 13:56
Penalties
ME - Donovan (slashing) 0:44
ME - Loya (roughing) 5:32
BC - Dziama (high-sticking) 7:50
ME - Reimann (hooking) 9:06
BC - Gionta (hooking) 9:54
BC - Orpik (hitting from behind) 14:50
ME - Heisten (slashing) 18:55
BC - Kobasew (slashing) 18:55
3rd Period
UM2 Michael Schutte 4 (Kariya, Trattnig) PPG 11:29
Penalties
BC - Kolanos (interference) 1:08
BC - Lephart (interference) 9:56
ME - Begg (interference) 15:07
BC - Forrest (slashing) 16:50
ME - Heisten (slashing) 18:18
BC - Scuderi (slashing) 18:18
BC - Peterson (roughing) 19:19
3 Stars - 1. BC - Brian Gionta (5G)
2. BC - Krys Kolanos (1G, 1A)
3. BC - Scott Clemmensen (2G, 28 saves)
University of Maine:
F Brendan Donovan, Martin Kariya, Matthias Trattnig
Dan Kerluke, Robert Liscak, Niko Dimitrakos
Lucas Lawson, Chris Heisten, Tom Reimann
KEVIN CLAUSON, MICHAEL SCHUTTE, TODD JACKSON
D DOUG JANIK, ERIC TURGEON
Peter Metcalf, Cliff Loya
Francis Nault, A.J. Begg
G MATT YEATS, Mike Morrison
Boston College:
F TONY VOCE, BEN EAVES, BRIAN GIONTA
Jeff Giuliano, Krys Kolanos, Chuck Kobasew
Marty Hughes, Ales Dolinar, Mike Lephart
Mark McLennan, Ty Hennes, Justin Dziama
D Bobby Allen, J.D. Forrest
BROOKS ORPIK, BILL CASS
Brett Peterson, Rob Scuderi
G SCOTT CLEMMENSEN, Tom Egan
COMMENTS
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Most everyone in the college hockey world has heard about this game by now,
I think. In the biggest no-brainer in some time, Brian Gionta earned #1
star in this game by scoring 5 goals on 5 shots in 12+ minutes of the first
period to end this game early. He seems to save some of the best games for
appearances on TV, and the Fox Sports Net Hockey East game of the week had
lots to talk about after this performance. To be sure, he got a lot of
help from hard working teammates, and some from lackadaisical Maine defensive
work, who left him unmarked in front of the net on several occasions. (He
is a quick, shifty guy, hard to keep up with.) Two power play goals, one
shorthanded goal, and 2 regular strength. Just to make sure Maine would
not try to mount a comeback, BC scored 2 more in the second period to
turn this into a laugher, and the defense did just enough to limit Maine
to 2 scores in the 2nd half of the game.
After dropping the Friday night game, we expected Maine to work hard early
Saturday. Sure enough, the first few minutes of the game featured mostly
Maine chances and forechecking pressure. Scott Clemmensen had another very
good game, sharp on the first Maine power play to keep them off the board.
It didn't offer any hints as to what followed. BC got cranking with the
Eaves/Voce/Gionta group forechecking hard behind the Maine net. The puck
got sent back to the left point, and a shot fired toward the net. It got
blocked in front and the puck was sitting there with several players working
for it. Voce took the attention of 2 players and managed to tip the puck
to the left side, where Eaves waited. He immediately sent a pass across
the face of the goal to a wide-open Gionta, who flipped an easy score into
the open right side. Too many Maine defenders were high in the zone, with
the result that Eaves and Gionta were unmarked. Maine again worked to
create their own chances, and BC took a delay of game penalty for covering
the puck under pressure. The subsequent goal, though, came from Gionta,
after scrambling defensive work. Freshman Chuck Kobasew dived to the left
point and swatted the puck into the neutral zone past the pinching point
man. Gionta accelerated down the right side for a clean breakaway. He
cut in from the right circle and looked like he was going to sweep across
to the left side -- as Yeats moved off the post the puck was rocketed high
to the near post, where it bounced up and in, 2-0. A sweet shot on a
very high-speed move; typical Gionta. Coach Walsh pulled Yeats out for a
brief minute pep talk during the remainder of the power play, which ended
quietly, then sent him back in. Maine got their best chance when Robert
Liscak was sent off on his own breakaway on the left wing, only to see his
wrister ring off the far post. Yeats made a good save on a Ty Hennes shot,
and play moved up-and-down for a couple of minutes.
The roof fell in when A.J. Begg took a roughing penalty in center ice by
poking Gionta in the face. Whether just frustration or retaliation for
earlier incidents, Begg got the 2 minutes. Gionta won the face off back
to one point, it was moved to the other point, and a slapshot fired.
Gionta had anchored himself in the slot for a tip/screen attempt, and was
all alone inside the defensive box formation. The initial shot was saved
but the rebound sat right in front and he made no mistake, swatting it
quickly under Yeats for the 3rd goal. 9 seconds of power play total.
Maine tried to recover but their shots, while numerous, were mostly from
outside and not too dangerous. Nault took another penalty for Maine, and
guess who came out on the power play? Another face off win back, another
shot from the point, and another tip/rebound for Gionta in front. Surprisingly,
this one went wide. But BC kept the puck in the zone, and worked it back
for another try. This time the pass went from the points to Lephart on
the left wing. He fired a pass across the high slot to Dolinar, who finally
corralled it while the defense converged on him. He slid it down low to
an unmarked you-know-who, who slid from the left edge of the crease to the
right and wrapped it low under the legs of the goalie. 28 seconds for the
power play to score this time, and a lot of incredulous looks from the
audience (and Gionta, too.)
BC took a penalty shortly after, and spent most of the rest of the period
killing the power play (successfully.) As the power play was ending, Jeff
Giuliano was battling at the right point to push the puck out of the zone,
while the Maine player was trying to keep it inside. The rest of the Black
Bears were standing and waiting, either hoping to get a pass for a shot,
or just ... watching? Anyway, I'm seeing this, saying, "Gee, if he gets
it loose Gionta will be off again", and that's exactly what happens. He
grabs the loose puck, speeds down the left side with a teammate down the
right for a 2-on-1. The clock is winding down, and the TV replay shows
that Brian looks up at the clock as he crosses into the Maine zone to
check the time. As he hits the left circle he fires a wrong-footed slapper,
and bingo! it's in the net with 1.1 seconds left, and it's Gionta 5, Maine 0.
Even Gionta can't believe this, and the place is going nuts. A lengthy
standing ovation from everyone, including the Maine fans, and no one can
believe what they are seeing. The period ends with lots of cheering, lots
of congratulations, and a "thank you" wave from Brian as he leaves the ice.
I look up between the periods, and the BC broadcast team is up in the booth
frantically looking through the media guide to see what records may have been
surpassed. Hockey East record for most goals in a period, 5. Gionta's ninth
career hat trick, a BC record. He now has 112 career goals, tying him with
David Emma for first place in BC history. And, yes, the BC students did a
lot of "Hobey Baker" chanting, though I expect they may be a little biased.
In essence, the game was over, as acknowledged by Coach Walsh in his post-game
interviews. Mike Morrison took over goaltending duties to start the second
period, just in time to be greeted by another BC power play. (That was 4
BC power plays early in the first 4 periods Morrison played this weekend --
you think he was wishing his teammates would stay out of the box?) The
Eagles were less efficient on this power play, taking almost a minute to
score. Lots of work deep in the zone and in the left corner got the puck
to Kobasew, and he turned and fired a low shot at the goal. It was saved
but squirted loose and deflected off a Maine defender in front. Morrison
used his stick to sweep the puck toward him to try to glove it, and it slid
all the way over and inside the net, just inside the right post. BC carried
the play for the next few minutes, with Morrison playing well, and Clemmensen
made a nice save on a Black Bear 3-on-2 counter. A series of penalties
occurred, and the good news for Maine was that they finally killed off a
BC power play. The bad news is they gave up a 4-on-4 goal with a turnover.
First, Gionta got another partial breakaway when a Maine player fell at his
own blue line, but fired it wide as he tried to stuff it near side. Then
Kolanos and Voce were forechecking, the Maine player turned at the circle
to the left of his goal and lost the puck as Voce hit him. It slid toward
the slot, and Kolanos took it in on net unmarked. It was too much to expect
this sniper to miss with such a chance, and he didn't. He just kept carrying
it across the front of the net, waited for Morrison to go down, and reached
around him and slid it in the far side to score the extra point, 7-0 BC.
To their credit, Maine kept playing, but BC no longer had to work extra hard
for the win, and the rest of the game was anti-climactic. Maine finally
scored in the 2nd period after hard work behind the BC net. Tom Reimann
skated free with the puck and fed a pass to the slot, where Nault pinched
in and fired a 1-timer inside the far post to break the shutout. A lot of
up-and-down play in the third period, with shots going wide or the D
disrupting passes. Gionta had an early 3rd period break-in, but decided to
drop the puck to a teammate rather than take the clear shot, and it was
broken up. A series of penalties, with most of them against BC, kept play
choppy. There were few shots, and the Black Bears got their 2nd goal on
a power play. Trattnig slid the puck to Kariya, he skated around the net
and passed out to Schutte, and his slapper sailed through a screen and just
inside the far post to end the scoring for the night.
Another extended ovation at the end of the game, and Gionta was corralled
by Fox for the post-game interview on-ice. As the students chanted his
name and "Hobey Baker", the interview took place with around 1500 people
staying to watch. Mind you, they couldn't hear the interview, they just
stayed to enjoy it all. A night to remember for all who attended, though
I'm sure the Maine fans would have preferred a more enjoyable outcome. The
first BC sweep of Maine in Hockey East since 1989-90, and with UNH dropping
both games of the weekend, it gives the Eagles a 7-point lead in the
Hockey East race (a huge amount with just 8 games remaining.)
There's not a lot to be said that hasn't already been said. Brian Gionta
is the most entertaining hockey player I've been privileged to watch at BC,
and this night joins several others as spectacular memories. His goals
tend to come in bunches, though no one expected an explosion like this one.
Combined with 4 goals the previous week, that is 9 goals the past 2 weeks
and 2 consecutive Hockey East player of the week awards. There are other
leading candidates for the Hobey Baker award, and the odds are against Brian
winning it with Panzer having a great year and Miller setting all sorts of
goaltending records. It probably works against him having had his teammate
win it last year. But he does have the advantage of getting lots of exposure
in Hockey East and television appearances, and that will give him a fair
chance at the award.
Let's hope that all the great teams and players have their moments in the
sun like this one -- it was a special night.
-------------------- ----------------------
Rick McAdoo [log in to unmask]
"Volunteer reporter" A pleased BC fan. GO EAGLES!
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