Bob Hoffman writes about Mass Lowell's 6-5 OT win over Northeastern.
I agree, this was a great game to watch (I was there) in terms of
being exciting, and NESN lucked out with its second straight OT game.
There was an excellent turnout - perhaps 90% of capacity - and credit
should go to Lowell coach Bruce Crowder, who continues to rejuvenate
the Chief program and make Lowell a fun place to watch a game again.
I still don't understand the Domino's Pizza giveaway, though...at two
points during the game, the announcer said, "It's Domino's Pizza
Time!" and a cheerleader (not skating) came out and tossed a pizza
into the crowd.  I hope it didn't take 30 minutes for that pizza to
arrive.
 
Charlie Chief, Lowell's puck mascot, seems to have been toned down
from the time a year or two ago when she performed the controversial
striptease act in Lowell's season-ending home game.  (This drew the
ire of the UML president, who was at the game.)  She wears heavy
blue sweatpants now instead of a tight black bodysuit underneath the
puck.  (Maybe it's a he this year.)  Anyway...
 
I don't have a box (strictly a spectator tonight), but after NU tied
it at 4-4 with a couple minutes left, Bazin put the Chiefs ahead 5-4,
and then NU coach Ben Smith surprised some by pulling the goalie
almost immediately (between 1.5 & 2 min left).  It paid off, as Jason
Melong, one of the hardest working Huskies, tipped in a shot with
under a minute to go to send it into OT.  The key there for
Northeastern was Mike Taylor winning several straight key faceoffs
deep in the Lowell end; the Chiefs could not clear the puck.
 
At this point, you might have expected the teams to settle for the
tie, but this isn't the NHL.  And both teams had a lot at stake, as
both were tied for 4th in HE with a chance to take sole possession of
second with a win.  It was all up and down action in the overtime, but
then Lowell got a 2x1 with under 30 seconds to go and capitalized,
Bazin feeding Ian Hebert for the winner.  It was a game that probably
neither team deserved to lose, and both showed that they wanted it.
 
There isn't room for mistakes at Lowell, the smallest rink in DivI
(185x85), as the neutral zone is almost nonexistent.  Both teams skate
very well, and several times we saw sloppy changes result in quick
3x2s or 2x1s going back the other way.  Lowell opened a 3-0 lead after
one, outshooting NU 19-8, but the Huskies regrouped to outshoot Lowell
14-4 in the second and cut the lead to 4-2.  NU made it 4-3 early in
the third before the late game excitement.
 
It was impressive to see the way Lowell consistently hit the
puckcarrier, and Northeastern had trouble adjusting to this.  Mike
Murray showed some bursts of speed but still seemed to be shaking off
his recent injury.  For NU, forward Dan Lupo and freshman D Rick
Schuwerk stood out.  Lowell goes to 7-3-2, 4-2-1 in HE (2nd), while NU
drops to 7-3-1, 3-3-1 HE (5th).  Lowell next plays at Maine Sunday
(2 pm) and NU will host UNH Sat night.
 
* Patrick Blake asked about the last time Maine lost 3 of 4.  It was in
the 1989-90 season, during a stretch where Maine dropped 4 in a row on
the road to NU, UAA (2), and Lowell - Jan 3-12, 1990.  Including
tonight's 7-3 loss to UNH, that is a stretch of 159 games before
losing 3 of 4 again.  Note that this was a nonleague game between
Maine & UNH; it does not count in the HE standings.  UNH last beat
Maine on 2/3/89, 4-3 at UNH.  Maine had won the last 5 and was 14-0-1
in the last 15 meetings, 23-1-1 in the last 25.
 
* I didn't see it, but supposedly the Boston Globe had an article where
the Providence AD said that PC did not want the wins from Maine's
possible upcoming forfeits.  He was supposed to have said that they'd
rather get the wins on the ice.  I figure that despite this, PC will
still take the wins if they are awarded to the Friars.  Someone asked
at the game why HE did not just come out with a ruling on the forfeits;
commish Bob DeGregorio has said that the league will wait until
everything with the NC$$ is done before HE decides if it needs to take
any action.  There seems to be a strong sentiment for not "punishing"
the other six HE teams by awarding six points to PC, but mind you,
this is only from a few people I've talked to.
 
* HE is all bunched up right now.  If Maine should forfeit the three
games to PC and BC wins at home vs BU, then 7 of the 8 teams would be
separated by 3-4 points.  I still expect BU to finish first, but it does
set the stage for an exciting second half.
 
* I heard all the same CCHA scores posted by Glen Keeney (including
UAF over BG 6-4) from the Lowell station.  Nothing additional to
report, except that I watched most of UIC's 3-2 win over Ohio State
on tape delay.  UIC seemed to outplay OSU for much of the game, but
Askey was very good in the Buckeyes' net.  UIC moved into 9th in the
CCHA with the win; OSU dropped to 11th.
 
* NESN will have BU-BC on delay Sat night about 10 pm, after the Bruins
game.  This *might* be the 179th meeting of the two teams; BU has won the
last six straight games against the Eagles, all last season.  Only one
was at BC, though.  According to BU, the all-time series stands at
88-80-10 BU.  (BC's records have it 86-76-9 BU, a difference of 7 games.)
---                                                                 ---
Mike Machnik                                          [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                  *HMM* 11/13/93
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