I have no boxes or notes on this game, just comments.  My working
season ended last Saturday, as I chose not to work the NC$$s this year
so I could take the time to enjoy the games with Heather and others.
But maybe tomorrow night I will talk to Ed Carpenter and see if I can
get boxes - I should have done that tonight.  Sorry...I hope someone
else may be able to post them.
 
DENVER 9, NEW HAMPSHIRE 2
Simply put: UNH looked like a team that had not played for 15 days.
And, Denver looked like a team that had come off two good games last
weekend and was at the top of their game.  They were as impressive as
they were when I saw them handle Northeastern easily back in November.
 
You knew things weren't going to go well for UNH when their penalty
killing unit, ranked first in the nation, surrendered a goal on DU's
first opportunity.  Angelo Ricci made the play as he got the puck down
low to Cavicchi's left and made a quick pass through the crease to
Warren Smith, all alone at the right post, and Smith banged it in.
 
Denver scored four times in the first to take a commanding 4-0 lead
after one, and that was just about it.  UNH came out strong in the
second and got on the board, and if they had been able to follow that
up with another, it probably would have been a game.  But the Pioneers
quickly got that one back and added three more to lead 8-1 after two
and leave no doubt as to the outcome.
 
UNH actually outshot Denver for the game, something like 31-27.  But
the Wildcats seemed to be a step behind Denver all night, especially
in the first when Cavicchi saw far too many good chances as a result
of his defense not picking up the trailer.  The score was certainly
indicative of the way the game went.  Denver was very quick on the
transition and often caught UNH up ice, and this spelled disaster for
UNH goaltenders Cavicchi and Heinke.  (Cavicchi was replaced by Heinke
to start the second, but then Cavicchi returned to play the third.)
 
For UNH, it is quite staggering how two games can destroy a season.
The Wildcats had a superb year and played very consistently all season
long.  But their HE quarterfinal loss to PC was a major setback, and
it was clear from tonight that they were not able to recover from the
layoff that followed because of it.  Thus, PC's run through the HE
playoffs had bigger ramifications than may have appeared at first.
 
On the basis of what we saw tonight, I have to think Maine is going to
have a tough time beating Denver.  But Maine's defense is better than
UNH's, and Maine hasn't had that layoff.  However, if Maine suffers a
defensive lapse like they did against Providence, Denver will be on
their way to the final four.
 
Denver is now 3-0 against HE teams (NU, BC, UNH), outscoring the three
teams 22-9.
 
LAKE SUPERIOR 5, CLARKSON 4
Unlike the first game, this score was NOT indicative of the way the game
went.  LSSU led 5-1 with six minutes left in the game before Clarkson
pumped in three late goals, two with goalie Dan Murphy pulled in the
closing minute.
 
Clarkson's fourth goal came with just over eight seconds left.  The
Golden Knights stayed with six attackers off the center ice draw and
got the puck into the LSSU end, forcing another draw to Grahame's
right with just over three seconds left.  But LSSU won the draw and
ran out the clock.
 
The key to this game was the early play of the Laker defense, which
stifled Clarkson in the first period, and the LSSU power play which
was able to do anything it wanted, scoring either 3 or 4 PPGs (I
forget).
 
Both of LSSU's goals in the first came on identical plays where two
Lakers screened the goalie and shots from the point went in.  Clarkson
pulled within one late in the first, and they came out storming in the
second.  But they squandered a 5x3 in the period and LSSU added two
more to lead 4-1 after one.  Clarkson hit the pipe in the second on a
shot that Tony (ogre) thought went in, although I did not...however,
he was closer to the play than I was.  Maybe someone who saw the game
on tv can explain what the replay showed.  Clarkson also had a golden
chance on the power play in the second as a shot nearly went in and
was left sitting near the goal line before a defender swooped in and
cleared it away.
 
The Laker power play was the most impressive thing they had going for
them.  They tended to play Clarkson even at even strength, but once up
a man, they moved the puck at will.  Clarkson seemed confused by
LSSU's ability to keep rotating men down low and find the open man for
point blank shots.  If Clarkson had been able to stop the power play,
this might have been a different game.
 
So now, BU gets a chance to exorcise the Laker demons of the last
couple of seasons.  I like their chances this time around.  The LSSU
team we saw tonight looked very beatable.  BU's defense is better than
Clarkson's and has been playing well lately.  LSSU will be
hard-pressed to stop Grier and friends in front of the net, and I
expect BU to have the better of the territorial play.  The Terriers'
penalty killing has also been much improved over the latter part of
the season.  At any rate, it is a highly anticipated game that is sure
to draw a lot of local interest.
 
PC coach Paul Pooley was on hand to watch his former team pull off the
win.
 
ATTENDANCE
The crowd was announced at somewhere around 7500, about half full.
That's not too bad, considering that BU and Maine weren't playing.
Although a UNH-Maine matchup would probably have resulted in the
building being close to full Saturday night, I still expect that the
appearance of Maine, combined with the BU-LSSU showdown, will give us
a crowd of probably over 10,000 tomorrow.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93