There are three things in this game I will NEVER understand for the life of
me:
 
1.) Agostino Casale trying for as Mike Machnik put it "a 150 foot empty net
 goal".  Why?  With the time that was left on the clock (* less than 10 seconds
 *),
and with Casale's ability, he could have skated to the red line, and just
dumped it into the ND end and the game would have been over.
 
2.) Why did Coach Anderson elect to play all three goalies?  That's something
that you do in preseason not during the year.  I must admit, seeing Mike
Doneghey play was pretty good.  I personally believe in the short stinits
that I've seen Doneghey this year, that he has been Merrimack's most solid
goaltender, giving up fewer 'cheap' goals and few rebounds.  But still,
why did he play all three?
 
3.) And this one REALLY puzzles me.  Why after the icing by Casale didn't
Coach Anderson put Dan Gravelle out for the faceoff?  To take nothing away
from Teal Fowler, who played one hell of a game, Dan Gravelle is probably the
best face off man the Warriors have.  There's no guarantee Gravelle would
have won the draw, but with the faceoff in the Merrimack end with a one
goal lead, I'll never understand the reasoning behind not putting in
Gravelle for the draw.
 
 
Now, for all the Notre Dame fans on the list, I have to say this about UND:
 
Three years ago, the Fighting Irish came into the Volpe Complex and got
embarrassed by the Warriors, in a 6-0 game that wasn't as close as the score
sounds.  The shots were on the order of 50-20.  I can't remember the exact
shots.  Merrimack had a good team that year, but I think this year's team,
with the possible exception of in goal, has just as much talent.  Anyway,
last night's game showed me a COMPLETELY different team.  This looks like
a team that has a rock solid defense, good goaltending, and a lot of heart
and guts on the ice.  When I say guts, I don't know the exact number, the
the ND defense must have blocked at least 15 shots last night.
 
I would like to say congratulations to everyone associated with Notre Dame
hockey.  Maybe in a year or two, the cheer we did three years ago,
"Number one in football means (censored) in hockey" will be wrong.
 
Kevin
 
e-mail MIGHT reach me at:
 
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"You can still Rock in America"  -Night Ranger