Again, thanks to everyone who posted info on the UM-BU weekend series
already. Two term papers and major test left time this weekend for the games
but not much else.
 
Boxes, etc. have already been posted (thanks, Mike) so I'll stick to a little
bit of commentary.
 
Friday night, in a game Shawn Walsh called "a tribute to Hockey East," Maine
showed why they're the number one team in the country with some very
impressive play. They're a fun team to watch--speedy and graceful, handling the
puck with great precision. BU, unfortunately, waited until the second period
to turn in a good performance and dominated play for most of that stanza.
Both goaltenders turned in super performances, but the BU defense (featuring
Dave Sacco) learned a little too late that you can give Maine only so many
2-on-1's and 3-2's before they put the puck in the net. It was fun to see a team
as loaded with talent as Maine, and even though BU lost, I'm confident that
the series matchup in Februray will be just as close. BU could have played Maine
much, much worse, and given injuries and lack of depth, this was a good showing
by the Terriers. The second period was clearly the best BU played all season.
 
The Terriers are now without the services of forward John Lilley, who left the
team Thursday to join the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.
Coach Parker said that Lilley had been struggling both on the ice and in the
classroom, and that he just hadn't reached his potential here. Following
his being named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team last season and his Rookie
of the Week honors after the Beanpot, Lilley had just one assist so far this
season. Parker said that even if Lilley was still on the team this weekend,
he was due to be benched for his academic performance.
 
Saturday night's game seemed to show a little fatigue on the part of the
Terriers, who never really got their act together. Following a 1-1 tie at
the end of the 1st period on some great goaltending by Herlofsky, Maine
broke it open as they rattled off 4 unanswered goals in the 2nd. Although
BU added 2 in the third, the game wasn't as close as the score indicated.
Maine just plain outhustled BU, beat them to the puck, got better scoring
chances, and took advantage of some sloppy BU stickhandling and passing.
Saturday night, by contrast, was an insult to Hockey East. Things got very
chippy in the third period, after Chris Ferraro landed a heavy cross-check
against BU's Mike Pomichter. The gloves and helmets came off, and the punches
started flying. In a particularly embarrasing showing of the freshman Ferraro's
immaturity, he took his stick and threw it into the crowd. After things flared
up again and the benches cleared, Ferraro landed himself a game-misconduct, t,
along with Martin Mercier and BU's Pomichter. Shawn Walsh was quoted as saying
in yesterday's Boston Globe: "It's too bad it happened, because people will
remember just that and not the great hockey they saw this weekend."
BU coach Jack Parker cut right to the chase: "It only adds to the bad blood
between us," he said.
I am not defending BU or Maine for their conduct, but Ferraro's behavior
was absolutely sickening. Granted that the brawl never should have occured,
and both teams were responsible, but throwing your stick into the crowd
in frustration detracts *greatly* from the respect earned from impressive
statistics. I can only hope that Coach Walsh made it clear to Ferraro after
the game that such behavior is not tolerated under any circumstances, no
matter how good you are. But I guess only time will tell that.
 
Sid
BU '94