MAINE 8 Mass-Lowell 1
 
Everyone called it a big game, and Maine responded crushing Lowell 8-1.
Maine played like the top team in the nation tonight, and wound up an
impressive weekend all on the road, in which they outscored their opposition
13-3.
Barry Clukey, who probally is the best player to ever come out of the state
of Maine, had two goals and an assist, and Jeff Tory and Chris Imes both had
a goal and two assists.  Jeff Tory had a great weekend knotching a goal and
four assists on the weekend.  Chris Imes' second assist was his 100th point
in his college career, all from the blue line.
The game was never really in doubt tonight, Maine jumped on Lowell 3-0 in
the first period on goals by Jacque Rodrigue in a 4on4 situation at 1:47,
then Clukey got his first at 13:55 on the power-play.  Brian White scored
his first collegiate goal at 16:56 to end the scoring.
Maine seemed to just tighten the strangle hold defensively in the second
period, as the only goal was Lowell's, Christian Sbrocca at 12:10 on the
power-play to make it 3-1.
Maine would explode in the third period for five goals.  Clukey scored at
5:38 on the power-play again, then Chris Imes scored on a 2-1 short-handed
situation and Maine was flying 5-1.  Jeff Tory then scored on another
power-play, and then Scott Parmentier broke out of his scoring slump at
15:37 to make it 7-1.  Jeff Libby redeflected a Barry Clukey shot at 19:23
to finish the scoring.
I said in my preview that Lowell had to stay out of the box, and they did
not.  Maine had 11 powerplays, and when your power-play is working like
Maine's, you are going to score some goals.  Maine scored 4 power-play goals
in the game.  They scored a 4 on 4 goal, and also a short-handed goal in the
game.  On the other side, Maine killed off 7 of 8 power-play chances for Lowell.
Blair Allison played very well, but the Maine defense was the difference,
they stuck to their guns and kept the run and gun River Hawks away, and
played very disiplined.  Lowell did become very chippy in the third period,
and I have some comments about that, I will write that in a message later
on.  A game report is not the place for such things.
On a personal note, I had a real hard time deciding before this weekend if
Maine deserved to retain their #1 ranking, after the way they played overall
this weekend, I have NO doubts.  The loss to UMass obviously has refocused
this team, and they are playing very well now.
With the great weekend, Maine is closing in on the Hockey East Championship,
they are not assured of it yet, but time is running out for BU to catch them.
 
 
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Deron  Treadwell - [log in to unmask]
The University of Maine (23-2-6)  GO BLUE!!
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