I wrote:
> A split [with BU] would be like great sex but, unfortunately, about
> as likely.  :-)
 
Mrs. Hendrickson and I are tired but have smiles on our faces.  :-)
 
 
In brief, Lowell owned the second period, going from a 3-1 deficit to a 7-4
lead which they held on to win, their first ever at Walter Brown Arena.  Of
note is that one of the six goals they scored in the period was one of those
delayed-penalty-score-into-the-open-net variety.  In reality, the final score
was more like 7-5.  BU pulled Noble (who had come in in the third to replace
a shell-shocked Laroque) with about a minute left and Ed Campbell
got a rink-long empty netter.  Chris Drury got one back with about 15 or 20
seconds left to play when, with the score 8-5, Lowell lost their focus and
got celebrating too early.
 
The travelling contingent from Lowell was surprisingly vocal.  Not that we
could even come close to matching the overwhelming fan and band support BU
had, but I would think we picked our spots and made our presence felt.  With
about five seconds left in the game Chris Sbrocca (from the bench) looked
over at us and raised his arms in triumph.  And after the post-game handshake
the Lowell players gestured to us, clearly appreciating the support.  Man,
did I feel good all over.
 
I'll try to put my objectivity hat on and discuss the third period.  Lowell
had to really work to weather the storm.  BU's spectacular depth at forward
came at the RiverHawks in waves, but aside from one tally with about five or
six minutes left (and the one at the close of the game) they didn't break
through.  This was despite:
 
* A huge 5-on-3 for BU that lasted somewhere around a minute and a half,
  definitely over a minute.  Lowell argued both calls and I must say that
  an earlier 5-on-4 advantage (in the second period?) saw the officials look
  the other way on a trip that got called on Lowell to create the 5-on-3.
 
* I won't say that BU ran Fillion; that would be too strong but he did get
  crashed into big-time, the first by Mike "Freight Train" Grier that had
  Fillion trying to shake off the stars, and then by another BU player that
  I couldn't identify.  Perhaps they were totally accidental, but they
  could have rattled Fillion, but didn't.
 
* Several 4-on-4's by "Fitzie" who kept doing his "double pistolero" thing,
  much to the dismay of the UML section which did *not* want all that wide
  open space for BU's forwards.
 
Deron wrote:
> Dave Hendrickson's ultimate pessimism seems to have paid off at UMass-Lowell
> has scored the upset over #1 Boston University in Boston tonight 8-6.
 
Well, publicly I focussed on BU's impressive firepower.  But I did write to
someone privately:
 
"OTOH BU has slumbered for the first two periods and then "turned on the
switch" in the third against Maine.  A team that keeps doing that is eventually
gonna get burnt.  Maybe...."
 
However, if I "took one for the team" with my public pessimism, let me say
publicly that there is clearly no chance that they will sweep.  :-)
 
In closing it feels good to say, so much for Lowell not having beaten
anybody significant,
 
DaveH
~
 
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