> This email has been sent to you by Deron Treadwell
> ([log in to unmask]).
>
> Comments from Sender:
>
> This story can be found online at:
>
http://www.pressherald.com/sports/college/hockey/040111mainehockey.shtml
>
>
==============================================================================
>
> Sunday, January 11, 2004
>
> Black Bears taking care
> of business
>
>
> By ERIC RUSSELL, Special to Maine Sunday
> Telegram
>
> Copyright 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
>
>
>
>
>
> ORONO -- Even with three consecutive weekends of grueling Hockey
> East play looming, the University of Maine men's hockey team had no
> intention of taking Saturday night's opponent lightly.
>
> The Black Bears (15-4-1) posted a convincing 6-0 victory over
> Sacred Heart at Alfond Arena, their third in a row after two losses
> at the Everblades Classic in Florida Dec. 27-28.
>
> "There were obviously areas we wanted to improve on from Florida,"
> senior Colin Shields said. "I think we have definitely done that.
> This game was good for our confidence."
>
> To be fair, Sacred Heart (4-11-2) has gone seven games without a
> win, but Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said maintaining a high intensity
> level was important.
>
> "Coming into this game, we were worried because we knew they had
> good goaltending," Whitehead said. "I thought we were very physical
> tonight, and defensively we didn't give them a ton of chances."
>
> Sophomore Michel Leveille was Maine's catalyst, tying a career
> high with three assists, and the Black Bears erupted for four
> second-period goals to turn a relatively close game into a rout.
> Leveille has just one goal this season but leads the team with 19
> assists.
>
> Maine's first goal came 1:01 into the first period on a turnover
> in the Sacred Heart zone. Leveille stole the puck and turned to find
> sophomore defenseman Jeff Mushaluk hustling alone toward the net.
> Mushaluk one-timed the shot past Kevin LaPointe (27 saves) for a 1-0
> lead.
>
> After peppering LaPointe and coming up mostly empty in the first
> period, the Black Bears did most of their damage in the second.
> Senior Todd Jackson got things started with his team-leading 11th
> goal of the season 11 seconds into a power play at 5:13.
>
> Less than four minutes later, Leveille won a faceoff to LaPointe's
> right and dropped the puck to Shields, who scored his 10th goal of
> the season.
>
> "We didn't get to the net as much in the first period, but all our
> shots in the second seemed to be on target and we finished them,"
> Shields said.
>
> Senior Cameron Lyall scored his first of the season at 10:06, and
> freshman Keith Johnson added one at 14:00 to give Maine a 5-0 lead
> after two.
>
> "In the second period, we really drove the net better and finished
> our shots," Whitehead said. "You want to play consistently for 60
> minutes."
>
> Junior Dustin Penner, who has scored a goal in four of the last
> five games, completed the scoring for the Black Bears with a
> wraparound past LaPointe at 2:21 of the third.
>
> Penner and Shields each had a goal and an assist, and senior Frank
> Doyle made 11 saves to record his third shutout of the season.
>
> Maine returns to Hockey East play next weekend at home with games
> Friday and Saturday against Massachusetts. The Black Bears played to
> a 1-1 tie at UMass on Nov. 21, 2003.
>
> "We're definitely going to use that game as motivation," Doyle
said.
|