Maine 4, Providence 1 (HE)
Saturday, January 18, 1997 at Alfond Center (Orono, ME)
Score By Periods Shots on Goal Pen - Min Power Play
PC 0 - 1 - 0 -- 1 8 - 5 - 6 -- 19 8 - 16 1 - 3
ME 2 - 0 - 2 -- 4 9 - 12 - 10 -- 31 7 - 14 1 - 4
Records: Providence (8-14-1, 6-8-1 HE)
Maine (15-9-1, 7-6-1 HE)
SCORING
1st Period
ME-1 Ben Guite (5) (Larose) 5:38
ME-2 Trevor Roenick (8) (Cardinal) GWG 5:53
2nd Period
PC-1 Josh MacNevin (4) (Dean, Keefe) PPG 17:32
3rd Period
ME-3 Ben Guite (6) (Larose) 10:18
ME-4 Trevor Roenick (9) (Cardinal) PPG 12:32
Goaltenders Saves by Period
PC - Dan Dennis (60:00) 7 - 12 - 8 -- 27
ME - Alfie Michaud (59:58) 8 - 4 - 6 -- 18
OFFICIALS: Referee Jeff Bunyon; Assistant Referees: Steve Arnold, Mike Tuell;
ATTENDANCE: 5,303
ORONO, Maine -- Freshman Ben Guite and senior assistant captain Trevor
Roenick each notched a pair of goals as Maine beat Providence 4-1 in Hockey
East action Saturday Jan. 18.
FIRST PERIOD:
Providence came out Saturday far more aggressive than Friday. Perhaps the
emotion of Friday night, with Shawn Walsh's return home, put the Friars back
on their heels. After playing with Maine for the final 40 minutes Friday,
they used that same effort from the start Saturday.
Despite the fact that Providence came out more aggressive, and playing a
little better defense the game was over four minutes old before either team
registered a shot on goal. Providence got the shot, and Alfie Michaud made
the relatively routine save.
It seemed early on that Providence was winning the one-on-one battles, and
out hustling Maine to the puck, but ironically it was a hustle play that
gave Maine the lead they would never relinquish.
Cory Larose made a great rush up ice, carrying the puck in the zone and then
beating a Providence defender wide. Larose let a shot go from the circle
that hit Dennis in the chest. Larose was able to obtain the puck, and then
while falling down slid a pass to classmate Ben Guite who scored the goal at
5:38 to put Maine up 1-0.
Larose's inital shot was Maine's first shot-on-goal.
All weekend Maine scored in bunches, and it would happen twice Saturday
night. After Guite put Maine up 1-0, senior Trevor Roenick went to work.
Roenick wheeled behind the net and scored on the wraparound, 15 seconds
after the Guite goal, at 5:53. Roenick's goal was the eventual game winner.
Maine had the 2-0 lead and just like the night before began to swarm the
Friar net, but Dan Dennis would have none of that as he shut the door for
the rest of the period .
On the other end of the ice, Alfie Michaud was putting together a good
performance in net. Michaud looked more comfortable in net than at any
point in his brief career at Maine.
Overall the first period was fairly even, but Maine has the better chances
and an edge in play depite only putting nine shots on goal (Maine outshot PC
9-8).
Maine's defense played a good period as they broke up several high
percentage chances before they did any damage. The defense was anticipating
the play very well.
SECOND PERIOD:
Maine began the second period with 1:37 left on a power play, and had
another power play four minutes into the period but were unable to take
advantage of either opportunity. In fact, Maine's best pressure of the
first five or six minutes came after the man advantages.
Providence clearly felt that being down 2-0 was not a big deal, and why
should they? Down 5-0 at home, Providence closed the gap in the final ten
minutes to 5-4, and the night before Maine led 5-1 in the first period, but
the Friars notched a couple late goals to make it 5-3. The idea was in the
head of the Friars that they could come back on this team, and they stayed
in their trapping style defense, and the game began to shape up as a
defensive struggle.
But Maine would win the defensive battle in the second period. Aside from
several great saves by Alfie Michaud in the middle of the period, Michaud
wasn't forced to do much as Providence could only muster five shots during
the period, while Maine peppered Dennis with 12.
One of the highlights of the second period was an unlikely play along the
end boards. As the puck was sent into the Providence zone, Hall Gill and
Steve Kariya both made a run at the puck. Kariya, who is listed at 5-9
165lbs but is likely smaller than that, played the body on the 6-6, 222
pound Gill and came out of the corner with the puck to the delight of the
Alfond faithful.
Most of the last half of the second period was played with someone in the
box as several matching penalties were called. With the play already at
four-on-four, Scott Parmentier was sent off for boarding and put Providence
on the power play at the 16:50 mark of the second.
Josh MacNevin let one go from the point less than a minute later that found
the upper right hand corner. The shot might have been deflected in front by
a Maine defender, but if not it was a heckuva shot as it perfectly placed
well out of Michaud's reach. The power play goal halved the Maine lead at
2-1 with 2:28 left in the second.
The second period was deceptively even in terms of play, but the Black Bears
outworked the Friars only to have Dan Dennis play real well. The Friar
defense also did a better job covering up rebounds than the night before.
Several times the puck just sat in high percentage zones as players were
tied up with each other. Maine had a difficult time getting mutliple
chances, and shot some good chances wide as well.
THIRD PERIOD:
In his postgame press conference broadcasted live on WZON radio, Walsh noted
that the team was down after two periods, frustrated at the score. Walsh
said he sat in the weight room trying to think of three or four positive
things to tell his team.
What he did was play the third period like they were down two goals. He put
in a more aggressive forecheck and the Bears went on the attack, rather than
sit back and wait for something bad to happen.
Though Maine was more aggressive, they still had some trouble with the
Providence trap. Maine's passing wasn't as good as it has been, but they
were still getting the puck into the zone and working hard along the boards
to create chances.
In net, Dan Dennis continued to make the saves he needed to so that the
Friars could stay in the game.
A turning poing with about 12 minutes left in the game contributed to the
victory. Alfie Michaud made three huge saves on high percentage chances to
keep the Black Bears up by one.
Less than two minutes later Ben Guite made a great rush into the Providence
zone. Guite moved around the net and came out wide -- to the bottom of the
left faceoff circle -- and beat Dennis at 10:18 to make it 3-1 Maine and
ignite the crowd that had been quieted by the predominately defensive play.
Guite has scored six goals on the year, and five of them have been against
Providence. There is one guy who is sad to see Providence leave town.
About a minute and a half later John Tuohy would be whistled for a hook and
Trevor Roenick would put the dagger in the heart of the Friars.
Reg Cardinal corralled a loose puck in the Providence zone and patiently
waited in the slot then slid it across to Roenick who scored at 12:32 to
make it 4-1 Maine.
Providence head coach Paul Pooley called timeout, but his team couldn't
mount a comeback this time as Maine skated to a 4-1 win, only allowing 19
shots on goal.
COMMENTS:
This was a very physical series. Some Maine teams in the past haven't dealt
well with physical play, but Maine proved that they are more than capable of
handling themselves. Referee Jeff Bunyon primarily let the guys play all
weekend, and while he didn't do a perfect job, seemed to stay consistent
with what he did and did not call. Bunyon did call a lot of matching
penalties and there was as much four-on-four action as any game in recent
memory.
Kudos to Alfie Michaud. Michaud wasn't tested an incredible amount, but he
stopped 18 of 19 shots in front of the largest crowd to see a Maine game
this year, a capacity crowd of 5,303. Michaud seems to be growing more
comfortable each week, he came out and played the angles and the goal that
beat him would have required an incredible stop, not to mention the traffic
in front of him.
Walsh commented on the Maine freshman, and I must as well. They played
well, Cory Larose and Ben Guite especially. They both had a real good game
and played well all series. Guite had three goals on the weekend, and
Larose had four assists. Both should be strong Hockey East Rookie of the
Week candidates.
The "blue line" also had another good game, specifically Trevor Roenick and
Reg Cardinal. Roenick had two goals on the night, Cardinal two assists.
For the weekend Roenick was 2-2--4.
Maine looks ahead to a huge weekend against Northeastern and rival Boston
University. Walsh says they'll focus on Northeastern and make sure they win
that game. Walsh says it is revenge for the three points Northeastern took
at Maine earlier this year, and the only points Northeastern has earned in
Hockey East play.
Maine is now 15-9-1 overall, and above .500 in Hockey East for the first
time this year at 7-6-1, now alone in fourth-place and one point behind
UMass-Lowell who shocked New Hampshire Saturday night 7-5.
---
Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])
|
