Comments on Deron's report:
> UMass-Lowell gained the shootout win tonight in the wintery weather at Tully
> Forum Saturday night.
 
You a'int kidding.  I was driving 25-30 mph on a highway I usually do 65.
This really hurt attendance.
 
> Maine once again struck early in the first period tonight, as Trevor Roenick
> scored at 2:36 to make it 1-0.  Roenick wiffed on his first attempt, UML
> goalie Martin Fillion went to the ice, and Roenick lifted it by him for the
> goal.
 
Actually I don't think Roenick whiffed, I believe some backchecker lifted his
stick.  But Roenick recovered and scored.
 
Deron's comment about Fillion going to the ice is certainly accurate and
potentially an important one.  I'm no goalie coach, but it sure seems that
Fillion goes down too fast sometimes.  Roenick easily lifted it over him since
Fillion was down and out.  Similar circumstances also arose on Friday night
which resulted in goals.  OTOH there are a lot of quick-floppers that are
doing quite well in the NHL.  I guess that's Fillion's style and UML fans will
take the good with the bad.
 
> Maine would get 3:30 of power-play time as referees
> Drew Taylor and Frank Cole called three straight penalites on the River
> Hawks.  Maine had over 2:30 of 5 on 3 power-play time included in that, but
> came away completely empty handed.
 
Without a doubt this was pivotal.  Although it was very early in the game and
there were certainly other key points later, this kill was probably the single
most important turning point in the game.
 
> This [first period] was the only period of the game Maine really had the edge
> in play I thought.
 
I'd have to strongly disagree.  After the first period I said to a friend,
"We're [UML] fortunate to be tied after that period."  After the second period
I said, "We're REALLY fortunate to be tied after that period."  This is getting
ahead of Deron's commentary but the SoG in the second period were something
like 11-6 in Maine's favor.  ALthough the SoG stat is often useless I felt it
was indicative of the pressure in the second.  For UML to score two goals on
just six shots on Allison meant that they had to capitalize on their
comparatively few opportunities.  They were excellent opportunities and
neither of the goals were soft, but Maine had a sizeable territorial advantage
IMO.
 
> The second period was one of the ugliest periods of hockey one could
> possibly bear...  From
> then on in, and the remainder of the second period the teams took penalty
> after penalty.
 
Taylor and Cole did not distinguish themselves in the second.  It was my
impression that UML had more penalties than Maine did in the second (at least
at the beginning) and I don't think I've ever seen Bruce Crowder as upset with
the officiating as he was during that period.  Some coaches yap all the time,
but not Bruce.  And he was livid on several occasions.  It seemed to me that
he had a right to be but I haven't watched the period on tape yet.  I'll be
listening to see if there's a voice that is yelling, "Taylor you're a stiff!
You're making me nostalgic for *Fitzgerald*!"  :-)   (Quick aside: I met Bobby
Jones, of the HE refs, at an occasion this past year.  My eleven-year old son
Ryan recognized him before I did and we said hi.  Afterwards Ryan playfully
suggested that he should have told Jones that I'm the guy calling him a stiff
at UML games.  :-)  )
 
> Jon Mahoney for UML getting the 10 min misconduct and a game
> misconduct.  I believe he got it for arguing a call but I'm not sure
> exactly, perhaps Dave will shed some light on that.
 
Yeah, Mahoney said something and got tossed right away.  I'll try to check the
tape for more info than that.  As I recall I felt Mahoney had something to be
upset about, although he must have George Carlin-ed his objections.
 
> It's hard to give either team the edge in
> this period as so little of it was played 5 on 5.  Both teams scored twice,
> but Lowell probably had the better of the offensive chances, and had the
> better penatly kill of the two teams.
 
Perhaps my emotions (over the officiating) colored my view of the action, but
I really thought Maine had a significant territorial advantage in the second.
 
> The third period was like a different game.  Bruce Crowder and Walsh got the
> troops back focused and NO penalties were taken in the entire period.
 
Personally, I thought that Cole and Taylor decided to swallow the whistles and
let the *players* decide the game in the third.  It seemed that things happened
that had been called in the first two periods that didn't get called in the
third.  Perhaps also as the game flowed without penalties, the players didn't
get the frustrations that tend to result in more penalties.  In any case, I
think the officiating changed significantly in this period.
 
> Lowell seemed to score last
> in the game, but the goal was waved off because Shannon Basaraba was in the
> crease.  I didn't see it, so Dave will have to let us know if it was a fair
> call by the official.
 
I did check this on the tape and it was Jeff Daw and was probably the right
call.  A Johnny Most-type of UML fan would argue, "HE WAS PUSHED INTO THE
CREASE!  HE WAS PUSHED!  McFILTHY PUSHED HIM INTO THE CREASE!" but the pushing
into the crease was borderline at best and Daw was still in went the puck went
into the net.  Good call.
 
> Maine just got nothing going late in this game...
> A good period for UML, but Blair Allison played very well in net, especially
> with about 4 minutes left as he was called upon to make several saves in a
> row as Maine's defense couldn't clear the puck.
> In overtime there wasn't too much action, but the River Hawks had the best
> chances overall.
 
In the early part of the third, UML had to ice the puck numerous times as Maine
seemed to have them bottled up in their own zone.  But I would agree that over
the latter part of the third and in the OT, UML had the better chances.
 
> Goaltending appears to be better for UML this year than last,
> but somewhat inconsistant as Dave pointed out
> earlier today.
 
I was more refering to Fillion having been inconsistent in the Friday night
game (great on some saves, awful on some goals) than inconsistent throughout
the season.  I think a more apt desciption of the season would be "mostly solid
but not spectacular."
 
> Fillion played better tonight than last night, but I thought
> he had it easier tonight as well.
 
Probably both, but I thought this game was much more representative of his
play this season.
 
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