>--- Karen/Greg Ambrose <[log in to unmask]> wrote (among other things):
>> Depth is more than scoring goals.  All season long UNH took down
>> other
>> teams because of the skating and checking abilities of their third
>> and
>> fourth lines.  They certainly did it in the two games at the Whit
>> last
>> month.  I see no reason why, if Noeth had allowed the teams to play,
>> that
>> UNH couldn't have done it again.
>---
>> Again, UNH beat Maine twice by convincing scores just a month ago.
>> The two
>> games that Maine beat UNH, both by one goal, where not indicative of
>> the
>> strength of the two teams.  In the first, at the Governors Cup back
>> in
>> November, ECAC official Doiron made a mockery of the game with his
>> officiating (kind of like Noeth).  In the second, Maine won by one
>> goal in
>> front of probably the most raucous crowd ever assembled at Alfond.
>---
>>You'll never convince me that Maine was a better team, 5-on-5 than
>UNH.
>
>
>
>That's ok, I don't have to.
>
>I just want to point out the parts of your post I've included above:
>- officiating is why you lost Saturday (you give some degree of credit
>to Michaud here) and also why you lost in the Gov's Cup.
>- Maine only won at Alfond because of Maine's crazy crowd.
>- UNH's third and fourth lines buried teams all year.
>- The one-goal games are not indicitive of the team's strengths (i.e.
>UNH is far superior to Maine, since the insinuation is the games in
>Durham were indicitive.)
>
>Everything is relative, Greg.  With the exception of officiating, which
>certainly worked *both* ways Saturday, (and I personly believe each
>team should adjust for) every one of your points can be turned around
>and applied against UNH and for Maine.  It was a great game between two
>evenly matched teams.  Hopefully you'll come to appreciate it as a
>great game and great season series that certainly brought *both* teams
>(back) to the forefront of college hockey and will be bigger and better
>next year when both teams promise to challenge again for the title.
>
 Deron, reread your post.  You're the one who talked about Maine shutting
down a one line team.  Again, I'll remind you that Alfie Michaud stopped 46
of 48 shots and that the first line had both goals and tons of chances in
the third period and overtime.
 
My comments on the officiating where meant to point out that it created a
disjointed game with no flow.  With all the stoppages because of
commercials and crazy fan awards and the like, there was no rhythm to the
game, which I think worked to Maine's advantage.  Adding the 15 penalties
called in the first two periods just exacerbated the problem.  Then, of
course, there were none in the third.
 
Finally, Maine won three games against us, all by one goal.  We won two, by
a margin of 10-2.  If you feel that this record shows Maine's superiority
over us, so be it.  I don't.  See you next year.
 
Greg Ambrose
 
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