Marcus Gustafsson's rebound goal 1:20 into overtime -- his first goal of
the season -- gave Maine a 7-6 win in a wild game that featured 97 total
shots on goal, 79 penalty minutes, and three player ejections.
Maine, which moved within two points of first place in Hockey East, had
three different three goal leads in the game, but Merrimack scored three
goals in the final ten minutes of the third period to tie the game at 6-6
and force overtime. Martin Laroche's tying goal -- his second tally of the
game -- came with :44 left and Merrimack goalie Cris Classen (33 saves) on
the bench for a sixth attacker.
But in overtime, after a collision among three Warriors near the blue line
during a line change enabled Cory Larose to move in uncontested, Gustafsson
put home the rebound of Larose's shot to give the Black Bears the win in an
emotional game for both teams -- Merrimack's sixth straight Hockey East
defeat.
Steve Kariya had three assists for Maine, while Larose had two helpers.
Shawn Wansborough and Bobby Stewart each tallied a goal and an assist, and
goalie Alfie Michaud stopped 51 of the 57 shots he faced. Jason Price also
scored his first career goal. Maine took the season series between the
teams, two games to one.
Laroche and Rejean Stringer each scored twice for Merrimack, and Casey
Kesselring had a goal and an assist. Darrel Scoville and Sandy Cohen each
set up two goals.
With 8:18 to go in the third and Maine ahead 6-4, an altercation after the
play resulted in majors and game disqualifications to Maine's Wansborough
(spearing) and Brian White (leaving the bench) as well as Merrimack's Mike
Rodrigues (fighting). All three players will miss their team's next game.
The penalties turned a 5-on-3 Maine power play into a several minute
advantage for Merrimack, on which the Warriors scored once to pull within a
goal before Laroche tied it in the final minute.
-----
Maine 7, Merrimack 6 ot (Hockey East game)
Friday, January 9, 1998 at Volpe Center (North Andover, Mass.)
Score By Periods Shots on Goal Pen - Min Power Play
UM 3 - 2 - 1 - 1 -- 7 12 - 17 - 9 - 2 -- 40 14 - 46 2 - 5
MC 1 - 2 - 3 - 0 -- 6 21 - 9 - 26 - 1 -- 57 11 - 33 3 - 8
Records: Maine (9-7-2, 6-5-1 HE)
Merrimack (7-11-1, 2-8-0 HE)
SCORING
First Period
UM-1 Bobby Stewart 4 (Steve Kariya, Shawn Wansborough) 4:51
MC-1 Jayson Philbin 5 (Vince Clevenger, Sandy Cohen) PPG 6:52
UM-2 Jason Price 1 (Brian White, Kariya) 9:59
UM-3 Ben Guite 4 (Adam Tate) 11:05
Second Period
UM-4 David Cullen 6 (Cory Larose, Kariya) PPG 1:50
MC-2 Casey Kesselring 9 (Martin Laroche, Cohen) 6:46
UM-5 Scott Parmentier 9 (Stewart) SHG 9:32
MC-3 Rejean Stringer 5 (Kesselring) PPG 17:57
Third Period
UM-6 Wansborough 10 (Dan Kerluke, Anders Lundback) PPG 5:36
MC-4 Laroche 12 (unassisted) SHG 9:57
MC-5 Stringer 6 (Darrel Scoville) PPG 15:53
MC-6 Laroche 13 (Scoville) 6x5 19:16
Overtime
UM-7 Marcus Gustafsson 1 (Larose) GWG 1:20
Goaltenders Saves by Period
UM - Alfie Michaud (61:20) 20 - 7 - 23 - 1 -- 51 (6 GA)
MC - Cris Classen (60:50) 9 - 15 - 8 - 1 -- 33 (7 GA)
OFFICIALS: Referee Jim Fitzgerald; Assistant Referees John Jones,
Brian Sullivan.
ATTENDANCE: 1,419.
--- ---
Mike Machnik [log in to unmask] *HMM* 11/13/93
***** Color Voice of Merrimack Hockey WCAP 980 AM *****
***** Unofficial Merrimack Hockey home page located at: *****
***** http://www.tiac.net/users/machnik/MChockey/MChockey.html *****
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