New Hampshire 6, Maine 5
 
Maine   2 - 2 - 1 -- 5
UNH     4 - 0 - 2 -- 6
 
PREGAME:
 
Maine added another player to their ever growing list of injured key
players.  Nils Satterstrom missed Saturday's game with a lacerated elbow.
Satterstrom joined Jason Mansoff, Scott Parmentier and Jason Vitorino as
Black Bear starters missing from the lineup.
 
Tom Nolan missed tonight's game with an injury as well for UNH.
 
FIRST PERIOD:
 
The first period Saturday looked like this game might be a remake of the
blow out Friday night as UNH would score four times.
 
The period started out harmlessly enough.  Maine was able to keep the play
even, and there were no real chances to speak of.  But that wouldn't last
long.  After Rob Gagnon dished out a huge hit, he moved to the front of the
net where Ryan Harris gave him the puck.  Maine goaltender Alfie Michaud
tried to poke check the puck away, but missed it and Gagnon lifted the puck
over Michaud at 2:38 for a 1-0 lead for UNH.
 
About four minutes later, Maine would get even.  Bobby Stewart showed great
poise as he waited for LaRochelle to go down, then beat him high for a power
play goal at 6:44 and a tie game.
 
It wouldn't last long.  The next rush down, John Sadowski came around the
net and beat a very passive Michaud for the 2-1 lead.  Then at the 8:17
mark, Steve O'Brien sent the puck into the Maine zone, and the defense was
nowhere to be found as Mark Mowers was all alone and lit the lamp once more
for a 3-1 lead.  In less than two minutes after Maine tied the score at 1-1,
they gave up two goals and UNH threatened to blow them out once again.
 
Maine would get another goal to pull within one.  This time it was Trevor
Roenick who charged the net and got in position to put home a Shawn
Wansborough rebound for a power play goal at 10:20 for a 3-2 UNH lead.
 
After a good penalty kill, and a couple good plays by Alfie Michaud, Erik
Nickulas snuck behind the Maine defense and broke in alone and scored
another Wildcat goal to extend the lead back to two goals at 4-2.
 
A wild period came to an end with Maine trailing 4-2.  It was another weak
period for Maine goaltender Alfie Michaud, but he also had some good saves
as the defense fell apart around him at times.  It wasn't a good period, but
the good news was that Michaud held the fort just enough, and the offense
scored just enough to keep Maine in the game.
 
SECOND PERIOD:
 
Maine would be forced to kill an early power play as Reg Cardinal was
whistled for holding the stick, but Michaud made a couple good plays and
then Eric Fitzgerald would return the favor, and Maine would convert.
 
David Cullen's shot found the back of the net just six seconds into the
Maine power play and the lead was cut to 4-3.
 
The second period was nothing like the first period.  Maine players were
clearing the front of the net, and Alfie Michaud was making quality saves
when the opportunities presented itself.
 
The first half of the second period was anything but a wide-open game as
Maine was able to dictate the tempo.  It was a pretty good defensive period
for both teams, but as the period went on UNH turned up the pressure from
time to time.  Maine was tying up UNH in front of the Maine net, and the
style was certainly more to Maine's favor than the open style that UNH has
used to destroy Maine at times this weekend.
 
Shawn Wansborough would make the individual effort of the night to tie this
game late in the period.  Wansborough broke in on LaRochelle, who made the
save.  The puck went to the back of the net, and Wansborough followed it in.
He fought off several UNH players and moved the puck back in front.
LaRochelle stopped the first shot, but went down on the second and
Wansborough put it over him with just 15 seconds left in the period to tie
the game at 4-4.  What an incredible effort from Wansborough, who is
suffering from a strain of mono.
 
THIRD PERIOD:
 
Cory Larose would get the Black Bears going early.  He made a great read and
took the puck away from the UNH defense and broke in alone making a good
move to beat LaRochelle for a 5-4 lead for Maine.  It was their first lead
since they took the 2-0 lead early in Friday's game.
 
Maine didn't make it easy.  They were penalized for too many men on the ice,
then Brian White was sent to the box and before you know it UNH had a 5-on-3
advantage.  Michaud was key on the 5-on-3 as he made some good saves to keep
the lead intacted, and when Derek Bekar took a dumb penalty behind the play
the advantage was over and Maine still had the lead.
 
The tide would start to turn UNH's way.  On a Maine power play during the
middle part of the third, Michaud was forced to make a huge save on a
shorthanded bid, and that wasn't the only shorthanded chance for the
Wildcats who opened up the play.
 
As was the case all weekend, when UNH opened things up the Maine defense
simply could not contain them.  As UNH turned up the heat, bodies littered
the ice as Maine players went down to block shots, and the Wildcats stormed
the Maine net.  The Black Bears would finally break and after several UNH
chances, Rob Gagnon's shot from the circle would squeeze through Michaud and
tied the game at 5-5 with 8:49 to go in the game.
 
The crowd, who had been effectively taken out of the game from the start of
the second, was into the game, and UNH continued to just come at Maine in
waves.  Jeff Libby would make an incredibly poor play as he hit a UNH player
in the back right in front of the referee who had no choice but to call the
penalty.  It would be a costly mistake by Libby.
 
When Reg Cardinal couldn't clear the zone, Maine was caught down low and
Derek Bekar was all alone in the circle and scored to give UNH a lead they
would not relinquish at 6-5.
 
Maine put on some pressure, and pulled Michaud with 51 seconds left but it
was not enough and the Bears fell for the third straight game, 6-5.
 
POSTGAME:
 
The first period decided this game.  Over the final two periods Maine played
a good game, as did Alfie Michaud.  But the explosive UNH offense beat Maine
in the first, and that was the difference Saturday night.
 
In no way are these two games upsets, and people shouldn't be shocked by the
outcome.  Maine is a hurting unit, and starting two freshmen forwards at
defense, on the Olympic-sized sheet at UNH, and against such talent.  The
simple fact is Maine is not that good of a team right now.  It's not like
the talent isn't there, but Maine has guys on their second and third lines
who would normally be fighting for spots on the fourth line.  Couple that
with the fact that Maine has only 12 scholarship players, and several are
hurt.  Until Maine heals, they will have to work extra hard just to stay in
games.
 
But Maine played a gutsy and inspired hockey game Saturday night.  Given
everything I mentioned above, with the way UNH destroyed them in the second
period Friday night, and the fact that Maine gave up four first period
goals, it would have been easy for them to pack it in, heal up and play UML
next week.
 
But they didn't.  They battled back, and fought hard but it just wasn't
enough on this night.  Maine didn't win, but they shouldn't hang their heads
because they hung in there under tough circumstances.
 
Many people will blame Alfie Michaud for the poor results this weekend.  At
times, he was bad.  He gave up two soft goals Friday, and one tonight, but
if you notice how many times I've used the phrase "he broke in alone" this
weekend and you realize the problems are deeper than the man between the
pipes.  Maine missed Jason Mansoff very much this weekend.
 
Hockey East fans should be wary.  Highly touted goaltender Sean Matile
becomes eligible next weekend for UNH, and as good as they are playing right
now, that is scary.  UNH is a good team, and probably will contend for the
title all year.  Their defense is a little suspect, but if Matile comes in
and plays well it might not matter.  Their forwards are as good as anyone,
and they might have the best forwards in the league.  UNH is now 7-2-0 on
the year, and continued their best ever start in Hockey East at 6-0-0.  They
will play a home-and-home with Boston College next weekend.
 
Maine is now 4-4-1 on the year and 0-3-1 in Hockey East.  They will return
home to host the UML River Hawks next weekend, in what will be a crucial set
of games for Maine.
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Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])