University of Maine 5, University of Alabama-Huntsville 1
 
Saturday November 2, 1996, Alfond Arena (Orono, Maine)
 
 
       Score By Periods     Shots on Goal       Pen - Min  Power Play
UAH     0 - 0 - 1 -- 1      4 - 3 -  7 -- 14     12 -  32    1 - 8
Maine   1 - 2 - 2 -- 5     18 -16 - 11 -- 45     11 -  22    5 - 7
 
Records UAH   (0-2-0)
        Maine (4-1-0, 0-0-0 HE)
 
SCORING
1st Period
  ME-1   Trevor Roenick (1) (Wansborough, Larose)    PPG  9:22
 
2nd Period
  ME-2   Steve Kariya (3) (Cullen, Wansborough)  PPG/GWG  9:05
  ME-3   Reg Cardinal (2) (Shermerhorn, Libby)       PPG 15:20
 
3rd Period
  ME-4   Reg Cardinal (3) (Shermerhorn, Gorritti)    PPG  1:11
  UAH-1  K.C. Schneider (Parker, Lalonde)            PPG 13:47
  ME-5   Marcus Gustafsson (Price, Boone)            PPG 19:55
 
       Goaltenders                   Saves by Period
UAH  - Cedrick Billequey (60:000    17 - 14 - 9 -- 40
ME   - Alfie Michaud (40:00)         4 -  3 - X --  7
       Javier Gorritti (20:00)       X -  X - 6 --  6
 
Attendance:  5,017
 
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine used five power play goals and
stellar defense to sweep the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers Saturday night.
 
 
PREGAME:
 
I was in error when I said yesterday that Marc LaLonde will miss Saturday's
game due to a 5 minute major for hitting from behind, and a game misconduct.
I confused the penalty with a game disqualification.  LaLonde played
Saturday night, and even notched a point.
 
Scott Parmentier missed the game with a bad back.. Jason Vitorino missed the
game with a sprained knee.. Shawn Mansoff switched back to defense after
playing forward Friday.. Nils Satterstrom, and Marcus Gustafsson dressed
Saturday.
 
FIRST PERIOD:
 
The first period belongs to Cedrick Billequey.  The Charger goaltender
stopped 17 of 18 shots keeping UAH in the game despite being dominiated by
the Maine Black Bears.  There were three ocassions that I counted where it
looked like a "sure goal" (if there is such a thing) only to have Billeguey
make incredible save after another.
 
It would be Maine's 10th shot of the contest that would be the first one to
beat Billequey.  Trevor Roenick got his first of the year as he threw a
backhander on the net that made it through.  Wansborough and freshman Cory
Larose got the assists on the power play goal coming at 9:22 making it 1-0
Maine.
 
For Larose, that is his sixth point (1-5--6) in his fifth game as a Black
Bear.  Right now there is no question that Larose is the best Maine rookie,
but more than that, he's one of the best forwards on the team right now.
 
While Billequey was holding UAH in the game at one end of the ice, Maine's
defense was holding down the Chargers offense.  It took UAH roughly ten
minutes to get their first shot on Maine netminder Alfie Michaud.  In total,
Michaud faced only four shots in the period without little work.
 
SECOND PERIOD:
 
This period began much like the first.  Maine was able to beat the UAH
trapping defense easily and create much offense on Billequey.  This is
important for Maine, becuase they've struggled at times this season beating
these kind of defensive schemes.  Not the case last night.
 
Steve Kariya would get Maine's next goal, his third of the young season.
David Cullen brought the puck in toward the net and fed Kariya on the far
post.  Billequey had little he could have to done.  The bang-bang goal at
9:05 gave Maine a 2-0 lead.
 
Just over six minutes later a similar play would extend the lead to 3-0.
With Maine on the power play, Jeff Libby brought the puck down from the
point and found Reg Cardinal on a bang-bang play at 15:20.
 
Billequey had Bobby Stewart's number all night.  Stewart was one of the more
dominiating forwards all night for Maine, but the second period he was
seriously snakebitten by Billequey.  On three ocassions in the period
Stewart had high quality chances that were turned aside, one on a
spectacular save by Billequey.  Stewart got his first goal of the year last
night.  Maine coach Greg Cronin said at the beginning of the year that while
Stewart sat out last year during his transfer year he was at times one of
the most dominating Maine forwards.  So far he's living up to that billing.
 
Maine's defense also kept the Chargers down again in the second, holding
them to only three shots.  Maine outshot UAH 34-7 after two periods, but
beacause of Billequey only led 3-0 where it counts.
 
THIRD PERIOD:
 
With Maine dominating the game, Cronin gave Michaud the rest of the night
off in favor of junior Javier Gorritti.  It wouldn't take Gorritti long to
figure into the action.
 
I believe this is the first game Gorritti has ever played in, and if that's
the case he should be a subject of an interesting trivia question.  Gorritti
would notch his first point before making his first save.
 
Reg Cardinal put home a rebound of a Dan Shermerhorn shot at 1:11 of the
third.  Gorritti started the play from the Maine end and earned an assist.
Maine led the game 4-0 and put it on cruise control.
 
Not long after Maine would lose defensman Jeff Libby for the remainder of
the game with a major for hitting from behind and the game misconduct that
goes with it.
 
Coupling the five minute major, and penalties assessed before and after,
Maine gave UAH two seperate 5-on-3 advantages, but it wasn't until the
second one expired that Maine would finally let in a goal.
 
Senior K.C. Schneider tipped the shot from Jamie Baby by Gorritti at 13:47
to make the game 4-1 Maine.
 
The game would finish chippy with several penalties assessed, including a
misconduct to Ty Hartigan for the Chargers, Maine would finish on the power
play with their fourth line.
 
With five seconds left the fourth liners got a goal.  Marcus Gustafsson
scored from Jason Price and Aaron Boone to end the game at 5-1 Maine.
 
POSTGAME:
 
This was by far a more dominating performance by Maine, even though the
score was closer than Friday night's 7-2 win.  Maine outshot UAH for the
game 45-14, but 50% of those UAH game in the third when the game was long
over and play had detoriated greatly.
 
Cedrick Billequey received the second star from the WZON radio guys for his
stellar 40 save effort.  The goals that beat him were quality goals, but did
he ever make some great saves.  Billequey is only a freshman, and he is a
huge bright spot for the Chargers.
 
To the Chargers credit they were more patient than Friday night.  When Maine
put some goals together Friday, the Chargers abandoned their trapping
defense and let Maine skate.  Saturday they stuck with it, despite Maine
having relatively no trouble with it.
 
All weekend Maine was able to create some quality offensive chances.  In the
past couple years Maine thrived on mucking it up down low, but while they
still do that well, they scored some pretty goals and made some great plays.
The forwards seem to be working out the kinks and really picking things up.
 
Reg Cardinal (2 goals), Dan Shermerhorn (2 assists), Shawn Wansborough (2
assists), Steve Kariya (1 goal), Cory Larose (1 assist), Bobby Stewart and
Ben Guite all had real good games at forward.  Matt Oliver played well too,
despite not being able to finish a couple good chances.  The forwards are
looking real good for Maine.
 
The defense was pretty solid, but I don't want to go "goo-goo" over their
performance considering it was a Division II opponent.  However what was
good to see is that on two seperate nights two different pairs of defensemen
stepped it up offensively.  Friday night it was Jason Mansoff and Brian
White, but Saturday night it was David Cullen and Jeff Libby.  Maine seems
to have four strong defenseman.
 
Maine will host Northeastern next weekend for a pair of games.
---
Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])
Administrator:  INFO-HOCKEY-L and ME-HOCKEY