I'm sending this to both the Warriors list and Maine Hockey.  Thought folks
in both places might be interested.  This is the latest installment of a
weekly column I write for the Lawrence (Mass.) Eagle-Tribune, centering on
Merrimack hockey.
 
There are some additional things I would have liked to get in, like the
fact that Maine has scored 25 goals in three games and that Cardinal is the
HE Player of the Month, but I was way over my word limit as it was.
 
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Warriors Collide With Black Bears
by Mike Machnik
 
The Merrimack College hockey team kicks off a six game homestand
by returning to Hockey East action this weekend with a pair of games
at the Volpe Complex against the University of Maine. Game time
Friday and Saturday nights is 7 p.m.
 
Maine is the only league opponent that the Warriors have not beaten
on the ice since joining Hockey East in 1989. The Black Bears are
officially 21-2-1 against Merrimack over the last seven years, with
the two losses coming as a result of forfeits in 1993-94. Maine leads
the all-time series 26-4-1, with Merrimack's last on ice win coming
almost 17 years ago on Feb. 13, 1980 by a score of 3-1.
 
Maine (12-8-1, 4-5-1 Hockey East) welcomed back head coach Shawn
Walsh to the bench on Dec. 24 after a year suspension following an NCAA
investigation. The Black Bears are ineligible for the 1997 NCAA and
Hockey East tournaments pending an appeal, but since Walsh's return,
Maine is 3-1-0 and has won three straight games, including road
Hockey East wins last week over Providence, 5-4, and UMass-Lowell, 8-5.
 
Steve Kariya (11-17-28) leads all Maine scorers and is the brother
of 1993 Hobey Baker Award winner and current Anaheim Mighty Duck star
Paul. Trevor Roenick (7-9-16) can also lay claim to NHL bloodlines;
older brother Jeremy stars for the Phoenix Coyotes. Adding to the
Bears' offensive attack are leading goal scorer Scott Parmentier
(17-4-21), Shawn Wansborough (9-16-25), and Reg Cardinal (11-11-22).
Jason Mansoff (7-9-16) anchors the defense in front of goaltending
tandem Alfie Michaud (7-7-1, 3.89, .833) and Javier Gorriti
(5-1-0, 2.82, .865).
 
Merrimack (5-12-1, 2-7-1 Hockey East) has won two of its last
three after a eight game winless string. After the Warriors' strong
second place finish at the Syracuse Invitational, Merrimack knocked
off Army in West Point last Friday, 5-1. Martin Laroche led the way
with a goal and an assist, and Casey Kesselring added two assists.
Tom Johnson, Roland Grelle, Rejean Stringer, and Joe Savioli also
added goals. The Warriors led 2-1 after one and 4-1 after two,
and goaltender Martin Legault stopped 32 of 33 shots to earn his
second straight victory.
 
MERRIMACK BRIEFS: The Warriors have allowed only eight goals over
their last three games after giving up 47 during an 0-7-1 stretch...
Savioli's shorthanded goal at Army was the first man down marker
for Merrimack this season...Grelle's first goal of the season proved
to be the game winner against the Cadets...Merrimack has killed 11
straight penalties over four games...Rejean Stringer (7-11-18) and
Kris Porter (8-8-16) lead Merrimack in scoring and have already
bettered their rookie season totals...The Warriors are 5-2-1 when
allowing three goals or fewer, but 0-10-0 when giving up more than
three goals...With captain Rob Beck resting a bruised wrist against
Army, Laroche is the only Merrimack player to see action in all 18
games...Looking ahead, Ohio State's visit to the Volpe Complex next
weekend will mark the first time a Big Ten school has ever played at
Merrimack in any sport.
 
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Mike Machnik                [log in to unmask]               *HMM* 11/13/93
*****   (Part-Time) 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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