Subject: UMass-Lowell at BC, Fri. 10/19/2001, late box/comments (Box from BC game summary sheet) Friday, October 19, 2001 at Kelley Rink (Conte Forum), Chestnut Hill, MA UML 7, BC 2 HOCKEY EAST GAME ------------------------------------------------------------------------ UMASS-LOWELL (HE) 3 3 1 - 7 (2-0-0 overall, 1-0-0 HE) BOSTON COLLEGE (HE) 1 1 0 - 2 (1-2-1 overall, 0-1-0 HE) Shots on Goal Pen - Min Power Play UML 15-11-10 -- 36 9 - 29 1 - 6 BC 10- 3- 8 -- 21 7 - 14 1 - 7 UML- Jimi St. John 9- 2- 8 - 19 saves/2 goals (60:00) BC - Tim Kelleher 12- 8- 9 - 29 saves/7 goals (60:00) Referee - John Gravellese Assistants - Tom Quinn, Joe Andrews Attendance - 6386 1st Period UML1 Laurent Meunier 1 (Allison) 5:03 BC1 Dave Spina 2 (Voce, Forrest) 4x3 PPG 7:59 UML2 Jerramie Domish 2 (Treille) 10:10 UML3 Darryl Green 1 (Strome, Storm) 11:27 GWG Penalties BC - D'Arpino (interference) 5:12 UML - bench minor (too many men) served by Hay 6:01 BC - Hennes (slashing) 6:45 UML - Domish (slashing) 7:39 UML - Domish (roughing) 7:39 UML - Amar (hitting after whistle) 15:42 UML - Amar (hit from behind - 5 min.) 18:15 served by Kotyluk UML - Amar (game misconduct (10 min.)) 18:15 2nd Period BC2 Tony Voce 4 (Alberts, Forrest) 4x4 2:33 UML4 Ed McGrane 1 (Slonina) SHG 8:09 UML5 Steve Slonina 1 (McGrane) SHG 8:29 UML6 Josh Allison 1 (McGrane, Domish) PPG 10:51 Penalties BC - Havern (interference) 1:12 UML - Gustafson (cross-checking) 7:27 BC - Voce (unsportsmanlike conduct) 9:06 BC - Shannon (hit from behind) 13:35 UML - Fontas (interference) 17:09 3rd Period UML7 Jerramie Domish 3 (Meunier) 0:24 Penalties BC - Alberts (interference) 1:03 BC - Hennes (holding) 10:05 UML - Green (tripping) 14:30 3 Stars - 1. UML - Ed McGrane (1G, 2A) 2. UML - Jerramie Domish (2G, 1A) 3. BC - Tony Voce (1G, 1A) University of Massachusetts-Lowell: F GEOFF SCHOMOGYI, Dan Fontas, Steve Slonina Mark Concannon, ED MCGRANE, YORICK TREILLE Peter Hay, Laurent Meunier, Tom Rouleau Niklas Storm, Anders Strome, Kevin Kotyluk D BAPTISTE AMAR, CHRIS GUSTAFSON Josh Allison, Jerramie Domish Darryl Green, R.J. Tolan G JIMI ST. JOHN, Cam McCormick Boston College: F JEFF GIULIANO, ALES DOLINAR, TONY VOCE Joe Schuman, Ty Hennes, Ryan Murphy Anthony D'Arpino, A.J. Walker, Justin Dziama Ned Havern, Ryan Shannon, Dave Spina Ben McManama D John Adams Andrew Alberts, J.D. FORREST BRETT PETERSON, Bill Cass G TIM KELLEHER, Matti Kaltiainen, Robbie Miller COMMENTS -------- UMass-Lowell finally broke a 4-year losing streak to Boston College with a strong 7-2 win last Friday night at BC. The River Hawks scored 2 short- handed goals in just 20 seconds in the second period to blow open a close game and give them a quick start to their Hockey East season. Ed McGrane and Steve Slonina combined for the shorthanded scores, and Jerramie Domish scored twice as UML got 4 goals from their defensive corps in a dominant performance. The UML players had never beaten BC and were motivated to come out fast and physical, knowing that the Eagles were young and inexperienced, combined with the fact that Ben Eaves was injured and would not play for BC. The River Hawks had played BC tough during the 2nd half of last year and were expected to be a tough matchup early in the season, and it turned out to be so. The experience difference was very evident in this game; BC played 9 players who were freshmen or had few games last year, while UML had only 2 freshmen in the lineup. BC had 2 seniors, UML had 9. Lowell carried the play early in this one, putting on a lot of forechecking pressure from the start. BC's Bill Cass made an early mistake of skating right in front of his goalie with the puck and almost had it whacked off his stick and into the net; that was a sign of the lack of intelligence BC had on this night. Laurent Meunier opened the scoring when he took a drop pass in the left circle on a 3-on-2 and hammered a hard shot at Kelleher. He got a piece of it but it bounced up in the air and down behind him, then bounced into the net. A series of penalties followed, with both teams getting power play chances. BC evened the score on a 4-on-3 power play, with a shot from the point resulting in a rebound to the left side, where frosh Dave Spina pushed it into the open side. (It was announced initially as Ryan Murphy's goal but the score sheet changed it.) Tony Voce made a strong rush through the center of the UML defense after that for another BC power play chance but his rebound attempt went wide. Jerramie Domish, who had been in the box for a double minor, came out and immediately was sent away up the left side for a 1-man rush. He flew around the defense and cut to the front of the goal, where Kelleher sprawled out to try to block the shot. Domish managed to carry it past the keeper and slid it into the open right side of the net to put Lowell up for good. Just over a minute later, UML forechecking turned the puck over for Darryl Green, who wheeled off the boards at the top of the right circle and fired a wrister that landed in the far netting for a 3-1 lead. Kelleher appeared to be screened on the shot. Lowell kept up the pressure at that point, with several chances. BC's Ned Havern got a breakaway shot on a long pass, but was unable to beat Jimi St. John. BC had a chance to get back in the game when frosh Baptiste Amar took 2 foolish penalties late in the period. The first was a hitting after the whistle for a free shot after an icing was called, then he got a major and game misconduct for a hard check from behind on Jeff Giuliano, who tumbled headfirst into the end boards. BC had lots of possession but few shots, and UML had the better chances at the end of the period on some shorthanded counterattacks. The 2nd period opened with BC still on the major power play, and Voce rang one off the pipe early. Giuliano had the puck poked free on a nice play by the UML defense, but BC kept the pressure on, playing much better than the first period. Finally Havern was sent in clean on a breakaway -- his shot was saved, but a trailing forward popped the rebound into the open net. No goal, though, as Havern was called for interference with the goalie after he steamrolled St. John after the initial save. BC did score a minute later, though, when Voce was sent in clean again with a nice pass at the blue line. He drove into the left circle and fired in through the 5-hole to get BC within one. Play was more intense at this point, with the Eagles playing better and both teams working hard. UML finally took another penalty under pressure, and BC was hoping to equalize. The game turned, though, when hard work by the Lowell forecheckers (combined with sloppy play by BC) turned the puck over for 2 shorthanded goals. First, BC got caught trying to pinch in at the blue line and UML went the other way on a 2-on-1. Steve Slonina was able to reach the puck and get it past the defenseman to the slot, where Ed McGrane hit a one-timer through Kelleher. Off the ensuing faceoff, BC mishandled the puck high in their own zone, McGrane picked it off and sent a backhand pass across to Slonina breaking down the center of BC's ice. He fired a high shot that ricocheted in off the crossbar for a 5-2 Lowell lead, and the air was taken out of the game at that point. BC's Voce took a silly penalty shortly after that, shooting the puck at the goal after an offside whistle, and UML took advantage. Nice puck movement got the puck back to the right point, then over to the left where a hard shot was sent to the goal. It was deflected in front by an unattended Lowell forward and into the net, 6-3 UML. (The goal was credited to Josh Allison, but almost all agree that it was tipped in front by a Lowell player, not a BC defender. Still, the goal went to Allison, who sent it in from the blue line.) BC took a timeout to regain some composure, but it was evident that they were not going to make a comeback under these terms. BC did carry some play late in the second period but was unable to score. The third period opened with the final UML goal, when it was pushed back to the right point off a faceoff and the resultant shot deflected through a screen and past Kelleher. The period showed up-and-down play but was noticeable mostly for injuries. Tony Voce left the ice briefly after a collision left him limping, and St. John was down with some sort of problem midway through the period (UML thought Voce had hit him with some sort of retaliation? The refs didn't see the goalie collapsed at his net for some seconds, and made no call.) With 5 minutes left in the game the most serious injury came to Lowell's R.J. Tolan, who tried to block a slap shot from the point and was hit in the throat with the puck. He immediately came off the ice, was helped over the boards clutching his throat, and then kneeled in the walkway awaiting medical attention. A doctor was summoned to the UML bench area, and Tolan was examined briefly before going to the locker room. He was moving okay and it seemed that he would be all right. Later, at the hospital, he apparently had problems breathing and underwent some throat surgery; he is expected to recover, but it is not known how long he will be out. The game ended pretty quietly, with neither team threatening to score. Lowell deserved this win, no doubt, as they were the faster, stronger, harder-working, more skilled and less mistake-prone team. In essence, what you would expect of an early-season matchup with a decent, experienced team versus a young, inexperienced one. Yes, BC has lots of talent, but at this level, it takes a while for the young players to adjust and understand what they need to do to win in Hockey East. Combine that with Lowell's desire to end an ignominious losing streak and the result was not unexpected. The final margin was a surprise, but if BC doesn't give up the sloppy shorthanded goals, and Ben Eaves plays to steady the BC power play and offensive organization, it might have been a very close game. (Sure, and if any of a hundred different things happen, every game could be a close game, right?) I know it has been said a lot, but it really struck me how young BC is when I looked at the changes in this lineup versus the relative lack of changes from last year's Lowell team. Lowell returned all defensemen except Ron Hainsey (yes, a big loss, but not as big as BC suffered), had a senior goalie, and had lots of players with lots of HE experience on the front lines. BC played 5 defensemen, and 2 of them who were expected to be solid had bad games (Cass and Forrest). Kelleher was okay in net, but gave up a couple of goals that he would like to have back. On offense, BC had one line of decent offensive players with experience, the top group, and only Voce had a good game out of that group. (Giuliano may have been feeling the results of his head-first bang into the boards in the first period, but he didn't do much before that, either.) The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th lines were either all freshmen, last year's 4th liners, or converted defensemen with little experience. All the potential talent in the world in some cases, but it will take time for them to learn. I think Blaise MacDonald will continue to get good play from his team in Hockey East. They may not always play with the effort and motivation they showed in this one, but there are a lot of good signs for Lowell so far (and they've opened the season 3-0, not too bad, but they have yet to hit the iron.) I think they will end up higher than the preseason predictions. BC, on the other hand, may take a bit longer to come around than predicted. Ben Eaves will return at some point, but this team is dangerously thin, and can't afford many injuries. If their primary offensive threats or experienced defensemen are out or don't play well, it could be a surprisingly long season. Coach Jerry York keeps telling everyone that he likes his team, he just thinks they won't be fully competitive until later in the year. I think that is a fair assessment. If the young players come around and don't get discouraged by a slow start, they should be all right. Ryan Shannon and Dave Spina have shown some good offensive instincts, and Tony Voce is playing well. BC's goalies need to improve, and fast, because this team is going to need them to make stops when the defense breaks down, in a way they didn't have to do last year. The rest of Hockey East and other teams will be happy to pay the Eagles back for the last 4 years of BC success, I'm sure, so they'll have to get used to the idea that everyone will play them hard. With time, though, I think they'll be okay, and expectations amongst the knowledgable aren't super-high this year. Next year, I think more will be expected. UML won again Saturday night over UConn to go 3-0, but gets to try their luck against Providence this Friday, a tougher opponent. BC hosts Notre Dame on Friday and will attempt to get back into the win column; it is important they do so, as they have a very tough 2-game trip to Wisconsin the week after that. Note on post: I finally have a machine at home that works, so I hope to make posts on a more timely basis from here on out. Because things seem so quiet on the list, I figured it was worth sending this late. I know a few of you do read these ... :-))