Got back a little while ago from Alfond Arena where Maine and Team USA skated to a 3-3 tie. I'll try to post the box score tomorrow morning, but for now some observations. - [This one mainly for Hockey-L readers] If this was the same team that beat BC 9-3 and BU 8-0, and if there is anything like transitivity in hockey scores (and we all know there isn't) - Maine is going to be pretty tough this year. - The scores went like this Maine 1-0, tied at 1-1, Team USA 2-1, Team USA 3-1, Maine 3-2, tied at 3-3. - Team USA dominated parts, but certainly not all of the game - Maine hung in and put on a great deal of pressure, particularly at the end. - The player of the game (although he got only the third star - first went to Matt Martin and the second to Jim Campbell) was Garth Snow. He kept Team USA in the game by making a number of top notch saves - including on two breakaways - one by Paul Kariya. - The game was quite physical and the Maine fans (as is their wont) kept calling for penalties whenever a Team USA player bothered a Maine player. [I've been sick of that for 9 years now - so shoot me, I still root for Maine but I can do without the ridiculous partisanship.] Anyway, my guess is that the referees decided this game would be called a bit less strictly than a typical Hockey East contest. HOWEVER, a couple of Team USA players did do some pretty stupid things - including Darby Hendrickson literally putting a head/neck lock on a Maine player. - Speaking of penalties, the first three of the game (including Maine's first penalty of the year called on one *my* calculus students!) were called on Maine, but Maine killed off each one. I think Maine's first goal was scored on Team USA's second penalty - but I'm not certain. - Team USA is big and strong and fast, but seems to lack any real creativity. They certainly don't have a Paul Kariya (or even a Mike Latendresse or Martin Robitaille) to set up the guns in front. They like to wheel in center ice and attack, and the defense (or at least some of them) like to jump in, but they all seem like slashers with no real finesse. [I don't want to criticize them having just watched them this one game, but that's my first impression.] - Jeff Lazaro (formerly of the Boston Bruins, now property of the Ottawa Senators, and a former UNH Wildcat) is a new addition to the Team USA roster. He looked pretty good out there and dished out some nice checks including open-ice checks on Kariya and Latendresse that they probably felt down to their skateblades. - Team USA played without Ted Drury, Chris Ferraro, Derek Plante, and Brian Rolston. I'm not sure how many of them are expected back for the Olympics, but I think they could use something. [I was impressed by Rolston both in the NCAA's and the World Junior Championships.] - A couple of Maine notes. Both goalies (Blair Marsh for periods 1 and 2 and Blair Allison for period 3) looked pretty good - Marsh stopped Peter Ferraro on a breakaway and each made some nice saves and didn't appear rattled. Of the Maine first-year players I was impressed by Trevor Roenick and Barry Clukey (of US High School all-time scoring leadership fame) - both put in some strong physical shifts. This isn't to slight any of the other first-year players (Tory and Mansoff looked pretty good on regular defensive shifts), but those two stood out - given the type of game it was, what they had to give was what was highlighted. - Paul Kariya assisted on the first two Maine goals and was on the ice (I'm pretty sure) for the third. He was (to quote a famous Hockey-L administrator) the best player on the ice - no surprise. As I said, I'll try to post the box score in the morning. With best wishes, Charlie Slavin [log in to unmask] or Slavin@Maine Adminstrator for OlymPuck - The Olympic Ice Hockey Discussion List Department of Mathematics University of Maine Orono, Maine 04469-5752 USA