Friday, January 14, 1994 at Tully Forum, Billerica, MA
HOCKEY EAST GAME
Merrimack Warriors (9-10-1, 2-7-1 HE) 0 1 0 - 1
Mass Lowell Chiefs (11-5-2, 6-3-1 HE) 0 1 1 - 2
FIRST PERIOD ML-MC
No scoring.
SECOND PERIOD
1. MC1, Matt Adams 10 (Cooper Naylor), 5:11. 0-1
2. ML1, Kerry Angus 5 (Ian Hebert, Christian Sbrocca), 12:14. PPG 1-1
THIRD PERIOD
3. ML2, Hebert 12 (Travis Tucker, Sbrocca), 9:39. GWG 2-1
SHOTS ON GOAL: Merrimack 11-10-15 = 36
Mass Lowell 8-11-17 = 36
SAVES: MC, Martin Legault (58:25, L, 7-10-1, 36 sh-34 sv).
ML, Dwayne Roloson (60:00, W, 11-5-2, 36-35).
POWER PLAYS: MC 0 for 4. ML 1 for 2.
PENALTIES: MC 4/8. ML 6/12.
REFEREES: Frank Cole, Drew Taylor. LINESMAN: Tim Benedetto.
ATTENDANCE: 1,123.
THREE STARS: 1. G Dwayne Roloson, Mass Lowell (36 sh-35 sv).
2. G Martin Legault, Merrimack (36 sh-34 sv).
3. C Ian Hebert, Mass Lowell (1-1--2, GWG).
In a hard-fought defensive battle that couldn't have been any closer
on the scoreboard or on the ice, Mass Lowell's Ian Hebert broke a 1-1
tie halfway through the third period with a quick turnaround shot
from the slot that proved to be the game-winner, sending his team on
to a 2-1 win over valley rival Merrimack. The three stars tell the
whole story, as Lowell G Dwayne Roloson held tough against a Merrimack
barrage late in the game to preserve the win. Merrimack G Martin Legault
was also spectacular yet again.
Lowell's offense, which is more talented overall than Merrimack's,
nevertheless continued to have problems getting going; despite the win,
coach Bruce Crowder still has to be concerned about his team's lackluster
play since Christmas.
FIRST
There was no scoring in the period. Best chances came from Merrimack's
Matt Adams, who had an open net on a rebound but was knocked off the
puck, and Lowell's Mike Murray who was turned away by Legault on a
shorthanded bid. Merrimack had three power plays in the period to
Lowell's one and could not get anything started on any of them. That
would prove to be costly later, as the Warriors wouldn't get another
PP until three seconds left in the game.
SECOND
One of the few glaring defensive mistakes came five minutes into the
period, when Lowell botched up assignments on a transition play at
center ice and allowed Merrimack's Matt Adams and Cooper Naylor to go
in on a 2x1. Adams carried up the right side and fed Naylor, who
drew Roloson over and then passed back to an uncovered Adams for an
easy tap-in and a 1-0 lead.
Lowell would get its second and last PP of the game at 12:10 when Tom
Costa took a bad holding penalty deep in the Merrimack end, and the
Chiefs wasted no time taking advantage. Off the draw to Legault's
right, defenseman Kerry Angus fired a screen shot from the left point
that got by Legault's right pad to tie it 1-1 at 12:14. The Chiefs
continued to press right after the goal and almost scored again to
go ahead.
THIRD
Early in the third, Roloson appeared to have pulled a groin muscle
when he slid across the crease to follow Rob Atkinson, who was wheeling
around the net with the puck. Roloson seemed to be in pain and unable
to skate well immediately afterwards, but he never came out and hung
tough the rest of the way. 7 minutes in, Normand Bazin took a feed
and beat Merrimack D Dean Capuano 1x1, but Legault made the save. Not
long after, Daryl Krauss appeared to have put Merrimack ahead, but
the whistle had blown before he scooped up a loose puck and fired it
into the net.
The winner came at 9:39 when Lowell had its best pressure of the night,
maintaining control for a long time in the zone and forcing Merrimack
back on their heels. D Travis Tucker had the puck at the right point
and found Hebert, who had drifted into the slot from the right circle.
Hebert's quick turnaround went right through the 5-hole, his 12th
goal of the year for the senior. Merrimack immediately called
time out.
The Warriors would have most of the good chances the rest of the way
in a vain attempt to tie it up and force overtime. Dan Hodge's shot
from the point was stopped by Roloson, and when Jim Gibson got in
to take two whacks at the rebound, he wasn't able to put it by the
goalie. Gibson was centering both the first and second lines for
much of the period, as first-line center Rob Atkinson was absent for
some reason. But Atkinson finally got another shift with 7 1/2 minutes
left and he almost made it pay off, but Roloson flashed the glove
on his blast from the right circle for one of his better saves of
the night.
With just over four minutes left, Roloson got some help from the
goalie's best friend, as Steve McKenna's shot from the point clanged
off the inside of the post and skittered out untouched for Lowell
to clear. Merrimack was coming as close as you could come to tying
it, but when Legault was pulled for an extra attacker with two minutes
left, the move almost backfired when Mike Murray carried up ice looking
for the empty netter. Merrimack D Mark Cornforth was able to get
back quickly and break up the play, though. In fact, for what seemed
like an eternity, Lowell kept the puck in the Merrimack end with the
net empty and had several shots blocked by diving Merrimack players -
that, or Lowell would get too fancy and take too long to shoot.
The game went right down to the last seconds, but Roloson made what
might have been his toughest save of the night considering his apparent
injury - sliding across the crease to block Naylor's tying bid with
only seven seconds left.
POSTGAME
The Chiefs escaped with the win, but it was a well-played game by
both teams' defense and goaltenders. Lowell made one less big mistake
than Merrimack, and that was the difference. Tomorrow's rematch at
Merrimack proves to be another exciting one, but it will be interesting
to see what kind of shape Roloson is in. He might be feeling the effects
in the morning.
Hebert played an outstanding game for the Chiefs and deserved his place
among the stars even without his GWG. For Merrimack, Naylor again led
the way, creating great chances on the top line; Gibson performed well
in double shift duty in the third and the defensive pairing of Cornforth
and John Jakopin had a very solid night.
Lowell's win enabled the Chiefs to move from fourth place into a tie
with UNH for third as each team has 13 pts in a tight race. A win
Saturday coupled with a BU loss to BC would put the Chiefs all alone
in first place.
A win Saturday to split the series would do Merrimack a world of good.
If that happens and BC loses, Merrimack would vault from last to a
tie for 6th with BC, and five of Merrimack's next 7 HE games would be
against the other two lower-echelon teams, PC and BC.
--- ---
Mike Machnik [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc. *HMM* 11/13/93
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