>Posted on 21 Apr 1994 at 15:09:50 by Mike Machnik
 
>  In fact, although I can't verify it yet,
>long-time area fans say that the last game Merrimack ever
>played in the Boston Garden was against Lowell in the old Teapot
>Tournament - the DivII Beanpot featuring (I believe) Lowell, Merrimack,
>Salem State, and Holy Cross.
 
The Teapot Tournament was an invention of Bill Riley, the former
coach of Lowell, in the early eighties. The original teams were
BOWDOIN, MERRIMACK, SALEM and LOWELL. The first Teapot, in January of
1980, was won by Bowdoin over Salem State. The game featured a great
performance by Bowdoin goalie Bill Provencher, who was to be named
league MVP that season. I also remember the hard time I had trying to
negotiate the steep stairs of Boston Garden on crutches -- the result
of an injury to my knee in a hockey game a month early. (Oh, yes, for
those who don't know, Bowdoin is my undergraduate Alma Mater.)
 
I think Holy Cross replaced Bowdoin in the last year of the tournament.
 
The Teapot was a really good tournament, due to the Bowdoin-Merrimack
and Merrimack-Lowell rivalries. It's too bad the tournament isn't played
any more.
 
Luiz F. Valente