How about some real hockey talk. :-) This is by no means comprehensive and I am doing it in a hurry. But as one who has seen a lot of PC and Lowell this season, here are some things to look for from both teams. I welcome added comments from other people. PROVIDENCE * Experienced defense - four seniors - led by Justin Gould (#4), Scott Balboni (#5), Erik Sundquist (#7), and Jay Kenney (#10). Junior Hal Gill (#3) is one of the biggest players in the nation at 6'6" 222 and is an imposing force in front of his net. Friars do not get caught out of position very often. * Goalie Dan Dennis (#31), a junior, is having his best season ever and was named All-Hockey East. He is a decent-sized, standup goalie who can win a game on his own, although I have seen him play badly this season too. * Only Russ Guzior (#17) finished in the top 20 or so in HE scoring. His 19 goals lead the team. 7 players are in double figures, all in the teens. * Offense is led by first round pick Joe Hulbig (#11), 6'3" 214. He uses his size well and will go to the net, but he also has a good shot and will sometimes play point on the power play. "Only" 14-21--35, but has 10-10--20 in his last ten games. * Other forwards to watch: crafty Stefan Brannare (#27), diminutive hustler Mike Omicioli (#26, 5'5" 160 freshman, had 2-3--5 in the BU & Maine games), banger Travis Dillabough (#19), senior Dennis Burke (#8), and junior David Green (#11). Friars do not score a lot of goals, but they make their chances count and have the talent to score. * Special teams: HE PP .195 (5th), PK .803 (3rd). * Key is probably to get ahead early and shut down the opponent with tight defense and good netminding. If the game is boring, you know it is going PC's way. If they fall behind and have to play catchup, the increased pace and opening up of the game could spell doom. Special teams could decide the game. MASS LOWELL * Experienced forward contingent - six seniors, five of whom each have 28 points or more. Jeff Daw (#11) and Christian Sbrocca (#29) are pure snipers, with Sbrocca also being a superb playmaker. Brendan Concannon (#8) has had a career year with 56 points. Concannon and Sbrocca were both top 5 in HE in scoring. Jon Mahoney (#10) has gone to the net for many of his 21 goals, and David Dartsch (#27) is a transfer from the defunct Kent program and has 15 goals despite being on the third line. * Depth in scoring. Every player on the top three lines has scored 10 goals or more. Neil Donovan (#21), Daw, Concannon, and Mahoney all have 20 or more. But what makes Lowell dangerous is the players you don't pay attention to, like Ryan Sandholm (#12, 11 goals), Marc Salsman (#16, 16 goals), and Shannon Basaraba (#19, 10 goals), who are just as likely to sneak behind the defense and score while the opponent is paying attention to one of the big names. * Quality, experienced two-way defensemen in Ed Campbell (#2), Dave Barozzino (#4), and Mike Nicholishen (#15). However, lack of depth and injuries could be a problem, as senior David Mayes is out for the year and sophomore Chris Libett (#14) will likely play hurt. * Goaltender Martin Fillion (#31) provides solid, confident goaltending that at times has been up with the league's best. Fillion handles the puck well and can catch opponents napping on line changes. Questionable whether he can steal a game on his own as Dennis can. Still, he has been much improved this season and is a big reason why River Hawks are there. * Special teams: HE PP .243 (3rd), PK .796 (4th). * Key will be defensive play in the absence of Mayes and with an injured Libett. Forwards have done well coming back to help out, but they will need to work even harder and this could hinder the run-and-gun style that Lowell is at its best when using. Falling behind is not necessarily a problem, as Hawks have come from behind to win several times - their offensive capabilities and senior leadership make this possible. If defense is there and Fillion stands up to the pressure of his biggest game ever, offense will likely score more than enough goals to win. Watch special teams and penalty calls...if Hawks get a number of power plays early, they have the ability to build a lead and make it stand up. --- --- Mike Machnik [log in to unmask] *HMM* 11/13/93 >> Co-owner of the College Hockey Lists at University of Maine System << ***** Unofficial Merrimack Hockey home page located at: ***** ***** http://www.tiac.net/users/machnik/MChockey/MChockey.html ***** HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.