University of Maine 7, University of Alabama-Huntsville 2 Friday, November 1, 1996 at Alfond Arena (Orono, Maine) Score By Periods Shots on Goal Pen - Min Power Play UAH 1 - 0 - 1 - 2 3 - 6 - 11 -- 20 6 - 15 0 - 3 Maine 0 - 4 - 3 - 7 7 - 15 - 17 -- 39 5 - 10 1 - 3 Records: UAH: 0-1-0 Maine: 3-1-0 SCORING 1st Period UAH-1 Mike Hamlin (1) (Shane Stewart, Jamie Baby) 6:48 2nd Period- ME-1 Cory Larose (1) (Shawn Wansborough, Jason Mansoff) 2:09 ME-2 Jason Mansoff (2) (Bobby Stewart, Brian White) 4:36 ME-3 Shawn Wansborough (1) (Ben Guite, Brian White) 12:18 ME-4 Bobby Stewart (1) (Reg Cardinal, Dan Shermerhorn) 18:21 3rd Period- ME-5 Dan Shermerhorn (4) (UNA) 5:16 UAH-2 Paul Schloss (1) (Jay Woodcroft, Jim Alauria) 9:26 ME-6 Steve Kariya (2) (Jeff Libby, Jason Mansoff) PPG 10:19 ME-7 Shawn Mansoff (1) (Brian White) 4X4 17:33 Goaltenders Saves by Period UAH- Mike Zeller (60:00) 7 - 11 -15 -- 32 ME - Alfie Michaud (60:00) 2 - 6 -10 -- 18 OFFICIALS: Referee Doyle; Linesmen Tuell, Wiswell; ATTENDANCE: 4,925 ORONO, Maine -- </b> Seven different players scored goals for Maine Friday night, as the Black Bears beat defending Division II National Champion Alabama-Huntsville 7-2. The loss, snapped the Chargers 34-game unbeaten streak. FIRST PERIOD: There was no question who would have the most jump in their step before this game even began. Alabama-Huntsville had won or tied 34 straight games, and they were playing an elite Division I program in their own building. The Chargers had nothing to lose, and they opened Friday night's contest playing just like that. They stuffed the passing lanes and played a trapping style of defense, all while colapsing back on their own net to protect Maine from any quality second and third chances. All the time waiting for the Black Bears to make a mistake, they didn't have to wait too long. A turnover in the neutral zone allowed Mike Hamlin to break in alone for the Chargers and he beat Maine goaltender Alfie Michaud on their first shot of the game at 6:48 to take the lead 1-0. The worst thing to do when you are playing a team that is trapping like the Chargers were, is to give them a lead because all that happens is that they can relax and continue to focus on their defense. Maine would hold the Chargers to only three shots in the entire period, but on the other end of the ice Maine only generated seven shots on Charger goaltender Mike Zeller. Those seven shots only represent the shots that made it through to Zeller. UAH were dropping bodies in front of Zeller all night and blocked shot after shot. Maine also was able to hold the puck in the UAH zone for long periods of time in the first, but never got many quality chances. The first period was also a hard hitting/poor officiated period. As long time members of INFO-HOCKEY-L and ME-HOCKEY know, I don't complain about officiating much. In the first period, and really about half the game white and blue jerserys were ending up on the ice all, mostly away from the play. There was a lot of interference going on that the teams were getting away with, but also some real good hitting. UAH came out and really through their bodies at Maine. Once again Maine had trouble getting out of their own zone, as the trapping style coupled with Maine's forwards not coming back far enough meant a lot of passes were broken up in the neutral zone. SECOND PERIOD: Clearly Maine wasn't going to get it done using the strategy they began the game with. They came out in the second with more emotion and fire and really began to string some chances together, storming Mike Zeller. It wouldn't take Maine long to tie the score in the second. Cory Larose flicked the puck over Mike Zeller after he collected the original shot which had been blocked in the slot. For Larose, it was his first career goal and his fifth point (1-4--5) in his first four games. Just 2:27 later, Maine would strike again. This time Jason Mansoff let one go from the point that Zeller got a piece of, but it trickled through his pads and into the net to give Maine their first lead at 2-1. Shawn Wansborough would take a pretty pass from Brian White and walk in on Zeller beating him high at 12:18. Then Bobby Stewart ripped a one-timer past Zeller at 18:21 to give Maine a 4-1 lead after two. On Stewart's goal, Dan Shermerhorn let the orignal dump to the corner go by, Cardinal got back to Shermerhorn who was left alone in the corner and he centered it to Stewart who wasted no time in converting. THIRD PERIOD: Shermerhorn would figure into the scoring one more time. This time while on the forecheck, Shermerhorn took it away from the defenseman and broke in alone on Zeller beating him for the 5-1 lead at 5:16 of the third. Paul Schloss got UAH's second goal at 9:26 and it looked like UAH might get back into the game. Michaud couldn't control the rebound, and was on the ice trying to find it when it dribbled in off Schloss' stick. Just when it looked like UAH might be able to close the gap, they took a penalty soon after their second goal and six seconds into the power play Steve Kariya made them pay. Kariya moved to the circle and blasted one by Zeller at 10:19. At 16:21, Marc LaLonde was given a five minute major for hitting from behind and the game misconduct that goes with it. According to reports on HOCKEY3, UAH only brought six defensemen with them to Maine. LaLonde's misconduct will likely play a role in Saturday night's matchup. Maine would score once more, this time a long pass meant for Shawn Mansoff was mishandled by Zeller and Mansoff was able to capitalize on the mistake for a 4X4 goal at 17:33. Maine 7, UAH 2. POSTGAME It's hard to say if UAH can play with Maine or not. Certainly they did the job in the first period, but they didn't generate any offense till the third period when the game was essentially in Maine's hands. Maine coach Greg Cronin says his team gave up in the third, so we don't know. What can be said is that UAH represented Division II well. They played a disiplined game, and executed their game plan well in the first period. They have more speed than a Division I fan might expect. Certainly there is no question that they are capable of beating a Division I program. Can they beat Maine Saturday night? We'll find out, but Maine (3-1-0) was the better team all Friday night. They didn't use their team speed to their advantage till the second and third period, but they were faster than UAH and will need to use that. Maine also played the body well from the second period on Friday night. Some quality hits coming from both benches Friday night. This was the opener for UAH (0-1-0). They beat Penn State twice last weekend, but those games are not being counted. UAH was 31-0-3 in their past 34 NCAA games prior to losing to Maine Friday night. Brian White and Jason Mansoff were a force on the blue line. Those two finally stepped it up and seek to replace the departed Brett Clark and Jeff Tory. They put up good numbers, White had three assists and Mansoff one goal and three assists, but more importantly they seemed to want to take the puck up ice and create offense. This has been lacking in Maine's past games, but Friday night Mansoff and White wanted the puck in their own end and they did a good job getting it out of their own end. This is certainly a good sign for Maine. The forwards really put good pressure on, but there were several lineup changes before and during the game. Maine's leading goal scorer coming into the game, Scott Parmentier, was out with a bad back and will miss Saturday's game. Jason Vitorino sprained a knee in the second period and will also sit out Saturday. Cory Larose played well, as did Ben Guite, Dan Shermerhorn, Steve Kariya, Bobby Stewart. Shawn Wansborough got his first goal and that seemed to get him going as well. Reg Cardinal worked hard all night despite not getting a goal. Same two teams Saturday night. --- Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask]) Administrator: INFO-HOCKEY-L and ME-HOCKEY