From bfisk@NETSPACE.ORG Sat Feb 7 00:16:03 1998 Date: Sat, 7 Feb 1998 00:13:22 -0500 From: Brian Fisk To: HOCKEY-L@MAINE.MAINE.EDU Subject: RPI 2, Brown 3 (with box) Tonight at Meehan Auditorium the Brown Bears took down the RPI Engineers by a score of 3-2. When the puck was in play, I thought this game was exciting to watch, but the delays before dropping the puck really dragged it down. First off, the delays in this game were ridiculous. It took FOREVER for both teams to line up for face-offs. There were a few times I was waiting for a delay-of-game penalty. Teams kept trying to make last minute substitutions. Then set-up changes. Then play changes. Then the refs would through out the two players facing off. Line up and drop the puck already! This was a rough game from the start, with some 17 penalties handed out during the course of the game, and nearly all of the goals were scored on the power play. In the third power play of the game, RPI's Pete Gardiner got the feed in front of the Brown net and somehow fed it through the heavy traffic to get the first goal. Three minutes later, with Brown on the power play after an elbowing call on Eric Healey, Jimmy Andersson's shot went off the back wall from the point and off to Joel Laing's right side. Damion Prescott was there to make the shot from the *very* tough angle as he snuck it behind Laing to tie the game at one. Then with a little over a minute left in the period, with Brown on the power play again, Brent Hoiness fed it to Mike Bent on Laing's left, and Bent took the shot. From my vantage point above the goal, it appeared to bounce off the left post and back into play. But referree Dunn blew the whistle and made the signal that it was a valid goal. Nobody seemed to put up a fight; perhaps it hit the back net support. Maybe someone with a better angle (or the radio broadcasters) can clarify. I thought Brown really put on a good show in the first period. The defense is looking a lot stronger this year -- the forecheck is good and they were keeping the puck out of the slot and toward the boards. All of the scoring in the first came on the power play. Early in the second, RPI's George Murray took an interference penalty and Brown took the man advantage again. Just after the penalty expired (four seconds) DJ Harding ripped one from center ice inside the blue line, and Mike Bent made the slight deflection to put it through Laing's 5-hole, to put Brown up 3-1. This was the only goal tonight not to come on the power play. Down 3-1, RPI came back fighting pretty hard toward the middle of the period and had Brown really scrambling, especially when they were shorthanded. This was Brown's weakest period defensively, as they weren't playing as well as a team. After a holding call on Jimmy Anderson, RPI was on the power play again and Matt Garver scored the one-timer on a feed from Alain St. Hilaire behind the net left. Brown was apparently very unhappy with this goal, as Coach Grillo put up a fight that RPI was standing in the crease the whole time. Brown netminder Scott Stirling apparently felt this way too as he took a whack at an RPI player after the goal. Stirling drew the slashing call but RPI wouldn't convert on the subsequent power play. The third was scoreless but not for lack of opportunities. Both teams had the man advantage a handful of times, although Chris Aldous drew three dumb penalties throughout the third period that really hurt RPI. Particularly one at 18:32 that all but sealed the game for Brown, since RPI couldn't pull Laing for the 6 on 5 last-minute advantage. Brown as a team seems like it should be winning more games. Although I haven't had the opportunity to see them since November, I was impressed with the style and abilities of the team this season, especially compared to last. The passing has been much better. They're trying to put plays on in front of the net. We have a defense this year. I'd say the new coaching staff is really to be commended. Now that this team knows what it's like to win (with four of their last six), I think they're starting to finally gel. RPI just couldn't seem to get it together as a team tonight. Passing and puck control was sloppy. Penalties really hurt them tonight as well. Was this the same team that Dan Fridgen said should play clean last week (or am I mistaken...can't find the HOCKEY-L archives)? A lot of the (few) RPI fans were upset at the refs after the game, but I think Dunn called a reasonably fair one. He may have missed a lot of calls, but I don't think he was lopsided when he did call them. The win complicates the ECAC playoff picture as Brown moves to within two points of the current three-way tie for fifth, and Brown faces Union tomorrow at 7:00 in Meehan. Unofficial Brown Hockey web page: http://www.netspace.org/users/bfisk/hockey February 6, 1998 Meehan Auditorium Unofficial Box Score (from notes and USCHO) Rensselaer 2 Brown 3 -------------------- RPI 1 1 0 2 Brown 2 1 0 3 First Period: ------------- Scoring: RPI- GARDINER (Aldous, Riva) 13:42 PPG BU- PRESCOTT (Andersson, Quinnell) 16:46 PPG BU- BENT (Hoiness) 18:51 PPG Penalties: BU- LONGFIELD (elbowing) 2:52 RPI- BROWNLEE (interference) 7:24 BU- PRESCOTT (hooking) 12:49 RPI- HEALEY (elbowing) 15:57 RPI- MURRAY (interference) 17:54 Second Period: -------------- Scoring: BU- BENT (Harding, Hoiness) 4:57 RPI- GARVER (St. Hilair, Healey) 14:51 PPG Penalties: RPI- MURRAY (interference) 2:53 BU- ANDERSSON (holding) 14:27 BU- STIRLING (slashing) 14:51 (served by Smith) RPI- BRYAN TAPPER (hooking) 17:55 Third Period: ------------- Scoring: none Penalties: RPI- BRAD TAPPER (hitting after the whistle) 1:55 BU- KERSEY (hitting after the whistle) 1:55 RPI- MURPHY (interference) 3:59 RPI- ALDOUS (hitting from behind) 4:31 BU- ZIELINSKI (cross-checking) 7:41 RPI- ALDOUS (holding) 10:17 BU- GIBLIN (high-sticking) 16:42 RPI- ALDOUS (hooking) 18:32 Shots on Goal (thanks USCHO) ------------- BU- 10 13 12 35 RPI- 6 15 7 28 Goaltending: ------------ BU- Scott Stirling (60:00, 33 saves) RPI- Joel Laing (60:00, 25 saves) Officials: ---------- Referee: Dunn Linesmen: Shea, Kelley HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to INFO-HOCKEY-L@Maine.edu, The College Hockey Information List.