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I just saw the final. Any details about the game?

Two third period goals for Merrimack. Played alright the first two periods, played like s**t in the last one.

The powerplay didn't do much to help itself either.

Boston College just lost to Michigan 3-2, BC had a goal called back with 27 seconds left for "charging the goaltender". Needless to say, if the Falcon hockey team has a repeat effort, it'll be a much more lobsided score.

Horrell tonight wasn't amazing either, the 3rd goal was a softy on the short side with about 2:30 left in the game. I know it's early, and not a league game, so hopefully they'll get things squared away for tomorrow vs. BC.

Go Falcons!

Tough way to open the season.....hopefully we can bounce back and get a big win over BC.

jeremyp wrote:Horrell tonight wasn't amazing either, the 3rd goal was a softy on the short side with about 2:30 left in the game. I know it's early, and not a league game, so hopefully they'll get things squared away for tomorrow vs. BC.

Go Falcons!

Horrell played well and had some very good stops. We did not lose that game in the third, as someone said. We had MANY opportunities to win it in the first period. Merrimack had 6 penalties in that period. We had several 5:3's that we did not capitalilze on. We came up against a hot goalie who played well all night. It's early and the guys are getting it together. Tomorrow will be a good game with a big crowd!!

GO ICERS!!!
BEAT THE EAGLES!!

My view of tonight's game:

Powerplay: "C" Good control most of the time, good passes, nice shots, just couldn't find the back of the net. 15% for the night isn't too bad, but we did have a few 5-on-3's that we definately should have scored on.

Penalty Kill: "B+" Nothing really stood out, we did kill all 6 of their powerplays.

Goaltending: "C-" Horrell just didn't look like he was really comfortable in the net. All three goals were at the other end so I didn't really have a good view of them. A couple really good saves. Not really a standout performance though.

5-on-5: "C-" A lot of two way hockey, didn't dominate all that much. Didn't score any goals and allowed 3.

Coaching: "D" I really feel like this was our week point. In the early going, Foster, Matsumoto, and Falk played a lot. At the end of the game, they were so tired that it looked like they were having problems just skating. After the first goal, we should have played at least 3 lines on a constant basis. We had a lot of powerplays and I feel that Coach should have let the third line have a couple shifts on them. It seemed like every other shift, we had our number one line on the ice. They showed good puck control, but just played way too much. First (real) game of the year, they'll need time to get back into it.

Officiating: I'm not even going to give a grade. It was Wilkins. Very poor game all around. Yes, calls went both ways, but a terribly called game none-the-less. Anybody else notice what was happening on the faceoffs? Merrimack players were allowed to "cheat" in with their back foot. BG players were always told to back up while the Merrimack player would cheat in. Real obvious in our offensive zone at the end of the game.

We have a lot of potential. You could see it in our work ethic tonight. The players never gave up. No matter how tired they looked at the end of the game, they kept going. I can see good things happening by the end of the year as long as we start finding the back of the net and we make sure some players don't play so much that they get burnt out.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that we couldn't pull off the win against Merrimack tonight, but it is the first game and we have a very, very young team. It is understandably going to take some time for them to come together as a unit, but if UAF's example is any indication of the potential that can be realized in a season, we are sitting pretty damned pretty right now. Sounds like a good effort all the way around, though. There isn't much of a remedy for a goalie who is standing on his head.

Just out of curiosity, what was the crowd like tonight? I really think that this team won't be able to turn the corner at home until we start packing that place night in and night out. We play outstanding hockey on the road (mind you, I've experienced UM and OSU for the past two years), but for some reason just can't put everything together on our own ice. That is probably simplifying things in the fashion of one notable poster around here, but I really think it has an effect on our home-ice mentality. Hope things start to turn around this year in that department! Lord knows the product on the ice has turned around!

Bleeding Orange wrote:Well, I'm sorry to hear that we couldn't pull off the win against Merrimack tonight, but it is the first game and we have a very, very young team. It is understandably going to take some time for them to come together as a unit, but if UAF's example is any indication of the potential that can be realized in a season, we are sitting pretty damned pretty right now. Sounds like a good effort all the way around, though. There isn't much of a remedy for a goalie who is standing on his head.

Just out of curiosity, what was the crowd like tonight? I really think that this team won't be able to turn the corner at home until we start packing that place night in and night out. We play outstanding hockey on the road (mind you, I've experienced UM and OSU for the past two years), but for some reason just can't put everything together on our own ice. That is probably simplifying things in the fashion of one notable poster around here, but I really think it has an effect on our home-ice mentality. Hope things start to turn around this year in that department! Lord knows the product on the ice has turned around!

No its not overly simple, its a post on a BB and it should short and as simple as poster can make it. That said, your right a very energized crowd like what we had in the 70's and 80's is formidable. Also gives the guys that little bit extra they need when double shifting.
Hockey fans will come back around to those levels, this is a very good team, and young as you said. Which to me means all the pieces are in place, and now that some of the early jitters are out, lets see what the kids can do when facing the pressures of BC. i was impressed tonight, and as a poster mentioned early our tender did seem a bit a tight, but was never behind the plays enought to be cause for over concern, unless it becomes a consistant theme. He needs the benifit of the doubt for now, as i am sure he will come into his element soon, and make the net his home.

Merrimack has a helluva goalie. I wasn't there and I can see that in the stats. We completely obliterated them in the shots category.