Wildcats rap UMaine, 7-2> Early explosion too much

BURLINGTON, Vt. – About the only good thing the Maine hockey team had to leave Burlington with after the Governor’s Cup Hockey Tournament Saturday was a runner-up cup, and that was colored with disappointment.

After falling to New Hampshire 7-2 in the championship game, Maine left town with an offense that had suffered an untimely breakdown and the problem of who should mind the Bears’ net.

Black Bear Alfie Michaud gave up six goals in less than two periods, allowing the Wildcats a 6-2 lead and for the second night in a row walk-on Javier Gorriti replaced him in goal.

Coming in with 8 minutes, 57 seconds left in the second, Gorriti stopped the Wildcats’ scoring rampage by blocking 12 shots and giving up just one goal. But by then, the high-percentage shots and breakaways the Bears had in the first two periods were not as common. UNH outshot Maine 30-25, but the Bears couldn’t produce late in the game.

“I told them [after the second period], `we’re down 6-2, but it’s not a 6-2 game,’ ” interim head coach Greg Cronin said. “It sounds crazy, but I thought we played well for two periods. We matched them for shots. Those four goals were the result of individual mistakes. But the third period, they lost their focus and discipline.”

New Hampshire coach Dick Umile and Wildcat Mark Mowers, who notched a hat trick Saturday to earn tournament MVP, said Maine played better in their series two weeks ago at Durham, N.H. Umile said his squad, ranked fourth in the nation, played its best hockey Saturday.

“We have a lot of scorers and a lot of depth,” Umile said. “What happened is what’s been happening every game. We exploded in one period. We didn’t have to get into a struggle.”

For a period, it seemed Maine would prove its 6-3 and 6-5 losses in Durham, N.H., were not representative of its best hockey. New Hampshire outshot Maine just 10-8 in the first. And the Bears were tied with the Wildcats after one period thanks to goals by Shawn Wansborough and Scott Parmentier, who along with Brian White made the All-Tournament team.

But Saturday the Bears had 16 penalties that provided the Wildcats with 13 power-play opportunities.

While New Hampshire was just 2-for-13 on the power play, Maine scored on only one of its nine power plays and let New Hampshire score shorthanded on one of the others.

Just 56 seconds into the second period, New Hampshire had a two-man advantage and Steve O’Brien capitalized on it, burying the puck behind Michaud from the point. With 7:03 gone in the period and Maine on the power play, Derek Bekar took off down the left side, Michaud moved to his right, and Bekar passed back to O’Brien who shot it to the far side.

Three minutes later, Bekar came down the left side again and repeated the play, only this time he passed to Eric Boguniecki who followed O’Brien’s example and drilled it to Michaud’s left. A minute later, Bekar took a Mowers’ assist and drove it in the far side to Michaud’s right.

In the third, Mowers scored on Gorriti 9:43 into the period, putting UNH ahead by five – in line with its five-goal winning average.

“They played better in Durham,” said Mowers, who moved from center to wing for the tournament. “It was a little slow. Both teams had a lot of penalties. It’s tough for them when they don’t have their regular offensive zone. They couldn’t get a flow. For us, when we scored a couple of those goals in the second, it got our adrenaline going.”

When the game was over, the Bears lined up first to pat Gorriti on the back before lining up to shake hands with the Wildcats. The game was Gorriti’s third.

Wildcats 7, Black Bears 2

New Hampshire (11-2-0) 2 4 1 – 7 Maine (6-6-0) 2 0 0 – 2

First period: 1. UNH, Mowers (Boguniecki), :59; 2. UM, Wansborough ppg (Kariya, Larose), 2:53, 3. UNH, Nickulas (Krog, Murray), 10:27, 4. UM, Parmentier (Wansborough), 17:43; Penalities: UNH, Bragnalo, slashing, 2:32, UM, Wlasow, high-sticking, 3:48; UM, Cardinal, tripping, 7:28; UNH Mowers, holding, 7:28; UNH, Murray, cross-checking, 11:40; UNH, Gagnon, high-sticking, 13:54; UM, Parmentier, interference, 17:59; UM, Oliver, slashing, 19:52; UM, White, interference, 19:58.

Second period: 5. UNH O’Brien ppg (Murray, Bekar) :56; 6. UNH, Mowers sh (Bekar), 7:03; 7. UNH, Boguniecki (Bekar) 10:08; 8. UNH, Bekar ppg (Mowers, Murray), 11:03; Penalties: UNH, Fitzgerald, roughing, 2:42; UM, Mansoff, slashing, 2:42; UNH, Murray, holding, 5:37; UNH, Harris, hooking, 8:56; UM, Libby, elbowing, 9:42, UNH Sadowski, holding, 11:42; UM, Wansborough, interference, 16:03.

Third period: 9. UNH, Mowers (Bekar, Boruniecki), 9:43; Penalties: UM, Price, hooking, 1:53; UNH, Bekar, holding, 2:56; UM, Libby, elbowing, 4:59; UNH, Bekar, tripping, 6:13; UM, Wansborough, tripping, 6:51; UM, Roenick, unsportsmanlike conduct, 9:43; UNH, Boguniecki, high-sticking, 13:38; UM, Mansoff, high-sticking, 13:38; UM, Larose, slashing, 14:29; UM, White, cross-checking, 15:20; UM, Mansoff, charging, 18:37; UNH, Fitzgerald, charging, 18:55

Shots on goal: – Maine 8-11-6 – 25; UNH 10-12-8 – 30

Goaltenders: UM, Michaud (17 shots, 11 saves), Gorriti (13-12); UNH, Larochelle (25-23)

Power-play opportunities: Maine 1-9; UNH 2-13