Beneath the Elms: The Beast of New Haven

By Alison Morris

On Sun., Nov. 4, the Beast of New Haven headed into its 10th game of the season against the Lowell Lock Monsters with hopes of rebounding from back-to-back losses against a team they had already beat twice this season. But the Beast could not get it done, suffering a disappointing 4-1 loss.

Despite outshooting the Lock Monsters 29-23, the Beast were unable to capitalize on any of their power play opportunities and suffered from a sluggish offense throughout. Of the 29 shots, few challenged Lowell goalie Mike Fountain. The Beast's only goal was tallied by Shane Willis in the second period.

The Beast's sheepish play can be attributed to several factors. First, Sunday was the last of a tough three-game weekend series that left the team winless and exhausted. Second, the Beast lost co-captain Craig Ferguson, CC '92, to a broken thumb and played without the vital contributions of forward Ian MacNeil, who has been sitting out with a concussion since Thurs., Oct. 1. MacNeil is expected to return to the ice in three weeks.

The bottom line is that the Beast did not live up to its potential Sunday night. Sloppy passing led to a dump-and-chase style often used by offensively struggling teams. The team also appeared to be out of position, spending much of their time chasing the puck rather than setting up plays.

Although the offense lacked firepower, the Beast was not out of the match until the bitter end. With less than three minutes left and a power play on their hands, the Beast had a golden opportunity to tie up the game. Unfortunately, a careless penalty dashed any hopes of a comeback.

"[Lowell] played well and took advantage of opportunities. That was the difference," Ferguson explained.

With only 10 games behind them, and with the impending return of two of the team's top players, the Beast have ample opportunity to boost their playoff chances. The team hopes to shake off their weekend losses and gear up for a five-game road trip which will keep them out of the Elm City until Fri., Nov. 20.

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