Merrimack College Topped By Union, 4-0

Merrimack College senior forward John Gustafsson (pictured)
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
1st 7:58  UNI1-0 EV GW Noah Henry (1)Brendan Taylor/3
1st 10:17  UNI2-0 EV Nick DeSimone (1)Spencer Foo/2, Jeff Taylor/5
2nd 11:26  UNI3-0 EV Matt Wilkins (2)Brett Supinski/5
3rd 1:41  UNI4-0 EV Eli Lichtenwald (3)Michael Pontarelli/6, Ryan Walker/1
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Union  2114
Merrimack  0000
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Union  7121130
Merrimack  851023
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Union (4-6-3)  0/3 2/4 0
Merrimack (6-2-4)  0/2 3/6 0
Union Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Alex Sakellaropoulos (W, 3-4-3)60:000 851023
Merrimack Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Collin Delia (L, 6-2-4)40:003 511016
Drew Vogler20:001 001010

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - The 13th-ranked Merrimack College men's ice hockey team saw its five-game unbeaten streak snapped after dropping a 4-0 home decision against Union College on Saturday afternoon at Lawler Rink.

The Basics

Score: Union 4, Merrimack 0
Records: #13/13 Merrimack (6-2-4) | Union (4-6-3)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.

How It Happened

After skating through the previous five games in November with an unbeaten record (3-0-2), Merrimack looked to close out the month with that streak intact while also aiming to run its unbeaten stretch against ECAC opponents to nine.

Unfortunately, neither of those streaks continued for the Warriors, as Union became the first team since a Feb. 1, 2013 home meeting against UMass Lowell to hand the Warriors a 4-0 shutout loss at Lawler Rink.

Union scored twice within the span of 2:19 midway through the first period, as Noah Henry and Nick DeSimone each registered their first markers of the year to give the visiting Dutchmen a 2-0 advantage after 20 minutes. Merrimack arguably had the better of the scoring chances in that frame, but the hosts still found themselves down by a pair heading into the second.

The visitors totaled 12 out of the 17 shots on goal in the second period altogether, as Union outshot Merrimack by a 12-5 margin in the middle stanza. One of those 12 shots found the twine, albeit thanks to a Merrimack turnover behind its own net, as Matt Wilkins capitalized on the miscue to push Union's lead to 3-0 at the 11:26 mark of the period.

The Dutchmen became only the second opponent to light the lamp four times against Merrimack this season - the other being New Hampshire (Oct. 31) - as Eli Lichtenwald put away a loose rebound near the crease at 1:41 of the third, and that was more than enough for Union netminder Alex Sakellaropoulos (3-4-3), who secured the shutout for the Dutchmen by turning away all 23 shots he faced.

How They Scored

Union #1 | P1 7:58 - From the near circle, Brendan Taylor won the faceoff backwards where Roman Ammirato then tapped it back to the point. From there, Noah Henry would fire a slapper/wrister that found the back of the net.

Union #2 | P1 10:17 - Nick DeSimone gets the puck at the right point off an around-the-boards pass by Spencer foo. DeSimone skates laterally toward the middle of the blue line and unloads a wrist shot that goes bar-down over the blocker-side of Delia.

Union #3 | P2 11:26 - Brett Supinski steals the puck from a Merrimack defenseman behind the net, curls back toward the right-wing side to pass to a wide-open Matt Wilkins who was alone in the slot, who dekes around Delia, left-to-right, and tucks the puck in on the far side of the crease.

Union #4 | P3 1:41 - After the Union third line gained the zone from the right-wing side, Ryan Walker won a footrace to a loose puck near the far dot and sent it towards the net, where Michael Pontarelli tried to jam it in on Drew Vogler before the rebound kicked out to Eli Lichtenwald who buried it on the weak side of the crease.

Inside The Numbers

- Union would see 10 different players record exactly one point to highlight a balanced attack by the Dutchmen

- Union would also outshoot Merrimack by a 30-23 margin (7-8; 12-5; 11-10)

- Merrimack sophomore Collin Delia (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) got the start and recorded 16 saves over the first two periods before freshman Drew Vogler (Florissant, Mo.) made his second appearance of the season and finished with 10 saves in the third

- Both sides went a combined 0-for-5 on the power play, including an 0-for-2 showing by the Merrimack man advantage

Up Next

Merrimack resumes league play and will face arguably its toughest task to date when it begins a home-and-home series with the top-ranked team in the country, reigning national champion and current unbeaten Providence College starting on Friday (Dec. 4) at Lawler Rink. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.