Merrimack College Shut Out By Cornell, 1-0

Junior goaltender Collin Delia made 17 saves for the Warriors
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
2nd 13:17  COR1-0 EV GW Matt Buckles (3)Jeff Kubiak/2, Mitch Vanderlaan/6
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Cornell  0101
Merrimack  0000
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Cornell  56718
Merrimack  73818
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Cornell (9-4-1)  0/3 2/4 0
Merrimack (7-10-3)  0/2 4/19 0
Cornell Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Mitch Gillam (W, 9-3-1)59:490 73818
Empty Net0:110     
Merrimack Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Collin Delia (L, 1-4-0)58:321 55717
Empty Net1:280     

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - The Merrimack College men's ice hockey team held visiting Cornell to fewer than 20 shots on goal but Big Red netminder Mitch Gillam stopped all 18 shots he faced, as the Warriors suffered a 1-0 setback on Saturday night at Lawler Rink.

The Basics

Score: Cornell 1, Merrimack 0
Records: Merrimack (7-10-3, 1-4-3 HEA) | #RV/-- Cornell (9-4-1, 4-2-1 ECAC)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.
Attendance: 1712
Game Duration: 2:08

How It Happened

1st Period

- Both sides combined for 12 shots on goal in the opening stanza and each had a power play opportunity, but the game stayed scoreless after 20 minutes of play.

2nd Period

- There was even less in terms of offensive opportunities in the second for each team, but Cornell managed to get on the board after Matt Buckles threw a shot toward the crease from the left circle and watched the puck carom in through traffic to give the visitors a 1-0 lead at the 13:17 mark.

- The Warriors were forced to fend off a major penalty late in the frame after a game misconduct was levied to senior Hampus Gustafsson (Ljungby, Sweden), which they killed successfully through the remainder of the second and the start of the third period.

3rd Period

- After successfully running out the remainder of the major penalty, Merrimack would get a power play opportunity at the 6:32 mark of the third period and moved the puck during the majority of it but was unable to light the lamp.

- Despite the Warriors throwing a game-high eight shots on net in the final frame, Gillam and the Cornell defense stayed perfect on the night to hand the hosts a one-goal shutout.

Notes & Notables

- The shutout setback was Merrimack's second in three games and third of the season.

- The 18 shots on goal accounted for Merrimack's second-lowest total in a game this year; UMass Lowell held the Warriors to a season-low 17 shots on goal on Dec. 9, 2016.

Goal Descriptions

CU #1 (Buckles/Kubiak/Vanderlaan) | P2 13:17 - Puck played around the boards to the left wall; Mitch Vanderlaan shuffles the puck back along the boards behind the net and up to Jeff Kubiak, who puts a shot on net that was saved before the puck finds Matt Buckles to the left of the crease. Buckles sends the puck through the crease where it ricochets off a Merrimack skater and in.

MERRIMACK LINEUP

Hennig | Gustafsson | Irvine
Seney | A. Larsson | Tavernier
Drevitch | Kramer | Tibbet
Petti | L. Larsson | LeBlanc

Biega | Kovacevic
Kolquist | Titcomb
Lashyn| Cook

Delia
Vogler
Pantano

Game Leaders (MC // CU)

Points: None // Matt Buckles/Mitch Vanderlaan/Jeff Kubiak (1)
Goals: None // Matt Buckles (1)
Assists: None // Mitch Vanderlaan/Jeff Kubiak (1)
Shots: Chris LeBlanc/Sami Tavernier (3) // Alex Rauter (5)
Faceoffs Won: Alfred Larsson (10) // Jeff Kubiak/Jake Weidner (7)
Saves: Collin Delia (17-for-18) // Mitch Gillam (18-for-18)

Facts and Figures (MC // CU)

Power Plays: 0-2 // 0-3
Penalties: 4 Penalties - 19 Minutes // 2 Penalties - 4 Minutes
Faceoffs: 28 // 25
SOG: 7-5 // 3-6 // 8-7 // 18-18

Up Next

Merrimack will turn its attentions exclusively to Hockey East competition over the remainder of the regular season starting next weekend when it hosts Notre Dame for a two-game series starting on Friday, Jan. 13. Puck drop each night at Lawler Rink is set for 7 p.m.