PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Led by Liam Walsh's two goals, a resilient Merrimack College men's hockey team topped #16 Providence, 3-2, Sunday afternoon at Schneider Arena.
The Warriors dominated the Friars in the first period to create a three-goal advantage, then went on to claim the one-goal victory. Chase Gresock also scored in the opening frame.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 3, #16/RV Providence 2
Records: Merrimack (3-10-1, 3-10-1 HEA) | #16/RV Providence (8-6-4, 8-6-4 HEA)
Game Duration: 2:20
How It Happened
- The contest started with a flurry of penalties that resulted in an extended 5-on-3 power play for the Warriors just a couple minutes in and the visitors capitalized. In the attacking end, Declan Carlile started the scoring play when he faked a slap shot in the high slot, then slipped a pass to Max Newton at the left faceoff circle. The senior wheeled to the high slot and took a low shot that was deftly tipped in by Walsh at the side of the net.
- Merrimack built off the early tally and extended the advantage eight minutes later. Carlile broke out of the defensive zone on his own, then sent a pass to Gresock on the left wing. The captain entered the zone, then backhanded a feed to Patrick Kramer at the top of the left faceoff circle. His shot was stopped, but the rebound fell perfectly for Gresock who followed up the play and deposited his third of the season.
- The Warrior onslaught did not dissipate then, as Walsh got back on the scoresheet just over a minute later. Filip Forsmark cleared the defensive end when he lofted a high chip into the neutral zone. Ryan Nolan won a battle against a Friar defender and came into the attacking end on the right wing. With two defenders on him, Nolan maneuvered a pass to Walsh in the slot, who broke in alone and beat Providence goalie Jaxson Stauber for his second tally of the period.
- Zachary Borgiel made his second start of the weekend in goal for the Warriors and kicked out all nine shots he saw in the opening frame.
- In the second period, the teams traded a few chances, but defensive structure was the story and neither team found the back of the net. Borgiel made another nine stops to bring his total to 18 through 40 minutes.
- Borgiel and the Warriors continued to keep the Friars off the board until the final two and a half minutes of play when they yielded two straight with Stauber pulled, but it wasn't enough to tie it up in the end.
Notes & Numbers
- Walsh is red hot, as he now has six points in his last six games, which includes two multi-point contests.
- Carlile's two assists marked the seventh multi-point game of his career.
- Borgiel's 26 saves earned him his third victory of the season.
- Gresock led all skaters with five shots on goal.
- Nolan's assist marked his first point of the season.
- Newton won 16 of the 25 faceoffs he took on the afternoon.
- Carlile blocked four shots for the second day in a row to lead all skaters. He sits alone at second in the country with 3.20 blocked shots per game.
- Providence's first goal of the day ended Merrimack's shutout streak of 138:50 at Schneider Arena, which started in November of 2018.
Up Next
Hockey East is now announcing schedules on a week-by-week basis.
