Prd | Time | Team | Score | Type | Scored By | Assists |
1st | 7:04 | MER | 1-0 | PP | Jace Hennig (9) | Brett Seney/15, Sami Tavernier/9 |
2nd | 10:59 | VER | 1-1 | EV | Matt Alvaro (3) | Alex Esposito/8, Ross Colton/4 |
OT | 4:05 | VER | 2-1 | EV GW | Ross Colton (14) | Alex Esposito/9, Matt Alvaro/6 |
Scoring | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | Final |
Vermont | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Merrimack | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Shots on Goal | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | OT | SOG |
Vermont | 8 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 29 |
Merrimack | 10 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 28 |
Team Stats and Records | PP | PIM | SHGF |
Vermont (7-15-4) | 0/3 | 5/10 | 0 |
Merrimack (7-15-4) | 1/4 | 4/8 | 0 |
Vermont Goaltending | MIN | GA | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | Saves |
Stefanos Lekkas (W, 7-14-3) | 64:05 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 27 |
Merrimack Goaltending | MIN | GA | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | Saves |
Craig Pantano (L, 7-9-2) | 63:51 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 27 |
Empty Net | 0:14 | 0 |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - The Merrimack College men's ice hockey program and the University of Vermont battled to a 1-1 tie after 60 minutes of play on Saturday night at Lawler Rink, but it was the Catamounts who prevailed in overtime, 2-1, with the game-winning marker coming with 54.7 seconds remaining in the game.
The Basics
Score (OT): Vermont 2, Merrimack 1
Records: Merrimack (7-15-4, 4-11-2 HEA) | Vermont (7-15-4, 4-9-3 HEA)
Location: North Andover, Mass. | Lawler Rink
Attendance: 2379
Game Duration: 2:20
Rapid Recap
- After a quiet first five minutes, the Warriors earned a power play that gave the Navy and Gold their first goal of the evening, courtesy of senior Jace Hennig. The Warriors outshot the Catamounts, 10-8, in the opening frame and successfully killed off a late penalty to enter intermission with a 1-0 advantage
- Merrimack killed an early penalty in the second period to keep its lead. Shortly after the midway point of the frame, however, Vermont found an equalizer to knot the scoring at one-all. The Warriors drew a tripping penalty with just over six minutes left in the frame, but could only muster one shot on the extra-man chance. Neither team garnered a quality chance over the remainder of the period, keeping the score tied entering the third
- The Warriors started the third period strong, peppering the Vermont net with shots. Merrimack was then forced to kill a penalty with 12:18 on the clock, which they did so successfully, before getting a power play of its own at 6:35 after junior Ludvig Larsson was hooked down. Vermont was able to kill it off, however, and neither team scored over the remainder of regulation
- Merrimack's best chance in overtime came with 90 seconds left. Senior Brett Seney sent in sophomore Cole McBride on a breakaway, but his shot was blocked aside by Stefanos Lekkas. On the other end, an attempt from the left circle by the Catamounts was deflected home for the game-winner
Scoring Summaries
Goal #1 (MC, 1-0): Senior Mathieu Tibbet drew a penalty at the 5:53 mark of the opening period, giving the Warriors a power play that resulted in the Navy and Gold's goal. Sophomore Sami Tavernier sent a cross-zone pass Seney, who in turn delivered a feed to Hennig in front. After Hennig's one-timer deflected off Lekkas, the senior pounced on the rebound and banged the marker home
Goal #2 (UVM, 1-1): Vermont's Matt Alvaro broke in on junior goaltender Craig Pantano, who made the initial save on the Catamounts sophomore. Freshman Alex Esposito collected the puck behind the net, circled in front and found Alvaro still on the goalmouth for a one-timed game-tying goal
Goal #3 (UVM, 1-2): Alvaro was also involved in the game-winner. The sophomore positioned himself below the left circle, firing a shot towards Pantano that deflected off sophomore Ross Colton and just through Pantano to cap the weekend sweep
Notes and Notables
- Hennig moved into a tie for the team lead with his ninth tally of the year, registering his 36th career goal
- Merrimack fell to 17-17-7 all-time against Vermont while seeing its record at Lawler against the Catamounts drop to 8-7-4
- The Warriors suffered their fifth loss of the season when scoring first and fourth when holding a first-period lead
- Goaltenders: Craig Pantano (27 saves, 7-9-2) // Stefanos Lekkas (27 saves, 7-14-3)
- Power Plays: Merrimack (1-4) | UVM (0-3)
- Shots on Goal (MC-UVM): 8-10 // 9-7 // 2-2 - 29-28
Merrimack Lineup
Hennig | Seney | Tibbet
Petti | L. Larsson | McBride
Tavernier | Kramer | Irvine
Babcock | A. Larsson | McKay
Kolquist | Titcomb
Biega | Cook
Loof | Kovacevic
Pantano
Vogler
Halladay
Up Next
The Warriors play a two-game set next weekend in Orono against the University of Maine.