AMHERST, Mass. - No. 20 University of Massachusetts hockey trailed by a goal after the first but scored the next four straight to roll to the squad's fourth straight win, a 4-2 victory over Merrimack at the Mullins Center on Friday night. The Minutemen move to 14-10-2 on the season, 5-7-2 in Hockey East, while the Warriors drop to 10-14-1 and 6-8-1 in league action.
"I wasn't really happy with our first period, said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. "I thought Merrimack was much better team in the first and then we were really good in the second period. And that period, I think, carried us through the rest of the game. Kenny Connors with two really nice goals. Great to see him finding scoring touch. And other than that, I didn't like our special teams tonight on either side, but 5-for-5, the second, third period is the way we need to play the game."
Merrimack began the night with a 1-0 lead courtesy of a power-play goal from David Sacco, tipped in front off the initial shot from the high slot by Zach Bookman, who collected the puck from Michael Emerson at the 10:01 mark.
UMass leveled the score at 1-1 midway through the second. Junior Kenny Connors' quick wrister on the break-in from senior Ryan Lautenbach and junior Michael Cameron at 8:53.
The Minutemen then took the lead 1 minute, 4 seconds later. Senior Lucas Mercuri redirected a Cole O'Hara shot from the perimeter on a play started by junior Lucas Ölvestad.
UMass doubled its advantage 6:13 into the third. After Mercuri caused a turnover in the offensive zone, O'Hara's initial shot was stopped, but Jack Musa was there at the back post to bang home the puck into the open net.
Then with goaltender Michael Hrabal off on a delayed penalty, Connors buried his second of the game from Ölvestad and freshman James Duerr at 13:39.
UMass finished the night with a 27-25 in shots and went 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Warriors were 1-for-3.
Hrabal totaled 23 saves in net for the Minutemen and Nils Wallstrom made 23 stops for Merrimack.
UMass will return to action on Sunday, February 2, when the squad travels to No. 6/7 Maine for a 4 p.m. puck drop.
