MANKATO, Minn. - The Merrimack women's ice hockey team battled but came up short, falling 4-3 in a road contest against the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks on Friday afternoon.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 3, Minnesota State 4
Records: Merrimack (2-6-2, 0-4-2 HEAW) | Minnesota State (5-4-2, 2-4-2 WCHA)
Location: Verizon Center | Mankato, Minn.
How It Happened
- Emma Gorski held strong for the Warriors in the opening period, turning aside 15 shots on goal to keep the teams scoreless in her second start of the season.
- Merrimack scored the first goal of the night, as senior Mikyla Grant-Mentis scored for her fifth goal in four games.
- Freshman Dani Castino scored her first of her career, handling a feed from Grant-Mentis to double the Warriors lead midway through the second period.
- Mankato would bite back in the second period, with a shorthanded goal a minute after Castino's tally before adding the third of the night with two minutes to go in the second.
- The Mavericks took advantage of home ice, jumping up by two in the third period.
- Assistant captain Megan Fergusson got Merrimack back on the attack, deflecting Julia MacLean's shot from the point for a power play goal, but the team was unable to break through for the equalizer.
Notes and Numbers
- Emma Gorski pushed a strong performance, turning aside 35 saves in her second career appearance.
- Grant-Mentis is pushing to become the second-ever Warrior with 100 career points, sitting at 95 for her career. The senior assistant captain had a goal and an assist against the Mavericks.
- Goaltenders: Emma Gorski (35 saves, 1-4-2) // Abigail Levy (19 saves, 3-2-1)
- Power Plays: 1-3 | 0-1
- Shots on Goal: 7-15 // 16-8 // 10-14 // 7-8 - 22-39
- Faceoffs: 22 // 26
- Blocks: 18 // 13
Up Next
Merrimack will play its second of the weekend at the Verizon Center against Minnesota State, looking to capture the team's first-ever win against the Mavericks at 2 p.m.
