Barton Gets Two Goals in 5-2 Loss to #5 BU; Warriors Head to Army Saturday
Boxscore
BOSTON, MA – Chris Barton (Calgary,
Alberta) scored two goals 2:31 apart in the second period
in a 5-2 loss to fifth-ranked Boston University Friday night.
The Terriers came out firing, getting two goals in the first 7:07
with Vinny Saponari knocking in a rebound at 1:22 and Brandon Yip
registering a power-play tally as he wristed one over the blocker
of Andrew Braithwaite (Kingston, Ontario) from in
between the circles.
Merrimack had two excellent chances on its fourth power play late
in the first period, but point-blank shots from Joe Cucci
(Melrose Park, IL), Francois Ouimet (Lorraine, Quebec) and
Elliott Sheen (Lethbridge, Alberta) were denied by
the pads of freshman goaltender Kieran Millan.
Yip would add a shorthanded tally, converting a three-on-two break
with Merrimack up a man early in the second period for his second
of the game.
Immediately following a two-man advantage midway through the
second in which the Warriors posted three shots, Barton buried a
rebound off a shot from Pat Bowen (Marshfield, MA)
for his first of the year. The sophomore picked the puck up in
between the circles and wheeled around, firing a shot that beat a
surprised Millan over his glove at 16:16 of the second. Sheen got
the second assist on the goal, his first collegiate point.
Barton, who posted two goals against BU last season, batted a
rebound into the net off a shot from the point from freshman
Karl Stollery (Camrose, Alberta) at 18:47 on the
power-play to bring the Warriors to within one before the second
intermission. Ouimet got the other assist on Merrimack's
first power play goal of the season.
But the Terriers responded early in the third, as Luke Popko and
Matt Gilroy scored 1:09 apart, regaining the three goal lead for
the hosts to put the game away.
Braithwaite was strong between the pipes, stopping 23 shots.
Five-on-five play was hard to find as the teams combined for 16
minor penalties in the first two periods and 19 in the game.
Merrimack finished 1-for-9 on the power play, compared with
two-for-eight for BU.
Merrimack (1-1, 0-1 HEA) visits Army Saturday night at 7 p.m. The
game, which will be Army's first of the season, can be heard
live online at merrimackathletics.com. In North Andover last
season, Merrimack defeated Army 4-1.
