Hockey Blanked by Niagara 1-0
Boxscore
BUFFALO, NY – The Merrimack hockey team outshot Niagara
31-16 Saturday but allowed ten power plays to the Purple Knights in
a 1-0 loss Saturday afternoon at Dwyer Arena.
The Purple Knights' lone goal came in the second on a power
play as freshman Sam Goodwin netted his first career goal at 8:30.
Juliano Pagliero stopped 31 shots for his sixth career shutout as
Niagara improved to 2-3-1 on the season.
The Warriors dominated five-on-five but their failure to stay out
of the box ultimately cost them in this game. They committed 11
penalties in all, including four in the third period when they were
battling back to tie the game.
Merrimack ramped up its offensive pressure with the clock winding
down and with Andrew Braithwaite pulled, but
Pagliero made two big glove saves in the final seconds on shots
from the point from Karl Stollery to preserve the
win. The Warriors drilled three posts, one in each period off the
sticks of Fraser Allan, Chris Barton and
Francois Ouimet.
Braithwaite stopped 15 shots in net in the loss as the Purple
Knights were 1-for-10 on the power play. The Warriors were 0-for-5
and failed to score on two two-man advantages, including one for
the two full minutes in the second.
Merrimack started strong, outshooting Niagara 10-2 early, but
Pagliero answered each challenge, including two quality chances
from Joe Cucci.
The loss snaps Merrimack's nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1)
against non-conference teams which began against Niagara on opening
night last season at Lawler Arena.
After missing the first three games with an injury, captain
Rob Ricci returned to the lineup firing two shots,
while centering the top line of J.C. Robitaille
and Barton. Stollery led the Warriors with five shots, with Pat
Kimball registering four.
This game was the second straight 1-0 decision for Merrimack, with
the first a 1-0 victory at Army last Saturday.
Merrimack (2-2, 0-1 HEA) wraps up its two-game Buffalo trip at
Canisius Sunday at 5 p.m.
