Hockey Edged by Lowell 3-2; Teams Conclude Series Saturday at Lawler Arena
Boxscore
LOWELL, MA – The UMass Lowell River Hawks scored two
unanswered goals in the third period to defeat Merrimack 3-2
Thursday night at Tsongas Arena.
Michael Budd tallied the game-winner with 8:20 remaining in
regulation as he tipped in a Nick Schaus shot on the power play to
give Lowell its first lead of the game.
The Warriors had their chance to tie the game late in the third on
the power play, but a point-blank wrister from Chris Barton
(Calgary, Alberta) was stopped by the mask of Carter
Hutton.
Jeff Velleca (Waterbury, CT), who was elevated to the
first line for the first time this season, gave the Warriors the
2-1 lead in the third as he took a pass from Karl Stollery
(Camrose, Alberta), broke behind the defense, and buried a
wrister on a 2-on-1 past Hutton for his second of the season at
3:50 of the third.
But Merrimack's lead was short-lived as Jeremy Dehner evened
the score 48 seconds later as his dump-in from the red line took an
unexpected bounce off the glass and deflected right into the net
past Cannata who had vacated his crease, anticipating the puck was
headed behind the goal.
The Warriors jumped on the scoreboard first as Jesse Todd
(Calgary, Alberta) broke behind the defense and beat
Hutton easily to his left after a pretty move pulled the netminder
across the crease to his right. As Merrimack exited its own zone,
Adam Ross (Red Deer, Alberta) found Todd streaking
down the far side and hit him with a perfect pass which sent him in
alone for his fifth of the year at 10:52 of the first. Merrimack
outshot the River Hawks 12-5 in the first and controlled the puck
for the majority of the first 20 minutes.
Four straight penalties called on Merrimack over a 6:33 span
dating back to the final second of the first period allowed the
River Hawks to even the score as Dehner fired a shot past
Joe Cannata (Wakefield, MA) at 7:56 of the second
for his first of two on the night and the season. His goal came
towards the end of a lengthy two-man advantage for the River Hawks
and occurred after the Warrior defense, led by Fraser Allan
(North Battleford, Sask.) and Joe Loprieno
(Bloomingdale, IL) had blocked numerous shots in front of
their goaltender.
Two of Lowell's goals were on the power play as Merrimack
committed seven minor penalties, while the Warriors did not score
on the man advantage in four chances.
Making his fourth start in the last five games, Cannata stopped 32
shots, including 15 in the third period. Hutton, who kept his team
in the game early with 11 first-period saves, made 27 saves in the
win.
Merrimack (5-13-3, 2-11-2 HEA) wraps up its season series with the
River Hawks Saturday at 7 p.m. at Lawler Arena.
