Da Costa's Five Goals Lead Merrimack in 6-3 Win over Army
Dennehy
Audio / Da
Costa Audio
NORTH ANDOVER, MA - In just his second collegiate game,
Stephane Da Costa (Paris, France) had a natural
hat trick in the first period and netted five goals in all, leading
Merrimack to a 6-3 victory over Army Saturday night at Lawler
Arena.
The win, Merrimack's second in as many nights, evens the
Warriors' record at 2-2 for the season, while Army falls to 0-3 on
the year. Merrimack continues its four-game home stand, opening
conference play Friday against Vermont at 7 p.m.
This marks the first time since Merrimack joined hockey East 21
years ago that a Warrior has scored five times in a game.
Da Costa opened the scoring at 3:36 of the first on the power
play as he fired a shot from the low faceoff circle that beat Black
Knight goaltender Jay Clark short side. Pat Bowen
(Marshfield, MA) and Simon Demers (St. Etienne de
Lauzon, QC) picked up the assists on Da Costa's first
career goal.
Just 2:26 later, Da Costa made it 2-0 as he wristed a shot
through traffic and past Clark with John Heffernan
(Scituate, MA) getting his first career assist on the
goal.
Then at 13:36 of the first, Da Costa became the first freshman
in school history to earn a natural hat trick and the first
Merrimack player to get a hat trick since October 29, 2005, as he
stick-handled into the slot and fired one over the glove of Clark
and into the net. Pat Kimball (Framingham, MA)
picked up the assist on the first Warrior hat trick at Lawler Arena
since February 15, 2003.
"Stephane is definitely a special player who made special plays
tonight," said head coach Mark Dennehy, who saw his team score six
goals for the first time in his five years in North Andover. "Last
night, he made some passes guys weren't ready for, but tonight they
were on the same page. We're just excited that he's had the chance
to live his dream."
Trailing 3-0 in the first, Army responded immediately, scoring
twice in a 2:37 span, as Mike Hull executed a 2-on-1 shorthanded
with Mike Santee, before Bryant Skadra beat Andrew
Braithwaite (Kingston, ON) at the 18:40 mark, and
suddenly, Merrimack's lead was cut to one heading into the first
intermission.
After a back-and-forth second period, Francois Ouimet
(Lorraine, QC) upped Merrimack's lead with two minutes
remaining in the period, as his wrist shot from a sharp angle beat
Clark far side for the junior's first goal of the season.
Joe Cucci (Melrose Park, IL) earned the assist on
Ouimet's 13th career marker.
Da Costa regained the three-goal lead on the power play as a
slapper from Bowen was stopped by Clark, but it went right to
Cucci, who dished it to Da Costa, who fired it into the open net
for his fourth of the night and career at 1:29 of the third. It
marked the first four-goal game by a Warrior since Alex Sikatchev
had four against Colgate on November 23, 2001.
After Bill Day tallied Army's third goal of the night at 15:09
of the third, Da Costa answered right back, with his fifth of the
evening with 45 seconds remaining in the game. Bowen and Cucci got
the assists yet again, giving each of them a career-high three
helpers.
Braithwaite finished with 22 saves as he picked up his first win
of the season, and his first win since November 8, 2008.
Clark, who was replaced by Ryan Leets after Da Costa's fourth
goal, stopped 21 shots as Merrimack outshot Army 34-25.
Besides Da Costa, who had 11 shots on goal, two other Warriors
picked up their first career points as Heffernan earned his first
assist in his third career game, while Demers, who redshirted last
season, picked up an assist in his third game and first at home.
The Warriors netted three power-play goals, all by Da Costa,
going 3-for-7 on the man advantage, while killing off each of the
four Black Knight man-advantages, an impressive feat, as Army
scored four power-play goals in 12 chances last weekend.
Where Da
Costa's Night Ranks in the History Books:
-first Hockey East player since Brian Gionta, BC (1/27/01 vs.
Maine) to score 5 goals in a game.
-first player to score five goals and get a natural hat trick as
part of his first collegiate goal in Hockey East history
-first Merrimack player to score five goals since Merrimack
joined Hockey East 21 years ago.
-most goals by a Hockey East freshman since Joe Flanagan, UNH
(1/3/89 at Lowell)
-his three power play goals are the tied for the second most in
NCAA history and the most since November 6, 2005.
-first Merrimack hat trick at home since 2003 and hat trick
anywhere since 2005
-his 11 shots on goals are the most by a Warrior since at least
2001.
