Merrimack Edged by Northeastern 2-1
BOSTON, MA - David Strathman scored the game-winner at
6:28 of the third as Northeastern salvaged a weekend split with
Merrimack, with a 2-1 victory at Matthews Arena in the first game
of a seven-game road trip for the Warriors.
Strathman wristed a shot from the blue line that found its way
past a screened Joe Cannata (Wakefield, MA) to
give the Huskies the 2-1 lead which they clung to, despite nine
third-period shots from the Warriors.
"I know where (Northeastern head coach Greg Cronin) is from and
he knows where I'm from,” head coach Mark Dennehy said.
“When you have a Dorchester guy and an Arlington guy,
you're going to have two hard working teams. Teams take their
personalities from their coaches. It's a meat-and-potatoes
attitude. It was a street brawl. Neither team would want it any
other way.”
Merrimack went on the power play with 2:32 to play, but attempts
from Brandon Brodhag (Brooklyn Park, MN),
Stephane Da Costa (Paris, France) and two from
Jesse Todd (Camrose, AB) were all turned away by
Bryan Mountain, who finished with 24 saves while earning his first
collegiate win of the season.
The teams played to a scoreless tie in the first period, despite
the Warriors outshooting Northeastern 9-6. Merrimack's best chances
came on its second power play but quality scoring chances from
Joe Cucci (Melrose Park, IL) and Brodhag were
stopped by Mountain.
Moments after Cucci was again robbed by Mountain, Garrett
Vermeersch put the Huskies on the board first, wristing home a shot
in front of Cannata for his fourth of the year at 4:59 of the
second.
The Warriors continued to battle as Carter Madsen
(Calgary, AB) and Da Costa drilled shots off the post in
the second only to be foiled by the Huskies' defense.
Finally, with nine seconds remaining in the second, Karl
Stollery (Camrose, AB) blasted a one-timer on the power
play past Mountain to even the score at one heading into the third.
Cucci and Da Costa picked up the assists on Stollery's first of the
season.
Cannata came up big to start the third as he got a piece of a
Vermeersch shot with his glove on a two-on-one just two minutes in.
He kept his team in the game with a fabulous glove stop on a
two-on-one opportunity with four minutes to play in regulation. The
sophomore goaltender finished with 15 saves as Merrimack outshot
the Huskies 25-17.
The Warriors' power play struck for the 12th straight
game, while Da Costa extended his point streak to nine with his
10th assist and 18th point of the season.
Cucci continues to pile up the points and has 14 in as many games
this year.
Merrimack (7-7-0, 4-4-0 HEA) rounds out its 2009 schedule
against #9 Massachusetts next Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Mullins
Center.
