Power Play Leads Merrimack to 5-1 Win over Providence
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PROVIDENCE, RI – Joe Cucci (Melrose Park,
IL) scored two of Merrimack's three power-play goals
as Merrimack defeated Providence College 5-1 Sunday afternoon at
Schneider Arena.
After stopping 32 shots in a 1-1 tie Saturday, Joe Cannata
(Wakefield, MA) stopped 38 shots, including all 17 in the
first period in the win.
The Warriors struck on their first power play of the afternoon as
Jesse Todd (Camrose, Alberta) fed a wide-open
Cucci who had the entire net open to put the Warriors on the board
first. Rob Ricci (Brampton, Ontario) started the
play as he fed Todd with a backhand pass in the middle, and the
freshman found Cucci streaking down the right side at 12:16 of the
first.
Cucci then barely beat the buzzer for his second of the period to
give the Warriors the 2-0 lead at the end of the first. With the
Warriors back on the power play, Chris Barton (Calgary,
Alberta), who was set up near the slot, fed Cucci who was
on the far side near the goal line, and he banged it home a split
second before the buzzer for his second of the night, sixth of the
year. Todd earned his second helper of the game as he fed the puck
across the ice to Barton.
Ricci made it 3-0 at 3:44 of the second as the Warriors made it
three power play goals in three opportunities. Ricci took feeds
from Barton and Karl Stollery (Camrose, Alberta),
drove to the net, had his first shot stopped by Alex Beaudry, but
found the rebound and buried it with his backhand for his tenth of
the season.
After Austin Meyer cut the lead to two in the second, the Warriors
pushed it back to a three-goal lead just 1:49 into the third as
Carter Madsen (Calgary, Alberta) caught Beaudry
out of position and blasted it into the net for his second of the
year. Francois Ouimet (Lorraine, Quebec), who was
behind the net, got the puck to Madsen for the assist, his ninth of
the year.
Adam Ross (Red Deer, Alberta) added an empty
netter with time winding down to give the Warriors the four-goal
victory.
The Warriors scored three power-play goals for the first time
since the 2006-07 season as Ricci, Cucci, Todd and Barton each
registered two points. Merrimack killed off all four penalties as
the Friars were 0-for-6 in the two-game weekend series on the power
play.
Providence outshot the Warriors 39-21 in the game, but Cannata got
the best of his counterpart Beaudry with 38 saves. Cannata's
best save of the game came off a short-handed breakaway from Ian
O'Connor in which he robbed O'Connor's backhand
attempt with a tremendous glove save.
Merrimack (8-18-4, 4-16-3 HEA) hosts the University of New
Hampshire Friday night at Lawler Arena at 7 p.m. The teams will
rematch Saturday at the Whittemore Center with NESN televising the
game beginning at 7:30 p.m.
