Todd's Hat Trick Propels Merrimack to 4-3 Comeback Victory

11/19/2010 12:00:00 AM

VIDEO: Todd's 1st Goal / 2nd Goal / 3rd goal

POSTGAME AUDIO: Dennehy / Todd

LOWELL, MA – Jesse Todd (Camrose, AB) netted his first career hat trick, scoring twice in 1:43 late in the third, including the game-winner with 37-seconds left to propel Merrimack to its first road win ofthe year in comeback style, 4-3 over UMass Lowell Friday night at the Tsongas Center.

Merrimack (3-2-4, 2-2-3 HEA) will conclude its home-and-home series with the River Hawks (2-7-2, 2-7-0 HEA) Saturday at Lawler Arena at 7 p.m. Limited tickets remain available with the Thanksgiving Carnival kicking off at 5:30 p.m. inside the Volpe Gym.

Trailing 3-2 late in the third after Shayne Thompson scored his first career goal and Merrimack was sent to the penalty box six straight times, Todd tied the game was his second of the night, backhanding a rebound off a Brendan Ellis (Kelowna, BC) shot past Doug Carr with 2:20 to play. With both teams skating four aside, Chris Barton (Calgary, AB) worked the puck to Ellis, who fired a slapper wide of Carr, but Todd was right there to put the rebound home and tie the score.

Then with 37-seconds left in regulation, Todd redirected a wrister off a Barton shot past Carr for the game-winner, his team-leading fifth of the season.

"Barton was trying to go to Cucci backdoor," said Todd of his winner. "I think it got shut off so he went to shoot, and it was going wide so I just took my stick and directed it towards the net."

"It's a credit to him," said head coach Mark Dennehy, who signed a six-year extension to stay at Merrimack through 2016 earlier this week. "When he got injured last year, he was playing his best hockey, and he didn't get off to the start he would have liked. He showed up this year in great shape, really dedicated himself and has been a very good player for us."

The Warriors held on from there as Joe Cannata (Wakefield, MA) made a late save, and the visitors prevailed with their first road victory of the season.

Shawn Bates (Fort Saskatchewan, AB) also scored for Merrimack, who outshot Lowell 35-17 including 12-4 in the first.

For the second time in as many games, Todd gave the Warriors the lead with his third of the season at 10:05 of the first. Taking a feed from Stollery, Todd had a two-on-one with Barton and beat Doug Carr short side to give the visitors the lead.

Merrimack controlled play for much of the first, outshooting the River Hawks 12-4, but surrendered a short-handed, unassisted goal to Joseph Pendenza with four minutes remaining in the first frame.

Lowell ended Merrimack's streak of 24 straight penalty kills, as Riley Wetmore gave the hosts the lead, but it was short-lived, as Bates evened the score just 1:42 later, taking a feed from Mike Collins (Boston, MA) and beating Carr on the breakaway for his third of the season at 6:07 of the second.

The Warriors ramped up the pressure from there, outshooting Lowell 26-8 at one point. Carr kept the River Hawks in it, making two point-blank saves on Brandon Brodhag (Brooklyn Park, MN) and another off a one-timer from Rhett Bly (Regina, SK).

With Lowell back on the power play in the third, Thompson regained the lead for the River Hawks, scoring his first collegiate goal at 5:23 of the third.

The Warrior penalty kill kept them in the game from there, killing another two minors before Todd potted a pair of goals to seize the victory.

Lowell finished 2-for-7 on the power play and also added a short-handed goal, while the Warriors were 0-for-4 with eight shots on the man advantage.

Cannata turned aside 14 shots to improve to 3-2-4 overall, while Carr had 31 saves, 25 in the first two periods.