Da Costa's Late Goal Gives Merrimack 2-2 Tie with #17 Vermont
BURLINGTON, VT -
Stephane Da Costa (Paris, France) scored with 4:20
remaining in regulation, earning Merrimack its first road point of
the season, tying #17 Vermont 2-2 Friday night at the Gutterson
Fieldhouse.
Merrimack (10-15-1, 7-11-1 HEA) and the Catamounts (13-9-5,
7-8-5 HEA) will hit the ice again Saturday at the Gutterson
Fieldhouse at 7 p.m.
With the clock winding down in the third, Da Costa tied it up
with 4:20 remaining in regulation, taking a feed from Jeff
Velleca (Waterbury, CT) and blasting it past the blocker
of Madore for his 12th of the season. It was the
freshman's first goal in eight games but was his fifth straight
game with a point.
The Catamounts had their chance to take the lead in the final
minute, but a one-timer from Sebastian Stalberg was turned aside by
Joe Cannata (Wakefield, MA).
Merrimack outshot Vermont 31-30 in the game and 3-1 in overtime,
including a shot from the point from Karl Stollery
(Camrose, AB) that trickled through traffic but was
stopped by the pad of Rob Madore.
Ryan Flanigan (Rochester, NY) opened the
scoring, netting his second goal of the year and in as many games,
as the sophomore redirected a Kyle Bigos (Upland,
CA) wrist shot from the blue line at 7:54 of the second.
Flanigan barely got a piece of the shot, but it was enough to sneak
through the pads of Madore to give the Warriors the lead.
Moments later, Jeff Velleca (Waterbury, CT) was
stopped on a breakaway by Madore, and the momentum shifted as the
Catamounts had a two-man advantage for 40 seconds, and Kyle Medvec
cashed in at 12:18, tying the game with a wrist shot from the point
that beat a screened Cannata for his fourth of the year.
Jack Downing gave the hosts the lead just 19 seconds into the
third just as a Merrimack penalty expired, one-timing a feed from
Brian Roloff for his eighth of the season.
The teams played to a scoreless first period, with the Warriors
killing two minors and Cannata turning aside all 11 shots he faced.
Making his second straight start, Cannata totaled 28 saves,
while Madore had 29 stops.
Merrimack had three power plays in the first 25 minutes of the
game but the nation's second-best power play failed to register a
goal.
