Cucci's OT Goal Gives Merrimack 3-2 Victory in Game 2; Game 3 is Sunday
Postgame Video / Photo Gallery of OT
BOSTON, MA – Joe Cucci (Melrose Park,
IL) scored 2:16 into overtime, as Merrimack prevailed with
the 3-2 victory over Boston University Saturday night at Agganis
Arena, forcing a decisive game three Sunday night at 7 p.m.
Tickets for all Merrimack students will be available at
the Merrimack box office in Volpe from 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are
$15 or students can purchase a ticket and a seat on a fan bus for
$20. The bus will depart from Volpe at 5 p.m. Sunday. Call
978-837-3472 with any questions.
All faculty, staff and general public tickets are available for
purchase at the Agganis Arena Box Office by calling 617-353-4628.
Please specify to sit in the Merrimack fan section when purchasing.
#6 Merrimack (16-18-2) and #3 Boston University (17-16-3) will
take the ice in a game three, winner take all on Sunday at Agganis
Arena at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the semifinals next
Friday at the TD Garden.
Cucci's goal, the first playoff overtime goal in
Merrimack's Hockey East history, was set up by Ryan
Flanigan (Rochester, NY), who broke down the right side
and threw it to the center. The puck eluded the Terrier defender,
and Cucci was right there to slam it home for his eighth of the
year.
“I just went to the net and Flanny (Flanigan) found me
coming down the boards,” said Cucci. “It's
definitely the biggest goal of my career.”
The victory is Merrimack's first in 11 tries at Agganis
Arena, and the first at BU since March 2, 2001. It's the
Warriors' first playoff win since March 15, 1998, when
Merrimack sent the Terriers packing in three games in the
quarterfinals.
“We obviously played really well on the penalty
kill,” said head coach Mark Dennehy. “We made some
adjustments there and on the power play. We were able to do more
things.”
"These guys are pretty resilient, and they'll have to be to get
a win here tomorrow night."
Merrimack killed 10-of-11 Terrier power plays, including three
5-on-3 advantages in the game. They outshot the Terriers 35-26 in
the win, as Kieran Millan made 32 saves while Joe Cannata
(Wakefield, MA) stopped 24 shots, while picking up the
victory.
For the second straight night, Merrimack struck first as
Stephane Da Costa (Paris, France) and
Chris Barton (Calgary, AB) worked a perfect
give-and-go at 11:30 with Da Costa finishing the play off a
one-time pass from Barton for his 16th of the season.
BU tied it at 2:33 of the second as senior Eric Gryba's
slap shot found the net behind Cannata.
But Cannata recovered, and quickly, as he robbed David Warsofsky
with the Terriers on a two-man advantage. The goaltender was out of
position but dove back across the crease, making an incredible save
off a one-timer from Warsofsky with his pads. Merrimack killed two
5-on-3 Terrier advantages totaling 1:13 in a four-minute span early
in the second to keep it deadlocked at one.
The Warriors had five perfect second-period penalty kills and
still outshot the Terriers 12-6, which featured two breakaways by
Elliott Sheen (Lethbridge, AB) that were stopped
by Millan.
But Sheen's second breakaway drew a penalty, and
Brandon Brodhag (Brooklyn Park, MN) netted
Merrimack's first power-play goal of the series.
Fraser Allan (North Battleford, SK) threw the puck
towards Millan, but it was deflected in front, and went right to
Brodhag, who knocked it past Millan, who was out of position for
his 10th of the year at 18:21 of the second, giving the
Warriors the 2-1 lead at the end of two periods.
Merrimack entered tonight with a 10-0 record when leading after
two, but the Terriers tied it at 5:18 of the third on the power
play as Wade Megan knocked in a loose puck to the left of Cannata.
Cannata made numerous saves on the sequence, including a glove stop
off Vinny Saponari, but Megan's third and final swat at the
puck finally snuck in under the goaltender's pads.
The game remained tied in the waning moments of the third due to
Merrimack's stellar penalty killing, as they killed off two
straight minors in the final 4:31 of regulation, including a
nine-second five-on-three. Carter Madsen (Calgary,
AB) had a short-handed breakaway but was stopped by Millan
with 3:51 to play in the third.
That set the stage for Cucci in overtime, who beat Millan on the
first shot of the extra frame. Brodhag assisted on the play, giving
the freshman a multi-point game.
BU entered tonight's game with a 6-0-7 record in overtime
and had not lost since November 20, 2007.
“We got outshot in our own building, and we had 11 power
plays to their five,” said head coach Jack Parker. “I
couldn't be more disappointed with my team tonight. I want to
know where the team was that played on Friday.”
