#9 Merrimack Downs Vermont 4-2, Improving to 4-0 in League Play
Video Highlights
Burlington, VT – Two goals in the span of 44 seconds in the second period propelled the #9 Merrimack hockey team to the 4-2 victory on Saturday night against Vermont. Merrimack improves to 6-0-0 on the season, marking the first time they have done that since 1987-88.
Merrimack (6-0-0, 4-0-0 HEA) will return home Friday for a home and home conference series with the Northeastern Huskies. The game Friday is set to start at 7:05 p.m. inside Lawler Arena. Limited tickets remain available at www.merrimackathletics.com.
Vermont opened the scoring at the 16:10 mark as Connor Brickley came in free down the right wing and fired a wrist shot over the right shoulder of Warriors goalie Joe Cannata (Wakefield, Mass.) for the 1-0 lead.
The early Vermont goal seemed to energize the Warriors as the next two shifts controlled the tempo of the game and hit two posts on very dangerous opportunities.
Captain Karl Stollery (Camrose, AB) responded with a goal of his own as he crashed the net and put home a rebound off the pads of Catamounts starter Alex Vazzano. Ryan Flanigan (Rochester, NY) and Carter Madsen (Calgary, AB) notched assists on the goal.
Merrimack outshot the Catamounts 9-5 in the opening frame despite being shorthanded for eight minutes of the period.
The Warriors pushed the lead to 2-1 at the 10:02 mark of the second period as Mike Collins (Boston, Mass.) buried the shot after a Jesse Todd (Calgary, AB) pass from behind the net. Jordan Heywood (Regina, SK) also picked up an assist on the second Merrimack goal.
The lead was extended to 3-1 only 44 seconds later as Madsen pounced on a loose puck and beat the sprawling goaltender for the goal. Elliott Sheen (Lethbridge, AB) and Kyle Bigos (Upland, CA) each notched assists on the play.
Cannata kept the score 3-1 as he made a huge save with the glove on a five minute power play off of a blast by Nick Luukko from just outside the hash marks. Less than two minutes later the Catamounts cut the Merrimack lead to 3-2, as Brett Bruneteau beat Cannata on the five on three power play.
With the pressure mounting late in the third period and with the Vermont goal empty, Collins picked up a loose puck and shot it into the empty net for his second goal of the game to seal the victory for the Warriors.
Collins and Madsen each had multiple point efforts, as eight Warriors picked up points in the win. Cannata made 16 saves on the night improving to 5-0-0 on the season.
The Warriors are the only team unbeaten in Hockey East through four weeks of the season.
