#7 Hockey Returns to Action at Ledyard Classic; Takes on St. Lawrence Friday at 4 pm
MERRIMACK COLLEGE HOCKEY
Game #16 at St. Lawrence, Friday, December 30, 2011, 4 p.m., Hanover Classic at Dartmouth; Game #17 vs. Holy Cross/Dartmouth, Saturday, December 31, 2011, 4/7 p.m. Consolation/Championship Game
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Tonight's Matchup: Merrimack takes on its third-straight ECAC opponent, taking on St. Lawrence in the first game of the Ledyard National Bank Classic.
Lifetime vs. St. Lawrence: Merrimack is 1-14-0 lifetime against St. Lawrence. The teams have not met since 1999. Merrimack has never beaten the Saints since moving to Div. I.
Merrimack Looks to Bounce Back After Holiday Break
After starting the season 9-0-1, Merrimack is 1-3-1 in its last five games, scoring just nine goals in that span. They are in the midst of a 27-day stretch between home games.
A Hobey Candidate: Cannata Among Nation's Best
With a goals-against average of 1.77 and a save percentage of .937, Joe Cannata, a three-time 2011-12 HEA Defensive Player of the Week, leads Hockey East in both categories and ranks 5th and 3rd nationally. Cannata has allowed more than two goals in a game just once this season, excluding empty-netters. He played in his 100th career game against Union.
Merrimack Suffers Rare Non-Conference Home Loss
The 3-1 home loss to Union on 12/17 was Merrimack's first non-conference loss at home in 12 games, dating back to October 24, 2006. Prior to this loss, Merrimack was 9-0-2 in its last 11 and 22-6-4 in its last 32 non-conference games. The Warriors conclude non-conference play for the season this weekend.
Third in Hockey East at the Break
Merrimack sits in third place in Hockey East with a 7-2-1 record, the best start in its Hockey East history. The Warriors, along with PC, have played the fewest league games, owning three games in hand on the two teams ahead of them, BC and BU. Merrimack has been ranked in the top-10 nationally since October 24.
Merrimack in Holiday Tournaments
Merrimack last won a holiday tournament in 2004 at the Dunkin Donuts Coffee Pot Tournament at the Providence Civic Center. Merrimack was in the Badger Holiday Classic in 2009-10 and the UConn Holiday Classic in 2008-09.
It Takes Two to Win
Led by Cannata, Merrimack is 10-0 this season when scoring two or more goals.
Myers Set to Debut
Forced to miss the first half of the season due to NCAA ineligibility, freshman Josh Myers has been deemed eligible and will likely debut today. Myers was second in the BCHL with 40 goals last year and tied for sixth in scoring with 80 points.
Flanigan is Merrimack's Offensive Leader
Senior assistant captain Ryan Flanigan enters today's game as the team's leader or co-leader in goals, assists, points, shots and plus/minus.
Bates Has Points in Three Straight
Shawn Bates, who scored the lone goal in the Union loss, has points in three straight.
First-Ever Nationally Televised and HD Game at Lawler
The Union game was the first-ever nationally televised broadcast from Lawler Arena on Fox College Sports Atlantic. The game was seen locally on WBIN in HD, marking the first-ever HD broadcast from Lawler. The only Hockey East team to sign a deal with Fox College Sports, Merrimack will be televised on FCS against Providence on Jan. 29 and against BU on Feb. 3 as well as on WBIN five more times this season.
Second-Fewest Losses Nationally Since Beginning of 2010-11
With a 35-13-6 record since the start of last season, Merrimack has the second-fewest losses in the country in that span (Yale). Cannata has been in goal for 34 of the 35 wins.
There's No Place Like Home
With a 5-2-1 record at home, Merrimack is 13-2-1 at Lawler in its last 16 dating back to last year and is 31-7-3 at home since the start of 2009-10.
Defense Second in the Country
Merrimack's defense is second nationally, allowing 1.73 goals per game. The Dec. 3 loss to Providence is the only game this season in which the Warriors allowed more than two goals excluding empty-net goals. Offensively, the blueliners have combined for 7 goals and 38 points.
Ellis, Cannata Lead Merrimack to 1-1 Tie at #12/11 Colgate
Joe Cannata made 34 saves while Brendan Ellis scored as Merrimack earned a 1-1 tie at #12/11 Colgate.
Ellis Among Defensive Scoring Leaders
Brendan Ellis notched points on five of Merrimack's six goals against UVM and Colgate, giving him 10 points on the season, tied for the team lead in scoring among defenders.
Non-Conference Success
The Warriors are 12-1 in their last 13 non-conference home games, 9-1-2 in their last 12 and 22-7-4 in their last 33 non-conference games.
UVM Season Sweep
With the Dec. 7 win, Merrimack completed its first-ever season-sweep of the Catamounts. The Warriors, winners of five of their last six against UVM at Lawler, have captured the last three season-series from the Catamounts.
Velleca, Mansfield, Ellis Have Career Days in UVM Win
Senior Jeff Velleca tallied his first career two goal, two assist and four point game; Justin Mansfield had his first career multi-goal and point game, while Ellis added a career-high four assists from the blue line.
Special Teams Strong
Merrimack's penalty kill is 2nd in HEA while its power play ranks 5th. The Warriors are fourth nationally, first in HEA, in combined special teams.
Smallest School Reached the Top
Merrimack, the smallest school in Div. I hockey with 2,074 students, ascended to the top of the polls for the first time on November 21 and held that spot for two weeks.
First Team Unbeaten Entering December in over 15 Years
Merrimack was the nation's last remaining undefeated team and the first team to enter December without a loss since the 1992-93 Maine team that went 42-1-2.
Heywood, Stollery, Ellis Anchoring Merrimack's Defense
Karl Stollery and Brendan Ellis are tied for third on the team with 10 points while Stollery is tied for the team-lead with a +10. Heywood and Ellis are tied for the team lead in assists with eight. Playing major minutes nightly, Stollery and Ellis are tied for seventh in HEA in defenseman scoring while Heywood is tied for tenth.
Sellout Streak Snapped
Merrimack's 11-game home sellout streak that began on Feb. 12 against New Hampshire ended on Dec. 7 against Vermont. Merrimack has sold out 12 of the last 13 home games at Lawler Arena.
Stollery Climbing Merrimack Record Books
With 72 career points, Karl Stollery ranks 15th in school history in scoring among defensemen and eighth among Merrimack's Division I blueliners.
Power Play Strong in Wins
The power play, 5th in HEA, has scored at least a goal in 9 of 10 wins. Mike Collins is tied for 4th in HEA in power play goals.
Toomey Takes Control on Offense
Freshman Connor Toomey had the game-winner against BU and UAH and now has five goals in his last seven games.
Brodhag, Toomey Lead MC to OT Win over #16 BU
At Agganis Arena on 11/11/11 with Joe Cannata pulled for the extra attacker, Brandon Brodhag tied the game with 1:56 left to play and Connor Toomey won it 22 seconds into overtime to give the Warriors the come-from-behind 3-2 win over BU.
Freshmen Lead the Way in Win over Huntsville
Freshmen scored each of Merrimack's first four goals and combined for eight points in the 6-0 win over UAH. Quinn Gould and Clayton Jardine each notched their first career goal, assist and multi-point game, while Connor Toomey scored twice. After not receiving a point from a freshman in the first eight games, the newcomers combined to score six of the next seven goals.
Two Straight Over the Terriers
The 3-2 OT win at BU on Nov. 11 marked the first time Merrimack has beaten the Terriers in two straight games in 95 all-time meetings. Merrimack is 2-0-2 in the last four games with BU.
First-Ever Regular Season Win at Agganis Snaps BU's OT Streak
The win at BU marked Merrimack's first-ever regular season win at Agganis and snapped BU's 9-year streak of not losing a regular season HEA game in OT.
Sudden Death Success
Merrimack is now 6-1-6 in the extra frame in its last 13 regular season OT games, which dates back to the beginning of last season. They have won their last two games at Matthews Arena, both of which went to overtime.
Flanigan's SH-OT Goal Gives MC Season Series over NU
Ryan Flanigan scored short-handed 1:57 into OT to give Merrimack the 3-2 win and the season series over NU. The Warriors trailed 2-0 but tied it behind two power play goals from Collins and outstanding penalty killing.
First-Ever Weekend Sweep in Vermont
Merrimack swept Vermont in Burlington for the first time ever. The Warriors are 7-0-2 against UVM over the last three seasons.
Flanigan's Career-High 15-Game Point Streak Snapped
Ryan Flanigan had his point-scoring streak snapped at 15 games (11/11). After registering 21 points in his first 72 career games, he has 43 points in his last 38 games.
Collins Finding the Net
After leading HEA in scoring among rookies last year, Mike Collins is back at it, ranked tied for 2nd on the team with five goals, four on the power play.
100 for Madsen, Sheen
Carter Madsen played in his 100th career game at BU, while Elliott Sheen reached the milestone against Huntsville.
Flanigan-Madsen-Sheen Line Dominates in UVM Sweep
The senior line of Ryan Flanigan, Carter Madsen, and Elliott Sheen led the way against the Catamounts, combining for six points and a +9 rating in the weekend sweep at Vermont.
Marotta Earns Shutout, POTW Honors in First Start
In his first career start, Sam Marotta, the HEA Defensive Player of the Week (10/24), made 25 saves for his first career shutout and added an assist.
Warriors Conclude Homecoming with 5-0 Win over UConn
Behind multi-point efforts from Elliott Sheen, Jeff Velleca and Brendan Ellis, three power-play goals, and a shutout from Marotta, Merrimack blanked UConn 5-0 to stay perfect.
Todd and Flanigan Lead MC to 4-1 Win in Vermont
Jess Todd notched a career-high three points, including the game-winner, and Ryan Flanigan added a goal and an assist to propel the Warriors to a 4-1 win over Vermont on October 28.
Stewart Promoted to Associate Head Coach
Glenn Stewart has been promoted to Associate Head Coach. Stewart is in his third season at Merrimack.
Merrimack Wins Home Opener over Army
Energized by a sellout crowd, Merrimack defeated Army 3-2 behind multi-point efforts from Rhett Bly and John Heffernan. Ryan Flanigan and Karl Stollery also scored in the win as the Warriors outshot Army 40-21, including 19-2 in the second.
Brodhag-Bly-Heffernan Led the Way Against Army
The line of Brandon Brodhag, Rhett Bly and John Heffernan led the way in the win over Army, combining for 5 points and the game-winner. For Bly, it was his first career two assist and two point game, while Heffernan tallied his second multi-point game.
Warriors Own the Army
Merrimack has won all 13 meetings with Army since becoming a Division I school and all 11 lifetime in North Andover.
Merrimack Opens Season with Rare Road Win at Maine
Behind goals from Jeff Velleca and Jesse Todd and 22 saves from Joe Cannata, the Warriors opened the season with a victory, defeating #16/15 Maine 2-1 in Orono.
Just How Rare Was It?
The win at Maine snapped a 22-game winless streak (0-20-2) in Orono and was just the sixth win lifetime in Maine, two of which were Maine forfeits due to NCAA rules violations.
Three Straight over the Black Bears
Merrimack has defeated Maine in 3 straight meetings for the first time ever.
Todd Remains Clutch
After ranking second in Hockey East with six game-winners last season, Jesse Todd is tied for fourth in the league this year with two game-winners.
Quick Glance at an Historical 2010-11
Last season, Merrimack won a Division I school-record 25 games, reached its first-ever Hockey East Championship and was selected to its first NCAA Tournament since 1988.
Strong Combined Special Teams
After tying for first in 2009-10, Merrimack finished last year ranked 6th nationally and 2nd in HEA in combined special teams.
64% of Offense Returns
While Merrimack loses its top three scorers from last season (Da Costa, Barton, Cucci), 64% of its offense returns, including all players ranked from 4-14 on the 2010-11 team in scoring.
Strong on Opening Night
Merrimack is 7-2-2 in its last 11 home openers.
Division I Hockey East Record 25 Wins, 35 HEA Points
Merrimack set a Division I HEA school record for wins with 25 and for points with 35 in 2010-11.
Nine Straight on the Road is a School Record
Merrimack won nine straight road games from 11/30/10 to 2/18/11, most in program history.
Merrimack and WBIN Team Up
Merrimack, Pack Network, and WBIN-TV have reached an agreement to broadcast five hockey games live from Lawler Rink during the 2011-12 season in high definition. Merrimack's five-game agreement with WBIN marks the first time in school history that the College has inked its own television package.
NHL Draftees
For the first time since 2002, Merrimack had two players selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Kyle Bigos was picked in the fourth round (99th overall) by Edmonton, while Joe Cannata was picked in the sixth round (173rd overall) by Vancouver.
Flanigan Named a Lowe's Senior Class Candidate
Ryan Flanigan is one of 20 candidates for the Lowe's Senior Class award. The finalists will be named in February.
Merrimack in 40+ Save Performances
Incredibly, over the last three seasons, Merrimack is 4-1-2 when its goaltender stops 40 or more shots. Joe Cannata stopped 40+ shots in the 2009-10 season with his 42-save shutout effort at UMass. He stopped 40+ shots in the 2008-09 season when he recorded 44 saves at Army.
2011-12 Captains
Senior defenseman Karl Stollery will serve as this year's captain, while senior forward Ryan Flanigan and sophomore defensman Jordan Heywood will be the alternate captains.
Merrimack Ranked Fifth in HEA Preseason Poll
The Warriors were ranked fifth in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, its highest HEA preseason ranking ever.
Rank Team (1st place votes) Pts
1. Boston College (7) 88
2. Boston University (3) 83
3. New Hampshire 72
4. Maine 64
5. Merrimack 61
6. Vermont 44
7. Massachusetts 42
8. Northeastern 33
9. UMass Lowell 27
10. Providence 26
Ranked Fourth in HEBWA Preseason Poll
The Warriors earned the #4 preseason ranking in the Hockey East Broadcast and Writers Media poll.
Rank Team (1st place votes) Pts
1. Boston University (16) 184
2. Boston College (2) 169
3. New Hampshire (1) 141
4. Merrimack 133
5. Maine 126
6. Vermont 88
7. Northeastern 71
8. Massachusetts 64
9. Providence 37
10. UMass Lowell 32
Machnik Honored with Concannon Award
Merrimack radio broadcaster Mike Machnik was named the 2011 winner of the Hockey East Concannon Media Award. Machnik is the first recipient of the award with a Merrimack connection.
