Late Goal Lifts Mercyhurst Past Men's Ice Hockey, 3-2, in 2013-14 Home Opener
JONES SCORES WITH 34 SECONDS REMAINING; MERCYHURST TOPS MERRIMACK, 3-2, FRIDAY
Links: Box Score | Dennehy Postgame Comments | Tickets (Saturday)
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – All even at two goals apiece, Nick Jones found a bouncing puck that slid across the offensive zone and found the back of the net with 34 seconds left in regulation, and that was enough for visiting Mercyhurst, as the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team dropped a hard-fought battle, 3-2, against the Lakers on Friday night at Lawler Rink.
The Basics
Score: Mercyhurst 3, Merrimack 2
Records: Merrimack (0-3) | Mercyhurst (0-2)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
In a battle that featured two teams aiming to get in the win column for the first time in 2013-14, the host Warriors, playing on their home rink for the first time this season, poured plenty of chances at Mercyhurst netminder Jimmy Sarjeant and wound up with a 35-21 advantage in shots on target throughout the night.
Still, the Lakers never trailed in the game, potting the opening goal at 8:50 in the first before Merrimack tied it five minutes later. Mercyhurst again took a lead at 7:30 of the second frame before the Warriors responded just 1:25 later to send the contest into the final stanza all even at 2-2.
But despite holding a six-shot advantage in the third frame (11-5), Mercyhurst withheld the pressure and, with just over 30 seconds to go, Daniel O'Donoghue chipped a puck across the Merrimack zone that eventually got through to Jones, who beat netminder Sam Marotta (Bridgewater, Mass.) over the shoulder to account for the game-winner.
In the first, sophomore Justin Hussar (Lancaster, N.Y.) pounced on a rebounded shot initially taken by junior Dan Kolomatis (Basking Ridge, N.J.) and buried it for the first Merrimack goal of the season, with senior Rhett Bly (Regina, Saskatchewan) picking up the secondary assist on the play to get the Warriors on the board at 13:40 and tie the match up.
After O'Donoghue put the visitors ahead at 7:30 of the second, Merrimack needed just under 90 seconds to respond, as Kolomatis wrapped the puck around the net in the defensive zone to find junior Clayton Jardine (Lacombe, Alberta), who then fed a long pass up to junior Josh Myers (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at the blue line, who got around one defender and one-timed a slapper off the iron and past Sarjeant for the equalizer at 8:55 of the second.
That score would stand the rest of the way until Jones' deciding strike at 19:26 of the third.
On the night, Sarjeant finished with an impressive 33 saves, while Marotta turned aside 21 for the hosts.
A Closer Look
- Merrimack's 35 shots on net were the most in a single game this season, with senior Jordan Heywood (Regina, Saskatchewan) leading the way with five
- Seven different Warriors finished the night with a positive plus/minus, with Kolomatis leading all Warriors at plus-2
- Kolomatis' two points are the most among all Merrimack players; he, O'Donoghue and Philippe Drouin each registered a two-point night among all skaters
- Merrimack finished 0-for-4 on the power play, extending its season-long drought to 0-for-13
- Mercyhurst finished the night 1-for-3 on the man advantage
Notes and Notables
- Merrimack went 128:50 over a three-game span before finding the back of the net in 2013-14 after suffering back-to-back shut outs at Denver last weekend.
- The Warriors and Lakers were meeting for the first time ever after facing off against Denver last weekend for the first time ever, as well
- The only opponents that Merrimack has not faced in the history of the program are now Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Sacred Heart and Penn State
Up Next
The Warriors and Lakers wrap up the weekend series in North Andover tomorrow night. Puck drop from Lawler Rink is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available online or by calling the box office at 978-837-5324.
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