Collins', Kolomatis' Seven Combined Points Help Men's Ice Hockey Down Mercyhurst, 5-2
FIVE DIFFERENT GOAL-SCORERS LEAD WARRIORS TO FIRST WIN OF 2013-14 IN SATURDAY NIGHT WIN
Links: Box Score | Dennehy Postgame Comments | Heywood
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Guided by a four-point night from senior forward Mike Collins (Boston, Mass.) and a three-point effort from junior defenseman Dan Kolomatis (Basking Ridge, N.J.), the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team picked up its first win of the 2013-14 campaign with a 5-2 victory against Mercyhurst, 5-2, on Saturday night at Lawler Rink.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 5, Mercyhurst 2
Records: Merrimack (1-3) | Mercyhurst (1-4)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
Looking to rebound from a heartbreaking one-goal loss the night before, Merrimack controlled the first period but came away with nothing to show for it and watched the Lakers take the lead on a 4-on-4 goal just 38 seconds into the second frame.
But from there on out, the home side would tally five unanswered strikes, all from different skaters, with two coming in the middle period and three more in the final 20 minutes to sum up their most potent offensive performance of the young season.
Making the performance that much more impressive was the Warriors' efforts on the power play; the hosts finished 3-for-8 (37.5 percent) on the night, snapping an 0-for-13 stretch on the power play in the three previous contests.
Junior Quinn Gould (Fort McMurray, Alberta) tied the game on a wraparound effort at 3:28 of the second before Kolomatis pounced on a loose puck that slid across the offensive zone on a missed chance by freshman Hampus Gustafsson (Ljungby, Sweden) and buried it to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead – on the power play – at the end of 40 minutes.
Less than two minutes into the third, sophomore Justin Hussar (Lancaster, N.Y.) made it a two-goal lead, again on the power play, after taking a nifty feed from Collins and scoring backhanded at 1:37 to account for the game-winning goal. Three minutes later, sophomore John Gustafsson (Ljungby, Sweden) poked in a puck on the crease to add to the Warriors' lead at 4:45, yet again on the man advantage, to make it 4-1, before the visitors cut the deficit in half on a goal 25 seconds later.
But that would be the closest Mercyhurst would get, and the Warriors would have the last laugh after sophomore Vinny Scotti (Vineland, N.J.) potted his first of the season with under four minutes to go to round out the night.
In net, junior Rasmus Tirronen (Espoo, Finland) picked up his first win of the year by turning aside 20 shots, while Jordan Tibbett registered 35 saves for the Lakers.
A Closer Look
- For the second night in a row, Merrimack held a commanding lead in the shot department, out-shooting the Lakers by a 40-22 margin, hitting the 40-shot plateau for the first time in 2013-14
- Merrimack finished 3-for-8 on the power play, and equally impressive was the efforts of the penalty kill, which turned aside all eight of the Lakers' chances, including a five-minute major in the third and an extended 5-on-4 in the first
- Both sides combined for 54 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct and a major for Merrimack, as well as a double minor for the Lakers
- Kolomatis added to his team-leading plus-minus with a +2 rating on the night
- Hussar (7), Collins (6) and Kolomatis (5) all registered five-plus-shot nights
- Collins tied his previous four-point career-high which he set against Vermont on Jan. 29, 2011
- Hampus Gustafsson tallied his first collegiate point and junior Kyle Singleton (Beaverton, Ore.) and Clayton Jardine (Lacombe, Alberta) added a point each
- Gould (1g, 1a) joined Collins and Kolomatis as multiple-point performers on the night
Up Next
Merrimack returns to action next Saturday, Oct. 26, when the Warriors continue competition against Atlantic Hockey foes against Army on Homecoming Weekend. Puck drop from Lawler Rink is set for 7 p.m.
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