Men's Ice Hockey Welcomes Army for Homecoming Weekend Saturday Night on WBIN/FCS
MERRIMACK LOOKS TO CONTINUE HOME DOMINANCE (12-0) VS. ARMY SATURDAY
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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Seeking its first winning streak of the young 2013-14 season, the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team rounds out the month of October with a home bout against Army as part of Homecoming Weekend on Saturday night at Lawler Rink. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
The Basics
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 | 7 p.m.
Records: Merrimack (1-3) | Army (0-1)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.
Last Time Out: Merrimack 5, Mercyhurst 2
Guided by a four-point night from senior forward Mike Collins and a three-point effort from junior defenseman Dan Kolomatis, Merrimack picked up its first win of the 2013-14 campaign with a 5-2 victory against Mercyhurst, 5-2, on Oct. 19 at Lawler Rink.
Looking to rebound from a heartbreaking loss the night before, Merrimack soared back from a 1-0 deficit by recording four uncontested strikes over a span of 21:17 from the second period into the third. After Mercyhurst clawed to within two (4-2), the Warriors survived a five-minute major and tacked on one last strike to settle for the final margin of victory.
Five different skaters registered a goal for Merrimack, and nine different Warriors recorded a point, with Collins (4a) and Kolomatis (1g, 2a) leading the way on that front. In net, Rasmus Tirronen picked up his first win of the year with a 20-save performance, and on special teams, Merrimack dominated, finishing 3-for-8 with the man advantage and turning away all eight of the Lakers' power play opportunities.
Lifetime vs. Army
Saturday's showdown will mark the 29th meeting in a series that dates back to 1959 between Merrimack and Army, and the 13th such meeting held in North Andover. The Warriors lead the series, 22-15-1, and more impressively, Merrimack has never lost or tied at home (12-0-0) in 12 tries against the Black Knights. Down in West Point, the advantage is in Army's favor, as the Warriors have gone 10-15-1 on the road against Army. Last year, Merrimack defeated Army, 4-2, on Dec. 11, 2012, in a come-from-behind win at Lawler Rink.
The Warriors:
- Potted a season-high five goals in last Saturday's victory against Mercyhurst
- Were led by five different goal-scorers in the aforementioned win
- Averaging 1.75 goals per game, ranking 10th in Hockey East and 44th nationally in that category, while allowing 2.50 goals per game defensively, the 17th-best mark in the nation
- Are among the most penalized teams in the conference and country, averaging 19.2 penalty minutes per contest
The Black Knights:
- Army has been idle since opening the 2013-14 season with a 4-1 setback at Penn State on Friday, Oct. 11
- Were picked to finish 10th in the Atlantic Hockey Association preseason poll and are looking to improve upon a 7-22-5 record from 2012-13
- Graduated leading scorer Andy Starczewski but bring back next to leading scorers, including alternate captain Mac Lalor (6G, 12A), who scored the Black Knights' lone goal at Penn State in this season's opener, and AHA All-Rookie Team selection Joe Kozlak (7G, 10A)
- Head coach Brian Riley began his 10th season behind the bench. Riley is the third in his family to coach the Black Knights' hockey team, following in the steps of his father, Jack, and brother, Rob
Notes and Notables
- Four different skaters either established new or tied previous career highs in last Saturday's victory against Mercyhurst
- After starting the year 0-for-13 on the power play in the first three games, Merrimack finally found the back of the net with the man advantage and finished the night 3-for-8 against Mercyhurst last Saturday
- In all four games so far, Merrimack has watched its opponent score the first goal of the game
- Dating back to last season, Merrimack is now 2-11-1 in its last 14 games
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