Collins Pots 50th Career Goal, Last-Minute Maine Tally Topples Men's Ice Hockey, 3-2
SENIOR COLLINS BECOMES 18TH PLAYER IN DIVISION I HISTORY TO SCORE 50 GOALS, 100 POINTS IN HEARTBREAKING LOSS SATURDAY
Links: Box Score
ORONO, Maine – Senior forward and leading scorer Mike Collins (Boston, Mass.) became the 18th player in program history to record 50 goals and 100 points in a career, but the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team suffered a heartbreaking loss to rival Maine, 3-2, as the Black Bears scored in the final minute to seal a sweep over the Warriors on Saturday night at Alfond Arena.
The Basics
Score: Maine 3, Merrimack 2
Records: Merrimack (7-18-3, 2-12-2 HEA) | Maine (15-10-3, 9-5-2 HEA)
Location: Alfond Arena | Orono, Maine
How It Happened
Trailing by a goal heading into the third, Collins drew the Warriors even midway through the period while Merrimack was skating with a 5-on-3 advantage and appeared to score the go-ahead goal less than a minute later after a shot from classmate Brendan Ellis (Kelowna, British Columbia) from the point ricocheted up in the air and deflected in off of Collins.
But after a lengthy review, the score was waved off, keeping the game even at 2-2. That overturn would prove to be costly, as Maine buried the deciding tally with 28 seconds to go in the contest, as Devin Shore capped off the comeback with the game-winning marker at 19:32 to send the Black Bears off with the victory.
Maine goaltender Martin Ouellette backstopped the hosts to their second win of the weekend thanks to a 23-save performance, while junior Rasmus Tirronen (Espoo, Finland) took the hard-luck loss after coming in relief of injured starter Sam Marotta (Bridgewater, Mass.), as both combined 28 saves on the night.
For the second night in a row, the Black Bears lit the lamp first near the midway point of the first period, as defenseman Ben Hutton took a centering feed from the right half-wall and tapped it into the net on the left side of the crease, putting Maine ahead by one at 9:36 while on the power play. Both sides combined for four penalties, with the hosts finishing 1-for-3 on the man advantage in the opening stanza.
An eventful second period paved the way for two more goals that were scored within a 26-second span, as sophomore Vinny Scotti (Vineland, N.J.) buried his second goal in as many nights at 11:19 before Brice O'Connor responded less than half a minute later to push the Black Bears right back in front.
While skating 4-on-4, Maine tried to clear it out of its own zone before freshman Hampus Gustafsson (Ljungby, Sweden) used an acrobatic move to maneuver around a Black Bear skater and tap the puck back to a charging Scotti, whose momentum carried him 1-on-1 against Ouellette on a partial breakaway which led to the Warriors' first tally of the night.
But after the ensuing draw, Maine gained possession in the Merrimack zone, allowing O'Connor to respond 26 seconds afterward after a setup from Brian Morgan to push the home side back on top, 2-1.
The final eight minutes of the middle frame were action-packed and a bit bizarre, as Marotta, the Warriors' starting goaltender, was whistled for a diving penalty at 15:49 during a play that he was shaken up during. Marotta was replaced by Tirronen immediately afterward and was forced to deal with the rest of that Maine power play plus another, as the Black Bears enjoyed two man advantages in the last five minutes of the period but were kept in check to keep it a one-goal game heading to the third.
In the third, Merrimack became the beneficiary of a multitude of power-play chances and finally cashed in while skating 5-on-3 with under nine minutes to go. Collins wristed a laser past Ouellette at 11:19 and then less than a minute later, the Boston native appeared to deflect in the go-ahead strike that popped up in the air on an initial shot taken by Ellis.
The goal was ultimately waved off, allowing Maine to win it in the final minute of regulation.
A Closer Look
- In what became a penalty-riddled affair as the game progressed, both sides ultimately allotted 18 penalty minutes apiece, and each squad also finished 1-for-6 on the power play
- Merrimack was outshot by a 31-25 margin on the night, Hutton paced the Black Bears with an impressive 10-shot performance
- Scotti finished as the lone Warrior with two points, helping set up the second Merrimack goal along with senior Jordan Heywood (Regina, Saskatchewan)
- Merrimack controlled the faceoff battle, winning 32-of-60 draws (53.3 percent)
- The loss brought Merrimack's final road regular-season record to 1-13-2 (.125); Merrimack will play its final four regular-season contests at home, where it is 6-5-0 on the year
Up Next
With its road portion of the regular season schedule now behind them, the Warriors will return home for the final four games of 2013-14 starting with a two-game set against the University of Vermont next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 21-22) at Lawler Rink. Puck drop both nights is set for 7 p.m.
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