Men's Ice Hockey Battles #18 Vermont to Scoreless Draw in Weekend Series Finale

Men's Ice Hockey Battles #18 Vermont to Scoreless Draw in Weekend Series Finale

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Links: Box Score | Dennehy Postgame Comments

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Thanks in large part to a 49-save performance from senior goaltender Rasmus Tirronen (Espoo, Finland), the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team secured a point in the league standings after battling 18th-ranked Vermont to a 0-0 tie on Saturday night at the Gutterson Fieldhouse.

The Basics
 Score: Merrimack 0, #18 Vermont 0
Records: Merrimack (14-14-4, 5-12-3 HEA) | #18 Vermont (18-11-3, 10-8-2 HEA)
Location: Gutterson Fieldhouse | Burlington, Vt.

How It Happened
 Skating to its first scoreless tie in over 12 years, Merrimack found itself in another dog fight against one of the top defensive teams in the country on Saturday, but Tirronen refused to be beaten, turning in his third 40-save performance of the year in one of his most brilliant starts of the senior's career.

Vermont totaled no fewer than 13 shots in a period in regulation and boasted a 19-4 advantage in shot attempts in the second frame alone. In one particular power play, the Catamounts totaled 11 shot attempts in a two-minute span, but Tirronen, the penalty kill and the defense did not yield, sending the game into the third with both sides looking to light the lamp.

Merrimack and Vermont went back and forth through the final 20 minutes of regulation and enjoyed a late power-play opportunity – one of four on the night – with just under six to go, but the Catamounts did not break, sending the game to overtime for the seventh time this year.

Each side totaled a shot apiece in the sudden-victory session, but Merrimack's momentum was taken away after a five-minute interference major was levied against the Warriors. That kept the Warriors in the defensive zone over the final 90 seconds of the game, but Vermont would be denied again, as both sides settled for a point in the league standings thanks to the scoreless draw.

Hockey East Tournament Update
 All teams qualify; top-four receive first-round bye; seeds 5-8 host 9-12 in opening round series

  1. Boston U. 13-4-3 (29 pts)
  2. Boston College 11-6-3 (25 pts)
  3. Providence 11-8-1 (23 pts) Combined 3-1-0 vs. UML/UND
  4. UMass Lowell 10-7-3 (23 pts) Won season series vs. UND
  5. Notre Dame 9-6-5 (23 pts)
  6. Vermont 10-8-2 (22 pts) Better record vs. BC than NU
  7. Northeastern 10-8-2 (22 pts)
  8. Maine 8-10-2 (18 pts)
  9. New Hampshire 8-11-1 (17 pts)
  10. Connecticut 6-11-4 (16 pts)
  11. Merrimack 5-12-3 (13 pts)
  12. Massachusetts 5-15-1 (11 pts)

Merrimack can finish no higher than ninth in the league standings and will play first-round series on the road at an opponent yet to be determined.

Inside The Numbers

  • Vermont finished with a 49-17 edge in shot attempts, outshooting the Warriors in all three periods (13-8, 19-4, 16-4, 1-1)
  • Both sides were 0-for on the power play; Merrimack finished 0-for-4, while Vermont was kept in check on three opportunities
  • Tirronen picked up his second shutout of the season while moving to 10-10-3 thanks to his 49 saves, two shy of his career high; Vermont's Mike Santaguida turned away all 17 shots he saw
  • Merrimack won 33-of-78 faceoffs (42.3%)

Notes and Notables
 The last scoreless draw Merrimack played in was on Oct. 25, 2003, against Providence … Saturday also marked the first-ever scoreless draw in program history for Vermont.

Up Next
 Merrimack concludes the regular season with a two-game series at the University of New Hampshire next weekend. The Warriors meet the Wlidcats on Friday night, with a 7 p.m. puck drop set from the Whittemore Center.

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