Third-Period Explosion Pushes Men's Ice Hockey Past Providence to Clinch Season Series

11/25/2016 12:00:00 AM

Links: Box Score 
Postgame Comments: Dennehy

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Backed by a four-point outing from freshman forward Tyler Irvine (Livonia, Mich.), the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team erased a one-goal deficit with five tallies in the third period en route to a 5-2 victory over Providence College on Friday afternoon at Lawler Rink.

The Basics
Score: Merrimack 5, Providnece 2
Records: Merrimack (6-6-3, 1-2-3 HEA) | #RV/RV Providence (4-5-2, 1-3-1 HEA)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.
Attendance: 2549
Game Duration: 2:20

How It Happened

1^st Period

• After a back-and-forth first 10 minutes of play, Providence grabbed the lead just past the midpoint of the opening frame, as North Andover native Brian Pinho redirected a point shot with the Friars on the power play to put the visitors up, 1-0.

2^nd Period

• After both teams combined for 19 shots on goal in the first period (13-6 Providence), things were much calmer in that regard during the middle stanza, as both sides were kept in check from an offensive standpoint while combining for nine shots on goal (6-3 Merrimack).

3^rd Period

• Irvine broke Merrimack's 43-minute scoreless stretch with his third goal of the season at the 3:54 mark of the third, opening the floodgates for what would become a five-goal period.
• Sophomore Ludvig Larsson (Malmo, Sweden) tickled the twine for the first time in over a month just about 90 seconds after Irvine's first tally, burying a rebound after the latter drove the puck to the net to set up the scoring sequence.
• Three minutes later, Hampus Gustafsson (Ljungby, Sweden) lit the lamp for what would go down as the game-winner off another feed from Irvine, as the senior's team-leading eighth goal of the year made it so every skater on that line (Larsson, Gustafsson, Irvine) had at least one goal on the night.
• Merrimack wasn't done; with just under eight minutes to play, the entire third line factored in to a key insurance marker, as senior Chris LeBlanc (Winthrop, Mass.) banked in a tough-angle rebound goal to push the lead to three (4-1).
• Providence got one back off a tough bounce off the stick of Vincent Desharnais at the 18:56 mark, but Irvine assured that the Warriors would tie their single-game season-high after burying an unassisted empty-netter with 20 seconds left to account for the final margin of victory.

Notes & Notables

• Merrimack snapped a five-game winless stretch against Providence dating back just over two years; the last Warrior win over the Friars was a 1-0 shutout at Lawler Rink on Nov. 8, 2014.
• In addition to Irvine's career night, Larsson also tied his previous single-game best in scoring, recording just the second two-point game of his career and first since a two-point night against Colgate on Oct. 21.
• Merrimack scored five goals in a single period for the first time since a 10-1 blowout win at home against Arizona State last Jan. 31, 2016.

Goal Descriptions

• PC #1 (Pinho/Walman/Bryson) | P1 10:16 (PP) – While on the power play, Brian Pinho redirects a one-timer slap shot from the right point past Drew Vogler.
• MC #1 (Irvine) | P3 3:54 – Tyler Irvine comes up with a takeaway inside the blue line and skates the puck to the slot, where he beats Hayden Hawkey over the glove.
• MC #2 (L. Larsson/Irvine/Gustafsson) | P3 5:19 – Freshman Tyler Irvine drives hard to the net from the left wing circle and puts it on the goalie; the resulting rebound kicks out to the left wing circle where Ludvig Larsson buries it.
• MC #3 (Gustafsson/Irvine/L. Larsson) | P3 8:45 – Senior Hampus Gustafsson finishes off a 2-on-1 chance in tight from Tyler Irvine.
• MC #4 (LeBlanc/Irvine/Gustafsson) | P3 12:07 – Sophomore Michael Babcock drives toward the net from the left wing wall after taking the puck into the zone from center ice; he goes behind the net with the puck and dishes to the right goal line extended for senior Chris LeBlanc, who banks in a shot from a difficult angle.
• PC #2 (Desharnais/MacPhee/Hennessey) | P3 18:56 – Vincent Desharnais gets the puck to go in from a shot between the red and blue line that takes a funny bounce past sophomore Drew Vogler.
• MC #5 (Irvine) | P3 19:40 (EN/SH) – Sophomore Michael Babcock drives toward the

MERRIMACK LINEUP
L. Larsson | Gustafsson | Irvine
Seney | A. Larsson | Tavernier
Petti | Babcock | LeBlanc
Drevitch | Foget | Tibbet

Kolquist | Kovacevic
Biega | Lashyn
Spaxman| Carle

Vogler
Delia
Pantano

Game Leaders (MC // PC)

• Points: Tyler Irvine (4) // Six Players (1)
• Goals: Tyler Irvine (2) // Brian Pinho/Vincent Deshanrias (1)
• Assists: Tyler Irvine (2) // Four players (1)
• Shots: Ludvig Larsson (5) // Niko Rufo (6)
• Faceoffs Won: Alfred Larsson (12) // Brian Pinho/Robbie Hennessey (10)
• Saves: Drew Vogler (21-for-23) // Hayden Hawkey (16-for-20)

Facts and Figures (MC // PC)

• Power Plays: 0-3 // 2-8
• Penalties: 10 Penalties – 20 Minutes // 5 Penalties – 10 Minutes
• Faceoffs: 33 // 42
• SOG: 6-13 // 6-3 // 9-7 // 21-23

Up Next
Merrimack will enjoy its bye week before returning to the ice in two weekends with a home-and-home series with nearby rival UMass Lowell. The series starts on Friday, Dec. 9, at the Tsongas Center (7:15 p.m.) before concluding at Lawler Rink the following night at 7 p.m.

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