Women's Ice Hockey Falls at Connecticut in First Game of Weekend Series Friday, 3-2
Links: Box Score
STORRS, Conn. – The Merrimack College women's ice hockey team suffered its first lost of 2017 as the Warriors dropped the first game of their weekend series with UConn on the road on Friday night by a score of 3-2.
The Basics
Score: Connecticut 3, Merrimack 2
Records: Merrimack (7-14-2, 3-11-0 HEA) | Connecticut (10-7-3, 5-4-1 HEA)
Location: Freitas Ice Forum | Storrs, Conn.
How It Happened
- The Warriors opened Friday's contest in Connecticut in strong fashion, getting the puck in UConn's end early and drawing back-to-back penalties to garner a 5-on-3 opportunity. Merrimack would see some good chances on the advantage but would be denied an early lead.
- Connecticut would get its first power play chance shortly after the Warriors advantage expired. Following an effective penalty kill from Merrimack, the Huskies would take the first lead of the game on a score just seconds after the penalty expired.
- As the first entered the latter half, the Warriors continued to dominate time of possession, eventually earning back-to-back power plays for the final five minutes of the frame. But strong penalty kills from Providence would hold the score at 1-0 into the second.
- Just 28 seconds following the Huskies' goal, freshman Mikyla Grant-Mentis (Brampton, Ontario) would even the score back up with an impressive effort. The rookie would come in from the right and manage to find space on the near side of the net as the goaltender hugged the post, sneaking a shot by for her fourth of the season.
- Merrimack would capitalize on its first power play chance of the second period to nab its first lead of the game. Late in the man-advantage that saw a flurry of shots from the Warriors, sophomore Madison Morey (Fairbanks, Alaska) would beautifully redirect a shot from the point by the goalie to give Merrimack its first lead of the game at 8:18 of the second.
- Connecticut would knot the game back up at 2-2 just over three minutes later, putting home a rebound chance the after a multiple shots were denied by freshman goaltender Lea-Kristine Demers (Repentigny, Ontario), taking a tie game to the third period.
- The lone goal of the third would come from the Huskies at 7:43 of the final period, giving UConn a 3-2 lead that, despite a handful of great chances for the Warriors in the latter half of the third, would hold for the duration of the period.
Inside The Numbers
- After breaking an 11-game scoreless streak in Merrimack's final game before the break, Grant-Mentis' fourth of the season makes for second goal in her last three games. Her 15 points with a stat line of 4g-11a-15p ranks her second on the team in scoring.
- Following netting her first goal of the season on an overtime game-winner in the Warriors' last game, a 2-1 overtime win over Vermont, Morey has now scored in two consecutive games to improve her stat line to 2g-4a-6p.
- Goaltenders: L – Demers (5-10-0, 28 saves) | W – Belanger (7-7-3, 22 saves)
- Power Plays: Merrimack (1-4) | UConn (0-6)
- SOG: MC – 24 | UConn – 31
Up Next
The Warriors are back on the ice tomorrow to close the season series with the Huskies at Lawler Rink. Puck drop is set for 2:00 p.m.
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