NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's ice hockey team opens the second half of the season at reigning national champion Denver and fellow National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) foe Colorado College in a two-game set in the Centennial State this weekend (Dec. 29-30). Game time is 9 p.m. Eastern on Friday and 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.
Inside the Series (Denver)
- Merrimack and Denver have met only two times before, as part of a season-opening series back at the start of the 2013-14 campaign.
- Denver won both those games thanks to some stellar goaltending, as the Pioneers shut out the Warriors on back-to-back nights (1-0, 4-0) that weekend.
- Merrimack has played each of the three Division I college hockey programs based in Colorado; the Warriors are 6-6 all-time in the state (6-4 at Air Force).
Inside the Series (Colorado College)
- Like Denver, Merrimack and Colorado College have only faced off twice previously.
- And similarly to the Denver series, Colorado College has won both the prior two games and did not allow a goal in those games.
- The Tigers took a 5-0 decision in the Nye Frontier Classic tournament in 2006 before blanking the Warriors, 3-0, in last year's Florida College Hockey Classic.
'Mack Facts
- Merrimack is riding its longest unbeaten streak of the season (2-0-1), with wins over Army West Point (4-1) and New Hampshire (4-3) and a tie against Northeastern (1-1).
- The Warriors have just one road win in nine tries (1-6-2) compared to 3-3-2 at home.
- Jace Hennig and Brett Seney lead the team with 15 points; Hennig has potted a team-high seven goals while Seney and classmate Jared Kolquist each have 11 assists.
- Three other Warriors have surpassed the 10-point threshold, as well.
- Hennig and Sami Tavernier each have four goals on the power play, which ranks tied for sixth in Hockey East. Seney and Kolquist are tied for third in the league with 11 power play points in total, while Hennig ranks eighth with 10.
- Goaltender Craig Pantano has earned all of Merrimack's wins this season and has started 10 of the last 11 games; he is 4-4-2 with a 2.38 GAA and .915 SV% on the year.
The Dirt on Denver
- Defending national champion Denver started the season unbeaten in its first six games (4-0-2) and then had another similar stretch before falling to Dartmouth in its final game of the first half. The Pioneers blew a 3-0 lead in that game.
- Denver enters the second half with one of the nation's best records at 10-4-4 overall, including a 5-3-2 mark in the NCHC.
- Six Pioneers are in double-digit scoring figures and three of those six are over 20 points on the season, led by sophomore Henrik Borgström and junior Troy Terry, who each have 24 points, while junior Dylan Gambrell has 21.
- Borgström's 13 goals and six power play tallies are most on the team, while Terry's 16 helpers lead the Pioneers. Both rank in the top-10 nationally in scoring average; the former is top-five in goals per game and ranks second nationally in power play goals.
- Rookie defenseman Ian Mitchell represents Denver's top-scoring defenseman and highest-scoring first-year player.
- Senior Tanner Jaillet has started all but two games for Denver and is 9-3-4 with a 2.22 goals against average and .919 save percentage.
- Denver ranks fifth nationally in scoring offense (3.50) and 13th in scoring defense (2.50); their power play ranks fifth (26.2) while their PK ranks 15th (84.2).
- Jim Montgomery, is in his fifth season at UD; he started the year 102-47-18 all-time.
Eye on the Tigers
- Colorado College closed the first half at 8-7-3 overall with a 3-5-2 mark in NCHC play. The Tigers won eight games all of last season. They will play Air Force the day before they face Merrimack.
- Colorado College has neither won more than three games in a row nor lost more than two consecutive contests. The Tigers closed the first half with just one win in their last six games, however (1-2-3).
- Six Tigers are in double-digit scoring figures and two of those six are over 20 points on the season, led by sophomore Nick Halloran's 24 points.
- Halloran's 15 helpers pace the Tigers, while junior Mason Bergh has lit the lamp a team-leading 10 times while chipping in 12 helpers.
- Halloran, Bergh and junior Westin Michaud each have a team-high three power play goals.
- Sixteen different Tigers have scored at least once, and 17 players have at least one point.
- Sophomore Alex LeClerc has started every game for Colorado College, owning a 2.70 goals against average and .918 save percentage.
- C.C. ranks 35th nationally in scoring offense (2.78) and 30th in scoring defense (2.89); their power play ranks 39th (16.3) while their PK ranks 42nd (79.2).
- Mike Haviland is in his fourth season at Colorado College; he started the year 20-79-8 all-time.
Up Next
Merrimack opens the 2018 portion of its schedule with a two-game road trip next weekend, as the Warriors travel to UConn and Providence Jan. 5-6 for 7 p.m. tilts.
