Links: Box Score
Postgame Comments:
Dennehy
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Merrimack College men's ice hockey team fell to 11th-ranked Providence on Saturday night at Schneider Arena by a 5-2 margin. The Friars scored the final four goals of the game to rally back from a 2-1 deficit and win the season series. The Warriors are back in action next Friday at home against the University of Connecticut.
The Basics
Score: Providence 5,
Merrimack 2
Records: Merrimack (6-11-4, 3-7-2 HEA) | #11 Providence (14-7-1, 7-4-1 HEA)
Location: Schneider Arena | Providence, R.I.
Game Duration: 2:12
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack turned one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead after scoring a pair of markers 3:17 apart in the later stages of the first period. Providence struck first at 7:31, but Merrimack drew even while on the man advantage thanks to senior captain Jared Kolquist at 16:20. The Warriors would hold off a late Friar power play before junior Ludvig Larsson gave the Warriors the lead with 23 seconds left in the frame to send Merrimack into the break with a 2-1 advantage.
- Providence would use some late dramatics of its own to turn the tide toward the end of the second period, lighting the lamp less than three minutes apart to push ahead, 3-2. The Friars outshot the Warriors, 10-4, in the frame, and also had three power plays compared to two for the Warriors, but the Merrimack penalty kill stayed perfect at 5-for-5 after 40 minutes.
- The Friars would eventually add insurance midway through the third period and got a late empty-netter while holding the Warriors to just 12 shots on goal for the entire contest en route to the final margin of victory of 5-2.
Scoring Summaries
- Goal #1 (PC, 0-1): Providence broke the scoreless tie 7:31 into the contest after a pretty individual effort by Brandon Duhaime. The Providence sophomore got the puck in the neutral zone and skated it from the right side, splitting the defense on the way in and beating Pantano 1-on-1 with a quick snap shot over the glove from in tight.
- Goal #2 (MC, 1-1): Kolquist tied the game for the Warriors at the 16:20 mark of the first, burying his fourth of the year with the visitors on the power play to even the score. After a shot from sophomore Sami Tavernier was blocked, Kolquist hopped on the loose puck and blew a wrist shot from the high slot over the blocker shoulder of PC goaltender Hayden Hawkey for the equalizer. Senior Brett Seney also assisted on the play.
- Goal #3 (MC, 2-1): Larsson capped off Merrimack's late scoring spurt at the end of the first with his sixth goal of the year at 19:37. The junior buried a one-timer at the right hash off a feed from sophomore Cole McBride (Kindersley, Saskatchewan), who found a wide-open Larsson from the near corner boards.
- Goal #4 (PC, 2-2): Moments after a power play expired, Providence's Brian Pinho got the Friars even with his ninth goal of the year at 15:48 of the second. Hawkey threw the puck up to a wide-open Pinho at the Merrimack blue line, who skated it alone and beat Pantano low glove side.
- Goal #5 (PC, 2-3): Providence edged ahead at 18:35 of the third after Kasper Bjorkqvist's eighth tally of the year. Jacob Bryson sent a long stretch pass down the wing to Bjorkqvist at the left point, and the latter turned, skated in and beat Pantano with wrist shot through the five-hole.
- Goal #6 (PC, 2-4): Erik Foley buried a rebound at 10:51 of the third to extend the Providence lead to 4-2. Vincent Desharnais took the initial shot from the left point that went through traffic, and Foley was there to pot the loose puck at the back post to add some insurance for the Friars.
- Goal #7 (PC, 2-5): Bjorkqvist potted an empty-netter with just 1:35 left in the game to wrap up the scoring for the hosts.
Notes and Notables
- Merrimack was held to just 12 shots on goal on Saturday, its lowest total of the season and lowest since being held to 11 at New Hampshire on Feb. 28, 2015.
- Merrimack saw its all-time record move to 32-87-12 all-time against Providence, as the Warriors are now 5-14-4 against the Friars since the start of the 2010-11 season. Merrimack is also now 16-52-4 all-time at Schneider Arena, where they have gone 0-7-2 since their last win on Dec. 1, 2012.
- Merrimack fell to 0-11-2 when being held to fewer than three goals compared to 6-0-2 when netting three-plus goals. Merrimack is also 1-9-1 when trailing after two periods this season.
- Goaltenders: Craig Pantano (22 saves, 6-6-2) // Brayden Hawkey (10 saves, 14-7-0)
- Power Plays: Merrimack (1-5) | Providence (0-7)
- Shots on Goal (MC-PC): 5-10 // 4-10 // 3-7 -- 12-27
Merrimack Lineup
Hennig | Seney | Irvine
Petti | L. Larsson | McBride
Babcock | Kramer | Tavernier
A. Larsson | Drevitch | McKay
Kolquist | Lööf
Biega | Carle
Dockery | Kovacevic
Pantano
Vogler
Halladay
UConn Flash Sale Announced!
ATTENTION FANS! Make sure you're in attendance next Friday at Lawler Rink to watch Merrimack and UConn conclude their season series!
Use the promotional code gopats12 (not case sensitive) and enjoy $10 off admission (all tickets)!
NOTE: This flash sale/promotional code is valid until next Thursday (Jan. 11) at 11:59 p.m.
Click here to buy online or call the Box Office at 978-837-5324 during business hours. For more information, head to
MerrimackAthletics.com/Tickets.
Up Next
Merrimack plays just one game next weekend when it hosts the University of Connecticut on Friday (Jan. 5) evening. Puck drop from Lawler Rink is 7 p.m.
