Links: Box Score
AMHERST, Mass. – After the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team scored late in the second to make it a one-goal game, host Massachusetts answered back with a pair of goals early in the third, as the Minutemen held off the Warriors, 5-2, in a Tuesday night Hockey East matchup at the Mullins Center.
The Basics
Score: Massachusetts 5,
Merrimack 2
Records: Merrimack (8-17-4, 5-13-2 HEA) | Massachusetts (12-16-1, 6-12-1 HEA)
Location: Mullins Center | Amherst, Mass.
Game Duration: 2:22
Rapid Recap
- It was a tale of two halves in the opening period, as Merrimack had an early scoring chance after hitting a post four minutes in. However, UMass began to generate chances of its own and scored a pair of goals just over three minutes apart – including one on the power play – to take a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
- Junior Drew Vogler (Florissant, Mo.) made several stellar saves over the course of the second period to keep Merrimack within two, including a pair of glove stops at the weak post that stood out. It appeared as the hosts would stay in front by two heading to the third, but a late goal from junior Ludvig Larsson (Malmo, Sweden) made it a one-goal game after 40 minutes.
- UMass took the momentum right back with two goals early in the third; Larsson countered with his second of the night, but the Minutemen got it right back and held on from there on out to take the game and the season series.
Scoring Summaries
- Goal #1 (UMA, 0-1): John Leonard put the hosts in front 12:15 into the contest. After a failed clear by the visitors, Niko Rufo found Leonard entering the zone from the far point. Leonard skated in and scored from the far circle, going glove side with a quick wrister.
- Goal #2 (UMA, 0-2): Rufo doubled the Minutemen lead at 15:50 with UMass on the power play. Philip Lagunov's back-door pass to the post found Rufo for a tap-in goal.
- Goal #3 (MC, 1-2): Larsson brought the Warriors within one with a laser of a wrist shot at 19:30 of the second, his career-high 10th goal of the year. Senior Jace Hennig (Port Moody, British Columbia) took the puck away at the blue line and skated it out to set up Larsson at the right wing. The latter let one fly from the near dot and beat UMass goaltender Matt Murray glove side.
- Goal #4 (UMA, 1-3): Leonard's second of the night came only 26 seconds into the third to put UMass back up by two. He found the puck after a center ice faceoff win and went down the right wing before beating Vogler blocker side from the slot.
- Goal #5 (UMA, 1-4): Jake Horton's first goal of the year gave the Minutemen their largest lead of the night at 1:13 of the third. Following a faceoff win in the Merrimack zone, Brett Boeing found Ivan Chukarov at the point, who handed off to Horton. His shot from the right point snuck in through traffic.
- Goal #6 (MC, 2-4): Larsson' second of the night brought the visitors to within one, and he did all the work himself in turning defense into offense. After a UMass shot was blocked, Larsson skated the puck out and formed a 2-on-1; he opted to shoot all the way, beating Murray blocker side.
- Goal #7 (UMA, 2-5): Jake McLaughlin put the hosts back up by three with his third of the year at the 9:36 mark of the third. With the Minutemen on a power play, UMass worked the puck from the left wing boards to center point to the right dot, where McLaughlin connected on a one-timer.
Notes and Notables
- Larsson posted his third career two-goal performance and second this year; he also lit the lamp twice against Providence on Nov. 18, 2017.
- Merrimack saw its all-time record against UMass fall to 41-40-7, including 18-29-1 at the Mullins Center.
- Merrimack is now 4-12-0 when allowing the first goal and 0-15-2 when being held to three goals or fewer.
- Goaltenders: Drew Vogler (20 saves, 1-7-2) // Matt Murray (31 saves, 5-10-1)
- Power Plays: Merrimack (0-1) | UMass (2-5)
- Shots on Goal (MC-UMASS): 9-6 // 13-13 // 11-6 – 33-25
Merrimack Lineup
Forwards
Hennig | L. Larsson | McBride
Seney | Petti | Tavernier
Babcock | A. Larsson | Irvine
Coomes | Kramer | Drevitch
Defense
Kolquist | Titcomb
Biega | Carle
Dockery | Cook
Goaltenders
Vogler | Pantano | Halladay
Up Next
Merrimack will enjoy a 10-day layoff after its bye weekend but will return to take on New Hampshire and Boston University at home on Feb. 16-17 at 7 p.m. each night.
