Links: Box Score
Postgame Comments:
Dennehy
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's ice hockey team rallied with a goal late in regulation to prompt overtime for the third time this postseason, but No. 18 Boston College spoiled the comeback with a shorthanded goal just past the four-minute mark of the extra session, ending the Warriors' season in heartbreaking fashion in Game 2 of the Hockey East Tournament Quarterfinals on Saturday night at Conte Forum.
The Basics
Score: Boston College 4,
Merrimack 3 (F/OT)
Records: Merrimack (12-21-4, 7-15-2 HEA) | #18 Boston College (20-13-3, 18-6-0 HEA)
Location: Conte Forum | Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Attendance: 2825
Game Duration: 2:42
Rapid Recap
- Similar to the script in Game 1, Merrimack and Boston College skated to a scoreless opening frame that saw Merrimack outshoot the hosts by a wide margin (9-5) while attempting 18 shots overall. Goaltending remained the story, however, as last night's hero for BC – Joe Woll – stopped all nine attempts he saw in the period while Merrimack's Craig Pantano denied all five on the other end to keep it a 0-0 contest with 20 minutes in the books.
- After going the first half of the game without a goal, both schools would combine for four goals in the final eight minutes of the second period. Merrimack nearly struck first, but it was BC that not only netted the opening strike, but added another three minutes later to take a 2-0 edge with less than five minutes to play in the second. The Warriors, however, would not wilt; first, senior Alfred Larsson netted his third goal of the year 19 seconds after the second BC tally, and then with less than 30 seconds left in the period, junior Ludvig Larsson made it a brand new game after he tipped in a shot on the power play to level the ledger at 2-2 heading to the third.
- Boston College regained the lead early in the third after an unlucky bounce led to an Eagles odd-man rush that pushed the home side back in front by one. But the visitors kept battling and eventually evened the score late in regulation, as sophomore Tyler Irvine sent the Warriors to their third overtime game in four postseason contests this year with the game-tying strike with less than five minutes remaining in the third.
- After outshooting the Eagles by 11 in regulation, Merrimack appeared to have a jump on the home side at the start of overtime and ultimately had a golden chance to end it after sophomore Sami Tavernier had a 1-on-1 chance with Woll but was denied. In the process, he drew a penalty to put the Warriors on the power play. But BC would steal the game after forcing a turnover in the Merrimack zone en route to a shorthanded, game-winning marker at the 4:20 mark of overtime.
Scoring Summaries
- Goal #1 (BC, 0-1): Mike Booth gave the Egles a 1-0 lead at 12:02 of the second, netting his first of the year in the process. He took the puck at the left wing boards, cuts across the slot and scored blocker side off a wrist shot.
- Goal #2 (BC, 0-2): JD Dudek doubled the Eagle lead at 15:20. After a turnover forced by Chris Grando at the near side boards, Dudek ripped a shot from the near circle and hit the post, but he picked up the rebound and snuck it through the five-hole.
- Goal #3 (MC, 1-2): Alfred Larsson gave the Warriors life after getting a piece of a Johnathan Kovacevic one-timer as it rolled toward the net for his third marker of the year 19 seconds after BC's second tally (15:39). Alfred Larsson got the sequence started by ripping a shot from close range off Woll that trickled into the corner, where sophomore Logan Coomes retrieved it and pushed it through the slot to the near circle to Kovacevic, who ripped a slapper that would trickle by Woll, off Alfred Larsson and over the goal line.
- Goal #4 (MC, 2-2): The Warriors kept the momentum rolling in their favor after earning their first power play of the night and promptly capitalizing. Senior Jared Kolquist worked the puck to sophomore Tavernier in the right circle, and his shot was tipped by Ludvig Larsson for the equalizer at 19:34 of the second.
- Goal #5 (BC, 2-3): Julius Mattila restored the BC lead at 4:14 of the third, finishing off a 3-on-1 rush for his 12th of the year. Michael Kim wrapped the puck toward the blue line in his own zone, but the puck took a funny bounce and led to an odd-man rush the other way. Logan Hutsko led the charge and found Mattila alone at the back post.
- Goal #6 (MC, 3-3): Irvine's first career playoff goal came at 15:05 of the third and was his fifth of the year overall to tie the score at 3-3. Merrimack used some slick passing to create a clean zone entry, and Coomes would zip a pass to Alfred Larsson on the left edge of the crease. He would further it along to Irvine, who finished off the play with a tap-on strike at the blocker side post.
- Goal #7 (BC, 3-4): After a Merrimack icing, Christopher Grando won it for the Eagles on a shorthanded slap shot. Connor Moore forced the loose puck to Grando in the left circle and the latter used a quick slap shot to win the series.
Notes and Numbers
- Merrimack reached the quarterfinal round of the league tournament for the third time in the last four years and third time since the playoff format changed in 2014 to add an Opening Round.
- Merrimack's senior class graduates as the only one in program history to win three Hockey East playoff series since the Division I era.
- Merrimack controlled the bulk of play in both games of the series, doubling the Eagles in shots on goal (70-35) in both games.
- Alfred Larsson potted his second goal of the playoffs and third of the year, while Irvine recorded his first collegiate playoff goal in the process. Ludvig Larsson, meanwhile, netted his second goal this postseason alone.
- Merrimack ended a drought of 19 power plays without a goal dating back to Feb. 17 after converting its first man advantage of the night.
- Merrimack fell to 22-70-7 all-time against Boston College and 1-30-3 at Kelley Rink since Halloween of 1997.
- Merrimack finished the year 11-3-2 when scoring three-plus goals compared to 1-18-2 when being held to fewer than three goals. The Warriors also played their 11th overtime game of the season and finished 4-3-4 in overtime contests.
- Goaltenders: Craig Pantano (18 saves, 11-14-2) // Joseph Woll (30 saves, 17-10-2)
- Power Plays: Merrimack (1-3) | Boston College (0-0)
- Shots on Goal (MC-BC): 9-5 // 13-8 // 9-7 // 2-2 – 33-22
Merrimack Lineup
Forwards
Hennig | Seney | Tibbet
Petti | L. Larsson | Tavernier
Coomes | A. Larsson | Irvine
Babcock | Bales | McBride
Defense
Kolquist | Titcomb
Biega | Cook
Dockery | Kovacevic
Goaltenders
Pantano | Vogler | Halladay
