NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's ice hockey team will look to start off 2019 on a high note when it returns to Hockey East play with a two-game, two-opponent weekend series starting at New Hampshire on Friday night. The Warriors then conclude the weekend at No. 11 Northeastern on Saturday. Puck drop each night is set for 7 p.m., and both games will be broadcast live on NESN (Friday) and NESNplus (Saturday).
Five Things To Know
- Merrimack finished the first half of the season with four wins and played eight one-goal games during that stretch, among the most by any team in the country.
- The Warriors' last win was a 1-0 shutout victory at Bemidji State on Nov. 10, as the team is mired in a season-long eight-game winless stretch (0-7-1).
- Six of Merrimack's top-eight scorers are juniors, headlined by Tyler Irvine's 13 points (5g, 8a), which are a new career-high. Junior defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic ranks second on the team in overall scoring and is the most productive blueliner with 10 points (3g, 7a). Freshman Chase Gresock comes in at third overall with nine points (3g, 6a) on the season, while the next three players on the scoresheet are all juniors as well: Sami Tavernier (2g, 5a), Patrick Kramer (4g, 3a) and Logan Coomes (1g, 5a).
- Merrimack returns to league play against two different opponents this weekend. Both are among the hottest teams in the country, with UNH winners of three straight while Northeastern's eight-game unbeaten streak is the second-longest nationwide.
- Merrimack's power play unit has scored at least one power play goal in nine out of 19 contests, including four games with two power play goals.
Inside the Matchup:
| Category |
Merrimack |
New Hampshire |
Northeastern |
| Scoring Offense |
1.89 |
2.35 |
3.81 |
| Scoring Defense |
4.05 |
2.47 |
2.19 |
| Shots/Game |
26.2 |
26.8 |
33.0 |
| Shots Allowed/Game |
29.5 |
29.1 |
28.2 |
| PPG-Chances |
13-91 |
12-54 |
13-72 |
| PP% |
14.3% |
22.2% |
18.1% |
| PK-Chances |
71-95 |
59-71 |
46-54 |
| PK% |
74.7% |
83.1% |
85.2% |
| Penalties-PIM |
114-291 |
81-192 |
65-152 |
| PIM/Game |
15.3 |
11.3 |
9.5 |
| Blocked Shots |
187 |
192 |
196 |
| Faceoffs (W-L) |
553-667 |
480-577 |
473-463 |
| Faceoff % |
45.3% |
45.4% |
50.5% |
Up Next
Merrimack will face a quick turnaround, as it hops on a plane to Detroit on Sunday to take on the University of Michigan, a 2018 Frozen Four participant, on Tuesday night in Ann Arbor. Puck drop from Yost Arena is set for 7:30 p.m.
