Men’s Ice Hockey Returns to Lawler Rink for Pair of Post-Thanksgiving Showdowns

Date	Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 // 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov, 30, 2019 // 7 p.m.
Matchup	Merrimack (2-8-2, 1-4-2 HEA) #7/7 Penn State (10-3-0, 6-2-0 Big 10) Rensselaer (5-6-1, 2-4-1 ECAC)
Location	Lawler Rink // North Andover, Mass. (Tickets)
Links (Fri.)	Live Stats // Watch // Listen
Links (Sat.)	Live Stats // Watch // Listen
Social	Twitter // Instagram

 
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's ice hockey team stays home through the Thanksgiving holiday, as it welcomes in Penn State and RPI for home games as part of the 2019 Turkey Leg Classic. The Warriors are hosting the event along with UMass Lowell, who will also play the Nittany Lions and Engineers. Merrimack enters after a tie and a loss last weekend against then #7/7 UMass.
 
PARKING ADVISORY 
Due to enhanced security regulations in place on campus, fans are encouraged to arrive to Lawler Rink EARLY on game days.  
Please note the following parking restrictions for all games: 

• Lot F (MAC) is a reserved parking area.

• Lot G (Deegan/Fenton Road) is reserved for GAME DAY STAFF ONLY. 
• Fans are encouraged to park in Lot H (Sakowich) or Lot M (Athletics District)! 

Click here to view campus map. 

Ticket Prices:
Non-Gameday 
Reserved: $20
Military/First Responder/Youth (U-12)/Senior (65+): $15 
Faculty/Staff: $10 
Merrimack Students w/ valid Mack Card: FREE while supplies last! 

Gameday
Reserved: $23
Military/First Responder/Youth (U-12)/Senior (65+): $17
Faculty/Staff: $10 
Merrimack Students w/ valid Mack Card: FREE while supplies last! 

Five Things To Know

• Senior Tyler Irvine broke a team shorthanded goal drought that lasted just over a calendar year Saturday against UMass. His second period goal was the first shorthanded tally since Nov. 17, 2018 when Logan Drevitch scored a man down against Providence.
• The Warriors' special teams has been trending upwards over the past couple games. Merrimack scored a power play goal in both games against UMass and also shut out the Minutemen in all seven of their power play opportunities. The Warriors now enter the weekend with 11 straight successful penalty kills.
• Sami Tavernier had a trio of assists in the two games against UMass, including a pair of helpers Saturday at Lawler Rink. The multi-point effort was the second of the year for the senior.
• Longtime Warrior play-by-play voice John Leahy is set to broadcast his 500th game behind the mic for Merrimack Saturday night in North Andover. He has been the voice of the Warriors since the 2005-06 season.
• The Nittany Lions come to North Andover winners of four of their last five games and have a 10-3 overall record. Seven of the team's skaters are averaging a point or more per game to help them average 4.62 goals per game, which is second best in the country. The Engineers broke a four-game winless streak Nov. 23 when they topped Canisius 3-2 in Buffalo. RPI is off to a 5-6-1 start to the campaign and are led by Will Reilly, leads the team in goals (6) and assists (6) for 12 points.

 
Inside the Matchup:

Merrimack (2-8-2, 1-4-2 HEA)	Category	#7/7 Penn State (10-3-0, 6-2-0 Big 10)	Rensselaer (5-6-1, 2-4-1 ECAC)
11/23 vs #7/7 UMass (L, 3-2)	Last Time Out	11/23 vs #11 Ohio State (L, 4-3)	11/23 at Canisius (W, 3-2)
2.17	Scoring Offense	4.62	3.08
3.58	Scoring Defense	2.54	3.00
26.8	Shots/Game	38.6	28.5
25.1	Shots Allowed/Game	30.3	29.3
8-50	PPG-Chances	18-52	10-44
16.0%	PP%	34.6%	22.7%
43-53	PK-Chances	42-51	39-44
81.1%	PK%	82.4%	88.6
43-102	Penalties-PIM	38-76	32-64
13.6	PIM/Game	10.2	8.0
345-383	Faceoffs (W-L)	435-429	388-356
47.4%	Faceoff %	50.3%	52.2%

 
Up Next
The Warriors take on rival UNH in a home-and-home series Dec. 6-7. Merrimack heads to the Granite State to face the Wildcats Friday, before it hosts them Saturday at Lawler Rink. Both games are set for 7 p.m. puck drops.    
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