Links: Box Score
Video: Borek Postgame
AMHERST, Mass. –
Ben Brar jammed one home in the final minute of the third period Saturday night at Mullins Center to tie the game at four against UMass, but the Minutemen scored on a power play goal in overtime to claim a 5-4 win.
Down by a goal with little time left on the clock, Merrimack called a timeout before an offensive zone faceoff, then forced the puck to the front of the net, where Brar stuffed it under the pads of Massachusetts goalie, Matt Murray. The Warriors fought back to tie the game twice during the third stanza, as
Steven Jandric scored one of his two on the night just 52 seconds in to knot the game at three.
Merrimack went out in front by a 2-0 score in the first period, but UMass clawed back to take a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes before the back-and-forth third.
The Basics
Score: #12/10 Massachusetts 5,
Merrimack 4 (OT)
Records: Merrimack (3-5-0, 1-3-1-0 HEA) | Massachusetts (4-2-0, 2-0-0-0 HEA)
Attendance: 3,477
How It Happened
- Merrimack took it to the defending national champions in the first period. The Warriors outshot the Minutemen by a 14-3 margin and didn't head into the first intermission without a lead.
- Just under six minutes into the frame, Massachusetts looked to clear its own end, but Christian Felton made a nice play to hold the zone. He worked the puck along the wall to Liam Walsh at the goal line, who flung it to the slot to Filip Forsmark. The junior extended forward, then slipped a pass back through the far side of the slot for Jandric, who ripped home his first goal as a Warrior.
- The Warrior push continued seven minutes later when they went on their second power play of the period. Merrimack took just 12 seconds off the clock after the start of the man advantage as Zach Vinnell fed the puck to Forsmark below the goal line, who started to creep towards the far side, then snuck a pass backdoor to Logan Drevitch, who wired home a quick snap shot to double the lead.
- The second period was a different story, as UMass cut the lead in half on a power play goal 3:59 into the frame, then tied the game with 3:24 to play, before it took its first lead of the evening with 53 seconds on the clock.
- The visitors from North Andover regrouped in the dressing room and needed less than a minute to draw back to level. While Massachusetts looked to regroup in its own end, a defender fell down, then Jandric picked his pocket. The graduate student came in all alone and fired home his second of the evening to tie it up.
- Massachusetts answered to take the lead at 4-3 eight minutes later, then Merrimack picked up the pace on the hunt for the equalizer.
- After a few good chances earlier on, Walsh dug in to take the faceoff out of Merrimack's timeout. He won it clean to Declan Carlile at the point, who one-timed the puck towards the goal. The original shot hit a body in front, then fell to the ice for Brar, who stuffed it past the netminder to tie it up with 47.7 seconds to go.
- Merrimack went shorthanded on a call as time expired in the third period, then Massachusetts won the game with just one second left before the penalty was completed.
Notes & Numbers
- Zachary Borgiel made his second start in net of the weekend and made 21 saves.
- Alex Jefferies led the team with six shots on goal.
- Merrimack controlled the game from the faceoff dot with 35 wins on 63 chances.
- Vinnell and Drevitch are now both on three-game point streaks.
- Jandric had the top rating in the game at +3. Carlile wasn't far behind at +2 and continues to lead the team with a +7 rating.
Up Next
Merrimack has its third straight ranked conference home-and-home weekend in a row starting Friday at Lawler Rink against Boston College. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.
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