Links: Box Score
Video: Borek Postgame
ORONO, Maine – In a game with plenty of twists and turns, the Merrimack College men's hockey team was topped by Maine, 6-5, in overtime Friday night at Alfond Arena.
Max Newton sparked the Warrior offense with two goals and he was joined by
Zach Uens,
Steven Jandric and
Filip Forsmark with multi-point games. Merrimack entered the third period down by a goal, then took the lead in the final five minutes, but could not close it out, then Maine won the game late in the overtime session.
The Basics
Score: Maine 6,
Merrimack 5 (OT)
Records: Merrimack (4-7-0, 2-6-0 HEA) | Maine (1-7-1, 1-4-0 HEA)
Attendance: 3,007
How It Happened
- Merrimack flew out of the gates in the first period and needed just 52 seconds to claim a lead. Zach Vinnell started the play from his own end when he hit Jandric with an indirect pass at the far blue lines. Jandric shuffled a backhanded pass to Alex Jefferies in the neutral zone, who came in with tons of speed into the attacking zone. His original shot was saved, but he flung the rebound back towards the net and snuck it home inside the near post.
- The Warrior onslaught pressed on just over two minutes later. Forsmark stopped a Maine breakout attempt, then skated out to the point with the puck. He left the puck for Uens, who ripped one towards goal from the top of the right faceoff dot that Filip Karlsson-Tagtstrom deftly tipped home from a few feet away for his second goal in as many games.
- Momentum stayed on the Warriors' side for the next few minutes with them controlling play territorially, but Maine cut the deficit in half with just under 12 minutes to play in the frame on a shot that snuck through Merrimack starting goalie Hugo Ollas.
- With under two minutes to play in the frame, it seemed like Maine was going to escape with just a one goal margin, but the visitors did not let it happen.
- Vinnell stopped a potential Maine breakout at the top of the offensive zone, then played a puck forward for Jandric. The graduate student slipped a feed to the other point for Uens, who worked a shot through a crowd in front to Newton, who deflected it home to the near side of the net.
- When the horn sounded to close the opening stanza, Merrimack had a 3-1 lead and a 15-1 lead in shots on goal.
- Maine looked to turn the tides in the second and brought the score to 3-2 just under two minutes into the frame with a power play marker.
- Another power play goal tied it up at three with 10:51 to go in the period, then Maine took its first lead of the day at 4-3 a minute later.
- Merrimack, who entered the day as the best team statistically in third periods this season in Hockey East, found the equalizer quickly on the power play. Declan Carlile took a point shot that was stopped, then Ben Brar's turnaround follow up attempt was stymied, but the rebound fell to Newton, who fired home his second of the night.
- Both sides had their chances to snag the lead, but it was the Warriors that pulled through with just under four minutes to play in the third. Liam Walsh won an attacking zone faceoff clean to Forsmark, who loaded and uncorked a wrist shot under the bar to give Merrimack the lead.
- In the final few two minutes, the teams went to 4-on-4 play after a pair of penalties, then Maine pulled its goalie to create a 5-on-4 situation. The Black Bears converted to tie it up with 1:27 to play.
- Maine went on to win during the extra session in the closing minute.
Notes & Numbers
- Karlsson-Tagtstrom now has three points in his first two games of the season.
- Vinnell and Karlsson-Tagtstrom both had +3 ratings to tie for the game-high.
- Newton's great outing continued at the faceoff dot where he won 16 of 23 opportunities. He also pushed his team lead in points to 12, which is three better than the next skater.
- Brar has now had at least a point in four of his last five games.
- Forsmark has tallied five points in his last four games.
- Ollas ended the night with 26 saves in net.
Up Next
The Warriors and Black Bears return to Alfond Arena Saturday night to close the weekend set. Puck drop is set for 5:05 pm.
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