DURHAM, N.H.– In a penalty filled affair, the Merrimack College women's ice hockey team fell just short of tying the game late in the third period, as they lost to the University of New Hampshire 2-1. The Warriors were kept in the game by goaltender,
Emma Gorski, who made 32 saves to give Merrimack a chance to equalize late.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack Warriors 1, New Hampshire Wildcats 2
Records: Merrimack (4-9-1, 3-5-1 HEA) | UNH (3-6-2, 3-6-1 HEA)
Location: Whittemore Center | Durham, New Hampshire
How It Happened
- On the Olympic sized ice, the first period was a bit of a track race, but the Warriors capitalized first. Graduate student captain, Courtney Maud, took a puck from the half wall to the middle of the ice where she then dished a nice feed to the point. Sophomore, Raice Szott, sent a puck towards the net and in a bit of a broken play, Emily Oosterveld, batted the puck into the UNH net to take the lead.
- Six minutes later, the Wildcats got a power play of their own, looking to tie things up at one. They did exactly that when a puck squeaked through the body of Gorski right to Brooke Hammer who buried the equalizer.
- The second period was a streaky period for both sides, but with chances a plenty neither side could break the tie. Things stayed tied do to keeping pucks away from Gorski. Senior, Julia MacLean, finished the game with four blocked shots which was good enough to lead the team.
- The third period was very similar to the second, where both teams were begging for a goal. The teams combined for 29 total shots on goal in the final frame as desperation started to set in. At the 4:05 mark of the period the Wildcats broke through and took the advantage 2-1, when Lauren Martin slid one into the Merrimack net.
- After the goal, the Warriors were down, but certainly not out as they kept peppering the UNH cage with shots. Junior, Teghan Inglis, did what she does best, which is generating shots from the point. The Okotos, Alberta native finished the game with a team high seven shots on goal.
- With just 3:18 remaining in the game, the Warriors went on the power play with a prime opportunity to draw even. The effort fell short though, as Merrimack came up empty handed on the extra player opportunity, before eventually falling to UNH.
Notes & Numbers.
- Goaltenders: Emma Gorski (32 saves, 4-8-1) | Ava Boutilier (21 saves, 3-5-0)
- Power Plays: MC 1-5 | UNH 2-5
- Shots on Goal: MC 7, UNH 12 | MC 5, UNH 13 | MC 10, UNH 9 | MC 22, UNH 39
- Faceoffs: 29 MC | 26 UNH Blocks: 12 MC | 8 UNH
Up Next
Merrimack welcomes the University of Vermont for back to back home games next weekend as the Warriors look to continue a dominant stretch of play the past two weeks.
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