North Andover, Mass. - The Merrimack College women's ice hockey team scored the first goal of the game and scored five in total, combined with freshman goaltender Lauren Lyons making 43 saves in her first collegiate start as the Warriors recorded a 5-3 win over #7 Clarkson on Saturday night.
Merrimack (1-1-0): 5, #7 Clarkson: 3 (1-1-0)
Merrimack got on the board midway through the first period on the powerplay as Maggie Kime's toss through a sea of bodies found the net. The Warriors would take advantage of some puck luck as McKenzie Cerrato's pass to the front would bank off a Clarkson defender and trickle over the line to take a two goal lead at the end of the opening 20.
The goals would just keep coming as Neely Hawn took the puck in space and snapped it top shelf for the Warriors third goal of the evening. Clarkson cut the lead to one after back to back goals on the powerplay but freshman Lauren Lyons continued to stand tall making 18 saves to carry the 3-2 lead into the final period.
With Clarkson pushing up to tie the score in the third, Merrimack counterpunched as Hailey Eikos's shot deflected off Stina Sandberg for her first collegiate goal. Just over a minute later, Jenna Chaplain registered her first as a Warrior to retake a two goal lead. Clarkson snagged a consolation with the net empty but the Warriors would hang on from there to capture their first win of the season.
Notes and Numbers:
· Merrimack had five different goal scorers as Maggie Kime, McKenzie Cerrato, Neely Hawn, Stina Sandberg and Jenna Chaplain had a goal each.
· Olivia Grabianowski and Hailey Eikos had two assists each.
· Madison Michals had an assist in the 100th NCAA game of her career.
· Jenna Chaplain and Avery Anderson had an assist each.
· Lauren Lyons made 43 saves for her first Warriors win in goal.
UP NEXT: The Warriors hit the road for the first time as they head to New York to face Union College on Friday, October 3rd. Puck drop is at 6 PM.
