SIOUX FALLS, SD –
Max Lundgren couldn't pinpoint a better performance.
The Merrimack junior goaltender has back boned the men's hockey team throughout the season, to be sure. Lundgren set the single season saves record at Merrimack and never came off the ice this season. A 49-save shutout in the Hockey East Championship, though, is tough to beat.
"Max wasn't on any of the all-star teams. He wasn't a finalist for the Goalie of the Year. He just kind of showed everyone that he was," Merrimack coach
Scott Borek said before the Warriors left for Sioux Falls where they'll face North Dakota on Thursday night.
The performance earned Lundgren the Hockey East Tournament MVP after a unanimous vote.
"Winning the MVP of the Hockey East Tournament, to get his team over the line for the Hockey East Championship, is the trophy he wanted."
Lundgren and the Warriors now set their sights on the NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Tournament. Merrimack will face North Dakota, the top seed in the Sioux Falls Region and No. 2 overall seed in the tournament.
While the Fighting Hawks present Merrimack with arguably its toughest test of the season, the Warriors enter with plenty of confidence.
A major reason for such confidence is because Lundgren could be the best player on the ice.
"When you have a goalie that good, it gives your team a lot of trust," Merrimack captain
Mark Hillier said. "I think at this point of the year, trust is probably the biggest factor in any game. Having a guy that's so reliable there -- he's absolutely unbelievable. Having a guy like that is great for any team. So, we're very fortunate to have him."
Lundgren started all 38 games for the Warriors this season and never came off the ice. He allowed just six goals on 130 shots in the Hockey East Tournament, including a mere one goal on 73 shots during two games at TD Garden.
"He's the heart and soul of our team," sophomore captain
Caelan Fitzpatrick said. "When he's back there in the net, it gives the team much more confidence to go out there and play."
Lundgren and the Warriors will face the Fighting Hawks at Denny Sanford Premier Center on Thursday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.
