University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
#6 Merrimack
No. 6 Merrimack Sweeps Hockey With 2-1 Win Saturday
February 19, 2011 | Hockey
Feb. 19, 2011
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - No. 6 Merrimack used a 41-16 shot advantage and goals from Mike Collins and Jesse Todd to sweep the UMass Hockey team (6-18-5, 5-13-5 HEA) on Saturday night at Lawler Arena, 2-1. The Warriors (21-5-4, 14-5-3 HEA) led 2-0 after two periods before T.J. Syner scored his eighth goal of the season for the Minutemen midway through the third period to cut the deficit to one, while Paul Dainton made 39 saves in goal. The Mass Attack will be back in action next weekend for a home and home set with top-ranked Boston College, beginning Friday night at the Mullins Center for Operation 8K.
With Saturday's loss, the Minutemen are now in a tie for seventh place in the Hockey East standings with Vermont at 15 points a piece. Providence is three points behind with four games remaining in the regular season. Merrimack tested Dainton throughout the game, with 21 shots and 14 shots during the first and second periods, respectively. The Minutemen were 1-for-6 on the power play, scoring a power play goal for the second straight game, while the Warriors went 1-for-2 on the man advantage.
Merrimack outshot the Minutemen 21-7 during the first period, the most shots UMass has allowed in any period all season, and jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a goal from Mike Collins with 9:51 left in the frame. Massachusetts began the game playing at a high tempo, and nearly potted the game's first goal in the opening two minutes when Troy Power centered the puck to Chase Langeraap in front, but the redirect sailed just over the net.
The Warriors took a 1-0 lead midway through the frame off a turnover in the neutral zone when Jordan Heywood sent a backhand pass up to Collins as he entered the UMass zone. Collins then skated in on Dainton and had an option to pass to his linemate, but elected to shoot shortside to beat Dainton for Collins' 10th goal of the season. Dainton was tested consistently throughout the stanza, and made a sprawling stick save on Chris Barton following a slew of Merrimack shots on goal.
The Warriors continued to pepper Dainton during the second period, throwing 14 shots on goal and going up 2-0 with a power play goal from Jesse Todd five minutes into the frame. With the Minutemen in the box for a boarding minor Jeff Velleca took a pass from Ryan Flanigan, and then spotted Todd stationed below the left faceoff dot. Velleca fired a quick pass across the crease to a waiting Todd, who roofed it into the top corner before Dainton could get across to the opposite post.
UMass went on the power play with 4:52 left in the stanza, and almost cut into the Merrimack lead when Conor Sheary took a long pass from Dainton heading into the attacking zone before wristing a shot that Cannata stopped. The rebound flew up into the air, where Chase Langeraap nearly poked it home.
The Minutemen battled during the third period, killing off a full five-on-three power play situation from the Warriors, and cut the Merrimack lead to one with 9:26 left in regulation. Dainton continued to keep the Warriors at bay throughout the frame, making six saves during the final 20 minutes of play.
T.J. Syner made it 2-1 Merrimack midway through the stanza with the Minutemen on the power play. Syner skated into the offensive zone before dishing to Adam Phillips at the point. After playing catch with Joel Hanley along the blueline, Phillips returned the puck to Syner, who then fired a low shot that appeared to ricochet off something before beating Cannata fivehole.
The Mintuemen pulled Dainton in favor of the extra skater with 1:30 left in the period, and Michael Pereira had a chance to knot the game at two with less than a minute to play when the puck squirted out to him in the slot, but the puck bounced just over the freshman forward's stick where it was then cleared out of harm's way.
