Merrimack 3, UNH 3 (MC wins shootout)
 
Random Notes:
 
The Warriors outplayed the Wildcats at even strength for most of the
evening, although UNH held a gaudy 18-7 shot advantage after one period due
to a 5-1 advantage on power plays. The MC penalty kill was atypically
successful, as the 'cats repeatedly stopped skating on the man advantage
and settled for shots from the points and from bad angles.
 
UNH built a 2-0 lead after two periods, even though Merrimack held a
territorial advantage for most of that period.
 
MC came back in the third to tie the game at two on goals by defenseman
John Jakopin and forward Gaetan Poirer. UNH took the lead again 3-2 before
MC's Chris Davis scored the game's final goal to knot the score at 3.
 
OT was an up-and-down affair with both teams having fairly good chances.
 
One of the biggest plusses for MC was the play of goaltender Eric
Thibeault, who earned first star honors starting in place of injured
netminder Martin Legault.
 
UNH took a 2-0 lead in the shootout to start, but Thibeault came up big on
UNH's last two shooters to give MC a chance to come back. Co-Captain Mark
Cornforth's shootout score knotted things at two, and in the sudden-death
portion of the shootout, Merrimack's Rob Beck found the 5-hole to give the
Warriors the extra point.
 
 
David M. Josselyn
Merrimack College '93
Syracuse University '94