Irvine's Four Points Send Merrimack Past Providence, 5-2
Freshman forward Tyler Irvine scores two goals and two assists for Warriors

Freshman forward Tyler Irvine scored two goals and two assists for the Warriors
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
1st 10:16  PRV1-0 PP Brian Pinho (4)Jake Walman/7, Jacob Bryson/7
3rd 3:54  MER1-1 EV Tyler Irvine (3) -
3rd 5:19  MER2-1 EV Ludvig Larsson (2)Tyler Irvine/2, Hampus Gustafsson/4
3rd 8:45  MER3-1 EV GW Hampus Gustafsson (8)Tyler Irvine/3, Ludvig Larsson/3
3rd 12:07  MER4-1 EV Chris LeBlanc (2)Michael Babcock/2, Derek Petti/3
3rd 18:56  PRV2-4 PP Vincent Desharnais (1)Conor MacPhee/1, Robbie Hennessey/2
3rd 19:39.2 MER5-2 SH EN Tyler Irvine (4) -
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Providence  1012
Merrimack  0055
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Providence  133723
Merrimack  66921
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Providence (4-5-2)  2/8 5/10 0
Merrimack (6-6-3)  0/3 10/20 1
Providence Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Hayden Hawkey (L, 4-5-2)59:464 66416
Empty Net0:141     
Merrimack Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Drew Vogler (W, 5-5-3)60:002 123621

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - Backed by a four-point outing from freshman forward Tyler Irvine (Livonia, Mich.), the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team erased a one-goal deficit with five tallies in the third period en route to a 5-2 victory over Providence College on Friday afternoon at Lawler Rink.

The Basics

Score: Merrimack 5, Providence 2
Records: Merrimack (6-6-3, 1-2-3 HEA) | #RV/RV Providence (4-5-2, 1-3-1 HEA)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.
Attendance: 2549
Game Duration: 2:20

How It Happened

1st Period

After a back-and-forth first 10 minutes of play, Providence grabbed the lead just past the midpoint of the opening frame, as North Andover native Brian Pinho redirected a point shot with the Friars on the power play to put the visitors up, 1-0.

2nd Period

After both teams combined for 19 shots on goal in the first period (13-6 Providence), things were much calmer in that regard during the middle stanza, as both sides were kept in check from an offensive standpoint while combining for nine shots on goal (6-3 Merrimack).

3rd Period

Irvine broke Merrimack's 43-minute scoreless stretch with his third goal of the season at the 3:54 mark of the third, opening the floodgates for what would become a five-goal period.

Sophomore Ludvig Larsson (Malmo, Sweden) tickled the twine for the first time in over a month just about 90 seconds after Irvine's first tally, burying a rebound after the latter drove the puck to the net to set up the scoring sequence.

Three minutes later, Hampus Gustafsson (Ljungby, Sweden) lit the lamp for what would go down as the game-winner off another feed from Irvine, as the senior's team-leading eighth goal of the year made it so every skater on that line (Larsson, Gustafsson, Irvine) had at least one goal on the night.

Merrimack wasn't done; with just under eight minutes to play, the entire third line factored in to a key insurance marker, as senior Chris LeBlanc (Winthrop, Mass.) banked in a tough-angle rebound goal to push the lead to three (4-1).

Providence got one back off a tough bounce off the stick of Vincent Desharnais at the 18:56 mark, but Irvine assured that the Warriors would tie their single-game season-high after burying an unassisted empty-netter with 20 seconds left to account for the final margin of victory.

Notes & Notables

Merrimack snapped a five-game winless stretch against Providence dating back just over two years; the last Warrior win over the Friars was a 1-0 shutout at Lawler Rink on Nov. 8, 2014.

In addition to Irvine's career night, Larsson also tied his previous single-game best in scoring, recording just the second two-point game of his career and first since a two-point night against Colgate on Oct. 21.

Merrimack scored five goals in a single period for the first time since a 10-1 blowout win at home against Arizona State last Jan. 31, 2016.

Goal Descriptions

PC #1 (Pinho/Walman/Bryson) | P1 10:16 (PP) - While on the power play, Brian Pinho redirects a one-timer slap shot from the right point past Drew Vogler.

MC #1 (Irvine) | P3 3:54 - Tyler Irvine comes up with a takeaway inside the blue line and skates the puck to the slot, where he beats Hayden Hawkey over the glove.

MC #2 (L. Larsson/Irvine/Gustafsson) | P3 5:19 - Freshman Tyler Irvine drives hard to the net from the left wing circle and puts it on the goalie; the resulting rebound kicks out to the left wing circle where Ludvig Larsson buries it.

MC #3 (Gustafsson/Irvine/L. Larsson) | P3 8:45 - Senior Hampus Gustafsson finishes off a 2-on-1 chance in tight from Tyler Irvine.

MC #4 (LeBlanc/Irvine/Gustafsson) | P3 12:07 - Sophomore Michael Babcock drives toward the net from the left wing wall after taking the puck into the zone from center ice; he goes behind the net with the puck and dishes to the right goal line extended for senior Chris LeBlanc, who banks in a shot from a difficult angle.

PC #2 (Desharnais/MacPhee/Hennessey) | P3 18:56 - Vincent Desharnais gets the puck to go in from a shot between the red and blue line that takes a funny bounce past sophomore Drew Vogler.

MC #5 (Irvine) | P3 19:40 (EN/SH) - Sophomore Michael Babcock drives toward the

MERRIMACK LINEUP

L. Larsson | Gustafsson | Irvine
Seney | A. Larsson | Tavernier
Petti | Babcock | LeBlanc
Drevitch | Foget | Tibbet

Kolquist | Kovacevic
Biega | Lashyn
Spaxman| Carle

Vogler
Delia
Pantano

Game Leaders (MC // PC)

Points: Tyler Irvine (4) // Six Players (1)
Goals: Tyler Irvine (2) // Brian Pinho/Vincent Deshanrias (1)
Assists: Tyler Irvine (2) // Four players (1)
Shots: Ludvig Larsson (5) // Niko Rufo (6)
Faceoffs Won: Alfred Larsson (12) // Brian Pinho/Robbie Hennessey (10)
Saves: Drew Vogler (21-for-23) // Hayden Hawkey (16-for-20)

Facts and Figures (MC // PC)

Power Plays: 0-3 // 2-8
Penalties: 10 Penalties - 20 Minutes // 5 Penalties - 10 Minutes
Faceoffs: 33 // 42
SOG: 6-13 // 6-3 // 9-7 // 21-23

Up Next

Merrimack will enjoy its bye week before returning to the ice in two weekends with a home-and-home series with nearby rival UMass Lowell. The series starts on Friday, Dec. 9, at the Tsongas Center (7:15 p.m.) before concluding at Lawler Rink the following night at 7 p.m.