NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - Three different scorers powered the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team to a two-goal lead before Maine rallied with a pair of third period tallies to force overtime. Ultimately, the two sides would settle for a 3-3 tie and a point apiece in the league standings, keeping the Warriors alive in the hunt for a postseason spot.
Freshman Chase Gresock added to his team-leading goal total with the opening strike in the first frame before junior Logan Coomes netted another in the second. After the Black Bears got one back, senior Michael Babcock redirected a point shot off his skate to push the lead to 3-1.
Maine scored early and late in the final stanza, as the equalizer came with under a minute left and an extra attacker on the ice. Each team traded scoring chances in overtime but the final horn would send with the score deadlocked at three goals apiece.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 3, Maine 3 (F/OT)
Records: Merrimack (7-20-2, 4-14-1 HEA) | Maine (11-14-4, 7-8-4 HEA)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.
Attendance: 2,238
Game Duration: 2:24
How It Happened
- Gresock opened the scoring just past the seventh minute, taking a drop pass from senior Derek Petti and sniping a shot home from the top of the near circle for his team-leading ninth tally of the year. Junior Sami Tavernier also assisted on the play to round out the all-top-line scoring sequence.
- Late in the first, matching minors prompted 4-on-4 hockey, but another infraction against the hosts gave Maine a 4-on-3 advantage that carried over to the start of the second. But the Warriors would get the subsequent kill to keep their lead intact.
- Coomes recorded his first goal since the fourth game to double the Merrimack lead at 6:46 of the second, squeezing in a shot from the right circle. But it was classmate Ryan Cook who had the outlet pass from the defensive zone to start the rush, as freshman Jordan Seyfert then found Coomes for his second of the year.
- The Black Bears got on the board about 90 seconds later, getting on the board after a turnover led to a 2-on-1 in deep. Ryan Smith buried his fifth of the year at the weak side post off a feed from Canon Pieper.
- The Warriors had the last laugh in the second, as it was Babcock who redirected a shot from junior Johnathan Kovacevic off the skate and in to restore the two-goal lead. Junior Tyler Irvine retrieved the puck from behind the net and worked it to left point to freshman Tyler Heidt, who then moved it along to the right point where Kovacevic snuck a shot through traffic that hit Babcock on the way. That marker would make it 3-1 in the Warriors' favor heading to the third.
- The Black Bears got within a goal a minute into the third, as Eduards Tralmaks beat the defense and went forehand-to-backhand to make it a 3-2 contest. Finally, Brady Keeper sent the contest to the extra session with his fifth of the year with less than 57 seconds to play.
- Neither side would find the twine in overtime with one shot on goal apiece, as the Warriors picked up a critical point in the league standings to stay alive for a Hockey East Tournament berth.
Notes & Numbers
- Gresock extended his team lead after netting his ninth goal of the year, leading all Warriors with five shots on goal.
- Merrimack saw its all-time record against Maine move to 22-69-10 with a 12-27-7 mark at home.
- Goaltenders: Craig Pantano (32 saves, 6-12-2) // Jeremy Swayman (28 saves, 11-14-4)
- Power Plays: 0-2 | 0-1
- Shots on Goal: 9-9 // 12-10 // 9-15 // 1-1 - 31-35
- Faceoffs: 34 // 33
- Blocks: 15 // 18
Merrimack Lineup
Forwards
Gresock | Petti | Tavernier
L. Drevitch | Babcock | Irvine
Coomes | Kramer | McBride
Simeone | T. Drevitch | McKay
Seyfert
Defense
Cook | McArdle
Heidt | Kovacevic
Dockery | Carle
Goaltenders
Pantano | Vogler | Halladay
Up Next
Merrimack and Maine conclude the season series tomorrow night back at Lawler Rink, with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
