NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - The Merrimack College men's hockey team was unable to dig itself out of a hole, as it fell to #13/13 UMass Lowell 3-1 Saturday night at Lawler Rink.
Griff Jeszka's third period goal got the Warriors back in the game, but they could not finish off the comeback. The River Hawks' two second period goals proved to be enough in the first matchup this season between the Merrimack Valley rivals.
The Basics
Score: #13/13 UMass Lowell 3, Merrimack 1
Records: Merrimack (4-14-2, 2-6-2 HEAM) | #13/13 UMass Lowell (11-4-4, 6-2-3 HEAM)
Game Duration: 2:15
Attendance: 2,142
How It Happened
- The Warriors looked like a team undeterred by the past few results in the first period. They had great pace and held an 11-8 edge in shots on goal after the frame. Sami Tavernier and Tyler Drevitch both had high quality scoring chances and Troy Kobryn kicked out all eight shots he saw.
- UMass Lowell was opportunistic in the second, as Kenny Hausinger and Andre Lee were both able to beat Kobryn in the opening seven and a half minutes to stake the River Hawks to a two-goal lead.
- The River Hawks all but put the game away in the third period when Connor Sodergren found the back of the net midway through the frame.
- Merrimack had late life when Jeszka was able to deposit a loose puck for his second of the season. Hugo Esselin and Ryan Nolan broke into the zone and forced the puck to slot. After a failed clear, Jeszka was Johnny on the spot to beat Tyler Wall for the first time on the evening.
Notes & Numbers
- Esselin's assist was the first of his career and his second point as a Warrior.
- Kobryn finished the night with 21 saves on 24 shots.
- Patrick Holway had five shots on goal to lead all skaters.
- The assist for Nolan was his second of the season in just his seventh game in the lineup.
Up Next
The Warriors head to Hartford, Conn. Tuesday night for a Hockey East matchup against UConn. Puck drop is set for 7 pm from XL Center.
