HANOVER, N.H. - Senior forward Eric Esposito (West Haven, Conn.) scored a career-best two goals and senior goalie Mike Robinson (Bedford, N.H.) made 29 saves as the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team defeated Mercyhurst, 7-1, at Thompson Arena on Friday afternoon in the third-place game of the 32nd Ledyard Classic.
The Wildcats improve to 8-10-1, while the Lakers fall to 4-11-4.
UP NEXT:
- The Wildcats return to action on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 7-8 at the Whittemore Center as UNH will play St. Lawrence presented by Tuscan Brands on Friday at 7 p.m. and then Clarkson on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. For tickets go here or call 603-862-4000.
Score: New Hampshire 7, Mercyhurst 1
Records: UNH (8-10-1; Mercyhurst (4-11-4)
Location: Hanover, N.H. (Thompson Arena)
Date: Friday, December 31, 2021
Time: 4 PM
Attendance: 48
HOW IT HAPPENED:
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- At 13:05 of the first period, the Lakers took a 1-0 lead when Owen Norton floated the puck from the blue line through a crowd and to the back of the net.
- The Wildcats tied the game at 1-1 at 18:03 of the first period while on the power play when senior forward Jackson Pierson (Zionville, Ind.) sent a wrist shot from the faceoff circle to the upper glove side of the net for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. Sophomore defenseman Luke Reid (Warman, Saskatchewan) and forward Filip Engarås (Stockholm, Sweden) each posted an assist on the goal.
- Just 1:09 later, senior forward Eric MacAdams (Salem, Mass.) forced a turnover behind the Mercyhurst goal as Esposito intercepted the puck and sent a shot to the net that was saved by Hank Johnson, but Esposito scored on a backhander off the rebound for his first goal of the season to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
- UNH increased the lead to 3-1 at 9:04 of the second period as junior forward Harrison Blaisdell (Regina, Saskatchewan) sent the faceoff over to senior forward Tyler Ward (Kamloops, British Columbia) who knocked the puck to the stick side as the shot hit the post and bounced over the line for his third goal of the season.
- At 10:58 of the second period, senior defenseman Ryan Verrier (Reading, Mass.) buried a rebound off a shot by senior defenseman Will MacKinnon (Plymouth, Mich.) to make it a 4-1 contest on his first goal of the season. Engarås also posted an assist on the goal.
- UNH scored its fifth straight goal at 3:48 of the third period when Verrier sent a puck to the stick side post as freshman forward Liam Devlin (Needham, Mass.) tipped the pass to the lower corner of the net for his fifth goal of his rookie season. Pierson also recorded an assist on the goal.
- At 8:34, senior forward Joseph Cipollone (Purchase, N.Y.) extended the lead to 6-1 when he scored on a rebound off a shot by Engarås for his second goal of the season. Sophomore forward Nick Cafarelli (Middleton, Mass.) tallied an assist on the score.
- Esposito netted his second goal of the game for the 7-1 final when he sent the puck to the net and it deflected off a Mercyhurst defender and to the back of the net at 15:20. Blaisdell and freshman defenseman Colton Huard (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) each posted an assist on the goal.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- UNH outshot Mercyhurst by a 36-30 margin.
- Robinson made 29 saves to earn the win, while Hank Johnson posted 21 and allowed six goals, and Matt Lenz tallied eight and allowed one goal.
- The Wildcats went 1-3 on the power play, while the Lakers went 0-4.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- The Wildcats are now 3-0-0 all-time versus Mercyhurst.
- UNH is 13-11-0 all-time at the Ledyard Classic as this was the Wildcats' 12th appearance.
- The last time the Wildcats scored seven goals was March 10, 2021, in the 7-2 Hockey east Tournament Opening Round win at Maine.
- Five Wildcats tallied multiple-point games.
- Engarås tied his career best for assists and points with three.
- This was Esposito's third career game-winning goal.
- Blaisdell recorded his first multi-point game as a UNH Wildcat.
- Pierson now has 18 career multiple-point games.
