FAIRFIELD, Conn. (October 7, 2023) - Saturday afternoon was a chance to shake off the rust and start to get some skating legs at the Martire Family Arena, as Sacred Heart and No. 12/14 nationally-ranked Merrimack locked horns in a season-opening men's ice hockey exhibition. Blake Humphrey (Penfield, N.Y.) and Brendan Dumas (North Attleboro, Mass.) found the net for the Pios, but Matt Copponi notched the power-play winner 49 seconds into overtime to lift Merrimack to a 3-2 victory.
SHU dictated the pace in the first period, to the tune of a 9-6 shots advantage as the two teams traded goals. Merrimack opened the scoring at 10:47, after Ethan Bono picked off a clearing attempt along the right-wing boards. He centered for Tyler Young, who put the puck home. The Pios responded at 18:43, when Humphrey flipped home a backhander right out front to level things at 1-1 headed for the first intermission.
Merrimack picked up the only goal of the second frame, when David Sacco knocked home a rebound at the top of the crease at 4:37. Sacred Heart was then able to force the extra session with the third period's lone goal. Grant Anderson (Plymouth, Minn.) took the original shot from the right point on the play, and Dumas cleaned up the rebound at the right post, at 8:07.
Meanwhile, Chase Clark (Williamsville, N.Y.) was busy collecting 15 third-period saves, as part of a 28-save effort, to get the game to overtime. His best work of the night came with just under three minutes to play, as he denied Ty Daneault on the rush from the right circle, Frank Djurasevic from the high slot, and Alex Jefferies twice from the doorstep, all in a span of 10 seconds.
It was Merrimack which came away winners in the end though, after Mark Cheremeta (Parkland, Fla.) was whistled for tripping just 24 seconds into overtime. Copponi ended things 25 seconds into the power play, as he hammered home a one-timer from the middle of the right circle, off a feed from low on the right side by Mark Hillier.
Merrimack split goaltending duties, as Hugo Ollas started and made 11 saves against 12 shots, before ceding the crease to Zachary Borgiel near the midpoint of the game. Borgiel stopped 14 of 15 shots the rest of the way.
