NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - The Merrimack women's ice hockey competed against the Holy Cross Crusaders for the first game of the 2020-21 season, with Holy Cross taking the game by a 4-2 final Friday.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 2, Holy Cross 4
Records: Merrimack (0-1-0, 0-1-0 HE) | Holy Cross (2-3-0, 2-3-0 HE)
Location: Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
- Holy Cross opened up the scoring at 4:37 of the first period, with the Crusaders' Kailey Lengfells holding the puck before cutting into the slot and firing in a puck that faded to the outside.
- Captain Megan Fergusson tied the game at 11:34 of the first, driving to the net and catching a hard shot past the Holy Cross netminder, who jumped to try and make the play.
- Holy Cross added its second of the game at 15:26 of the third as Mary Edmonds corralled a bouncing puck down low to chip it in on the power play.
- Merrimack responded a minute later, with Sam Lessick cashing in as she sat at the goal mouth, ready to follow up on shots from Mack Emery and Courtney Maud following Maud's faceoff win. Her second career goal tied the game at 2-2 heading into the first intermission.
- After an evenly matched second, the Crusaders snatched a lead in the final 30 seconds of the period with a shot from the point through traffic.
- The Crusaders added their final of the night at 19:24 of the third, closing the game out with an empty net goal.
Notes & Numbers
- Mack Emery earned the game's second star with a pair of assists, including her first career helper on Fergusson's goal.
- Grace Karunakar was the first of the rookies to score a collegiate point, earning hers on an assist on the game's opening goal for the Warriors.
- Courtney Maud led Merrimack with six shots on goal, with Katie Kaufman following her with four shots on net in the game.
- Goaltenders: Emma Gorski (23 saves, 0-1-0) | Jada Brenon (17 saves, 2-2-0)
- Power Plays: MC 0-3 | HC 1-3
- Shots on Goal: MC 10, HC 7 | MC 3, HC 10 | MC 6, HC 10 | MC 19, HC 27
- Faceoffs: 32 MC | 26 HC
- Blocks: 19 MC | 9 HC
Up Next
The Warriors will head to Worcester, Mass. to finish the weekend series with the Crusaders at the Hart Center, with puck drop at 3 p.m.
