NORTH ANDOVER – Less than 24 hours after the emotional high of taking out No. 6 Quinnipiac, Merrimack came back down to earth. The Warriors dominated large portions of the game but were unable to translate that control into a win, falling 5-2 to Long Island on Saturday night at Lawler Arena.
Merrimack outscored the Sharks 48-37, but still scored a power play goal Brett Rylance at the 11:44 mark of the third period — after the Warriors were whistled for too many men on the ice — proved to be the difference. Long Island added two empty-netters in the closing minutes to secure the victory.
“Give LIU a lot of credit,” Merrimack coach said Scott Borek. “They worked really hard. They played really well. They played their identity. I was impressed with how hard they played.”
Defensive mistakes plagued Merrimack early. A first-period turnover sent the puck to Zesten Jennersjöwho fed quickly Dylan Kinch on the right. Kinch had time and space – there was hardly anyone around him – and he hit Max Lundgren to open the scoring.
In the second, Anthony Lucarelli referred one Nick Bernardo shot from the blue line to make it 2–0.
The Warriors responded with a powerful push midway through the frame. Parker Lalonde put Merrimack on the board, and less than two minutes later, Jac Richard buried his first goal as a Warrior, tying the match at 2-2.
Penalties in the third period, however, proved costly. Merrimack picked up three minors in the final frame, including a too-man-men call that set up Rylance’s go-ahead goal. After killing the penalties at 5:13 and 8:22, the Warriors came back short on players, and this time they couldn’t hold on. Rylance jumped on a loose puck near the crease to restore LIU’s lead for good.
“That was a very weak game for us mentally,” Borek said. “They took advantage of it. Most of their goals we had the puck on our stick before they scored. So it was a very disappointing game for us, for all of us. Coaches, players, everyone. We have to get better.”
The physical tone of the game escalated late in the second period. LIUs Onni Leppänen was sent off after 14 minutes for a cross-check Jac Richard that resulted in a major punishment.
“The game got very emotional halfway through the second period because we were trying to get our game back,” Borek said. “We got physical, maybe to a fault. Then of course it got really physical. The referees did a really good job of controlling that, but we lost full focus on the hockey game. We were trying to win the fight, not the game.”
Merrimack played early and outscored LIU 20-6 in the opening period, but still trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes. From there, the Sharks found their footing, outscoring the Warriors 31-28 over the final two periods.
The 48 shots on goal were Merrimack’s most in nearly two years, dating back to a 5-2 win over Army on Jan. 3, 2024, when the Warriors fired 50 shots.
The expected goal data also favored Merrimack, 4.3–3.2, highlighting how much control they had over extended periods of time.
First period
Second Period
2–0, Long Island: Anthony Lucarelli (1) (Nick Bernardo, Trent Powell), 6:36 (PP).
2–1, Merrimack: Parker Lalonde (5) (Justin Gill), 8:10.
2–2, Merrimack: Jack Richard (1) (Nolan Flamand), 9:50.
Third Period
3–2, Long Island: Brett Rylance (3) (JR Perdion, Trevor Griebel), 11:44 (PP).
4–2, Long Island: Dylan Kinch (4) (Brett Rylance), 17:49 (EN).
5–2, Long Island: Brett Rylance (4) (Kinch), 19:16 (EN).
Powerplay Goals: Long Island 2-for-6; Merrimack 0-for-4.
Goalkeepers: Daniel Duris (LIU) 46 saves; Max Lundgren (MER) 29 saves.
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