The victory does not appear in the rankings, but for Merrimack the 3-0 victory of Saturday at Sacred Heart was exactly what it needed after a rocky season opener. The Warriors came from the 4-0 loss of Friday at Umass Lowell, saw sharper, more composed and considerably more connected in the exhibition matchup in Martire Family Arena.
The pioneers – expecting this season on top of Atlantic Hockey – gave a legitimate early test. Merrimack responded with goals from three newcomers. First -year Daniel Astapovich opened the score, followed by colleague -smoke Joey HenneberryAnd Matthew CampbellA transfer from Michigan Tech, closed the night with a telephony of the third period.
Defensively, the Warriors delivered a striking version. Their penalty killed hit a perfect 5-out-5, which limited the holy heart to only seven shots on goal during the benefit of man. Between the pipes, goalkeeper Nils Wallström Stopped all 25 shots he encountered to post the shutout.
Although not flawless, Merrimack was noticeably improved across the board. A night after he was overwhelmed in the faceoff circle by Lowell, the Warriors turned the script and won 28 of 49 against the pioneers.
Then Merrimack gets an early chance to measure his progress – and his resilience – when it is back to Umass Lowell on Friday evening in the home opener in Lawler Arena.
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