NORTH ANDOVER – For the second night in a row, there were moments Saturday when the Warriors controlled the game against Boston University. But for the second night in a row, they didn’t have enough control over it.
Despite nearly erasing a three-goal deficit, the Warriors fell 5-4 to the Terriers at Lawler Arena. After Friday’s defeat in extra time, BU took five of the six possible competition points this weekend.
“I like the way we stayed with it,” Merrimack coach said Scott Borek. “We played really hard, but we just gave up too much and our breakaway wasn’t as good as I would have liked.”
The Warriors defeated the Terriers 31-24, aided by six power play opportunities (BU had four). When Merrimack got pucks behind BU’s defense and forced them to retrieve with their backs turned, they caused real problems on the forecheck. But there were also times when Merrimack was caught trying to play BU’s preferred style: a game with lots of transitions and skills.
“I didn’t think we put it behind their D enough,” Borek said. “We wanted them to run, and given how many of their guys played big minutes last night, we didn’t do enough to make it difficult for them.”
Justin Gill And Hunter Mayo scored on the power play late in the second period.
Then things got chippy. Jack Murtagh was ejected after a foot swing Seamus Powell in the corner. Powell rose slowly, but returned later in the match.
Moments later, BU goalie Mikhail Yegorov was ruled a major for headbutt and given a match disqualification, but upon review the officials determined that Yegorov had more of a chestbutt with Trevor Hoskin then a headbutt, and the severe punishment was overturned.
Merrimack generated 13 shots on the power play and scored twice.
“We created good chances, I can’t complain about that,” said Borek. “We are still a young team and we have to grow from this weekend.”
BU pulled away in the third period with two late goals, including an empty-netter. Ty Daneault replied just 11 seconds after the empty goal, hammering one home, and Benny Yurchuk added his second goal of the weekend with an extra attacker on the ice with 1:06 to play.
“We have to focus on getting better,” Borek said. “As a young team, we have to concentrate on getting better and growing from this weekend onwards. We cannot lose focus.
“At Merrimack, it has to be a collective effort. We want everyone to do things the way we want them to. We can’t deviate from that.”
The Warriors will now turn their attention to Providence next week. Like BU, the Friars were picked near the top of Hockey East in the preseason poll.
Merrimack fell to 3-4 in regulation time (0-1 in overtime). With the exception of the empty-netters, three of these losses were by just one goal difference. Both games against BU this weekend were one-goal games.
“We’ve lost two games, so we’re not where we want to be yet, but if you take a step back, we’ve lost two games by one goal. We’re not that far off. We just have to be ready to get better on Monday.”
– Sophomore forward Caden Cranston was hit late along the wall by Sacha Boisvert on Friday evening. He returned briefly that evening but missed Saturday’s game, and Borek said he “might be out for a while.”
— The Warriors won the faceoff battle for the second straight night. Parker Lalonde led the way and drew 15-9.
— Hunter Mayo scored his first collegiate goal late in the second period, firing a slap shot from the point that beat Yegorov with 10 seconds left.
— Ty Daneault scored three points (1g, 2a) – the first time in his collegiate career he has scored more than two points in a game.
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