2017-18 MERRIMACK COLLEGE MEN’S ICE HOCKEY GAME #20 MERRIMACK COLLEGE WARRIORS UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HUSKIES Friday Jan. 5, 2018 • 7:00 p.m. • XL Center (14,750) • Hartford, Conn. (5-10-4, 2-6-2 HEA) Webcast: UConnHuskies.com | Radio: MerrimackAthletics.com (John Leahy & Mike Machnik) (8-13-2, 5-8-1 HEA) 2017-18 SCHEDULE/RESULTS SETTING THE STAGE 5-10-4 (2-6-2 HEA) DROP THE PUCK » The Merrimack College men’s ice hockey team turns the calendar to 2018 and returns OCTOBER (1-4-2) Fri. 6 at Colgate .................. L, 1-2 to Hockey East play with a pair of league matchups on the road this weekend. The Sat. 7 at Colgate ...........T, 2-2 (F/OT) Warriors face UConn on Friday night at the XL Center before meeting Providence on @MerrimackMIH Sat. 14 #10/10 WISCONSIN ........ .L, 1-4 Saturday at Schneider Arena, with 7 p.m. puck drops each night. Fri. 20 at #9/13 Minnesota Duluth T, 5-5 (OT) Sat. 21 at #9/13 Minnesota Duluth .....L, 2-7 Fri. 27 at Massachusetts * ..........L, 0-4 ALL-TIME VS. UCONN Sat. 28 MASSACHUSETTS * ........ W, 5-3 » Merrimack and UConn will be meeting for the 33rd time in the all-time series this weekend with the Warriors holding a 24-3-5 all-time mark against the Huskies, NOVEMBER (1-3-1) Fri. 3 at #RV/-- Boston College * ...L, 1-3 including a 19-2-2 record at home and a 3-1-2 mark on the road. Sat. 4 #RV/-- BOSTON COLLEGE * ..L, 1-2 » To say the series has been close over the last three seasons would be an undersate- Fri. 10 BENTLEY ................. W, 5-2 ment; both teams have played to four straight ties and have skated to draws in five of Fri. 17 at #10/9 Providence * ....... L, 1-2 their last six outings. The only non-ties have been one-goal wins for either side, with Sat. 18 #10/9 PROVIDENCE * ..T, 6-6 (OT) Merrimack's victory coming in overtime back in October of 2014. DECEMBER (3-3-1) » The goal that sent the game to overtime in each of the last four Merrimack-UConn Game #20 at Connecticut Fri. 1 at #12/11 Northeastern * .....L, 1-3 games has come inside the last 90 seconds of regulation. Sat. 2 #12/11 NORTHEASTERN * ...L, 1-3 » More incredibly, in each of the last three games, the trailing team tied the game in the Fri. 8 #RV/-- ARMY WEST POINT .W, 4-1 Sun. 10 at #13/15 New Hampshire * W, 4-3 final minute with an extra attacker. Sat. 16 #8/8 NORTHEASTERN * T, 1-1 (OT) » The Warriors are still looking for their first win at the XL Center in three tries (0-1-1). Fri. 29 at #2/2 Denver ............ W, 3-2 Sat. 30 at #RV/-- Colorado College .. L, 1-2 ‘MACK FACTS » Merrimack had its longest unbeaten streak of the season snapped Saturday (3-0-1) but JANUARY (0-0-0) Fri. 5 at Connecticut * .............7 p.m. had wins over Army, UNH and defending national champion Denver in that span. Sat. 6 at #11/11 Providence * .......7 p.m. » The Warriors have just two road wins in 11 tries (2-7-2) compared to 3-3-2 at home. Sat. 13 CONNECTICUT * ............7 p.m. » Jace Hennig and Brett Seney lead the team with 17 points; Hennig has potted a team- Fri. 19 BOSTON U. *. .7 p.m. Sat. 20 at Boston U. * ...............7 p.m. high seven goals while classmate Jared Kolquist has a team-high 12 assists. Fri. 26 VERMONT * ................7 p.m. » Three other Warriors have surpassed the 10-point threshold, as well. Sat. 27 VERMONT * ................7 p.m. » Hennig, Seney and Sami Tavernier each have four goals on the power play, which ranks tied for eighth in Hockey East. Seney ranks third with 12 power play points, (0-0-0) FEBRUARY www.MerrimackAthletics.com Fri. 2 at Maine * ...............7:30 p.m. while Hennig and Kolquist rank fourth with 11 points on the power play. Sat. 3 at Maine * ..................7 p.m. » Goaltender Craig Pantano has earned all of Merrimack’s wins this season and has Tue. 6 at Massachusetts * ..........7 p.m. started 12 of the last 13 games; he is 5-5-2 with a 2.32 GAA and .919 SV% on the year. Fri. 16 NEW HAMPSHIRE * ........7 p.m. Sat. 17 BOSTON U. *. .7 p.m. Fri. 23 UMASS LOWELL * ..........7 p.m. HELLO, HUSKIES Sat. 24 at UMass Lowell * ..........7 p.m. » UConn enters the weekend at 8-13-2 overall with a 5-8-1 mark in league play. » The Huskies have lost their last two, including a 3-0 setback against Quinnipiac on MARCH (0-0-0) Tuesday night at the XL Center to open the second half. 2-4 HEA Tourn. Opening Round % ..TBA » Junior Maxim Letunov leads seven Huskies who are in double-digit scoring figures. 9-11 HEA Tourn. Quarterfinals % ....TBA Fri. 16 HEA Tourn. Semifinals ^ ......TBA His 19 points and 14 helpers are most on the squad. Sat. 17 HEA Tourn. Championship ^ ...TBA » Sophomore Alexander Payusov has lit the lamp a team-most nine times, with six of them coming on the power play. Senior defenseman Johnny Austin has 13 assists, too. * = Hockey East Game | ! = Homecoming Weekend » Sophomore Adam Huska has started 21 of 23 games for the Huskies and owns a 2.52 % = HEA Tournament Opening Round/Quarterfinals (Best-of-3) goals against average, as well as a .914 save percentage. ^ = TD Garden (Boston, Mass.) » UConn ranks 43rd nationally in scoring offense (2.61) and 25th in scoring defense HOME GAMES AT LAWLER RINK IN CAPS (2.83); their power play ranks 21st (19.8) while their PK ranks 31st (80.9). ALL TIMES EASTERN AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE » Mike Cavanaugh is in his fifth season at UConn; he started the year 51-70-23 all-time. Media Relations Contact: Chris Aliano Email: [email protected] UP NEXT » Merrimack will play host to UConn to round out the two schools' season series next Phone: 978-837-3472 (O) // 973-632-1342 (C) Saturday (Jan. 13) at Lawler Rink. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. 2017-18 Merrimack College Men’s Ice Hockey 2017-18 HEA/National Rankings 2017-18 SCORING LEADERS 2017-18 GOALTENDING LEADERS GOALS ...............................................JACE HENNIG (7) GP ............................................. CRAIG PANTANO (13) Scoring Offense: 2.37/game (10th/T-51st) ASSISTS ............................... JARED KOLQUIST (12) GAA....................................CRAIG PANTANO (2.32)* Scoring Defense: 3.00/game (T-7th/T-33rd) POINTS ............... JACE HENNIG/BRETT SENEY (17) SAVES ....................................CRAIG PANTANO (329) Power Play: 21.4% (3rd/18th) PIM ............................................ BRETT SENEY (34) SAVE PCT ............................CRAIG PANTANO (.919)* PPG ...................... HENNIG/SENEY/TAVERNIER (4) WINS ...........................................CRAIG PANTANO (5) Penalty Kill: 74.7% (10th/59th) SHG .....................................................................NONE HUTOUTS ONE Special Teams Net: -3/47.9% (8th/45th) GWG ...................JACE HENNIG/TYLER IRVINE (2) S ............................................................ N MINUTES ........................ CRAIG PANTANO (749:30) Penalty Minutes: 12.1/game (7th/29th) +/- .................................. DOCKERY/KOVACEVIC (+4) * = (Min. 33% Team Minutes Played) SOG .......................................SAMI TAVERNIER (51) 1 2017-18 MERRIMACK COLLEGE MEN’S ICE HOCKEY SERIES HISTORY VS. CONNECTICUT NOTES AND NOTABLES FIRST MEETING: ............................Jan. 7, 1961 (H) (W, 8-3) LAST SATURDAY AT COLORADO COLLEGE » Merrimack dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to Colorado LAST MEETING: ....................................Feb. 4, 2017 (A) (T, 2-2) College last Saturday night at Broadmoor World Arena. SERIES RECORD: .......................... Merrimack leads, 24-3-5 » The Warriors tied the game at 1-1 midway through the third before the Tigers won it on a goal with 1:05 left. AT MERRIMACK: .......................... Merrimack leads, 19-2-2 » Colorado College eventually broke through with just under three minutes left in the middle stanza. AT CONNECTICUT: ...........................Merrimack leads, 3-1-2 » Merrimack drew even moments after its own power play THIS SEASON: ....................................................... Have not met ended off the stick of Logan Coomes, but the Tigers would get the game-winner with just 1:05 left in the contest. PLAYOFF HISTORY: ............................................. Have not met @MerrimackMIH Date Site Result LAST FEBRUARY AGAINST UCONN 1/7/61 .....................................North Andover, MA .......................................... W, 8-3 » Both Merrimack and UConn erased two-goal deficits on con- 2/7/64 ......................................Cambridge, MA! ...........................................W, 12-0 11/26/82 .............................. North Andover, MA#......................................... W, 6-2 secutive nights, with the game-tying tallies coming in the final 1/6/84 .................................. North Andover, MA$ ..........................................W, 4-1 minute with an extra attacker, highlighting a pair of 2-2 ties 2/14/84 ..................................North Andover, MA .......................................... W, 7-2 that each team skated to last February. 11/17/84 .................................North Andover, MA .......................................... W, 6-2 2/25/85 ..................................North Andover, MA ...........................................W, 5-1 » In the opener at Lawler Rink, it was UConn that scored with 33 1/3/86 .................................. North Andover, MA$ ................................W,3-2 (OT) seconds left to send it to overtime. 1/24/86 ............................................Storrs, CT ....................................................W, 6-4 » A night later, Merrimack's Ludvig Larsson netted a pair of 2/18/87 ...................................North