Merrimack played host to Notre Dame for their final game of this weekend’s series. On Friday night the Warriors took a 3-2 overtime loss after coming back in the third period to tie it. Tonight Merrimack came out to take a 4-1 win.
“I thought we played our best period of the year in the first, and then we followed that up with another great period,” said Merrimack coach Mark Dennehy. “All in all, a superb effort by our team and a big step for our program.”
In the first period, the Warriors seemed to have a jump in their step, taking four shots in the first five minutes of the game. Notre Dame bounced back, but wasn’t able to get any shots on net, as Merrimack got bodies in front to turn them away.
The Warriors got their first scoring chance when Brian Christie fired a shot in the faceoff dot, but Cal Petersen denied the goal. Then at the 17:46 mark of the first, Brett Seney made a hard drive to the net and fed linemate Mathieu Tibbet for the first goal of the game that put Merrimack up 1-0.
The second period saw the intensity and physicality pick up, along with another goal by Merrimack. Merrimack tallied an insurance marker when junior John Gustafsson went backhand over Petersen to put the Warriors up 2-0.
Notre Dame had a chance just a couple of minutes later on an odd-man rush, but Rasmus Tirronen made a huge pad save to keep the Fighting Irish off of the score sheet.
The third period saw Merrimack and Notre Dame both score. Four minutes into the period, Merrimack’s Hampus Gustafsson scored with a shot that went up and over Petersen’s shoulder to put the Warriors up 3-0. Three minutes later, Mathieu Tibbet scored on a puck that went under the arm of Petersen to get Merrimack up 4-0.
In the later stages of the third period, Notre Dame was awarded a penalty shot after a mad scramble in front of the Warriors’ net. Notre Dame freshman Connor Hurley came in on Tirronen, but was turned away.
Notre Dame finally got on the board when Robbie Russo scored on a scramble in front.
“I wasn’t pleased with the way we played; I expected Merrimack to come out a little more aggressive,” said Notre Dame coach Jackson.
Merrimack moves to 7-3-1 on the season while Notre Dame falls to 6-5-1.
