Jan 29, 2009

Hockey Hosts #2 Boston University Friday Night at Lawler Arena

MERRIMACK COLLEGE HOCKEY

Game #23 vs. #2 Boston University, Fri. January 30, 2009, 7 p.m., Lawler Arena / Watch Live / Live Stats / Game Notes (.pdf)

Game #24 at Providence College, Sat. January 31, 2009, 7 p.m., Schenider Arena / Listen Live / Live Stats / Game Notes (.pdf)

Tonight’s Matchup: Merrimack rounds out its January home schedule and its season series against second-ranked Boston University Friday night.

Lifetime vs. Boston University: The Warriors are 11-69-4 lifetime and have lost the last 14 matchups. Merrimack’s last win over BU was on February 12, 2004.

Coach Dennehy vs. the Terriers: Coach Dennehy is 0-11 as head coach of the Warriors against BU.

Earlier This Season vs. BU
(10/17/08 - BU W, 5-2): Chris Barton scored twice 2:31 apart in the second in a 5-2 loss to fifth-ranked Boston University on Oct. 17 at Agganis Arena. Merrimack fell behind 3-0 early but rallied to cut the lead to one before the Terriers tacked on two insurance goals in the third period.
(1/16/09 - BU W, 4-1): Jason Lawrence registered a pair of power-play goals to help second-ranked Boston University earn a 4-1 win at Merrimack. J.C. Robitaille scored for the Warriors in a game in which the two teams combined for 97 penalty minutes.

Lifetime vs. Providence: The Warriors are 24-72-6 lifetime against the Friars and won last season’s series 2-0-1, including a 3-2 win at Schneider Arena.

Coach Dennehy vs. the Friars: Coach Dennehy is 4-4-1 as head coach of the Warriors against Providence.

Last Season vs. Providence: The Warriors were 2-0-1 against Providence last season, led by Andrew Braithwaite who was 2-0-1 with a 0.97 goals-against and a .979 save percentage. Braithwaite stopped 139 of the 142 shots he faced while Rob Ricci scored three goals and fired 12 shots against the Friars.
(2/2/08 - @ MC T, 1-1): PC outshot the Warriors 51-18 but Braithwaite stopped 50 shots and Francois Ouimet scored the game-tying goal in the second period in a 1-1 tie.
(2/22/08 - @ MC W, 2-0): Braithwaite stopped 42 shots, while Rob Ricci scored with 5:14 remaining in regulation to break a scoreless tie. Ricci added an empty netter at 19:30 giving the Warriors the 2-0 victory.
(2/23/08 - @ PC W, 3-2): Braithwaite stopped 47 shots and Matt Jones broke a 2-2 tie with 16:19 left in the third to give the Warriors the 3-2 win which kept their playoff hopes alive. Ricci and J.C. Robitaille also scored in the win.

Todd Shines in Weekend Series with Lowell
Freshman Jesse Todd was the only Warrior to register a point in both games in last weekend’s home-and-home series with UMass Lowell. Todd registered his fourth goal of the season at Lowell, scoring on a breakaway, and picked up an assist on Chris Barton’s power play goal Saturday at Lawler Arena. Todd has points in five of his last six games.

Barton Becoming a Power Play Sniper
After notching a power play tally against Lowell, Chris Barton has scored four of Merrimack’s 10 power play goals. Four of Barton’s six goals this season are on the power play.

Rego Regains His Scoring Touch
Mickey Rego’s third period goal against Lowell was the senior’s first tally since his sophomore season when he scored against UMass on December 5, 2006. Rego notched an assist on Pat Kimball’s goal against Army, marking his first point since January 20, 2007.

Strong at Even Strength
Merrimack has outscored its opponents 34-32 in 5-on-5 situations this season.

Game #500 in the Books
Merrimack’s 500th game in Hockey East was a 3-2 loss on January 24 against Lowell at Lawler Arena.

One Goal Struggles
The Warriors are 2-10 in one-goal games this season. Eight of Merrimack’s last 10 losses have been by one goal. The school record for one goal losses in a season is 12 set in the 1998-99 season. Merrimack finished 11-24-1 that season.

Penalty Filled Game vs. BU
There were 97 penalty minutes handed out in total in the game against BU on January 16. The 16 penalties taken by Merrimack were the most taken by them in a game since they took 16 against Maine on November 3, 2006. The 51 penalty minutes were the most taken by Merrimack in a game since they took 53 against UNH on February 10, 2007.

Ricci Nominated for Hobey
Captain Rob Ricci was one of 19 Hockey East players nominated for the Hobey Baker Award. Ricci is tied for the team lead with six goals and has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his last 10 games.

Velleca Gets Going
Freshman Jeff Velleca ended his eight-game scoreless streak as he tallied his first collegiate points getting a goal and an assist against Qunnipiac on December 29. The rookie added his first Hockey East goal against Lowell at Tsongas Arena.

Barton and BU
Sophomore Chris Barton scored both goals in the October 17 5-2 loss at BU. It was the second time in Barton’s career that he notched two goals in a game. The first time also came in a game against the Terriers played on January 18, 2008.

Solid Third Period Play
The Warriors and their opponents have scored 18 goals each in the third period this season.

Robitaille Back in the Scoring Column
J.C. Robitaille scored his first goal since November 21 on January 16 vs. Boston University. Robitaille notched a power play goal late in the third period.

Allan Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Sophomore Fraser Allan’s four-point output at the UConn Holiday Classic earned him Hockey East Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week honors on Dec. 30. The runner-up for Hockey East Player of the Month for December, Allan tallied a goal and an assist in each game at UConn and is second among all Merrimack defensemen with eight points.

Allan and Barton 50-for-50
Against Quinnipiac on December 29, Fraser Allan and Chris Barton each played in their 50th straight game since coming to Merrimack. Allan posted two points in the game, while Barton earned an assist.

Cannata Faces First Collegiate Penalty Shot
Joe Cannata faced his first collegiate penalty shot at Northeastern when Steve Quailer scored on him in the second period. It was the first penalty shot against Merrimack since Jim Healey stopped one in the 2005-06 season against Maine.

Todd Leads Warriors to 4-2 Win over U.S. National Under-18 Team
Jesse Todd scored twice leading Merrimack to a 4-2 win over the U.S. National Under-18 Team in the first meeting between the two teams. The Warriors struck for three first-period goals by Todd, Francois Ouimet, and Carter Madsen while outshooting the U.S. team 40-21 overall. Joe Cannata, facing his former team, stopped 19 shots in net.

Home Sweet Home
The Warriors will play at least one home game every weekend in the remaining six weeks of the season. They have seven home games left compared to five on the road.

First Short-Handed Goal
Joe Loprieno’s short-handed tally at UConn was Merrimack’s first of the season.

On Pace to Break the Goals-Against Record Again
Merrimack surrendered just 93 goals last season, 82 in Hockey East, which was the fewest they gave up in a season since joining Hockey East in 1988. This season, they have given up 47 goals in HEA (56 overall) and are on pace to break the record for the second straight year.

Recapping UConn Holiday Classic
Merrimack placed third at the 2008 UConn Holiday Classic. They lost to Qunnipiac 4-3 in overtime in the first round and defeated UConn 5-2 in the consolation game. Fraser Allan tallied four points while Rob Ricci added three points in the tournament, as ten different Warriors earned points in the 5-2 win against the Huskies. Allan was named to the All-Tournament Team for his efforts.

Kramer Picking It Up
After scoring his first career goal in his 29th career game at UNH on November 29, Bobby Kramer has continued his offensive success as he registered his first multi-point game, getting two assists against UConn.

Back to Hockey East Play
Seventeen of Merrimack’s final 18 games are against Hockey East teams. Merrimack is 3-2-1 this season in non-conference games.

Madsen Nets First Collegiate Goal
Carter Madsen became the eighth Warrior to score his first collegiate goal this season when the center scored at 19:56 of the third period against UConn on December 30.

December Struggles Come to an End
Merrimack snapped a six-game winless streak in December with a 5-2 win over Connecticut. They had not won in December since defeating UMass 3-0 on December 5, 2006.

Ross and Sheen Get First Career Goal
Adam Ross, in his 47th career game, tallied a game-high five shots and his first collegiate goal in a 3-2 loss to Maine on December 7. Against UNH on November 29, Elliott Sheen tallied his first career goal in the win.

Warriors Earn Rare Win at New Hampshire
Behind third-period goals from Rob Ricci and Jesse Todd, Merrimack rallied for a 4-3 victory at UNH. The Warriors are now 3-35-5 against the Wildcats since 1995 and are 3-22-2 at the Whittemore Center in Durham.

Cannata Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Joe Cannata earned the Hockey East Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week on December 1 after stopping 33 shots in the win at UNH. It is the second time Cannata has earned a weekly honor from Hockey East this season.

Win #25 for Coach Dennehy
The 4-3 win over New Hampshire was the 25th for Coach Mark Dennehy at Merrimack.

Stollery 2nd Among HEA Newcomers on the Blue Line
Freshman Karl Stollery is second among all Hockey East freshmen defensemen with ten points and first among Warrior defensemen. All ten of his points have come in Hockey East games.

Win #725, Goal #6500
Merrimack's win at New Hampshire was the 725th in school history, and Jesse Todd's game-winner was the 6,500th goal in school history.

Strong on Saturdays
Merrimack is 4-3-1 on Saturdays this season and 1-11-2 total on all other days.

Points in Maine
The Warriors snapped a six-game losing streak in Maine dating back to a 2-2 tie on December 3, 2004 with a 1-1 tie on November 22. Merrimack snapped Maine’s six-game winning streak as well.

Scoring Early
J.C. Robitaille’s goal 46-seconds into the first at Maine on Nov. 21 was the Warriors’ quickest goal in a HEA game since Mickey Rego scored 44 seconds in against PC on March 4, 2006. Jesse Todd scored 1:40 into the first against UMass on November 8.

Cannata Listed Among Central Scouting Rankings
Freshman netminder Joe Cannata was listed as a “B level” goaltender in the Central Scouting Rankings released on November 18. Cannata is ranked the highest among all NCAA goaltenders and is just one of two “B level” players listed from Hockey East.

Jamieson in the Scoring Column
Sophomore walk-on John Jamieson tallied his first two collegiate goals in a 5-5 tie with Boston College, snapping a 28-game goalless streak to begin his career. Jamieson earned his first assist of the season on Jesse Todd’s game-winner at UNH on Nov. 29.

Fast Starts
Merrimack is outshooting its opponents 215-187 (+28) in the first period.

Warriors Earn Tie with Eagles
Merrimack tallied two third-period goals to salvage a 5-5 tie with #5 BC on November 14. It marked the first point the Warriors earned against BC at Lawler Arena since February 5, 2004, seven games ago, when they tied 4-4. Merrimack scored five goals against the Eagles for the first time since Feb. 15, 2003.

Scoring First
The Warriors have scored first in 11 of their 22 games this season and are 5-4-2 when they take the 1-0 lead. Last season, Merrimack was 9-3-3 when they scored first and 5-1-3 when they led after the first.

Braithwaite Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Junior Andrew Braithwaite was named the Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week by Hockey East after leading the Warriors to the 3-1 win over #19 UMass by making 34 saves. Braithwaite was a three-time honoree last season.

OT Loss
Merrimack’s 4-3 OT loss to #2 Boston College was its first overtime defeat at home since losing to Lowell on January 16, 2004.

Freshmen Todd and Stollery Notch First Goals
Jesse Todd and Karl Stollery, both of whom played in Camrose (AJHL) last season, notched their first collegiate goals in the November 8 win over #19 UMass. Todd scored just 1:40 into the game while Stollery added an empty-netter at 19:18 of the third period.

Oh Canada
All three goals against #19 UMass were scored by Canadian-born players. Merrimack has 15 players and two coaches from Canada, more than any other Hockey East school.

Cannata’s Even Strength Streak Ends
Brock Bradford’s overtime goal marked the first even strength tally Joe Cannata allowed this season, spanning 228 minutes over four games. The Wakefield, MA native was the runner-up for Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month for October.

1-0 Games
The Warriors played two 1-0 games against Army and Niagara, marking the first time they have played back-to-back 1-0 games in school history.

Travelling Early and Often
Merrimack has completed one of its longer Hockey East road trips, travelling to Vermont and Maine in back-to-back weekends. The Warriors also travelled to Army and to Buffalo to play Canisius and Niagara back in October, marking one of their more hectic travel schedules in a Merrimack season in recent history.

Cannata in the Record Books
Joe Cannata saw his shutout streak end at 101:09 to start the season when he gave up a third-period goal at Canisius. Cannata stopped the first 55 shots he faced, setting a Merrimack record, and turned aside 66 of his first 67 shots. He was named the Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week after becoming the first goaltender in school history to register a shutout in his first start.

Non-Conference Update
Merrimack’s nine-game unbeaten streak against non-conference opponents came to an end with a 1-0 loss at Niagara. The Warriors are 9-2-2 in their last 13 games against non-Hockey East teams.

Merrimack in 40+ Save Performances

Incredibly, over the last two seasons, Merrimack is 3-0-2 when its goaltender stops 40 or more shots. Joe Cannata became the first goaltender to stop 40+ shots this season with his 44-save performance at Army. Last season, Andrew Braithwaite did the deed three times with Merrimack going 2-0-1 in those games.

Ouimet Leads Merrimack to Opening Night Win
Sophomore Francois Ouimet tallied two goals in Merrimack’s 3-1 win over Robert Morris on opening night. It was the first career two-goal game for Ouimet, who posted four shots in the victory.

Braithwaite Named to Preseason All-CHN Team
Junior goaltender Andrew Braithwaite was named to the Preseason All College Hockey News Team as a Player to Watch.

Hot in Home Openers
The Warriors are now 5-1-2 in their last eight home openers.

Captains
Juniors Joe Loprieno and Rob Ricci will serve as co-captains for the 2008-09 season.

Cannata, Stollery Among Top Prospects in INCH’s Recruiting Rankings
Freshmen Karl Stollery and Joe Cannata have been included among the top incoming recruits according to Inside College Hockey. Cannata, who spent last season with the U.S.A. Under-18 Development Team, is ranked seventh among incoming goaltenders and second among incoming Hockey East goaltenders. Stollery, who led the Camrose Kodiaks to two straight AJHL and Doyle Cup Championships, is slated 19th among incoming defensemen and fifth among Hockey East blue liners.

20 Deep in Hockey East
Merrimack enters its 20th season in Hockey East. After having its most successful season since 2002-03, the Warriors will look to build on that momentum this season, having lost just two key contributors from last season’s team.

McGill Recap
Merrimack dropped a 2-1 preseason game to McGill at Lawler Arena. Chris Barton scored the Warriors’ lone goal on the power play in the second. Merrimack outshot the Redmen 33-17, including 24-10 in the final two periods.

Camrose Connection
Chris Barton, Karl Stollery, and Jesse Todd all played junior hockey with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL. Barton, who was a sophomore while Stollery and Todd were freshmen, helped Camrose to two straight AJHL and Doyle Cup Championships in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

The Alberta Pipeline
Eight players are from Alberta on this year’s Merrimack squad, tied with Massachusetts for the most from one province or state. Besides the Camrose trio, Carter Madsen, Elliott Sheen, Grant Farrell, Brandon Sadlowski, and Adam Ross hail from Alberta.


Cross Country (M) Cross Country (W) Field Hockey Football Soccer (M) Soccer (W) Volleyball Basketball (M) Basketball (W) Ice Hockey Baseball Lacrosse (M) Lacrosse (W) Softball Tennis (M) Tennis (W) Lawler Completion Project Athletic Staff Directory Blue Line Club Cheerleading Compliance Composite Calendar Directions Facilities From the AD's Desk Intramurals Marketing & Promotions Merrimack Championships Quick Facts Recruiting Questionnaires SAAC SID Downloads Sponsorship Sports Medicine Strength and Conditioning Visitors Guide	Home \| Roster \| Coaches \| Schedule/Results \| Standings \| Statistics \| Statistics (.pdf) \| News \| Promotional Schedule \| Buy-a-Seat Brochure \| Hockey Video \| Media Clips \| Single Game Tickets \| Season Tickets \| Sponsor a Jersey Program \| Archives [Printer Friendly] Jan 29, 2009 Hockey Hosts #2 Boston University Friday Night at Lawler Arena MERRIMACK COLLEGE HOCKEY Game #23 vs. #2 Boston University, Fri. January 30, 2009, 7 p.m., Lawler Arena / Watch Live / Live Stats / Game Notes (.pdf) Game #24 at Providence College, Sat. January 31, 2009, 7 p.m., Schenider Arena / Listen Live / Live Stats / Game Notes (.pdf) Tonight’s Matchup: Merrimack rounds out its January home schedule and its season series against second-ranked Boston University Friday night. Lifetime vs. Boston University: The Warriors are 11-69-4 lifetime and have lost the last 14 matchups. Merrimack’s last win over BU was on February 12, 2004. Coach Dennehy vs. the Terriers: Coach Dennehy is 0-11 as head coach of the Warriors against BU. Earlier This Season vs. BU (10/17/08 - BU W, 5-2): Chris Barton scored twice 2:31 apart in the second in a 5-2 loss to fifth-ranked Boston University on Oct. 17 at Agganis Arena. Merrimack fell behind 3-0 early but rallied to cut the lead to one before the Terriers tacked on two insurance goals in the third period. (1/16/09 - BU W, 4-1): Jason Lawrence registered a pair of power-play goals to help second-ranked Boston University earn a 4-1 win at Merrimack. J.C. Robitaille scored for the Warriors in a game in which the two teams combined for 97 penalty minutes. Lifetime vs. Providence: The Warriors are 24-72-6 lifetime against the Friars and won last season’s series 2-0-1, including a 3-2 win at Schneider Arena. Coach Dennehy vs. the Friars: Coach Dennehy is 4-4-1 as head coach of the Warriors against Providence. Last Season vs. Providence: The Warriors were 2-0-1 against Providence last season, led by Andrew Braithwaite who was 2-0-1 with a 0.97 goals-against and a .979 save percentage. Braithwaite stopped 139 of the 142 shots he faced while Rob Ricci scored three goals and fired 12 shots against the Friars. (2/2/08 - @ MC T, 1-1): PC outshot the Warriors 51-18 but Braithwaite stopped 50 shots and Francois Ouimet scored the game-tying goal in the second period in a 1-1 tie. (2/22/08 - @ MC W, 2-0): Braithwaite stopped 42 shots, while Rob Ricci scored with 5:14 remaining in regulation to break a scoreless tie. Ricci added an empty netter at 19:30 giving the Warriors the 2-0 victory. (2/23/08 - @ PC W, 3-2): Braithwaite stopped 47 shots and Matt Jones broke a 2-2 tie with 16:19 left in the third to give the Warriors the 3-2 win which kept their playoff hopes alive. Ricci and J.C. Robitaille also scored in the win. Todd Shines in Weekend Series with Lowell Freshman Jesse Todd was the only Warrior to register a point in both games in last weekend’s home-and-home series with UMass Lowell. Todd registered his fourth goal of the season at Lowell, scoring on a breakaway, and picked up an assist on Chris Barton’s power play goal Saturday at Lawler Arena. Todd has points in five of his last six games. Barton Becoming a Power Play Sniper After notching a power play tally against Lowell, Chris Barton has scored four of Merrimack’s 10 power play goals. Four of Barton’s six goals this season are on the power play. Rego Regains His Scoring Touch Mickey Rego’s third period goal against Lowell was the senior’s first tally since his sophomore season when he scored against UMass on December 5, 2006. Rego notched an assist on Pat Kimball’s goal against Army, marking his first point since January 20, 2007. Strong at Even Strength Merrimack has outscored its opponents 34-32 in 5-on-5 situations this season. Game #500 in the Books Merrimack’s 500th game in Hockey East was a 3-2 loss on January 24 against Lowell at Lawler Arena. One Goal Struggles The Warriors are 2-10 in one-goal games this season. Eight of Merrimack’s last 10 losses have been by one goal. The school record for one goal losses in a season is 12 set in the 1998-99 season. Merrimack finished 11-24-1 that season. Penalty Filled Game vs. BU There were 97 penalty minutes handed out in total in the game against BU on January 16. The 16 penalties taken by Merrimack were the most taken by them in a game since they took 16 against Maine on November 3, 2006. The 51 penalty minutes were the most taken by Merrimack in a game since they took 53 against UNH on February 10, 2007. Ricci Nominated for Hobey Captain Rob Ricci was one of 19 Hockey East players nominated for the Hobey Baker Award. Ricci is tied for the team lead with six goals and has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his last 10 games. Velleca Gets Going Freshman Jeff Velleca ended his eight-game scoreless streak as he tallied his first collegiate points getting a goal and an assist against Qunnipiac on December 29. The rookie added his first Hockey East goal against Lowell at Tsongas Arena. Barton and BU Sophomore Chris Barton scored both goals in the October 17 5-2 loss at BU. It was the second time in Barton’s career that he notched two goals in a game. The first time also came in a game against the Terriers played on January 18, 2008. Solid Third Period Play The Warriors and their opponents have scored 18 goals each in the third period this season. Robitaille Back in the Scoring Column J.C. Robitaille scored his first goal since November 21 on January 16 vs. Boston University. Robitaille notched a power play goal late in the third period. Allan Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week Sophomore Fraser Allan’s four-point output at the UConn Holiday Classic earned him Hockey East Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week honors on Dec. 30. The runner-up for Hockey East Player of the Month for December, Allan tallied a goal and an assist in each game at UConn and is second among all Merrimack defensemen with eight points. Allan and Barton 50-for-50 Against Quinnipiac on December 29, Fraser Allan and Chris Barton each played in their 50th straight game since coming to Merrimack. Allan posted two points in the game, while Barton earned an assist. Cannata Faces First Collegiate Penalty Shot Joe Cannata faced his first collegiate penalty shot at Northeastern when Steve Quailer scored on him in the second period. It was the first penalty shot against Merrimack since Jim Healey stopped one in the 2005-06 season against Maine. Todd Leads Warriors to 4-2 Win over U.S. National Under-18 Team Jesse Todd scored twice leading Merrimack to a 4-2 win over the U.S. National Under-18 Team in the first meeting between the two teams. The Warriors struck for three first-period goals by Todd, Francois Ouimet, and Carter Madsen while outshooting the U.S. team 40-21 overall. Joe Cannata, facing his former team, stopped 19 shots in net. Home Sweet Home The Warriors will play at least one home game every weekend in the remaining six weeks of the season. They have seven home games left compared to five on the road. First Short-Handed Goal Joe Loprieno’s short-handed tally at UConn was Merrimack’s first of the season. On Pace to Break the Goals-Against Record Again Merrimack surrendered just 93 goals last season, 82 in Hockey East, which was the fewest they gave up in a season since joining Hockey East in 1988. This season, they have given up 47 goals in HEA (56 overall) and are on pace to break the record for the second straight year. Recapping UConn Holiday Classic Merrimack placed third at the 2008 UConn Holiday Classic. They lost to Qunnipiac 4-3 in overtime in the first round and defeated UConn 5-2 in the consolation game. Fraser Allan tallied four points while Rob Ricci added three points in the tournament, as ten different Warriors earned points in the 5-2 win against the Huskies. Allan was named to the All-Tournament Team for his efforts. Kramer Picking It Up After scoring his first career goal in his 29th career game at UNH on November 29, Bobby Kramer has continued his offensive success as he registered his first multi-point game, getting two assists against UConn. Back to Hockey East Play Seventeen of Merrimack’s final 18 games are against Hockey East teams. Merrimack is 3-2-1 this season in non-conference games. Madsen Nets First Collegiate Goal Carter Madsen became the eighth Warrior to score his first collegiate goal this season when the center scored at 19:56 of the third period against UConn on December 30. December Struggles Come to an End Merrimack snapped a six-game winless streak in December with a 5-2 win over Connecticut. They had not won in December since defeating UMass 3-0 on December 5, 2006. Ross and Sheen Get First Career Goal Adam Ross, in his 47th career game, tallied a game-high five shots and his first collegiate goal in a 3-2 loss to Maine on December 7. Against UNH on November 29, Elliott Sheen tallied his first career goal in the win. Warriors Earn Rare Win at New Hampshire Behind third-period goals from Rob Ricci and Jesse Todd, Merrimack rallied for a 4-3 victory at UNH. The Warriors are now 3-35-5 against the Wildcats since 1995 and are 3-22-2 at the Whittemore Center in Durham. Cannata Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week Joe Cannata earned the Hockey East Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week on December 1 after stopping 33 shots in the win at UNH. It is the second time Cannata has earned a weekly honor from Hockey East this season. Win #25 for Coach Dennehy The 4-3 win over New Hampshire was the 25th for Coach Mark Dennehy at Merrimack. Stollery 2nd Among HEA Newcomers on the Blue Line Freshman Karl Stollery is second among all Hockey East freshmen defensemen with ten points and first among Warrior defensemen. All ten of his points have come in Hockey East games. Win #725, Goal #6500 Merrimack's win at New Hampshire was the 725th in school history, and Jesse Todd's game-winner was the 6,500th goal in school history. Strong on Saturdays Merrimack is 4-3-1 on Saturdays this season and 1-11-2 total on all other days. Points in Maine The Warriors snapped a six-game losing streak in Maine dating back to a 2-2 tie on December 3, 2004 with a 1-1 tie on November 22. Merrimack snapped Maine’s six-game winning streak as well. Scoring Early J.C. Robitaille’s goal 46-seconds into the first at Maine on Nov. 21 was the Warriors’ quickest goal in a HEA game since Mickey Rego scored 44 seconds in against PC on March 4, 2006. Jesse Todd scored 1:40 into the first against UMass on November 8. Cannata Listed Among Central Scouting Rankings Freshman netminder Joe Cannata was listed as a “B level” goaltender in the Central Scouting Rankings released on November 18. Cannata is ranked the highest among all NCAA goaltenders and is just one of two “B level” players listed from Hockey East. Jamieson in the Scoring Column Sophomore walk-on John Jamieson tallied his first two collegiate goals in a 5-5 tie with Boston College, snapping a 28-game goalless streak to begin his career. Jamieson earned his first assist of the season on Jesse Todd’s game-winner at UNH on Nov. 29. Fast Starts Merrimack is outshooting its opponents 215-187 (+28) in the first period. Warriors Earn Tie with Eagles Merrimack tallied two third-period goals to salvage a 5-5 tie with #5 BC on November 14. It marked the first point the Warriors earned against BC at Lawler Arena since February 5, 2004, seven games ago, when they tied 4-4. Merrimack scored five goals against the Eagles for the first time since Feb. 15, 2003. Scoring First The Warriors have scored first in 11 of their 22 games this season and are 5-4-2 when they take the 1-0 lead. Last season, Merrimack was 9-3-3 when they scored first and 5-1-3 when they led after the first. Braithwaite Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week Junior Andrew Braithwaite was named the Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week by Hockey East after leading the Warriors to the 3-1 win over #19 UMass by making 34 saves. Braithwaite was a three-time honoree last season. OT Loss Merrimack’s 4-3 OT loss to #2 Boston College was its first overtime defeat at home since losing to Lowell on January 16, 2004. Freshmen Todd and Stollery Notch First Goals Jesse Todd and Karl Stollery, both of whom played in Camrose (AJHL) last season, notched their first collegiate goals in the November 8 win over #19 UMass. Todd scored just 1:40 into the game while Stollery added an empty-netter at 19:18 of the third period. Oh Canada All three goals against #19 UMass were scored by Canadian-born players. Merrimack has 15 players and two coaches from Canada, more than any other Hockey East school. Cannata’s Even Strength Streak Ends Brock Bradford’s overtime goal marked the first even strength tally Joe Cannata allowed this season, spanning 228 minutes over four games. The Wakefield, MA native was the runner-up for Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month for October. 1-0 Games The Warriors played two 1-0 games against Army and Niagara, marking the first time they have played back-to-back 1-0 games in school history. Travelling Early and Often Merrimack has completed one of its longer Hockey East road trips, travelling to Vermont and Maine in back-to-back weekends. The Warriors also travelled to Army and to Buffalo to play Canisius and Niagara back in October, marking one of their more hectic travel schedules in a Merrimack season in recent history. Cannata in the Record Books Joe Cannata saw his shutout streak end at 101:09 to start the season when he gave up a third-period goal at Canisius. Cannata stopped the first 55 shots he faced, setting a Merrimack record, and turned aside 66 of his first 67 shots. He was named the Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week after becoming the first goaltender in school history to register a shutout in his first start. Non-Conference Update Merrimack’s nine-game unbeaten streak against non-conference opponents came to an end with a 1-0 loss at Niagara. The Warriors are 9-2-2 in their last 13 games against non-Hockey East teams. Merrimack in 40+ Save Performances Incredibly, over the last two seasons, Merrimack is 3-0-2 when its goaltender stops 40 or more shots. Joe Cannata became the first goaltender to stop 40+ shots this season with his 44-save performance at Army. Last season, Andrew Braithwaite did the deed three times with Merrimack going 2-0-1 in those games. Ouimet Leads Merrimack to Opening Night Win Sophomore Francois Ouimet tallied two goals in Merrimack’s 3-1 win over Robert Morris on opening night. It was the first career two-goal game for Ouimet, who posted four shots in the victory. Braithwaite Named to Preseason All-CHN Team Junior goaltender Andrew Braithwaite was named to the Preseason All College Hockey News Team as a Player to Watch. Hot in Home Openers The Warriors are now 5-1-2 in their last eight home openers. Captains Juniors Joe Loprieno and Rob Ricci will serve as co-captains for the 2008-09 season. Cannata, Stollery Among Top Prospects in INCH’s Recruiting Rankings Freshmen Karl Stollery and Joe Cannata have been included among the top incoming recruits according to Inside College Hockey. Cannata, who spent last season with the U.S.A. Under-18 Development Team, is ranked seventh among incoming goaltenders and second among incoming Hockey East goaltenders. Stollery, who led the Camrose Kodiaks to two straight AJHL and Doyle Cup Championships, is slated 19th among incoming defensemen and fifth among Hockey East blue liners. 20 Deep in Hockey East Merrimack enters its 20th season in Hockey East. After having its most successful season since 2002-03, the Warriors will look to build on that momentum this season, having lost just two key contributors from last season’s team. McGill Recap Merrimack dropped a 2-1 preseason game to McGill at Lawler Arena. Chris Barton scored the Warriors’ lone goal on the power play in the second. Merrimack outshot the Redmen 33-17, including 24-10 in the final two periods. Camrose Connection Chris Barton, Karl Stollery, and Jesse Todd all played junior hockey with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL. Barton, who was a sophomore while Stollery and Todd were freshmen, helped Camrose to two straight AJHL and Doyle Cup Championships in 2006-07 and 2007-08. The Alberta Pipeline Eight players are from Alberta on this year’s Merrimack squad, tied with Massachusetts for the most from one province or state. Besides the Camrose trio, Carter Madsen, Elliott Sheen, Grant Farrell, Brandon Sadlowski, and Adam Ross hail from Alberta.