Feb 20, 2009

Hockey Hosts Providence Saturday; Teams Rematch Sunday at Providence on ESPNU

MERRIMACK COLLEGE HOCKEY

Game # 29-30 vs. Providence College

Saturday Feb. 21, 2009 vs. Providence, 7 p.m. @ Lawler Arena / Watch Live / Live Stats / Game Notes

Sunday Feb. 22, 2009 at Providence, 4 p.m. (ESPNU) @ Schneider Arena / Listen Live / Live Stats / Game Notes

Tonight’s Matchup: Merrimack wraps up its season series against the Providence Friars this weekend.

Lifetime vs. Providence: The Warriors are 24-73-6 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 4-5-1 as head coach of the Warriors against Providence.

Earlier This Season vs. PC:
(01/31/09 - UVM W, 5-3): Despite scoring three times in a 3:37 span against Providence, the Warriors were defeated 5-3 by the Friars. The goals scored by Francois Ouimet, Rob Ricci and Jesse Todd in 3:37 marked the quickest span of Merrimack netting three goals since the Warriors tallied three in 2:47 against the Friars on March 4, 2006. But the Friars scored the game’s first four goals and hung on for the win.

Warriors Earn Split with #5 Catamounts
Merrimack defeated Vermont 3-2 for the first time at Lawler Arena in six lifetime games. This win marked the Warriors’ first Hockey East victory since November 29, 2008 when they defeated UNH. UVM came back to earn a 4-3 win on Saturday.

First Come-From-Behind Win This Season
The 3-2 victory over UVM was the first this season for Merrimack when its opponent scored first. The Warriors had been 0-13-1 when falling behind. This victory was also Merrimack’s first on a Friday this season. They were 0-7-1 on Friday before this win.

Cannata Hockey East Rookie of the Week
Freshman goaltender Joe Cannata was named the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week on Monday. Cannata stopped 35 shots on Friday leading the Warriors to a 3-2 upset victory over fifth-ranked Vermont. This is the third time this season that Cannata has earned a Hockey East weekly honor.

Scoring in Bunches
With goals from Karl Stollery, Ryan Flanigan, and Chris Barton, Merrimack scored three times in a 2:17 span in the win against Vermont, marking the three quickest goals since the Warriors scored three times in 1:34 on November 2, 2001 in a 4-3 loss to UNH. Merrimack scored three goals in a 3:37 span two weeks ago at Providence.

Allan’s Streak Ends at 60 Games
Fraser Allan, who had played in 60 straight games since arriving at Merrimack, had his streak snapped last weekend due to an injury. Chris Barton is the only sophomore to have played in all 62 games since coming to Merrimack last season.

Bonitatibus Moves to the Blue Line
With Allan and Joe Loprieno out of the lineup due to injury, the Warriors had only five healthy defensemen when they took the ice to play Vermont last weekend necessitating Justin Bonitatibus’s move to defense for the first time in his career.

Power Play Continues to Sizzle
The Warrior power play scored twice for the third straight game in the 3-2 win over Vermont.

Flanigan Nets First Collegiate Tally
Freshman Ryan Flanigan tallied his first career goal and first multi-point game in the 3-2 win over Vermont.

Warriors Snap Skid with 2-0 Win over Brown
Behind a season-high 41 shots, Merrimack snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over Brown University. Rob Ricci and Joe Cucci scored 21 seconds apart on the power play in the third period for the victory.

Cannata Earns First Home Shutout
Joe Cannata stopped 18 shots against Brown for his second career shutout and first at home. Saturday’s matchup with Brown pitted two goaltenders from the 2007-08 U.S. Under-18 team in Cannata and Mike Clemente.

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 65 goals in HEA (74 overall) and are on pace to break the record for the second straight year.

One Goal Struggles
Merrimack’s 4-3 loss to Vermont on February 14th marked the 12th time they lost by one goal this season, tying a school record for one-goal losses set in the 1998-99 season. The Warriors are 3-12 in one-goal games this season. Ten of Merrimack’s last 14 losses have been by one goal.

Bowen and Allan Becoming Offensive Threats
Defensemen Pat Bowen and Fraser Allan each registered three power-play points in two games against Northeastern and Brown. Bowen has points in five of his last six games.

Kimball’s Scoring Drought Comes to an End
Pat Kimball snapped a 17-game goalless streak with a goal against NU on Friday that dated back to October 31, 2008 when he scored twice against BC.

Barton Becoming a Power Play Sniper
Chris Barton has scored five of Merrimack’s 17 power play goals. Five of Barton’s eight goals this season are on the power play. Barton continues to lead the Warriors in scoring with 19 points.

Non-Conference Wrap Up
With the 2-0 win over Brown, the Warriors finish the season 4-2-1 against non-conference teams. Merrimack is 10-2-2 in its last 14 games against non-conference foes. Joe Cucci led the Warriors with six points while Francois Ouimet and Fraser Alaan each tallied five against non-conference teams. Joe Cannata was 3-0-1 with a 0.74 goals-against and a .973 save percentage.

Late Rally Against Providence Falls Short
Despite scoring three times in a 3:37 span against Providence, the Warriors were defeated 5-3 by the Friars. The goals scored by Francois Ouimet, Rob Ricci and Jesse Todd in 3:37 marked the quickest span of Merrimack netting three goals since the Warriors tallied three in 2:47 against the Friars on March 4, 2006.

Todd’s Point Streak Reaches Four Games
Freshman Jesse Todd extended his point streak to four games with a goal and an assist against Providence. It was his first career multi-point game. Todd, who has nine points in the last eight games, is third on the Warriors with 16 points and tied for first with 11 assists.

Strong on Saturdays
Merrimack is 5-5-1 on Saturdays this season and 2-13-2 total on all other days.

Ricci’s Offensive Streak Continues
Todd’s linemate, Rob Ricci, has points in five of seven, eight of 12, and 11 of his last sixteen. The captain has 14 points in the last 16 games and leads the Warriors with nine goals. Ricci was one of 19 Hockey East players nominated for the Hobey Baker.

Loprieno’s Consecutive Game Streak Comes to an End
An injury to junior captain Joe Loprieno saw his 63 consecutive game streak come to an end on January 30. Loprieno had played in every game dating back to February 9, 2007.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Stollery 2nd Among HEA Newcomers on the Blue Line
Freshman Karl Stollery is second among all Hockey East freshmen defensemen with 13 points and first among Warrior defensemen. Twelve of his points have come in Hockey East games.

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.

Fast Starts
Merrimack is outshooting its opponents 269-249 (+20) in the first period.

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.

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 13 of their 28 games this season and are 6-5-2 when they take the 1-0 lead.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Merrimack on TV
The Warriors will appear on TV twice this season, on ESPNU at Providence on February 22 and on NESN at New Hampshire on February 28.


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 Desktop Wallpaper 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 2009 in Review	Home \| Roster \| Coaches \| Schedule/Results \| Standings \| Statistics \| Statistics (.pdf) \| News \| Hockey Video \| Buy-a-Seat Brochure \| Media Clips \| Sponsor a Jersey Program \| Archives [Printer Friendly] Feb 20, 2009 Hockey Hosts Providence Saturday; Teams Rematch Sunday at Providence on ESPNU MERRIMACK COLLEGE HOCKEY Game # 29-30 vs. Providence College Saturday Feb. 21, 2009 vs. Providence, 7 p.m. @ Lawler Arena / Watch Live / Live Stats / Game Notes Sunday Feb. 22, 2009 at Providence, 4 p.m. (ESPNU) @ Schneider Arena / Listen Live / Live Stats / Game Notes Tonight’s Matchup: Merrimack wraps up its season series against the Providence Friars this weekend. Lifetime vs. Providence: The Warriors are 24-73-6 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 4-5-1 as head coach of the Warriors against Providence. Earlier This Season vs. PC: (01/31/09 - UVM W, 5-3): Despite scoring three times in a 3:37 span against Providence, the Warriors were defeated 5-3 by the Friars. The goals scored by Francois Ouimet, Rob Ricci and Jesse Todd in 3:37 marked the quickest span of Merrimack netting three goals since the Warriors tallied three in 2:47 against the Friars on March 4, 2006. But the Friars scored the game’s first four goals and hung on for the win. Warriors Earn Split with #5 Catamounts Merrimack defeated Vermont 3-2 for the first time at Lawler Arena in six lifetime games. This win marked the Warriors’ first Hockey East victory since November 29, 2008 when they defeated UNH. UVM came back to earn a 4-3 win on Saturday. First Come-From-Behind Win This Season The 3-2 victory over UVM was the first this season for Merrimack when its opponent scored first. The Warriors had been 0-13-1 when falling behind. This victory was also Merrimack’s first on a Friday this season. They were 0-7-1 on Friday before this win. Cannata Hockey East Rookie of the Week Freshman goaltender Joe Cannata was named the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week on Monday. Cannata stopped 35 shots on Friday leading the Warriors to a 3-2 upset victory over fifth-ranked Vermont. This is the third time this season that Cannata has earned a Hockey East weekly honor. Scoring in Bunches With goals from Karl Stollery, Ryan Flanigan, and Chris Barton, Merrimack scored three times in a 2:17 span in the win against Vermont, marking the three quickest goals since the Warriors scored three times in 1:34 on November 2, 2001 in a 4-3 loss to UNH. Merrimack scored three goals in a 3:37 span two weeks ago at Providence. Allan’s Streak Ends at 60 Games Fraser Allan, who had played in 60 straight games since arriving at Merrimack, had his streak snapped last weekend due to an injury. Chris Barton is the only sophomore to have played in all 62 games since coming to Merrimack last season. Bonitatibus Moves to the Blue Line With Allan and Joe Loprieno out of the lineup due to injury, the Warriors had only five healthy defensemen when they took the ice to play Vermont last weekend necessitating Justin Bonitatibus’s move to defense for the first time in his career. Power Play Continues to Sizzle The Warrior power play scored twice for the third straight game in the 3-2 win over Vermont. Flanigan Nets First Collegiate Tally Freshman Ryan Flanigan tallied his first career goal and first multi-point game in the 3-2 win over Vermont. Warriors Snap Skid with 2-0 Win over Brown Behind a season-high 41 shots, Merrimack snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over Brown University. Rob Ricci and Joe Cucci scored 21 seconds apart on the power play in the third period for the victory. Cannata Earns First Home Shutout Joe Cannata stopped 18 shots against Brown for his second career shutout and first at home. Saturday’s matchup with Brown pitted two goaltenders from the 2007-08 U.S. Under-18 team in Cannata and Mike Clemente. 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 65 goals in HEA (74 overall) and are on pace to break the record for the second straight year. One Goal Struggles Merrimack’s 4-3 loss to Vermont on February 14th marked the 12th time they lost by one goal this season, tying a school record for one-goal losses set in the 1998-99 season. The Warriors are 3-12 in one-goal games this season. Ten of Merrimack’s last 14 losses have been by one goal. Bowen and Allan Becoming Offensive Threats Defensemen Pat Bowen and Fraser Allan each registered three power-play points in two games against Northeastern and Brown. Bowen has points in five of his last six games. Kimball’s Scoring Drought Comes to an End Pat Kimball snapped a 17-game goalless streak with a goal against NU on Friday that dated back to October 31, 2008 when he scored twice against BC. Barton Becoming a Power Play Sniper Chris Barton has scored five of Merrimack’s 17 power play goals. Five of Barton’s eight goals this season are on the power play. Barton continues to lead the Warriors in scoring with 19 points. Non-Conference Wrap Up With the 2-0 win over Brown, the Warriors finish the season 4-2-1 against non-conference teams. Merrimack is 10-2-2 in its last 14 games against non-conference foes. Joe Cucci led the Warriors with six points while Francois Ouimet and Fraser Alaan each tallied five against non-conference teams. Joe Cannata was 3-0-1 with a 0.74 goals-against and a .973 save percentage. Late Rally Against Providence Falls Short Despite scoring three times in a 3:37 span against Providence, the Warriors were defeated 5-3 by the Friars. The goals scored by Francois Ouimet, Rob Ricci and Jesse Todd in 3:37 marked the quickest span of Merrimack netting three goals since the Warriors tallied three in 2:47 against the Friars on March 4, 2006. Todd’s Point Streak Reaches Four Games Freshman Jesse Todd extended his point streak to four games with a goal and an assist against Providence. It was his first career multi-point game. Todd, who has nine points in the last eight games, is third on the Warriors with 16 points and tied for first with 11 assists. Strong on Saturdays Merrimack is 5-5-1 on Saturdays this season and 2-13-2 total on all other days. Ricci’s Offensive Streak Continues Todd’s linemate, Rob Ricci, has points in five of seven, eight of 12, and 11 of his last sixteen. The captain has 14 points in the last 16 games and leads the Warriors with nine goals. Ricci was one of 19 Hockey East players nominated for the Hobey Baker. Loprieno’s Consecutive Game Streak Comes to an End An injury to junior captain Joe Loprieno saw his 63 consecutive game streak come to an end on January 30. Loprieno had played in every game dating back to February 9, 2007. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. First Short-Handed Goal Joe Loprieno’s short-handed tally at UConn was Merrimack’s first of the season. Win #25 for Coach Dennehy The 4-3 win over New Hampshire was the 25th for Coach Mark Dennehy at Merrimack. 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. 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. 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. 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. Stollery 2nd Among HEA Newcomers on the Blue Line Freshman Karl Stollery is second among all Hockey East freshmen defensemen with 13 points and first among Warrior defensemen. Twelve of his points have come in Hockey East games. 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. Fast Starts Merrimack is outshooting its opponents 269-249 (+20) in the first period. 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. 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 13 of their 28 games this season and are 6-5-2 when they take the 1-0 lead. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Merrimack on TV The Warriors will appear on TV twice this season, on ESPNU at Providence on February 22 and on NESN at New Hampshire on February 28.