Stephane Da Costa Named Hockey East Player of the Week

NORTH ANDOVER, MA – Stephane Da Costa (Paris, France) was named the Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday.

In just his second career game, Da Costa had a natural hat trick in the first period and netted five goals in all, leading Merrimack to a 6-3 victory over Army Saturday night at Lawler Arena.

Da Costa’s night marked the first time since Merrimack joined hockey East 21 years ago that a Warrior has scored five times in a game, and it was the most goals in the 36-year history of Lawler Arena. He became the first Hockey East player since Boston College’s Brian Gionta on January 27, 2001 to score five goals in a game and is the first player to score five goals and get a natural hat trick as part of his first collegiate goal in Hockey East history.

The freshman also had 11 shots on goal, most by a Merrimack player since joining Hockey East, and had three power play goals, which are tied for the second most in NCAA history and the most since November 6, 2005.

Merrimack (2-2), off to its best start at home since the 2000-01 season, hosts #11 Vermont Friday at 7 p.m. in its conference opener.