Oct 29, 2009

Hockey Battles #13/12 Boston College in Home-and-Home Beginning Friday

MERRIMACK COLLEGE HOCKEY

Game #7 at #13/12 Boston College, Friday, October 30, 2009, 7 p.m. Conte Forum/Kelley Rink, Listen Live / Live Stats / Game Notes / Get Warrior Hockey Merchandise

Game #8 vs. #13/12 Boston College, Sunday, November 1, 2009, 4 p.m., Lawler Arena, Watch Live / Live Stats / Game Notes / Purchase Tickets / Open Skate Information

Tonight’s Matchup: Merrimack battles #13/12 Boston College in its Hockey East road season opener Friday night at Conte Forum, before rounding out the home-and-home series with the Eagles on Sunday at Lawler Arena.

Lifetime vs. Boston College: The Warriors are 17-52-4 lifetime against the Eagles and were 0-2-1 last season. The Warriors last defeated the Eagles on February 15, 2003, 21 games ago, going 0-17-4 in those games. Merrimack has not won at BC since October 31, 1997.

Coach Dennehy vs. the Eagles: Coach Dennehy is 0-10-1 against BC as head
coach of the Warriors.

Last Season vs. Boston College (BC won series 2-0-1):
(10/30/08 @ BC, 4-1 BC): Pat Kimball scored the lone goal in a 4-1 loss.
(10/31/08 @ MC, 4-3 BC OT):Kimball scored twice, but Brock Bradford tied the score late in the third and won it in overtime, giving the second-ranked Boston College Eagles the 4-3 overtime victory.
(11/14/08 @ MC, 5-5 Tie): John Jamieson scored his first two collegiate goals while Chris Barton tied the game with 3:25 remaining in regulation as Merrimack overcame a 5-3 deficit to tie #5 BC 5-5.

Power Play Leads Merrimack to Best Home Start Since Joining Hockey East
The Merrimack power play, which scored eight goals in the four-game home stand, led the Warriors to a 4-0 start at home, marking the first time they are 4-0 at home since joining Hockey East 21 years ago. Thus far this season, the Merrimack power play is 8-for-26 (30.8%) at home and 8-for-32 (25.0%) overall, fourth in HEA.

Earning National Votes
Merrimack earned two votes in this week’s USCHO National Poll, getting votes for the first time since sweeping Maine in November of 2007. Nine of ten Hockey East teams received votes this week, with five being ranked among the top twenty.

Stollery Named Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Karl Stollery was named the Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week on October 26 after tallying four assists on the week, two each in wins over UVM and UConn.

Four in a Row
Merrimack has won four straight for the first time since 2002-03. Its last five-game winning streak occurred in 1993-94 from February 2-17.

1-0 in Hockey East
Merrimack won its conference opener for the first time under Mark Dennehy and for the first time since 2002-03 when it defeated Boston University.

Defensemen Showing Offensive Talent
Merrimack’s seven defensemen have combined for 19 points in six games this season, led by seven from captain Pat Bowen. The blueliners combined for 12 points last weekend, six each in wins over Vermont and Connecticut.

Penalty Kill Virtually Perfect at Home
While the Warriors power-play has caught fire, the penalty kill, ranked third in Hockey East, has been near perfect, killing all 19-of-20 man-down situations at home.

Warrior Offense Leads Hockey East
Merrimack leads all Hockey East teams in goals scored with 22, averaging 3.67 per game, 3rd in HEA. The Warriors scored at least five goals in wins over Army and Vermont, marking the first time they scored 5+ goals in two straight games since the 2003-04 season.

Da Costa’s Historic Start Leads to Hockey East Player of the Week Honor
With five goals in the 6-3 win against Army in only his second career game, Stephane Da Costa was named the HEA Player of the Week. Da Costa leads HEA freshmen with six points and is tied for the overall lead in power-play goals with three.

Barton, Da Costa Lead Hockey East in Goals
For the first time ever, two Warriors are first and second in Hockey East in goals. Chris Barton leads the conference with six goals, while Stephane Da Costa is right behind him with five.

Bowen, Cucci Among Hockey East Assist Leaders
Captain Pat Bowen is second among HEA defensemen with six assists. Bowen has six points in his last three games, including a career-high three assists against Army. Joe Cucci, who also had a career-high three assists vs. Army, is right with him, tallying six helpers, tied for third among all Hockey East skaters.

Highest Scoring Output in the Dennehy Era
The six goals scored against Army were the most scored in the 140 games coached by Mark Dennehy at Merrimack and the most since December 23, 2004.

Merrimack Stretches Non-Conference Home Winning Streak to Eight
Since the beginning of the 2007-08 season, the Warriors are 8-0 at Lawler Arena against non-conference teams. Merrimack finished this season 3-0 against non-conference teams at home.

Kimball, Robitaille on Verge of Century Mark
Pat Kimball and J.C. Robitaille will likely play their 100th career game tonight, as both have played 99 career games.

Alternating Goaltenders Successful
Through the first six games, goaltenders Joe Cannata and Andrew Braithwaite have alternated games, with each goaltender posting a 2-1 record and both recording save percentage over a .915. Merrimack ranks fourth in Hockey East in goals allowed.

A Magical Night for Da Costa
Recapping a Historical Night: Merrimack Records
5 Goals: Da Costa is the second Merrimack player ever to score five goals in a game (Bob Magnuson scored six in March of 1980). He is the first Warrior to net five in Division I.
5 Points: Most points scored in a game by a Warrior since Ryan Cordeiro vs. Maine in February 2002.
11 Shots on Goal: First Warrior to record 11 shots on goal in a game since Merrimack went Division I in 1988.
3 Power -Play Goals: First Warrior to net three power-play goals in a game since joining Division I, 21 years ago.
Natural Hat Trick: First Merrimack freshman ever to have a natural hat trick. Da Costa scored his three goals in exactly 10 minutes in the first period. The last Merrimack player to record a natural hat trick was Andy Heinze in the Hockey East Quarterfinals against Boston College on March 4, 1990.

Recapping a Historical Night: Lawler Arena Records
The freshman scored the most goals in a game at Lawler Arena in the 37-year history of the building.

Recapping a Historical Night: Hockey East Records
The Paris, France native is the first Hockey East player to score five goals since Brian Gionta of Boston College in 2001. His three power-play goals are the most since Ben Walter of UML scored three on October 24, 2003. He is the first freshman in HEA history to score five times 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 last natural hat trick in Hockey East was Mike Sislo (UNH) on December 11, 2008.

Recapping a Historical Night: Hat Trick Notes
The last Merrimack player to get a hat trick was Matt Johnson against RPI on October 29, 2005. The last Warrior to get a hat trick at home was Marco Rosa vs. BC on February 15, 2003. Alex Sikatchev was the last player to net four goals in a game (vs. Colgate, November, 23, 2001). As previously noted, the last Merrimack player to record a natural hat trick was Andy Heinze in the Hockey East Quarterfinals against Boston College on March 4, 1990.

Recapping a Historical Night: NCAA Records
Da Costa set at least two NCAA records. He is the first freshman in NCAA history to score a natural hat trick and get five goals in the same game, let alone in his second career game. He is also the first player to score five goals and get a natural hat trick as part of his first collegiate goal. His three power-play goals are tied for the second most in NCAA Division I history and are the most since November 6, 2005.

Strong on Opening Night
Merrimack is now 6-1-2 in its last nine home openers.

Ouimet Oddly Ends up with Game-Winner
Incredibly, despite scoring five of the six goals in the win over Army, Da Costa did not register the game winner. It was Francois Ouimet who did, getting his first of the year.

Four Warriors Net First Points
In addition to Da Costa, Simon Demers, Kyle Bigos and John Heffernan all notched their first career point,s picking up assists over the 10/16 – 10/17 weekend. Demers netted his first goal against Vermont.

Barton Scores Four of Team’s First Five Goals
In the first-ever meetings between Merrimack and North Dakota, Chris Barton netted three of his team’s four goals, while posting a team-high eight shots. Barton then scored the first goal against Holy Cross, netting four of Merrimack’s first five goals.

Cannata Just Misses Shutout
In the 3-1 win over Holy Cross, Joe Cannata was 45 seconds away from his third career shutout. He stopped 26 shots in the win.

Power Play Comes Alive
The Warriors had three power-play goals against Army for the first time in a game since February 22, 2009 against Providence.

Senior Bonitatibus Finds the Net
Senior Justin Bonitatibus scored the first goal of the season for Merrimack, his first since October 20, 2007 (at Bemidji State).

Demers, Four Freshmen Debut
Among the six freshmen, only Kyle Bigos has played every game this season. Rob Morton and Nick Drew are the only freshmen who have not appeared in a game.

Mookie Returns
Junior Matt Moulakelis, who has played just eight games in the last two seasons, centered the second line in both games at North Dakota, making his first appearance since February 23, 2008. Moulakelis missed the last 37 games with an injury.

Big Crowds
Merrimack played in front of crowds of over 11,000 both nights at North Dakota, the most they have played in front of since making the Hockey East Semifinals in 1998.

Goaltending Solid in Opening Weekend
Arguably the best 1-2 combination in college hockey, Joe Cannata and Andrew Braithwaite both had solid starts to the season in North Dakota. On Friday, Cannata stopped 35 shots, keeping the Warriors in the game in the third, stopping 15 shots, including an incredible, sprawling save, getting a piece of the puck with the blade of his stick off a Brett Hextall shot midway through the third. Braithwaite recorded 32 saves, including 28 in the final two periods, in the second game in North Dakota.

Todd Off to Strong Start
Jesse Todd, who was second among freshmen forwards in scoring in Hockey East games with 21 points and tied for the team lead with 23 points last season, scored the game-winning goal in a 3-1 win over Army. Todd has a team-best +4 this year (tied with Bowen) and has five points in six games while centering the top line with Chris Barton and J.C. Robitaille.

Breaking the GAA for 2nd Straight Year
Last year, for the second straight year, Merrimack set a school record for fewest goals allowed in a season with eighty-nine. Merrimack returns six defensemen, including Stollery, captain Pat Bowen, and assistant captain Adam Ross from last year’s team.

One-Goal Struggles Set a School Record
Despite finishing with a 9-21-4 record, the Warriors were in virtually every game last year, as they lost 14 games by one goal, most in the country and most in school history.

Warriors See Two Selected in NHL Entry Draft
For the first time since 2002, Merrimack had two players selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Freshman Kyle Bigos was picked in the fourth round (99th overall) by the Edmonton Oilers, while sophomore Joe Cannata was picked in the sixth round (173rd overall) by the Vancouver Canucks.

Perfect Attendance for Barton
Chris Barton is the only upperclassman to have played in every game since arriving at Merrimack, playing in 74 straight. Jesse Todd and Karl Stollery played in every game as freshmen.

Non-Conference Wrap Up
The Warriors finished last year 4-2-1 against non-conference teams. Merrimack is 13-4-2 in its last 19 games against non-conference foes.

Cannata in the Record Books
Joe Cannata saw his shutout streak end at 101:09 to start last season when he gave up a third-period goal at Canisius on October 26, 2008. Cannata stopped the first 55 shots he faced, setting a Merrimack record, and turned aside 66 of his first 67 shots. He was the first goaltender in school history to register a shutout in his first start. His 2.35 goals-against-average as a freshman is the second-best in school history for a single season.

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 last season with his 44-save performance at Army. In the 2007-08 season, Andrew Braithwaite did the deed three times with Merrimack going 2-0-1 in those games.

Warriors Welcome Six Newcomers
Merrimack welcomes six freshmen to the squad, highlighted by defenseman Kyle Bigos and forward Stephane Da Costa. Two newcomers, Brandon Brodhag and Rob Morton hail from New York, while Nick Drew and John Heffernan are local products.

Captains
Senior defenseman Pat Bowen and junior forward Chris Barton will serve as captains for the 2009-10 season. Junior defenseman Adam Ross will be an assistant captain.

Scouting the Schedule
Twenty-seven Hockey East games and first-ever trips to North Dakota and Wisconsin highlight a challenging 2009-10 schedule. The Warriors open its season with four-straight non-conference games, including two straight on the road against #6/8 North Dakota and home games against Holy Cross and Army. Merrimack plays a total of seven non-conference games this year, five of them in the first 16 days of the season. The Warriors will host 13 conference games while traveling to fourteen conference road contests, all against tough Division I competitors. Conference play kicks off at home against Vermont on October 23. Merrimack’s longest road trip is a seven-game excursion from December 5 - January 22. The Warriors close out their 2009-10 slate with two home games against Maine and a home-and-home with Providence.

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 AJHLand Doyle Cup Championships in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

The Alberta Pipeline
Seven 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, Brandon Sadlowski, and Adam Ross hail from Alberta.

Lawler Renovations
Over the summer, Merrimack committed 1.2 million to install a new ice bed and compressor system as part of the Lawler Completion Project. The press box was also expanded. Future plans call for the removal of all bleachers in favor of chairback seats as well as the redesign of the Volpe Complex lobby.

Warriors on TV
Merrimack is scheduled to appear on TV three times, once more than last season. Both games in North Dakota aired on Fox College Sports, while the February 20 game at UMass will be carried by NESN.

Warriors on 1400 AM, Internet
All Merrimack home games will be webcast online at www.merrimackathletics.com courtesy of B2 Networks (pay-per-view video and free audio). All road games can be heard live online for free at www.merrimackathletics.com. Beginning November 13, all Merrimack games can be heard live on 1400 AM.


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] Oct 29, 2009 Hockey Battles #13/12 Boston College in Home-and-Home Beginning Friday MERRIMACK COLLEGE HOCKEY Game #7 at #13/12 Boston College, Friday, October 30, 2009, 7 p.m. Conte Forum/Kelley Rink, Listen Live / Live Stats / Game Notes / Get Warrior Hockey Merchandise Game #8 vs. #13/12 Boston College, Sunday, November 1, 2009, 4 p.m., Lawler Arena, Watch Live / Live Stats / Game Notes / Purchase Tickets / Open Skate Information Tonight’s Matchup: Merrimack battles #13/12 Boston College in its Hockey East road season opener Friday night at Conte Forum, before rounding out the home-and-home series with the Eagles on Sunday at Lawler Arena. Lifetime vs. Boston College: The Warriors are 17-52-4 lifetime against the Eagles and were 0-2-1 last season. The Warriors last defeated the Eagles on February 15, 2003, 21 games ago, going 0-17-4 in those games. Merrimack has not won at BC since October 31, 1997. Coach Dennehy vs. the Eagles: Coach Dennehy is 0-10-1 against BC as head coach of the Warriors. Last Season vs. Boston College (BC won series 2-0-1): (10/30/08 @ BC, 4-1 BC): Pat Kimball scored the lone goal in a 4-1 loss. (10/31/08 @ MC, 4-3 BC OT):Kimball scored twice, but Brock Bradford tied the score late in the third and won it in overtime, giving the second-ranked Boston College Eagles the 4-3 overtime victory. (11/14/08 @ MC, 5-5 Tie): John Jamieson scored his first two collegiate goals while Chris Barton tied the game with 3:25 remaining in regulation as Merrimack overcame a 5-3 deficit to tie #5 BC 5-5. Power Play Leads Merrimack to Best Home Start Since Joining Hockey East The Merrimack power play, which scored eight goals in the four-game home stand, led the Warriors to a 4-0 start at home, marking the first time they are 4-0 at home since joining Hockey East 21 years ago. Thus far this season, the Merrimack power play is 8-for-26 (30.8%) at home and 8-for-32 (25.0%) overall, fourth in HEA. Earning National Votes Merrimack earned two votes in this week’s USCHO National Poll, getting votes for the first time since sweeping Maine in November of 2007. Nine of ten Hockey East teams received votes this week, with five being ranked among the top twenty. Stollery Named Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week Karl Stollery was named the Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week on October 26 after tallying four assists on the week, two each in wins over UVM and UConn. Four in a Row Merrimack has won four straight for the first time since 2002-03. Its last five-game winning streak occurred in 1993-94 from February 2-17. 1-0 in Hockey East Merrimack won its conference opener for the first time under Mark Dennehy and for the first time since 2002-03 when it defeated Boston University. Defensemen Showing Offensive Talent Merrimack’s seven defensemen have combined for 19 points in six games this season, led by seven from captain Pat Bowen. The blueliners combined for 12 points last weekend, six each in wins over Vermont and Connecticut. Penalty Kill Virtually Perfect at Home While the Warriors power-play has caught fire, the penalty kill, ranked third in Hockey East, has been near perfect, killing all 19-of-20 man-down situations at home. Warrior Offense Leads Hockey East Merrimack leads all Hockey East teams in goals scored with 22, averaging 3.67 per game, 3rd in HEA. The Warriors scored at least five goals in wins over Army and Vermont, marking the first time they scored 5+ goals in two straight games since the 2003-04 season. Da Costa’s Historic Start Leads to Hockey East Player of the Week Honor With five goals in the 6-3 win against Army in only his second career game, Stephane Da Costa was named the HEA Player of the Week. Da Costa leads HEA freshmen with six points and is tied for the overall lead in power-play goals with three. Barton, Da Costa Lead Hockey East in Goals For the first time ever, two Warriors are first and second in Hockey East in goals. Chris Barton leads the conference with six goals, while Stephane Da Costa is right behind him with five. Bowen, Cucci Among Hockey East Assist Leaders Captain Pat Bowen is second among HEA defensemen with six assists. Bowen has six points in his last three games, including a career-high three assists against Army. Joe Cucci, who also had a career-high three assists vs. Army, is right with him, tallying six helpers, tied for third among all Hockey East skaters. Highest Scoring Output in the Dennehy Era The six goals scored against Army were the most scored in the 140 games coached by Mark Dennehy at Merrimack and the most since December 23, 2004. Merrimack Stretches Non-Conference Home Winning Streak to Eight Since the beginning of the 2007-08 season, the Warriors are 8-0 at Lawler Arena against non-conference teams. Merrimack finished this season 3-0 against non-conference teams at home. Kimball, Robitaille on Verge of Century Mark Pat Kimball and J.C. Robitaille will likely play their 100th career game tonight, as both have played 99 career games. Alternating Goaltenders Successful Through the first six games, goaltenders Joe Cannata and Andrew Braithwaite have alternated games, with each goaltender posting a 2-1 record and both recording save percentage over a .915. Merrimack ranks fourth in Hockey East in goals allowed. A Magical Night for Da Costa Recapping a Historical Night: Merrimack Records 5 Goals: Da Costa is the second Merrimack player ever to score five goals in a game (Bob Magnuson scored six in March of 1980). He is the first Warrior to net five in Division I. 5 Points: Most points scored in a game by a Warrior since Ryan Cordeiro vs. Maine in February 2002. 11 Shots on Goal: First Warrior to record 11 shots on goal in a game since Merrimack went Division I in 1988. 3 Power -Play Goals: First Warrior to net three power-play goals in a game since joining Division I, 21 years ago. Natural Hat Trick: First Merrimack freshman ever to have a natural hat trick. Da Costa scored his three goals in exactly 10 minutes in the first period. The last Merrimack player to record a natural hat trick was Andy Heinze in the Hockey East Quarterfinals against Boston College on March 4, 1990. Recapping a Historical Night: Lawler Arena Records The freshman scored the most goals in a game at Lawler Arena in the 37-year history of the building. Recapping a Historical Night: Hockey East Records The Paris, France native is the first Hockey East player to score five goals since Brian Gionta of Boston College in 2001. His three power-play goals are the most since Ben Walter of UML scored three on October 24, 2003. He is the first freshman in HEA history to score five times 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 last natural hat trick in Hockey East was Mike Sislo (UNH) on December 11, 2008. Recapping a Historical Night: Hat Trick Notes The last Merrimack player to get a hat trick was Matt Johnson against RPI on October 29, 2005. The last Warrior to get a hat trick at home was Marco Rosa vs. BC on February 15, 2003. Alex Sikatchev was the last player to net four goals in a game (vs. Colgate, November, 23, 2001). As previously noted, the last Merrimack player to record a natural hat trick was Andy Heinze in the Hockey East Quarterfinals against Boston College on March 4, 1990. Recapping a Historical Night: NCAA Records Da Costa set at least two NCAA records. He is the first freshman in NCAA history to score a natural hat trick and get five goals in the same game, let alone in his second career game. He is also the first player to score five goals and get a natural hat trick as part of his first collegiate goal. His three power-play goals are tied for the second most in NCAA Division I history and are the most since November 6, 2005. Strong on Opening Night Merrimack is now 6-1-2 in its last nine home openers. Ouimet Oddly Ends up with Game-Winner Incredibly, despite scoring five of the six goals in the win over Army, Da Costa did not register the game winner. It was Francois Ouimet who did, getting his first of the year. Four Warriors Net First Points In addition to Da Costa, Simon Demers, Kyle Bigos and John Heffernan all notched their first career point,s picking up assists over the 10/16 – 10/17 weekend. Demers netted his first goal against Vermont. Barton Scores Four of Team’s First Five Goals In the first-ever meetings between Merrimack and North Dakota, Chris Barton netted three of his team’s four goals, while posting a team-high eight shots. Barton then scored the first goal against Holy Cross, netting four of Merrimack’s first five goals. Cannata Just Misses Shutout In the 3-1 win over Holy Cross, Joe Cannata was 45 seconds away from his third career shutout. He stopped 26 shots in the win. Power Play Comes Alive The Warriors had three power-play goals against Army for the first time in a game since February 22, 2009 against Providence. Senior Bonitatibus Finds the Net Senior Justin Bonitatibus scored the first goal of the season for Merrimack, his first since October 20, 2007 (at Bemidji State). Demers, Four Freshmen Debut Among the six freshmen, only Kyle Bigos has played every game this season. Rob Morton and Nick Drew are the only freshmen who have not appeared in a game. Mookie Returns Junior Matt Moulakelis, who has played just eight games in the last two seasons, centered the second line in both games at North Dakota, making his first appearance since February 23, 2008. Moulakelis missed the last 37 games with an injury. Big Crowds Merrimack played in front of crowds of over 11,000 both nights at North Dakota, the most they have played in front of since making the Hockey East Semifinals in 1998. Goaltending Solid in Opening Weekend Arguably the best 1-2 combination in college hockey, Joe Cannata and Andrew Braithwaite both had solid starts to the season in North Dakota. On Friday, Cannata stopped 35 shots, keeping the Warriors in the game in the third, stopping 15 shots, including an incredible, sprawling save, getting a piece of the puck with the blade of his stick off a Brett Hextall shot midway through the third. Braithwaite recorded 32 saves, including 28 in the final two periods, in the second game in North Dakota. Todd Off to Strong Start Jesse Todd, who was second among freshmen forwards in scoring in Hockey East games with 21 points and tied for the team lead with 23 points last season, scored the game-winning goal in a 3-1 win over Army. Todd has a team-best +4 this year (tied with Bowen) and has five points in six games while centering the top line with Chris Barton and J.C. Robitaille. Breaking the GAA for 2nd Straight Year Last year, for the second straight year, Merrimack set a school record for fewest goals allowed in a season with eighty-nine. Merrimack returns six defensemen, including Stollery, captain Pat Bowen, and assistant captain Adam Ross from last year’s team. One-Goal Struggles Set a School Record Despite finishing with a 9-21-4 record, the Warriors were in virtually every game last year, as they lost 14 games by one goal, most in the country and most in school history. Warriors See Two Selected in NHL Entry Draft For the first time since 2002, Merrimack had two players selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Freshman Kyle Bigos was picked in the fourth round (99th overall) by the Edmonton Oilers, while sophomore Joe Cannata was picked in the sixth round (173rd overall) by the Vancouver Canucks. Perfect Attendance for Barton Chris Barton is the only upperclassman to have played in every game since arriving at Merrimack, playing in 74 straight. Jesse Todd and Karl Stollery played in every game as freshmen. Non-Conference Wrap Up The Warriors finished last year 4-2-1 against non-conference teams. Merrimack is 13-4-2 in its last 19 games against non-conference foes. Cannata in the Record Books Joe Cannata saw his shutout streak end at 101:09 to start last season when he gave up a third-period goal at Canisius on October 26, 2008. Cannata stopped the first 55 shots he faced, setting a Merrimack record, and turned aside 66 of his first 67 shots. He was the first goaltender in school history to register a shutout in his first start. His 2.35 goals-against-average as a freshman is the second-best in school history for a single season. 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 last season with his 44-save performance at Army. In the 2007-08 season, Andrew Braithwaite did the deed three times with Merrimack going 2-0-1 in those games. Warriors Welcome Six Newcomers Merrimack welcomes six freshmen to the squad, highlighted by defenseman Kyle Bigos and forward Stephane Da Costa. Two newcomers, Brandon Brodhag and Rob Morton hail from New York, while Nick Drew and John Heffernan are local products. Captains Senior defenseman Pat Bowen and junior forward Chris Barton will serve as captains for the 2009-10 season. Junior defenseman Adam Ross will be an assistant captain. Scouting the Schedule Twenty-seven Hockey East games and first-ever trips to North Dakota and Wisconsin highlight a challenging 2009-10 schedule. The Warriors open its season with four-straight non-conference games, including two straight on the road against #6/8 North Dakota and home games against Holy Cross and Army. Merrimack plays a total of seven non-conference games this year, five of them in the first 16 days of the season. The Warriors will host 13 conference games while traveling to fourteen conference road contests, all against tough Division I competitors. Conference play kicks off at home against Vermont on October 23. Merrimack’s longest road trip is a seven-game excursion from December 5 - January 22. The Warriors close out their 2009-10 slate with two home games against Maine and a home-and-home with Providence. 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 AJHLand Doyle Cup Championships in 2006-07 and 2007-08. The Alberta Pipeline Seven 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, Brandon Sadlowski, and Adam Ross hail from Alberta. Lawler Renovations Over the summer, Merrimack committed 1.2 million to install a new ice bed and compressor system as part of the Lawler Completion Project. The press box was also expanded. Future plans call for the removal of all bleachers in favor of chairback seats as well as the redesign of the Volpe Complex lobby. Warriors on TV Merrimack is scheduled to appear on TV three times, once more than last season. Both games in North Dakota aired on Fox College Sports, while the February 20 game at UMass will be carried by NESN. Warriors on 1400 AM, Internet All Merrimack home games will be webcast online at www.merrimackathletics.com courtesy of B2 Networks (pay-per-view video and free audio). All road games can be heard live online for free at www.merrimackathletics.com. Beginning November 13, all Merrimack games can be heard live on 1400 AM.