It’s never been much of a contest.
Boston University has owned Merrimack College over the years, sporting a 50-10-3 record against the Warriors.
But these aren’t same pushover Warriors.
Merrimack (10-10-4, 5-7-2 Hockey East) has been one of the surprise teams in Hockey East, performing high above preseason expectations that had the Warriors squarely at the bottom of the nation’s best league.
BU (14-10-2, 8-8-0 Hockey East) knows this all too well, having lost to Merrimack 5-3 in the teams’ first matchup. The Warriors dominated that contest, with senior assistant captain John Sabo who had two goals and freshman center Brad Zancanaro providing not just the only scoring, but also the only solid play.
The Icedogs extracted a bit of revenge in the next game, slipping by the Warriors, 2-1, on Nov. 9 behind goals from Sabo and junior wing Steve Greeley.
BU heads into this game playing what is probably its best hockey of the season, but without much to show for it, having lost four of its last five games. While the defensive play has been superb, the Terriers have struggled to put the puck past opposing netminders, scoring more than two goals only once in that span, in the 5-3 victory over the University of New Hampshire. In the four losses one to Providence College, two to Boston College and one to New Hampshire BU managed just five goals.
It won’t get any easier for BU in that department, as Merrimack features Joe Exter in net. Exter, who is also the team’s captain a rarity for a goaltender has been stronger than his numbers a 3.02 goals against average and .915 save percentage indicate. The heart and soul of the Warriors, Exter has earned Hockey East Player of the Week honors twice this season, and keeps Merrimack in any game, no matter how strong the team, as evidenced by a 5-5 tie and a 2-1 loss on consecutive nights against the nation’s top team, the University of Maine.
Exter’s supporting cast is good, but mostly young. Merrimack has depended on strong freshman play, with forwards Brent Gough and Matt Johnson and defenseman Bryan Schmidt leading the Warriors in scoring.
BU also has a nice distraction in the near future, as next Monday’s Beanpot matchup with Harvard University looms near. The Icedogs will have to fight the temptation to dream of a Crimson pasting if they hope to get by the Warriors.
‘In years past, everyone’s looked forward to the Beanpot,’ junior forward Kenny Magowan said. ‘We all know how important it is and what a big deal it is in Boston. But with the situation we’re in and the spot in the league we’re in, and how well Merrimack’s playing they’re a lot better team than they have been in recent years. So as much as we wanna look ahead, we need these two points if we wanna stay ahead of Merrimack and Amherst.’
Some lineup changes are expected after BU coach Jack Parker expressed his disgust at the team’s discipline after New Hampshire shut BU out 3-0 on the strength of two power play goals including one 5-on-3. Sophomore center Brian McConnell, whistled for the infraction that put BU down two men and the team’s leader in penalty minutes this year, will likely be benched for the third time in a penalty-related incident this year.
But personnel changes are unlikely to negatively affect BU’s play. With different lineups in most of the games, the Terriers have been outshooting opponents by large margins, and the answer for their scoring woes may just lie in the hands of puck luck.
‘We need to keep playing the way we’re playing,’ Magowan said. ‘We’ve got great habits, if we keep getting 40 shots a game, the puck’s gotta start getting in the net sometimes.’
If the Terriers can start finding the back of the cage with greater regularity, good times may be ahead. With two wins against the Warriors last season at this very point of the season, BU went on a season-high nine-game winning streak, including the Beanpot win, and this season they may be poised to repeat that accomplishment.
‘We’ve had great momentum regarding the way we’ve been playing,’ said Magowan. ‘In regards to winning, we’re not getting that done. Any game in this league, it doesn’t matter if it’s BC, Merrimack or Lowell, anybody can win on any given night, it’s just a matter of who wants it more.’
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