FINAL SCORE (OT): Merrimack 4, Vermont 3
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack Warriors (6-16-3, 4-8-3 HEA) tied the game with 9.7 seconds left in regulation and added the overtime winner with 1:29 left on the clock to stun the Vermont Catamounts (3-16-4, 0-12-2 HEA) Saturday night at Lawler Rink.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"Clearly we are shooting ourselves in the foot when defending a lead," said head coach Kevin Sneddon. "Credit to Merrimack for coming back to earn three points this weekend."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Merrimack senior Sami Tavernier scored the night's first goal at 7:04 of the first period, firing a wrist shot from the top of the slot past Stefanos Lekkas (24 saves). A review confirmed the call on the ice.
• Carter Long tied the game at 14:11 of the opening frame, finding a loose puck rebound on a delayed Merrimack penalty and beating Troy Kobryn (20 saves). Matt Alvaro and Andrew Lucas picked up assists on the goal.
• Kobryn kept the game tied at 1-1 early in the middle period, robbing Matt Alvaro of a goal on a 2-on-1 Catamount rush.
• Bryce Misley and Dallas Comeau teamed up for a give-and-go play to spring Misley on a breakaway halfway through the second period. Misley rifled a five-hole shot through Kobryn for his second goal of the season and 2-1 lead.
• Thomas Beretta pushed the UVM lead to 3-1 at 15:14 of the second on another odd-man rush. Beretta finished the scoring play after passes from Max Kaufman and Matt O'Donnell set the senior up alone in the slot for his second tally of the season.
• Lekkas stood tall early in the third, making a critical save against Mac Welsher on the penalty kill at 1:52 of the frame. He stoned Ryan Nolan at the top of the crease at 3:43 of the period to preserve the two-goal lead.
• Welsher brought Merrimack within a goal with 6:06 to play in the third, deflecting a blue line shot from Patrick Holway past Lekkas on the power play.
• Logan Drevitch tied the game with 9.7 seconds remaining in regulation, blasting a one-timer from Declan Carlile from the top of the right circle. Merrimack's goal came after a Vermont penalty with 2:13 remaining and an extended 6-on-4 chance for the Warriors.
• Welsher scored the game-winning goal with 1:29 remaining in overtime to give the Warriors the victory.

GAME NOTES

• Merrimack was 1-for-5 on the power play while Vermont went 0-for-5 on the night.
• The Cats went 39-for-62 at the faceoff dot. Misley led the Catamounts with a 14-for-22 effort.

UP NEXT | Tickets
Vermont closes the season series with Boston University at Gutterson Fieldhouse this Friday (Jan. 31). The puck is slated to drop at 7:05 p.m. on Handy Toyota Night at the Gut.
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2019-2020 men's hockey season