NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Alex Jefferies scored 1:13 into the third period to lift Merrimack in a 3-2 win over Vermont Friday night in Hockey East action from Lawler Rink.
 
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Box Score
Highlights
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"First credit is due to their team, they are highly offensive and play a mature, structured game," said Head Coach Todd Woodcroft. "Their forwards alone have over 1000 games of college hockey compared to our 500. If we remove Philip Lagunov that number plummets to 350. They took advantage of their PP tonight with their first two goals coming with the man advantage. We had one shorthanded goal and one five-on-five goal. We had one power play opportunity compared to their four. This was remarkably a good game for our team. The exact opposite to our effort on Sunday against the same opponent. We played hard for sixty minutes and outshot them. There are a lot of positives and we are not displeased with anyone tonight on our team."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• For the second straight contest against the Warriors UVM opened the scoring. Ray Vitolins picked up his second goal of the season 11:55 into the opening frame. Carter Long forced a turnover at the Merrimack blue line and fed the puck over to a cutting Vitolins on the wing. As Vitolins made a move to cut to the net a Merrimack defender knocked the puck into their own net.
• The Warriors equalized with 5:32 to go in the first period. With a delayed penalty and a six-on-five advantage Merrimack capitalized. Ben Brar redirected a point shot past UVM's Gabe Carriere for his 10th goal of the season.
• On the ensuing faceoff, while shorthanded Jacques Bouquot struck for Vermont. Just six seconds after Brar's goal he was in alone and went backhand to forehand before stashing home UVM's first shorthanded tally of the season.
• With 38.7 seconds left in the first period the Warriors equalized with a power play goal. It was their 12th straight game with a power play goal. A UVM defender blocked a cross-ice pass down low but the puck came right back to Liam Walsh who put it home.
• 73 seconds into the final frame Jefferies netted his seventh goal of the season to give Merrimack its first lead of the game. In a two-on-two situation Jefferies pushed the puck past the Vermont defense and went to retrieve with speed. As Jefferies got to the puck the second Vermont defender was interfered with and Jefferies skated in alone on Carriere and beat him with a quick shot.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• This year with each goal scored by UVM, Community Bank, N.A.  will donate $75 to Special Olympics Vermont. With tonight's goals, Community Bank, N.A. will be adding a donation of $150 to Special Olympics Vermont. Thank you Community Bank, N.A. for your support of our UVM and Special Olympics athletes!

UP NEXT
These two teams will close out their season series tomorrow night at 7 p.m. The voice of the Catamounts, Adam LaFleur, will broadcast the action live on WVMT (FM 96.3 / AM 620).
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2021-22 men's hockey season