BURLINGTON, Vt. – Five different skaters scored for Merrimack as they held off a late Vermont surge to top the Catamounts 5-4 Monday night in Hockey East action from Gutterson Fieldhouse.

RELATED LINKS
Box Score
CatamounTV Highlights
Postgame: Coach Wiedler
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Vermont opened the scoring 73 seconds into the game. Matteo Michels cycled the puck along the boards before turning and firing a wrist shot towards Merrimack's Max Lundgren. Massimo Lombardi knocked the shot down and quickly fired a low shot towards the net. Lundgren made an initial stop, but Jonah Aegerter tapped home the rebound for his fourth goal of the season.
• The Warriors answered back with a power play goal 8:37 into the first period. On a two-on-one rush in transition Parker Lalonde setup Michael Emerson for a cross-ice one-timer that he blew by Axel Mangbo for his second goal of the year.
• Merrimack took the lead with 2:53 to play in the opening frame. Caelan Fitzpatrick cut into the slot and snapped a shot past Mangbo for his second goal of the year.
• Daniel Astapovich doubled the Merrimack lead 2:43 into the middle frame. Mangbo made an initial stop on a Merrimack chance, but Ryan O'Connell corralled the rebound and found Astapovich amidst traffic in the slot for a one-timed shot that was his first goal of the year.
• Merrimack struck again off a face off to make it 4-1 at the 6:09 mark of the second period. The Warriors won the puck back clean, and Ryan O'Connell snapped it past Mangbo for his first goal of the year.
• Vermont answered right back with a breakaway tally from Massimo Lombardi just 54 seconds later. Philip Törnqvist chopped the puck out of the UVM zone and Lombardi split the Merrimack defense to skate in alone on Lundgren. Lombardi faked a wrist shot and then tucked a backhand through his legs to make it 4-2.
• The Warriors reestablished the three-goal lead with 6:16 to play in the second period. Mark Hillier stashed home his fourth goal of the season on a jam play to make it 5-2.
• Once again Vermont bounced right back, this time it was Michels 16 seconds after the Hillier tally. Michels took a feed from Aegerter and broke in on a two-on-one rush into the Merrimack zone. He ripped a wrist shot past Lundgren for his first career collegiate goal.
• 5:58 into the third period Michels scored again for the Catamounts on the power play to make it a one-goal game. Blake Steenerson put a shot on net and Michels deposited the rebound over Lundgren's shoulder to make it 5-4.
• Vermont pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker with 1:39 to play. The Catamounts generated several opportunities, but Lundgren shut the door to collect his eighth win of the year.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Tonight was Vermont's first home conference contest on a Monday since hosting Colgate on December 19, 1983. It was the first time the Catamounts have played on a Monday at all since the 2014 Catamount Cup.
• Matteo Michels posted the first three-point game by a Catamount this season with two goals and one assist.
• With this evening's 5-4 decision, Community Bank N.A. will donate $200 to Special Olympics Vermont. Community Bank, N.A. donates $50 per goal to Special Olympics Vermont for every goal the men's and women's team scores this season. 

UP NEXT
The Catamounts return home on Saturday, January 3 as they host RPI in a non-conference tilt slated for 6 p.m. Saturday is Rally Cat's Birthday and Youth Day presented by Healthy Living from 4:30-5:45 p.m. There will be activities including inflatables, a photo booth, craft tables and giveaways from Healthy Living. Cupcakes to celebrate with Rally will also be available at 5:30 p.m. All youth under 12 receive complimentary tickets by visiting the Gutterson Fieldhouse ticket office at the front of the building or you can RSVP at go.uvm.edu/rallybday26.
 
Rob Ryan will have the call on ESPN+, while an international feed is available ($) via Stretch Internet. Owen Gund will have the radio call on the Varsity Network and WVMT.

For news and updates about the Vermont men's hockey program, follow @UVMmhockey on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.