College Hockey Series of the Week: No. 5 Boston University vs. No. 20 Merrimack
Dylan Peterson would be granted a golden opportunity to put the Terriers on the board, but terrific goaltending by Zachary Borgiel would keep the shutout alive. Capping off the second frame with Merrimack still leading 2-0.
The Warriors would continue their momentum coming out of the locker room, as Messner would net a goal of his own for an impressive 3-0 lead against a tough Boston team. The sold-out crowd in attendance was starting to smell the upset in the air.
The Terriers wouldn’t go down without a whimper though. A power-play goal by Jay O’Brien a little past midway of the third would keep the hopes alive for Boston.
That is until Messner would seal the deal and fire a long shot into the back of the empty cage to complete the upset. The final score displayed a 4-1 home win for Merrimack. Everyone leaving the stadium that night knew that game two the following day would be a huge one.
Fast forward to Saturday at 6 p.m at the Terriers’ home venue of Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts. The red and white trying to stay optimistic and forget about how the previous game unfolded.
The puck drops, and the teams are underway for game two. Merrimack is looking to do the improbable and beat the No. 5 team in the nation two nights in a row.
Once again, Capponi would draw first blood by cashing in on a juicy rebound at the top of the crease. His tally gave the Warriors early momentum with the clock reading 6:29 in the second period, a scene far too familiar for Boston.
Later on in the period, Messner would claim his third goal of the series, filling Merrimack with confidence and continuing to make the Terriers scratch their heads.
During intermission, Boston knew they were a top-five team for a reason and had to start playing like it during a crucial part of the season.
The second period would lead to the goal horn sounding off three times, as Matt Brown would put the biscuit in the basket followed by two power-play goals courtesy of Ryan Greene and Lane Hutson. The Terriers now had their first lead in the series at 3-2.
Starting the final frame, the Warriors would score on a power play of their own just 1:26 into play, with Ben Brar netting his first of the weekend.
The remainder of regulation would define hard-nosed hockey, as the game remained at 3-3. Extra time was needed to crown a winner.
Overtime would offer a continuation of this fierce battle, as a shootout was looking very probable. But Warriors’ goaltender Hugo Ollas would make a huge breakaway save and Alex Jeffries would go the other way with it with little time to go.
Jeffries would draw a penalty but Brar would finish the contest without it with a game-winning goal with 0.1 seconds remaining. Merrimack had just upset Boston two nights in a row with a 4-3 final score. Dethroning the N0. 5 team in the country.
Jake Irwin is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jpi5089@psu.edu.
