Live: UNH at Merrimack

Welcome to J. Thom Lawler Arena, where the University of New Hampshire hockey team looks to extend its 11-game unbeaten streak in league play against Merrimack College. On paper it looks like a mismatch, with the Wildcats in first place and the Warriors in ninth -- but MC is 8-1-0 on home ice this season, with the only loss a hard-fought 5-4 win for UNH.

Stay tuned for updates throughout.

		WILDCAT GAMECENTER
January 29, 2010 - J. Thom Lawler Arena - North Andover, MA
UNH 2 - MERRIMACK 3 : FINAL
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE (12-7-4, 11-2-3)
LEFT WING	G-A-P	CENTER	G-A-P	RIGHT WING	G-A-P
Thompson	1-0-1	DeSimone	0-1-1	Butler	1-1-2
Burke	0-0-0	LeBlanc	0-0-0	Sislo	0-0-0
Speelman	0-0-0	Borisenok	0-0-0	Moses	0-0-0
Block	0-0-0	Manz	0-0-0	Henrion	0-0-0
LEFT D'MAN	G-A-P	RIGHT D'MAN	G-A-P	GOALIE	Saves
Kostolansky	0-1-1	Kessel	0-1-1	Foster	40
Campanale	0-0-0	Kipp	0-0-0	DiGirolamo	NA
Krates	0-0-0	Beck	0-0-0	(None dressed)	NA
MERRIMACK COLLEGE (8-13-0, 5-9-0)
LEFT WING	G-A-P	CENTER	G-A-P	RIGHT WING	G-A-P
Barton	1-1-2	Da Costa	0-3-3	Velleca	0-1-1
Brodhag	0-0-0	Cucci	0-0-0	Todd	0-0-0
Heffernan	0-0-0	Madsen	0-0-0	Sheen	0-0-0
Flanigan	0-0-0	Jamieson	0-0-0	Robitaille	0-0-0
LEFT D'MAN	G-A-P	RIGHT D'MAN	G-A-P	GOALIE	Saves
Stollery	2-0-2	Bigos	0-0-0	Brathwaite	28
Allan	0-0-0	Bowen	0-0-0	Cannata	NA
Ross	0-0-0	Sadlowski	0-0-0	Drew	NA

*(Pregame) - UNH is using the same lineup it did in both games last weekend, having temporarily settled on these groupings after toying with combinations for more than a month. The odd men out, if this remains, appear to be freshman defenseman Connor Hardowa and sophomore winger Kevin McCarey.

*(20:00) - We're underway here at Hockey East's most high-school-like venue.

*(19:20) - UNH captain Bobby Butler, a player not exactly known for his bruising checks, knocks down two Warriors in the game's first 40 seconds with big hits. On this small sheet contact is inevitable, so perhaps the captain is looking to be the example that says the Wildcats must be the ones to initiate it.

*(17:20) - A beautiful touch pass from Phil DeSimone sends Paul Thompson in on a breakaway, but Andrew Brathwaite makes the pad save to avert the early deficit.

*(13:17) - 1-0 MERRIMACK - This season the Warriors haven't been shy about employing a cherry-picker strategy, and having one of their players leak out of the defensive zone a little early in hopes of hitting a home-run pass ... and it just worked. Chris Barton got out ahead of the play, so when Stephane Da Costa threw the rubber up the right boards, and Jeff Velleca joined the rush, Merrimack had a 2-on-1. A pretty give-and-go with Velleca gave Barton a bunch of net to shoot at and he lifted it over the sprawling Brian Foster for a score.

*(11:53) - UNH now goes down a man, as Phil DeSimone is whisteld for interference in the offensive zone. Merrimack has the second-best power play in the league, so this could be dangerous.

*(10:30) - Merrimack has 12 shots on goal in less than 10 minutes. They've done with transitioning quickly to offense without losing their defensive trap.

*(9:53) - UNH kills the penalty to DeSimone.

*(4:30) - The UNH power play now gets its first crack, as Jesse Todd drilled Brett Kostolansky and will sit for boarding.

*(3:10) - The Wildcats' man-advantage is shortlived and unproductive, as DeSimone collects his second penalty of the period. Both have been in the offensive zone, this one for contact to the head-roughing.

*(1:59) - UNH is shorthanded, but nearly just tied the game anyway. Mike Borisenok rattled the near-side pipe on a rush up the right wing.

*(1:10) - UNH survives DeSimone's sentence.

*(0:48.7) - And now the Cats are back on the power play. Kyle Bigos is called for cross-checking.

*(0:15.7) - A generous call goes the Wildcats way, as Bobby Butler is knocked down at the blue line and J.C. Robitaille goes off for interference. UNH gets 1:28 with a two-man advantage.

*(0:00) - UNH can't convert before the break, but they'll have 1:12 of five-on-three, followed by 33 seconds of five-on-four, to start the second period.

*(20:00) - The second period has begun with (because of the two Merrimack players in the penalty box meaning UNH) facing a critical juncture in this game right off the bat.

*(19:11) - 1-1 TIE - The Wildcats get a break. And they'll takie it. After Brett Kostolansky made a nice play to keep the puck in the zone, and got the puck to Bobby Butler by way of Blake Kessel, Butler's centering pass to Phil DeSimone caught traffic in front of the cage and popped behind Brathwaite for the power-play equalizer. The goal came five on three.

*(18:15) - The Cats second advantage has expired.

*(14:38) - Merrimack gets its third power play of the night to interrupt a stretch where UNH had started to carry the play. This might be what the Warriors need to stop the Wildcat momentum.

*(12:38) - The Warriors can't do much with the opportunity given them by a roughing infraction on LeBlanc.

*(9:22) - After losing the puck before he could unload a shot on a nice rush to the net, Dalton Speelman goes to the box for interfering with Brathwaite. On average, the Warrior power play converts better than 1 of every 4 PP chances. So they're due here.

*(8:43) - 2-1 MERRIMACK - And 39 seconds in, they take advantage. Karl Stollery's point wrister from the point finds its way under Foster and the Warriots are back on top.

*(7:59) - UNH's top line answers the goal with a good shift, putting a lot of pressure on Merrimack's defense. That's the sort of response a team is looking for.

*(7:30) - This one continues to be disjointed, as Joe Cucci is sent off for tripping, and UNH gets another power-play opportunity.

*(5:45) - After UNH sent two pucks sliding harmlessly across the crease, Paul Thompson cut short the advantage by 15 seconds by crosschecking one of the defenders who'd ganged up on DeSimone along the half wall. Merrimack now gets 1:45 with the extra skater.

*(4:13) - Mike Beck got his stick in the skates of a Merrimack forward who was crashing Foster, and he's called for tripping. Merrimack gets 28 seconds of five on three, then 1:32 of five on four.

*(3:45) - UNH escapes the first penalty.

*(2:13) - And now UNH survives the second. Nice job by the Cats, who have spent a lot of time -- too much for comfort, really -- shorthanded in this period.

*(0:02.5) - 2-2 TIE - The Wildcats' top line says they feel like they can make something happen every time they're on the ice. And it's starting to look that way. They were all over Brathwaite on the last shift of the frame, and though the goalie made a nice kick stop on Butler, Thompson was there to sweep home the rebound with a backhander before the buzzer. This one's tied.

*(0:00) - The second period ends with Merrimack holding a 25-21 edge in shots, but things even in the most important category on the scoreboard.

*(20:00) - We're underway in what's a 20-minute hockey game.

*(19:31) - 3-2 MERRIMACK - Brett Kostolansky's pass was picked off at the top of his defensive zone, and although Brian Foster made an unbelievable glove save to rob Stephane Da Costa, Karl Stollery was there to bury the rebound and the Warriors have the lead again.

*(18:38) - UNH on the power play as Brandon Brodhag is called for interference. (Early in the advantage, UNH rattles a pipe.)

*(16:38) - The Wildcats can do nothing on the advantage.

*(12:32) - Not much doing here on either end, as Merrimack seems content to play defense down the stretch.

*(10:19) - A tough call goes against the Wildcats, and it'll make a comeback even tougher. Paul Thompson appeared to make a strong defensive play by checking a Warrior off the puck, but instead he was called for cross checking and sent to the penalty box. (From the press box it appeared he led with his shoulder.)

*(8:19) - UNH kills the penalty without incident -- though its running out of time.

*(4:53) - UNH is being outshot 13-6 in the period.

*(1:10) - The Wildcats have a faceoff in their defensive zone, and haven't yet had an opportunity to pull Foster. They'll take their timeout now.

*(0:35) - Foster is out of the net.

*(0:14.2) - UNH has not been able to get a shot off in the last 70 seconds, and now must win a draw in the neutral zone. Merrimack calls timeout to discuss its defensive strategy.

*(0:00) - This one's over. UNH never gets a shot off in the stretch, and comes out on the wrong side of a 3-2 decision.