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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Merrimack
Players Mentioned
Men's Hockey Falls to Merrimack at the Prudential Center
November 02, 2014 | Men's Ice Hockey
Box Score
NEWARK, N.J. (11/2/14) – Experience and penalties played major factors in the third-place game of the Liberty Hockey Invitational, as Merrimack defeated Princeton 6-1 at the Prudential Center.
With more than a 20-day edge in game experience, Merrimack gained a 5-0 lead over Princeton, playing in its second game of the season. The Tigers took 18 minutes of penalties and struggled to find their rhythm.
Freshman Ryan Berlin scored the lone goal for the Tigers, his first collegiate goal at 17:23 of the third. Sophomore Quin Pompi rifled a shot from the right point that was redirected by junior Michael Zajac down low to Berlin. Berlin grabbed the puck off the boards and slide the puck across the extended red and between the legs of goalie Rasmus Tirronen.
Alfred Larsson scored the first goal with help from Dan Kolomatis, who picked up a turnover at the checkered red. He skated back into the zone and sent a cross-ice pass to Larsson for the goal at 8:17 of the third. The Warriors gained a 3-0 lead with two goals in 2:18. Ben Bahe was a factor in both tallies, assisting on Jace Henning's goal and scoring his own. Henning dug the puck out of the corner and skated in five-hold on Princeton netminder Colton Phinney. A defensive miscue lead to the third goal as a Tiger defender chased down a puck behind the goal and overskated it leaving it for Brian Christie who fed Bahe in the slot.
Kolomatis converted on one of Merrimack's nine power-play opportunities at 2:50 in the second, a 5x3 goal. He ripped a shot from the top of the point after two Princeton penalties set up 1:14 of a two-player advantage.
With Mathieu Tibbet being sprung from the box he was able to reach the puck first and set up a breakway for Brett Seney at 7:43 of the second. Brett Seney beat Phinney one-on-one with a backhand. Tibbet added the final Merrimack goal in the third period.
Tirronen made 24 saves in net to improve his personal record to 5-0-1 this season.
Phinney made 13 saves in 30:27 before he was replaced by freshman Ben Halford. Halford stopped 14 of 15 shots in his first appearance in net.
The Tigers were 0 for 4 on the power play and 8 for 9 on the penalty kill.
Princeton opens the ECAC Hockey season, hosting Cornell and Colgate in its home opener on Nov. 7 & 8. Both games will be at 7 p.m., the nightcap of a double doubleheader with the women's team at Hobey Baker Rink.