UMass 4, Merrimack 0

Hockey
Joe Meloni

The Minutemen dominated the second period, taking a 4-0 lead. The Minutemen are 35-0-1 since 2003 when scoring four or more goals in a game.

Sophomore Will Ortiz made it 2-0 seconds after a power-play ended when he tipped in a rebound after a scrum in front of the goal. It was his third of the season, which led the team until Matt Burto scored his third to make the score 4-0.

Dainton kept the Warriors off the board with some nifty saves in the period. A Merrimack player saw a teammate streaking into the UMass zone unmarked and made a perfect pass onto his stick before Dainton slid across and kicked the deflection out.

Both teams had seven shots on goal in the period and both teams forced quality chances, the Minutemen merely capitalized on the opportunities.

Elsewhere in Hockey East, UMass-Lowell leads Boston University, 4-2 after two. Northeastern leads New Hampshire, 2-1, with the third period getting under way. After a one-point weekend against Providence in their last action, the losses of BU and UNH should help the Minutemen in the standings down the rode. That is, of course, if UML and NU hold on.