Minutemen jump out early

Hockey

Jeremy Rice

Massachusetts 3, Merrimack 0

The Massachusetts hockey team, for the first time in months, looked like they had something to play for in the first period against Merrimack.

The Minutemen scored three goals in a very crisp 20 minutes. Alex Berry continues to play red hot, opening the scoring 6 minutes, 27 seconds in with a nifty goal off the back of goaltender Andrew Braithwaite's right leg. Cory Quirk fed Berry with a cross-ice pass, and Berry held until the final moment, skating beyond the goal line before backhanding the puck off Braithwaite and into the net.

Fenton scored with seven minutes left with a power play goal that put UMass up 2-0. Mike Kostka and Fenton traded the puck at the blue line, shifted positions and Fenton fired past Braithwaite for his ninth goal of the season.

The Warriors dug the hole a little deeper inside two minutes remaining, allowing a third goal. A Merrimack defender fell at the blue line as the Minutemen entered the zone, freeing up Michael Lecomte on the left side.

Lecomte, much like Berry, waited until he hit the red line to move the puck, firing it to Chris Davis in the crease, who redirected it into the net for the 3-0 lead. The goal was Davis' sixth this year.

The Minutemen can clinch the final playoff spot in the Hockey East Tournament with a win and a Maine loss. The Black Bears are tied with UMass Lowell 1-1 in the first period.

More From the Press Box after the second period...