Column: Merrimack has something cooking at the top

NORTH ANDOVER — There were obvious questions Merrimack needed to answer at the start of the season earlier this month.

Mainly, how would the Warriors replace two-thirds of their top line (Max Newton and Steven Jandric) graduating last spring? Second, how would the Warriors fill the gaps on defense after Zach Uens and Declan Carlile both signed NHL contracts following their junior year?

It’s only been five games, but the question about the top line has been answered.

Alex Jefferies was the third component of that line with Newton and Jandric last season. Now, he’s helping lead the charge on the Warriors’ new top line, alongside sophomore center Matt Copponi and transfer Ottoville Leppanen, who joined the roster this year as a grad student from RPI.

Even in last night’s 5-3 loss to Colgate, which sent Merrimack’s record to 3-2, the line got on the scoresheet with Jefferies’ assist in the third period. There is a lot to be excited about with this trio.

“Their chemistry is unbelievable,” Merrimack head coach Scott Borek said. “Right now, they are a line that we feel like can score every time over the wall. They are really explosive right now, and I think we have other lines who are capable of that as well.”

Jefferies leads the team with six points (2 goals, 4 assists). Copponi is next with five points (2 goals, 3 assists) and Leppanen has four points (1 goal, 3 assists).

Since getting shutout on opening night against St. Lawrence, the trio had at least one goal in every game since until last night.

In last night’s loss, the line combined for 14 shots on goal.

“It’s been awesome,” said Jefferies. “We all work really well together. We feed off of each other. We all move our feet at a high rate of speed and we seem to be clicking. It’s fun to play with them. (Leppanen) has great vision and he’s really smart.”

Copponi has taken a huge jump as a sophomore. Last season as an 18-year-old freshman, Copponi had nine points in 25 games. He joined the Warriors one year after seeing almost no game action due to COVID-19 (the pandemic shut down prep school hockey during Copponi’s senior year at Dexter).

“He has taken a huge jump and I saw it the first week when we were on the ice for captain practices,” Jefferies said. “It was obvious right away that he was miles ahead of where he was last year, just physically and from a speed standpoint. He’s always been really smart, and he can use that hockey IQ more now because it’s all coming together. It’s been fun to watch, and a lot of fun to play with him.”

Copponi and Jefferies have taken similar, uncharted paths to Merrimack. Merrimack typically recruits older players, with the top 18-year-olds often going to the “blue blood” schools like BU, BC, Michigan, and Minnesota.

When Jefferies joined the Warriors as a true freshman out of Gunnery in 2020, he became the first skater to join the team as a true freshman directly out of prep school since Bobby Kramer (Taft) and John Jamieson (King Philip) in 2007. One year later, Copponi followed the same path that Jefferies re-paved the previous year.

“Alex (Jefferies) is a special player,” Copponi said. “You don’t really find a lot of players like him. He can shoot, he can move, and he can fly. He’ll get you the puck in areas that not many other guys can. Otto has been a great addition for us because he can put the puck in the net and he brings our line a lot of experience. He finds you a lot when you get to open space."

Those two players join Leppanen, who had a career-high 30 points (9g, 21a) in 40 games for RPI last season. He entered last night with 67 career points.

“We know our identity,” Copponi said. “It’s going to be chipping pucks and then attacking those pucks with speed. You can’t get the puck unless you beat them to the puck. We have some skill, but even if we aren’t the most skilled team, we will be the hardest-working team.”

So far, the Warriors have worked their way to a 3-2 record, and things are looking up.

Ed. Note — Portions of this story will appear in Sunday’s edition of The Eagle Tribune