Game Report: A night of firsts power Merrimack past UMass Lowell
Two players scored their first career goals and Trevor Hoskin scored his first as a Warrior
NORTH ANDOVER — A week after a sluggish start to the season, Merrimack responded with a bang. The Warriors came from behind to earn a 4–1 win over UMass Lowell on Friday at Lawler Arena in their home opener.
It was a breakthrough night for several new faces. Justin Gill and Parker Lalonde each recorded their first NCAA goals, while Trevor Hoskin, a transfer from Niagara, notched his first tally in a Merrimack uniform. Perhaps the most emotional moment came late, when Mark Hillier buried an empty-net goal — his first in nearly 18 months — after missing all of last season following surgery. His last goal came on Feb. 29, 2024, at Providence.
The Warriors showed resilience after Chris Delaney put the River Hawks on top early in the second period. From there, Merrimack rattled off four unanswered goals and dictated the physical tone the rest of the way.
“We started slow, but last week we didn’t answer the bell after we started slow — tonight, we answered the bell,” said head coach Scott Borek. “They’re a big, strong, physical team, and if you let them have their way with you, it’s going to be a problem. We frustrated them today.”
After an uneven opener, the Warriors looked more structured in their own end, opportunistic in transition, and tougher around the net.
Lalonde scores the game-winner
Lalonde’s goal at 3:55 of the third period stood as the difference-maker.
The play began with Ethan Beyer, who made a sharp breakout pass across the ice to Justin Gill. Gill chipped the puck into space for Lalonde, springing him with speed on a one-on-one rush against a defenseman. That’s when Lalonde fired a shot from the left circle that beat UMass Lowell goalie Samuel Richard.
“Beyer got the puck, and I know what he can do,” Lalonde said. The two were teammates for the past two seasons with the Brooks Bandits in the BCHL. “I knew he was going to find that lane to get it to Gill, and when he did, Gill was able to kick it to me in the middle. The defenseman came over, but he didn’t pressure me — he dropped to a knee — so I figured I had the chance to take a shot.”
The Saskatchewan native knows how to finish — he scored 51 goals across the regular season and playoffs for Brooks last year — and that instinct has translated seamlessly to the NCAA level.
“It’s funny because he’s kind of a quiet person, but he’s not quiet in the rink,” Borek said. “Early in his career here, we’ve been able to rely on him in a lot of situations. We’re really happy with his play.”
Lalonde’s impact grew as the game went on, especially after an in-game adjustment placed him alongside Gill and Hoskin.
“That line really made some things happen,” Borek said. “They moved the puck well, and they created energy every shift.”
Lundgren commanded the game, made 34 saves
Max Lundgren delivered the kind of steady, composed performance Merrimack needed to secure its first win of the season. The sophomore goaltender stopped 34 shots — including 14 in a hectic third period.
Advanced metrics back up the eye test. The River Hawks generated 3.8 expected goals, but Lundgren turned aside nearly everything, finishing 2.8 goals above expected.
“He controlled rebounds,” Borek said. “He made some really big plays at the end of the game when Lowell was pushing hard. He has that kind of potential. Tonight was more of his game.”
Lundgren’s defense helped set the tone in front of him. The Warriors blocked 17 shots, with Cam Kungle leading the charge with five.
“The whole team gets energy from those blocks — and so do I,” Lundgren said. “It shows how many guys we have that want to win. We competed way more tonight. We played harder. The guys really helped me a lot on rebounds, which made it easier for me to make those initial saves.”
It was the kind of complete, connected effort Merrimack needed — and Lundgren looked every bit like the backbone capable of anchoring it.
Notebook: Better on the dot
— One week after being dominated in the faceoff circle, Merrimack showed significant improvement on Friday night. The Warriors still finished slightly behind UMass Lowell on draws (27–32), but the margin was far more balanced than in last week’s opener. Individually, Nolan Flamand (5–2) and Caelan Fitzpatrick (8–8) led the way.
— Justin Gill’s tally marked Merrimack’s first power-play goal of the season.
— The night was full of “firsts.” Hunter Mayo, Ethan Beyer, and Filip Nordberg each recorded their first NCAA points with assists, while Matthew Campbell notched his first point as a Warrior after transferring from Michigan Tech in the offseason.
— Nick Pierre was a consistent offensive threat, pacing Merrimack with 10 shot attempts and six shots on goal.