Keyes posts a shutout and Bookman scores the only goal in Merrimack's shootout win over UNH
NORTH ANDOVER — Zach Bookman scored the only goal of the shootout — which was also the only puck to find its way into the net the entire game — in Merrimack's 1-0 shootout win over New Hampshire on Friday night.
The puck slid off Bookman's stick as he carried it near UNH goalie Jared Whale and slid through Whale's legs.
"I played juniors with [Whale], so I've probably taken 50 shootouts on him during practices," Bookman laughed. "It's funny because in the handshake line, he said to me, 'You've never done that move before in your life.' I think he knew what I liked to do, and [the way the goal went in] wasn't planned, for sure, but I'm happy it went in."
It was appropriate that Bookman scored the shootout winner. At the end of the overtime period, he slid to break up a pass that UNH forward Liam Devlin tried to slide across the crease. That block arguably saved the game, because the Wildcats had a player open on at the back door.
"I saw the guy back door," Bookman said. "We're told not to leave our feet, and usually that's the right play. In that situation, with not much time on the clock, I needed to do anything to take that pass away, and I knew that if I laid down, it would be almost impossible for their guy to get that puck across."
Ryan Keyes was perfect for the Warriors, stopping all 19 shots he faced in his first NCAA start. It's the second weekend in a row Merrimack has had a goalie debut with a shutout after Max Lundgren blanked Minnesota State last week. Before Lundgren's shutout, the last Warrior to make his NCAA debut with a shutout was Joe Cannata in 2009.
The Warriors also blocked 24 UNH shots in the game.
"Everyone bought into Coach Borek's message," Keyes said. "Everyone was pulling their rope in the same direction tonight. We have 30 guys in there who want to do it for each other, which is the most important thing.
"It was a really good effort by everyone."
Keyes missed the season opener against Stonehill and Merrimack's two-game weekend at Minnesota State last week while the NCAA worked through an eligibility issue. Keyes was cleared this week.
"I can't say enough about him," Borek said. "He stayed in the game. He stayed on the puck all night and tracked it well. He was obviously great because he got the shutout, but I thought it was special that he went 3 for 3 in the shootout, too. That's huge for him, and it won us a game."
The Warriors still have some goal-scoring issues to fix. The Warriors have four goals in four games, and still haven't scored a power-play goal. The Warriors had a five-minute power play late in the third period on Friday after Alex Gagne was given a major for hitting Harrison Roy from behind.
"It was a complete game from us on the D side of the puck," Bookman said. "Everyone was bought in. I think our offense will get better, it will get going. We have 20 new players, so I think it's going to just take a little time to build chemistry. But if we keep defending like that and getting the goaltending we've been getting, we'll have a good year."
"We've been gripping the stick really tight," added Borek. "Sometimes I have to remind myself how young we are and how many new guys we have. We have guys trying to make the right plays. We have to get through it. We have to shoot the puck more. We're just young and we're growing. I think this game helped us grow."
The Warriors will play at home next Saturday against UMass Lowell.
Merrimack 1, New Hampshire 0 (SO)
New Hampshire (1-0-0-1): 0-0-0-0--0
Merrimack (1-1-1-0): 0-0-0-0--0
Scoring: None
Shots: MC 7-5-4-0--16; UNH 5-8-5-1--19
Saves: MC Keyes (64:58) 19/19; UNH Whale (65:00) 16/16
Power Play: MC 0-3; UNH 0-2
Penalties: MC 3-6; UNH 5-21
Faceoffs: MC 16; UNH 30
Attendance: 2,476
Shootout: MC Citara X, Daneault X, Bookman G; UNH Ring X, Winters X, Devlin X