Merrimack Saddles Freshmen With 6-4 Loss After Third Period Scoring Spree Snaps Tie

An undefeated, untied Merrimack College "B" team roasted the freshmen skaters 6-4 yesterday with bang-bang goals in the final ten minutes of play before a sprinkling of onlookers bivouacked in an unheated Watson Rink, as the Crimson's fortunes plummeted with the mercury.

The freshmen's weaving rushes, slick cross-ice passing, and stiff poke checking straitjacketed the Warriors' forays through most of the seesawing contest before the tables turned in the waning minutes. "Everyone was moving," said Coach Tim Taylor.

Merrimack drew first blood after Brian Bullock shoveled off a pass to Randy Curran for a point blank score. The scoring combo was reversed 31 seconds later when Bullock was on the receiving end and chipped the disk over Crimson goalie John Phillips.

The freshmen stormed back to wrest the momentum from the Warriors, pelting the enemy net to the tune of three unanswered goals.

Taylor felt the sudden turn around was in keeping with the blademen's pattern this season. "We're an unexperienced team and it takes us a while to really establish ourselves," he said.

The freshmen struck paydirt when Dave Marchand crashed a blistering slapper from the left side and Tim McBride converted on the rebound, stuffing the puck into the short side.

Defenseman Andre Scalamandre spearheaded the Crimson's fluid powerplay, unleashing a blast that caromed off the pads of the sagging Warrior goalie and nestled in the cage.

With 3:03 left in the period John Cochran fed a swooping, juking Randy Millen who cradled the puck the length of the ice and rammed it by the Warrior goalie for a sudden 3-2 Harvard edge.

The second period ended in a 4-4 deadlock after Bullock tripped the red light at 3:31 while the Crimson's Mike Stewart was off for holding.

Winger Danny Dilorati skimmed the crossbar on a breakaway at the outset of the final stanza as the Crimson barraged the goal mouth but failed to capitalize.

Merrimack streamed the length of the ice on the ensuing rush and Paul Hunt poked in the loose puck as it skittered across the crease.

The Warriors put the wraps on the 6-4 win when Drew Taylor split the defense after barrelling down the ice and sailed a backhander that knotted the twines.