After Joe Cucci's game-winning overtime goal on Saturday night, Merrimack was due for a bit of a letdown. In Sunday's Game 3 at Agganis Arena, they did just that, as Boston University shut out the Warriors 3-0 to advance to the Hockey East semifinals next weekend.
Sophomore goaltender Kieran Millan made 34 saves in posting his first shutout of the season.
The third-seeded Terriers are known as one of the most persistent teams in college hockey for a reason. For the first time in the series against sixth-seeded Merrimack, BU was able to get on the board first and take the lead. It took them until midway through the first, as Kevin Shattenkirk lit the lamp to notch his sixth goal of the year on a feed from Nick Bonino.
Just as the period was dying down, BU was able to strike again on the power play. Though the Terriers had struggled on the man advantage throughout the series, scoring on just 1 of 11 chances leading into Sunday night, Bonino made no mistake this time around, finding the back of the net on helpers from Shattenkirk and Vinny Saponari. It was the first time in the series that BU had entered the locker room after 20 minutes with the lead. They outshot the Warriors in the first 17-10.
The second period saw good back-and-forth hockey, but the Terriers took an uncharacteristic six penalties — including an unsportsmanlike conduct — giving Merrimack some of their best chances of the game. Still, the Warriors couldn't get one past Millan.
With just under three minutes left in the third, BU's power play struck again as Chris Connolly's 10th goal of the year wrote the final scoring chapter of the game, effectively ending Merrimack's season. Saponari and Shattenkirk picked up the assists.
Boston University will advance to the Hockey East semis next Friday at TD Garden where the Terriers will look to defend their title as league champions.
