BURLINGTON, Vt. — Stephane Da Costa scored with 4:20 remaining in regulation last night, earning Merrimack its first road point of the season, tying No. 17 Vermont 2-2 at the Gutterson Fieldhouse.
Merrimack (10-15-1, 7-11-1 in Hockey East) and the Catamounts (13-9-5, 7-8-5) will hit the ice again today at 7 p.m.
With the clock winding down in the third, Da Costa tied it up, taking a feed from Jeff Velleca and blasting it past the blocker of Rob Madore for his 12th goal of the season. It was the freshman's first goal in eight games, but it was his fifth straight game with a point.
The Catamounts had their chance to take the lead in the final minute, but a one-timer from Sebastian Stalberg was turned aside by Joe Cannata.
Merrimack outshot Vermont 31-30 in the game and 3-1 in overtime, including a shot from the point from Karl Stollery that trickled through traffic but was stopped by the pad of Rob Madore.
Ryan Flanigan opened the scoring, netting his second goal of the year and in as many games, as the sophomore redirected a Kyle Bigos wrist shot from the blue line at 7:54 of the second. Flanigan barely got a piece of the shot, but it was enough to sneak through the pads of Madore to give the Warriors the lead.
Moments later, Jeff Velleca was stopped on a breakaway by Madore, and the momentum shifted as the Catamounts had a two-man advantage for 40 seconds, and Kyle Medvec cashed in at 12:18, tying the game with a wrist shot from the point that beat a screened Cannata for his fourth of the year. Jack Downing gave the hosts the lead just 19 seconds into the third just as a Merrimack penalty expired, one-timing a feed from Brian Roloff for his eighth of the season.
The teams played to a scoreless first period, with the Warriors killing two minors and Cannata turning aside all 11 shots he faced.
Making his second straight start, Cannata totaled 28 saves, while Madore had 29 stops.
Merrimack had three power plays in the first 25 minutes of the game but failed to register a goal for the nation's second-best power play.
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