NORTH ANDOVER — "At 211 degrees, all you have is a pot of hot water," said Merrimack College head coach Mark Dennehy. "At 212 degrees, that water boils and creates steam, and steam can power a locomotive. All it takes is that one extra degree to move tons of metal."
Dennehy has been asking one extra degree from his players all season. Sophomore forward Elliott Sheen came across a Youtube video (see the video at http://www.just212.com/video) last spring and brought it to the attention of Dennehy, who embraced the slogan.
"It really embodies what we are all about," he said. "The margin of victory, especially this season, has been so small that all it takes is that one extra degree of hard work, winning that one extra battle, which often makes the difference."
The slogan was put to use last spring, while the Warriors watched eight other Hockey East teams participate in the conference's tournament for a fifth straight season. While other teams were vying for a national title, Merrimack was in the weight room.
"We started this a year ago," Dennehy said. "We needed an extra degree then and it would carry over into the summer and into this season."
With the 212 logo painted on their warmup shirts, it's been a constant reminder at every workout, every practice, as well as under the jerseys during every game.
That one extra degree has paid dividends in a jumbled Hockey East conference this season, where just four points separated third from ninth place and Northeastern, who missed the playoffs, had just two points less than Merrimack, who finished sixth.
The Warriors qualified for the postseason for the first time in six seasons and will take on Boston University in Game 1 of a best-of-three quarterfinal series tomorrow (7:30 p.m.).
"It's made a big difference," said junior Chris Barton, who leads the team with 19 goals. "It's about being committed to each other and giving that one extra bit. I know looking around our locker room that everyone in there, when we go to battle, will give one extra, too."
The Warriors, armed with their new motto, took part in Judgment Day, a two-day, team-building camp headed by Erik Kapitulik in the fall.
"Judgment Day is a mentally and physically challenging team-building and leadership-development training," Kapitulik said. "Integrity, discipline and confidence is what we hope to instill in each of our student athletes."
The Warriors spent two days in the fall completing mental tasks and going through boot camp-style drills at both Merrimack College and in the pool at the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club.
"It's amazing after just one weekend how different these teams are," said Merrimack strength and conditioning coach Mike Kamal. "Erik provides one of the most unique and effective methods for promoting accountability and team building."
Dennehy also saw a difference in his team, so much so that it's something he wants to make an annual part of the training camp.
"I haven't talked to (athletic director) Glenn (Hofmann) yet, but I'd like to do it every year," Dennehy said. "In fact, I think it has been so important to us that I'd dip into my own budget to do it if I had to."
The players had a similar reaction.
Pat Bowen's role as co-captain requires that he be a leader on and off the ice. During Judgment Day, he saw things in his teammates that were kept hidden before.
"Some guys that have been here for a few years and haven't been the most vocal were taking a leadership role and I think it brought our team even closer together," Bowen said. "The concept of doing 'one more' than everybody else really hit home with me. It is our goal to be the hardest working team in the Hockey East.
He continued, "The whole process brought out the best in guys. I think it took some guys who maybe weren't vocal, and didn't know that they had the ability to lead, it really brought out the best in them. It was a great experience."
Barton says that part of Judgement Day was giving one more, which perfectly ties into the Warriors' one more degree mindset.
"If you shoot 50 pucks in practice, then the next day shoot 51," he said. "That was the biggest impact on me. If you're in the weight room and you do a certain weight, add one more the next day."
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Dennehy on NESN tonight
Head coach Mark Dennehy will be live on NESN tonight during the second intermission of the Boston Bruins game previewing Merrimack's Hockey East quarterfinal best-of-three series at Boston University. NESN will televise the game tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
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