It wasn’t the breakthrough they were searching for, but Merrimack head coach Scott Borek saw enough progress to call Saturday afternoon’s 5-2 loss to UConn a step in the right direction.
Coming off a flat performance in Friday’s 3-0 setback, the Warriors delivered a far more spirited effort against the first-place team in Hockey East. It didn’t produce the desired result, but Borek believed his club successfully retooled key elements of its game that were missing the night before.
“We competed much better and more intelligently,” Borek said. “We didn’t get outside ourselves. We’re just in a funk offensively. We’re not getting enough zone time. We just have to get out of it. But I’m not remotely upset with our effort. Our compete was good.”
Nathan King opened the scoring for Merrimack with his first collegiate goal in the opening period.
Freshman Joseph Henneberry notched his first collegiate marker in the third. Henneberry was among several players reinserted into the lineup as the Warriors completely overhauled their combinations following Friday’s loss.
“Our guys are frustrated,” Borek said. “We have some important pieces out right now, but the guys who jumped in did a good job. Joey Henneberry was good and Mark Hillier did a nice job with [Ryan O’Connell] again. We played more of a team game tonight.”
After being overwhelmed from a possession standpoint on Friday, the Warriors stood their ground on Saturday. The Huskies outshot Merrimack 39-38, a dramatic improvement from the 36-19 disparity the night before.
The Warriors now turn their attention to a two-game homestand next weekend before entering a two-week holiday break. They’ll host Yale on Friday night, followed by a visit from Long Island on Saturday — the Sharks’ second trip to North Andover this season.