Merrimack College men’s hockey closed out the first half with a debilitating 5-2 loss at Yale University eight days ago.
Here are my takeaways from not only the loss, but where Merrimack is after lofty expectations this fall:
Merrimack has an identity crisis
Forget comparing the Warriors to last year. Right now, this isn’t the same team that opened the season at Arizona State. That was perhaps no more evident than when the Warriors blocked just four of Yale’s shots.
Four!
Remember earlier in the year when we talked about the shot-blocking almost every week, and the Warriors ranked near the top of the country in that category (from a percentage standpoint)? Somewhere along the way, that faded. Against Yale, it was almost non-existent.
And it’s not like the Warriors dominated puck possession (which can lead to drops in shot blocking). Yale had 45 shot attempts.
The Warriors have to get back to being a blue-collar team. That’s their identity. It’s been that way for as long as I can remember. Even last season, the Warriors won games by outworking teams, not out-finessing them.
They have to get it back in the second half. It’s the only way out of this hole.
Merrimack needs the break
A collision as Merrimack tried to break the puck out from behind the net in the third period created a turnover on the game-winning goal. Ian Carpentier was alone (and I mean alone) in front of the net when he scored.
That’s been another troubling trend of late. BU got back into the game with goals off turnovers.
Given how the last few weeks have gone, the break coming for the Warriors couldn’t come at a better time. Last season, they were flying high into the break and probably wanted to keep playing. This year?
They need time off and a total reset.
The ‘Pairwise’ effect
The Warriors entered the finale with Yale ranked No. 25 in the Pairwise, and the loss dropped them to No. 30, which puts them way out of the conversation for an at-large bid at the moment.
There’s time to get back involved in the NCAA mix. Last year at this time, Western Michigan, who made the tournament, was No. 23.
But that can’t even be the focus anymore. Sure, they need to beat Brown and Stonehill to stay above water, but at this point, they shouldn’t focus on anything but playing better hockey. Take care of that, and the results will take care of themselves.
Restraining order against NCAA on transfer rule
A federal judge issued a 14-day restraining order against the NCAA on Wednesday pertaining to transfers who are sitting out this season because it’s their second transfer.
Merrimack guard Malik Edmead is one of the players affected by the judgment. Edmead was ruled ineligible by the NCAA last month because he had already used his one-time transfer waiver when he transferred from Merrimack to Albany.
The NCAA has allowed a one-time transfer exemption, and players can transfer as graduate students. However, under the current rule, the NCAA requires a player to sit out if they were transferring for a second time as an undergrad.
Within an hour of U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey hitting the NCAA with the restraining order, the NCAA released a statement and said it would no longer enforce the year-in-residency rule, essentially opening up the recruiting market for all players at all times, regardless of how many times a player has transferred in the past.
“As a result of today’s decision impacting Division I student-athletes, the Association will not enforce the year in residency requirement for multiple-time transfers and will begin notifying member schools,” the statement read.
The restraining order, which was filed in West Virginia, required them to stop enforcing the rule for 14 days. A lawsuit filed by seven states (including West Virginia) argued that the rule violated federal antitrust laws.
There was a hearing set for Dec. 27. With the NCAA’s announcement that they would not enforce the rule moving forward, it’s unknown if that hearing is necessary.
Edmead could be eligible immediately. However, he could still opt to redshirt this season. He has missed 11 games, so now he has to weigh if he wants two full seasons of eligibility or, essentially, one-and-a-half seasons.
Analysis:{/em} Shocker. Another loss for the NCAA in the courts.
The most notable thing about this loss is that the NCAA won’t even contest it. Within an hour of the judge’s restraining order, the NCAA announced they’ll no longer enforce the rule. It’s not even worth fighting for them anymore … they lose every time.
I felt bad for Edmead when his waiver was denied last month. Now? It’s hard not to feel even worse. He was ruled ineligible by a governing body that ran and hid from the statute they used to deem him ineligible when challenged in the courts.
What a joke.
Edmead should have been eligible since the start of the season. Leave it to the NCAA to keep looking out for “what’s best for the student-athletes.”
Merrimack hockey recruit update
Luke Goukler and C.J. Watroba have started their prep seasons now that the calendar has switched to November. Jimmy Dodig has also begun his senior season at Cretin-Derham Hall in Minnesota.
Goukler scored on a breakaway for Cushing this weekend against The Hill School.
Also J.R. Ashmead is no longer committed to the Warriors. Ashmead announced last week on social media that he had committed to Robert Morris. Jacob Vockler has also been removed from the list.