MANCHESTER – Tyler Caron had a hat trick and Jacob Valluzzi scored the game-winning goal on a power play as the Merrimack High School boys hockey team defeated Timberlane Regional 4-3 on Thursday.
Merrimack's Jacob Valluzzi (No. 4) celebrates his game-winning goal with his teammates on Thursday.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Tomahawks (11-7), which dropped them out of first place after an 8-0 start to the season.
Caron’s three goals came in three different ways. The first was an even-strength goal that gave Merrimack a 1-0 lead in the first period, while the second two came at the end of the second period, one on a penalty shot and the second with Timberlane up a man.
The team’s went back and forth early in the first period before Caron’s goal at the 10-minute mark put the ‘Hawks ahead. The Owls (11-6) controlled play for the rest of the period and finally broke through in the second, tying the game on a goal by Matt Walsh with 11:27 to play.
Timberlane’s Ross Thornton and Zach Fox scored a goal each in less than a minute to put the Owls up 3-1 with 5:47 remaining. Merrimack goalie Alex Scanlon made 16 of his 32 saves in the second period as Timberlane dominated play for most of the period.
But with the Owls on the power play, Timberlane’s Ross Ferullo was called hooking when he brought Caron down on a shorthanded breakaway. Caron was given a penalty shot and he beat goalie Brett LaPerriere to cut the lead to 3-2.
Caron struck again with 20 seconds left in the period on another shorthanded breakaway, this time beating LaPerriere down low to tie the game and shift momentum.
In the third period, both teams had opportunities to take the lead, with each side ringing a shot off the post.
Merrimack goalie Alex Scanlon watches as the puck closes in on him during Thursday's game.
With 2:24 left in the game, Timberlane’s Jarred Diorio was called for boarding, giving Merrimack its first power play of the game. Velluzzi’s slap shot from the point made it through the traffic in front of LaPerriere and went in off the crossbar to give the ‘Hawks the lead with 1:45 left to play.
While the win stopped Merrimack’s losing streak, it also left the ‘Hawks in the fifth spot in the Division II standings. Timberlane has one game remaining, against Oyster River (14-2-1), and if the Owls were to lose, they’d fall into a tie with Merrimack for fourth place. The ‘Hawks hold the tiebreaker thanks to wins in both regular-season games against the Owls, and would end up as the fourth seed.
The Division II playoffs start with the quarterfinals on March 6.