Dover scores early, often to beat Merrimack for D2 championship

MANCHESTER – It’s hard to beat a team three times in one season.

The Merrimack High School boys hockey team found that out the hard way Sunday.

The Tomahawks fell behind 3-0 after one period against Dover in the Division II championship game and top-seeded Merrimack couldn’t recover, losing to the No. 2 Green Wave 5-1 at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

Ian Duffy had two goals and Eric Groleau and Dylan Stohrer each had a goal and an assist for Dover (15-5), which won its first title since 2008. Liam Murphy also scored for the Green Wave and goalie Chad Garland made 17 saves.

David Downie scored the lone goal for Merrimack (18-2-1), putting home a rebound early in the third period that gave the Tomahawks life. But before Merrimack could capitalize on the momentum, Dover’s defense picked up and whatever it allowed through, Garland stopped.

“We lost to a fierce competitor with a lot of history, a lot of firepower, a lot of hunger, good goaltending,” Merrimack coach Dan Legro said. “I think it just didn’t go our way. It was Dover’s day.”

It seemed that way in the first period, as the Green Wave scored three goals in just 2:02 to take a commanding lead.

Duffy got the scoring started, turning a missed shot by Merrimack into a breakaway at the other end. The goal came at 8:45 of the period and it took Dover just 30 seconds to get on the board again, this time when Murphy put home rebound off a shot by Groleau.

Groleau got a goal of his own at 10:47, skating in on a 2-on-1 and keeping the puck for himself, and Dover was out to big lead.

But it wasn’t a lead Legro was uncomfortable with.

“We’ve gotten four goals in a period before against good hockey teams,” he said.

Duffy got his second goal at 8:00 of the second period after Merrimack goalie Brett Glendye  had stopped two shots, but couldn’t cover the rebounds. Glendye finished the game with 22 saves.

Downie’s goal came early enough in the third for Merrimack to attempt a comeback, but the Tomahawks couldn’t get anything going. That didn’t mean Legro gave up hope, especially when Merrimack got a power play at 14:16 of the period.

“If we were able to get a goal on the power play, it’s 4-2,” he said. “Call time out, (get another) and it’s 4-3. All we needed was a bounce in the last minute-and-a-half to tie it up and send it into overtime. The dagger was the fifth goal.”

That was an empty-netter by Stohrer, who got a short-handed tally right after Merrimack pulled Glendye for a two-man advantage.

“I’m very proud, as I just told the kids on my team” Legro said. “I think my guys and girl did a great job (this season). I hope it sinks in with them. Although we didn’t get what we came here to get, we lost to a team that played fantastic. It was a great season.”