When you looked at Merrimack’s line chart on Friday night, the trio of Mick Messner, Ryan Leibold, and Jordan Seyfert was listed fourth among the forward group.
Fourth lines are often tasked with bringing energy and strong play on the defensive side of the puck. Messner, Leibold, and Seyfert check all those boxes.
This past weekend, they also provided the offense.
The line accounted for four of Merrimack’s eight goals in a weekend sweep over No. 5 Boston University. Messner scored three goals, Seyfert had a goal and an assist, and Leibold had a pair of assists.
“We love playing with each other and we just stick to our simple identity which helps us play through pretty much anything,” Messner said. “We’re all high-energy guys. We try to keep it simple, just chip pucks out, and get pucks deep. I know that’s all the cliche stuff, but in reality, that’s what works right?”
Messner’s first goal helped give the Warriors necessary breathing room in Friday’s game. The Terriers poured on the pressure in the third period (they outshot the Warriors 17-4) but Messner’s goal at the 3:01 mark of the period gave the Warriors a 3-0 lead.
BU would ultimately cut that lead to 3-1 on a power-play goal, which made Messner’s goal — scored on a 2-on-1 with Seyfert — that more important.
“(Seyfert) is so fast, I knew if I was able to get to the back post he’d be around his man and he could get me the puck,” Messner said.
Added Seyfert: “He was working so hard to get on that guy. He totally outmuscled his man and got to the back post.
“We really love playing together, all three of us. We know the way that we need to play. I think if we continue to play that way, we’ll go a long way.”
Friday’s win over BU was a crucial breath of fresh air. The Warriors had a bye week last weekend and had lost three straight overtime games heading into the bye.
“It’s huge,” Seyfert said. “They are one of the top teams in the country with a lot of skill but we can beat those teams — we can beat anyone — if we just come out and play the way that we need to play. Tonight we played hard, we played heavy. If we can get that every night we’ll have success.”
With just over one minute left in the game on Friday, the Warriors had a defensive zone faceoff and BU pulled goalie Drew Commesso for the extra attacker. Of all the combinations, which one do you think Merrimack coach Scott Borek chose to send out?
It was the “fourth” line.
“I just thought they played really simple hockey you know, and when you play simple hockey it allows you to play faster,” Borek said. “None of those guys have really been in a situation where they have been out there 5-on-6 for us, but I just felt they deserved the opportunity to get through that situation.”
The Warriors won Saturday’s game in overtime, coming from behind after watching a 2-0 lead in the first period slip away.
Merrimack clinched a first-round bye in the Hockey East playoffs with Saturday’s win. The Warriors are also on the verge of clinching home ice in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
The Warriors are five points ahead of UMass Lowell and six points ahead of UConn with three games left on their schedule. The River Hawks have a game in hand on the Warriors, and Merrimack and Lowell will meet next weekend.
Merrimack can clinch home ice by pulling far enough ahead of either UConn or UMass Lowell.
Merrimack’s scenarios heading into next weekend
The Warriors need to take four out of six points against the River Hawks next weekend and UMass Lowell can’t catch them.
Merrimack needs just three points to pull far enough ahead of UConn. The Warriors and Huskies split the season series, but Merrimack will finish with more regulation wins (the second tie-breaker). Merrimack is currently six points ahead of the Huskies and both teams have nine points (3 games) remaining.
Any combination of Merrimack earning three points (a regulation win) and UConn losing three points (a regulation loss) and the Warriors will clinch home ice.
“I feel like we’re finding our game again after a bit of a lull after the break,” said senior captain Ben Brar. “This is huge. … The whole weekend felt like a playoff series.”
Weekend notes Pairwise Impact
Merrimack moved up to No. 19 in the Pairwise with the overtime win. The Warriors didn’t take as much of a jump as they would have with a regulation win due to a parameter within the Pairwise.
As of 2021-22, when college hockey went to 3-on-3 overtime across the board, the NCAA Committee decided to weigh these games differently. OT wins are counted as 2/3 (0.6666) of a win, and 1/3 (0.3333) of a loss.
But, it ultimately didn’t hurt the Warriors much. Had Merrimack won the game in regulation on Saturday, they would have been one spot better at No. 18.
This ranking system is a good barometer of the NCAA berths awarded after the automatic berths. This weekend definitely elevates Merrimack’s place.