When a team wins a lot, it’s common for players to speak highly of team chemistry. It’s not a popular topic when a team struggles.
That’s not the case with Merrimack.
Despite wrapping up the first semester with just five wins, the Warriors are feeling nothing but positive vibes entering the winter break.
“The biggest thing that stands out amidst a number of lows so far this first half, is the togetherness of our group,” said grad student forward Harrison Roy, who scored his first goal of the season last Saturday in a 4-1 home win vs. Hockey East foe Northeastern. “Before the season even started, (we) made an emphasis that we were going to stick together as a team no matter what the result is. So I give credit to our team. It’s not easy losing, and it’s a very competitive league. The most important thing (is) our ability to stay together. Nobody’s turning their backs on each other.”
The Warriors (5-10-1) have rallied around coach Scott Borek, who was forced to miss the last three games of the semester due to a respiratory illness. The school said on Saturday that Borek was on the mend but did not give a timetable for his return.
“Scott’s presence, not just as a coach but as a human, is immense,” said associate coach Dan Jewell, who has filled in for Borek behind the bench during the head coach’s absence. “We miss him being here dearly on a day-to-day basis. But his presence in the locker room oozes through every guy. It’s one of the funnest things working for Scott — and he would hate me saying ‘for’, which tells you about him — is just his personality, his values, his relationships. It emanates through our locker room.”
One bright spot for Merrimack this season was how it bounced back after a disastrous weekend at Maine on Nov. 1-2, in which the Warriors were outscored by an aggregate score of 11-0 over two games. The following week, Merrimack swept Connecticut in a home-and-home series by scores of 4-1 and 5-2.
“That Maine weekend, that was a line in the sand for us,” Roy said. “It’s hard to go into a place like Maine and not score any goals. (That’s) really challenging for a team. We made it a point that from there on out that it’s going (to be up to) each and every person to elevate their game. There have still been lows since then and highs since then, but like I said, the togetherness sticks out.”
Roy said he hopes the win vs. Northeastern will be a springboard to success for when the Warriors’ season resumes Jan. 3 at Army West Point (Atlantic Hockey America).
“I would say a lot of us haven’t necessarily played night in and night out according to our standard,” he said. “I think (vs. Northeastern) we got a better glimpse at, whenever everything’s going together, the success and opportunity that our team has to win games against really good teams.”
Jewell said what has worked well for Merrimack so far — mainly, the team’s camaraderie and its ability to handle adversity as a unit — will serve the team well in 2025.
“I give our leadership group, our older guys, a ton of credit,” Jewell said. “We’ve been on point. We’ve been on focus. We’ve (been through) a lot of adversity — injuries, lack of success in the win column — and this group has really been undeterred. They come to work on Monday. They’re ready to go.”
Merrimack returns to Hockey East play on Jan. 10 at Boston College, kicking off a home-and-home series.
