Hockey East coaches talk about the league’s high level of parity every season, but this year’s race may be as tight as ever with six teams separated by only four points from second-place Massachusetts down to seventh.
It has been years since Merrimack was a legitimate contender with the postseason approaching. After another sweep moved them to 8-2 since the calendar turned to 2022, the Warriors do find themselves right in the hunt.
The team’s January success included back-to-back sweeps of Providence and first-place UMass Lowell. This past weekend’s triumphs came against New Hampshire, 5-2, and Maine, 5-0, on home ice.
It has taken time for fourth-year coach Scott Borek (Swampscott, Mass.) to build his program. The Warriors have climbed another step, as the first shutout for freshman Hugo Ollas -- who allowed six goals in a November overtime loss at Maine -- provided a cap to the series on Saturday.
