Ollas' First NCAA Shutout Leads Merrimack Win

Hugo Ollas (Merrimack College)

2021-2022 has been a very good year so far for New York Ranger prospects from leading goal scorers to leading playmakers and a trio of goalie prospects that are unlike any that the franchise has had before. Saturday saw a shutout, two first-stars, and a second star. 

It used to be that was a week's worth of Ranger prospect action, this season it is fast becoming normal as the deeper they get into the season, the better they have played.

Hugo Ollas and his Merrimack Warriors were not expected to be one of the top teams in the Hockey East Conference this year. But with just seven games left in their conference season, Merrimack is not only looking for a top-four finish but a first-round bye and home ice for the quarterfinals.

Hugo Ollas has been a big reason why and it isn't because he is 6'8. After earning his first NCAA shutout 5-0 over the Maine Black Bears, Ollas since the start of 2022 is 5-1 with a goals-against of 1.30 and a 0.949 save percentage.

There are times when it is unfair that most highlight packages are all about the goals scored as Ollas's night was full of his solid saves. The Ranger's seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft has been one nice surprise after another. 

Ryder Korczak (Mooe Jaw Warriors)

Ollas stopped all seven shots he faced in the first, then fourteen in the second, and seven more in the third period to earn his seventh win of the season. At 7-4 on the season with a 2.13 goals against and a 0.921 save percentage for the freshman from Sweden. 

And with the win, the Warriors are holding the fourth spot in the Hockey East standings. Thanks to the Covid issues from earlier in the season, the Warriors also have games in hand on the teams ahead of them in the standings. 

For the Warriors, it is simple, cash in those games in hand and they could wind up as high as second place in the Hockey East standings. The NCAA uses a system called Pairwise to determine who earns an at-large invite to the NCAA tournament after tonight the Warriors are 15th and on the rise.

The game's first star Ryder Korczak was 1-2-3 as his Moose Jaw Warriors won their eighth straight game 5-2 over the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Warriors jumped all over the Tigers with four first-period goals and never looked back. 

Korczak scored his 17th goal of the season, set up the game-winning goal, and added a primary assist on the dagger goal. But it was more than just his offense as Korczak was everywhere all game long. 

Korczak wears number 38 in black as you check out the highlights, he is everywhere and you will love the goal he scores as he is falling down to his knees.

📺 | @FordJaw Highlights from the Warriors' 5-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday night.

Ryder Korczak had a goal and three points in the win, while Eric Alarie, Majid Kaddoura, Marek Howell and Jagger Firkus also found the back of the net.#AllInTogether | #MJvsMH pic.twitter.com/sch9z9bxtE

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) February 6, 2022

The line for the night was 1-2-3 +2 on two shots and 8-11 on faceoffs. For the season, Korczak is 17-38-55 which is eighth in overall scoring in the WHL and the 38 assists are second in the WHL. Korczak is also 58.1% on faceoffs which is second in the WHL.

Dylan Garand and his Kamloops Blazers rode the ferry out to Vancouver Island for the start of a two-game set with the Victoria Royals. Garand and his mates had little trouble with the Royals earning an 8-2 win as Garand was named the game's first star. 

By all rights, Garand deserved a shutout but his skaters didn't play defense in the third period once they went up 5-0. Both Royals' goals came when Kamloops hung Garand out to dry by not having any defensemen in front of him.

Garand didn't give up a goal until 12:24 of the third when Victoria cashed in on a "2-on-0" breakaway. He made the first and even second save on the play but was down and out on the third shot. The best way to describe Victoria's other goal is to say it was a Ranger's third defensive pair's special, both defensemen were nowhere to be seen as a Victoria player was left all alone in front of Garand. 

Still, Garand was credited with 26 saves on 28 shots as Kamloops won their eighth straight game while Garand won his 24th game and seventh straight start.

The WHL leader in wins and goals-against while second in save percentage, Garand improves to 24-6 with a 1.97 GAA and a 0.926 SV%.

Brody Lamb earned the game's second star as his 12th goal of the season proved to be the game-winner as his Green Bay Gamblers held off the Cedar Rapids Roughriders 3-2. Lamb's goal at 4:54 of the second period, a power-play goal gave the Gamblers a 3-0 lead at the time and the Gamblers held the Roughriders off for the win.

The future Minnesota Golden Gopher, Lamb is now 12-8-20 after 32 games. Lamb has three game-winners and eight of his 12 goals have come on the power-play.

Brett Berard was 1-1-2 as his Providence Friars defeated the Vermont Catamounts 4-1. Berard set up Patrick Moynihan for a power-play goal at 11:26 of the first period to open the game's scoring. 

In the second with Providence up 2-0, Berard scored his team-leading 14th goal when he bounced a shot off the post and in. Despite the 1-1-2 effort, Berard was again held to just one shot for the game and that is not going to help his team earn an NCAA tournament spot.

Overall for the season, Berard is 14-18-32 for the season, Berard leads Providence in scoring and goals. Here are the game highlights:

Solid effort on home ice. Here's the full highlights of tonight's 4-1 win over Vermont!#GoFriars pic.twitter.com/vOjZIpcPvn

— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey) February 6, 2022

Jayden Grubbe was scoreless as his Red Deer Rebels spanked the Saskatoon Blades 6-1. Grubbe was credited with two shots with a +1 but was 8-13 on his faceoffs.

Simon Kjellberg and his Rensselaer Engineers took on second-ranked Quinnipiac but lost 1-0. The Engineers played well but Quinnipiac's defense was just too much for them to overcome.

Kjellberg had two of the 16 shots that the Engineers were able to manage. 

Matthew Rempf was scoreless as his Seattle Thunderbirds spanked the Vancouver Giants 7-2. Rempf was credited with two shots, a boarding major, and was 4-7 on faceoffs.

Hank Kempf and his 13th-ranked Cornell Big Red played to a 2-2 overtime tie with Colgate in ECAC action. Colgate won the shootout round to earn the extra point in the standings. 

Kempf was scoreless on three shots.

Did Not Play

Evan Vierling remains out for his Barrie Colts with what is being called a "should" injury. This was the third game that Vierling has missed. 

Talyn Boyko was given the night off by his Kelowna Rockets as he was used as the backup as Kelowna won their eighth straight.