Merrimack at Bentley: Pregame Notes and Line Combinations

WATERTOWN, Mass. -- Welcome inside John A. Ryan Skating Arena where the Bentley Falcons are set to host No. 16 Merrimack on this Wednesday evening. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. in just the Falcons' second-ever home game against a Hockey East opponent.

Tonight marks just the fifth all-time hockey meeting between the Massachusetts schools, although their Division II programs compete against each other in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Warriors have won all four previous games, most recently two years ago in North Andover.

Bentley is 3-0-1 in its last four games after taking three Atlantic Hockey points from Army West Point in a weekend series, which included a 6-2 win Sunday at Barclays Center.

Junior Max French became the second Falcon to earn AHC Player of the Week honors this season after posting three goals and three assists against the Black Knights, including a four-point game in Brooklyn to close the series. Sunday's game was the second of French's career with at least four points.

The Falcons converted on all four of their power play chances on Sunday with sophomore Kyle Schmidt scoring two goals while classmate Jayson Argue, whose .952 save percentage ranks ninth nationally, made 32 saves in the contest.

Merrimack has played just one of its first six games away from Lawler Arena and begins a three-game road stretch tonight. The Warriors are coming off a split weekend in Hockey East play during which they were 4-3 winners over Boston University before a 4-2 loss to New Hampshire.

Saturday's loss was Merrimack's first of the season after a 3-0-2 start. Senior Brian Christie and sophomore Mathieu Tibbet scored the Warriors' goals while senior Ben Bahe registered an assist a night after scoring three points against BU.

Merrimack's top line of Christie, Bahe and classmate Justin Hussar have combined for eight goals and 22 points on the season while achieving a plus-20 rating in six games.

Here are tonight's lines:

WARRIORS (3-1-2, 1-1-2 Hockey East)

Justin Hussar - Brian Christie - Ben Bahe
Mathieu Foget - Hampus Gustafsson - Chris LeBlanc
Jace Hennig - Brett Seney - Mathieu Tibbet
Alfred Larsson - Michael Babcock - John Gustafsson

Marc Biega - Jonathan Lashyn
Jared Kolquist - Ethan Spaxman
Matt Cronin - Aaron Titcomb

Colin Delia
Drew Vogler
Craig Pantano

FALCONS (3-2-1, 1-2-1 Atlantic Hockey)

Andrew Gladiuk - Max French - Kyle Schmidt
Cody DePourcq - T.J. Dumonceaux - Danny Kucerovy
Jake Ahlgren - Drew Callin - Will Suter
Tyler Deresky - Derek Bacon - Michael Reardon

Tanner Jago - Matt Blomquist
Mike Berry - Chris Buchanan
Billy Eiserman - Charlie Donners

Jayson Argue
Gabe Antoni
Jake Bryniarski