Scott Borek, head coach of the Merrimack men’s hockey team, reflected on the team’s achievements following their season-ending loss to North Dakota in the Sioux Falls Regional of the NCAA Tournament, according to a Mar. 27 statement.
The team recently claimed its first-ever Hockey East Championship, marking a milestone for the program. The Warriors secured victories over top-seeded Providence, No. 2 UMass-Amherst, and No. 3 UConn during their run to the conference title.
Borek said that while these accomplishments were significant, he valued most how the players supported each other throughout the season. “I’ll tell you what was accomplished this year the most,” Borek said. “I’m a big humility guy. I walked into the room after the game was over and I know everybody says goodbye and that, but our team, to me, this was just different.
“The way they speak to each other, the way they care for each other. The biggest success, to me, I really do think our guys love each other.” He added that a conversation before the campaign brought players closer together: “We grew as a group,” Borek said. “We were so close… But for the first time in 37 years we’re Hockey East champions and every guy in that room… deserves a lot of credit for that happening. I’m really proud of that. I’m really proud of them.”
Sophomore captain Caelan Fitzpatrick also commented on how adversity brought teammates closer: “It was such a fun year,” Fitzpatrick said after their final game. “We grew really close as a group as the season went on… I feel like we collectively became tighter and it’s fun to be a part of… Again, I couldn’t be more proud of our group this year.” Graduate student Mark Hillier and senior Matthew Campbell were among those who helped Merrimack reach its second NCAA Tournament appearance in four years.
Looking ahead, Borek expressed optimism about what is next for Merrimack men’s hockey: “I’m just very, very proud to be the coach at Merrimack College,” he said. “I love our team… There’s a really bright future ahead.”
