Cannata is sixth in the nation with a 1.92 goals against average.
“I was really pleased that we had a solid effort,’’ said BU coach Jack Parker.
“I thought that we really needed to get the ‘W’ to make us feel like after losing a couple guys that we’re OK, we’ve got a good team still, we’re going to be fine.
“I think that when you can beat Merrimack, and get four goals against them, and get three in the first against them, you’re telling yourself you could be a pretty good hockey team.’’
Merrimack, which defeated the Terriers, 3-2, in overtime Nov. 11, is 2-4-2 since opening the season undefeated in its first 10 games and being ranked first in the nation for the first time in school history.
It was the Terriers’ first win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 2, when they knocked off then-No. 2 Boston College, 5-3.
Sahir Gill finished with 2 points, while nine other Terriers recorded points. And Kieran Millan stopped 42 shots to post his ninth win in 16 games.
Merrimack scored first, a goal by Josh Myers 4:31 into the night.
Just 14 seconds later, Cason Hohmann’s cross-ice pass found Justin Courtnall, who followed his shot and backhanded home the rebound past a defenseless Cannata.
Not even a minute later, Alex Chiasson’s power-play goal put the Terriers up, 2-1.
Alexx Privitera capped off a stellar first period by the Terriers with 1:33 left, one-timing a nifty pass from Matt Nieto to give the Terriers their second power-play strike of the night.
“I thought the biggest goal of the game was Chiasson’s,” said Parker, “answering after they scored. We’re wondering who we are, and all of the sudden they get one and we come right back and get one, that was huge.’’
The Terriers came out sluggish in the second, committing two early penalties that set up the Warriors’ second goal, Kyle Bigos’s wrister from the point beating Millan five-hole at 9:45.
Late in the period the Terriers responded. Max Nicastro’s cross-ice pass found the stick of Gill, who blistered a one-timer past Cannata, who simply had no chance.
“They were trying to stretch the zone there,” said Gill. “So that opened up a little room in the middle there and it was a nice pass. I just didn’t want to get it blocked.”
The Terriers killed two power plays in the final frame. In a 50-second span, beginning with five minutes left, Millan made consecutive point-blank stops.
“We’re very similar teams,” said Parker of the Terriers and Merrimack. “There’s not much of a difference [between our teams], and that’s what you saw tonight. They came in last time and beat us by a goal in overtime, we beat them by two tonight.
“We’ll be battling hopefully for home ice for the rest of the year with [Merrimack].”
