Colorado College closed out 2018 and opened the second half of the '18-19 season with a dominating 5-1 victory over Merrimack College on New Year's Eve in North Andover, Mass.
 
Zach Berzolla collected three assists for the first multi-point game of his career and Troy Conzo and Westin Michaud each had a goal and an assist as the Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 8-9-2.
 
Merrimack's Tyler Drevitch opened the scoring just 3:13 into the contest after taking a back-door pass from Jordan Seyfert and beating CC goalie Alex Leclerc. That's all Leclerc allowed behind him for the game as he finished with 38 saves, his second-highest total this season.
 
"He (Leclerc) did a great job for us tonight," head coach Mike Haviland said. "We got better as the game went on."
 
Just over two minutes later, Conzo tied the game with his third goal of the season. Berzolla took a shot from the right point and Conzo deflected it past Craig Pantano from the slot at the 5:16 mark.
 
Berzolla collected his second assist of the night later in the period when he found Alex Berardinelli behind the Warrior defense and he beat Pantano on his glove side for his seventh goal of the campaign.
 
It appeared CC took a 3-1 lead with 1:27 remaining in the first period, but Ben Copeland's goal was waved off following an official review after it was determined that Trey Bradley interfered with Pantano.
 
The Tigers took that two-goal lead at the 8:51 mark of the second period when Trevor Gooch took a between-the-legs pass from Chris Wilkie and beat Pantano from the slot. Wilkie, making his first appearance since Oct. 20 with an upper body injury, was facing the boards in the corner and sent a perfect pass to Gooch, who scored his seventh of the season. Conzo notched his second point of the game on the play with the secondary assist.
 
Grant Cruikshank made it 4-1 with a blast from the top of the right circle on the power-play at the 18:35 mark of the middle frame. Bryan Yoon found Cruikshank and Pantano had no chance of saving the one-timer. Westin Michaud also assisted on Cruikshank's fourth tally of the season.  
 
Michaud scored on a rebound after backup goalie Drew Vogler, who relieved Pantano at the beginning of the third period, saved Berzolla's shot from the right boards for the final tally of the game. Wilkie started the play and collected his second helper of the contest for his second multi-point game as a Tiger.
 
The Tigers' penalty-killing unit was strong all game, allowing just five shots and forcing three icings during Merrimack's four man-advantage opportunities.
 
"We said we have to get better at special teams in the second half, and we were really good tonight," said Haviland.
 
Pantano had 13 saves for Merrimack (4-14-1), while Vogler had five in the third period. The Warriors outshot CC, 39-23.
 
The Tigers head to Orono, Maine, for a contest against the University of Maine on Wednesday, Jan. 2, beginning at 6 p.m. (ET).