No. 6 Mercyhurst (18-16-5) vs. No. 4 Connecticut (19-13-4)
When: Friday, 7:05 p.m.
Where: Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, N.Y.
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), WMCE-FM/88.5 & wmce.mercyhurst.edu (radio), www.atlantichockeyonline.com (live scores)
Up next: Championship game (Saturday, 7:05 p.m. at Blue Cross Arena)*
What to expect: Mercyhurst has reached the Atlantic Hockey Association semifinals for the second straight season. The Lakers lost to eventual champion Air Force 5-2 in this round a season ago. … The Lakers rebounded from an eight-game winless streak with a sweep of 11th-seeded Army at Mercyhurst Ice Center two weeks ago and a series win at No. 3 Holy Cross last weekend. … Mercyhurst hasn’t reached the title game since consecutive trips in 2008 and 2009 (lost to Air Force both times). … The Lakers haven’t won an AHA championship since beating Quinnipiac 3-2 in the 2005 title game. They also beat Quinnipiac 6-5 to capture the 2001 title, when the league was known as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. … Mercyhurst and UConn split their two-game, regular-season series in Storrs, Conn., with the Lakers losing 5-4 Jan. 18 and winning 5-0 the following night. … The Lakers lead the all-time series 32-13-3. Yet they have lost three straight and four of six games against the Huskies in the postseason, including a UConn sweep in the 2011 AHA quarterfinals. … With top-seeded and 15th-ranked Niagara (23-8-5) facing seventh-seeded Canisius (17-18-5) in the other semifinal, the conference will have a champion from a school other than Air Force and Rochester Institute of Technology for the first time since Holy Cross in 2006. Air Force, which lost to Canisius in the quarterfinals, had won five of the last six titles (2007-09, 2011-12). RIT, which lost to Niagara in the quarterfinals, won in 2010 on the way to the first NCAA Division I Frozen Four appearance for the Tigers and the AHA. … Senior F Grant Blakey has five goals and seven points in the Lakers’ five playoff games. … UConn senior G Matt Grogan has a 14-3-3 record, 1.88 goals-against average and .939 save percentage since taking over as starter midway through the season. He was the Huskies’ only player to earn all-conference honors (third team). Mercyhurst features three all-stars – junior D Nick Jones (first team), sophomore F Ryan Misiak (second) and sophomore F Matthew Zay (third). … Niagara has never reached the title game. Canisius hasn’t reached the final since 1999 (lost 4-3 to Holy Cross). … Niagara junior G Carson Chubak leads the nation with six shutouts and ranks among the top five in winning percentage (.773), goals-against average (1.81) and save percentage (.941). He’s one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which honors the nation’s top men’s hockey player. … Freshman F Ralph Cuddemi, a former Erie Otters draft pick, has two goals and seven points in 34 games for Canisius.
* If the Lakers win tonight

- Victor Fernandes

Atlantic Hockey Association final four schedule
at Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, N.Y.
Semifinals – Friday
No. 1 Niagara (23-8-5) vs. No. 7 Canisius (17-18-5), 4:05 p.m.
No. 4 Connecticut (19-13-4) vs. No. 6 Mercyhurst (18-16-5), 7:05 p.m.
Championship game – Saturday
Semifinal winners, 7:05 p.m.
Note: Champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I tournament.

The Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team received two votes in USCHO.com’s opening Division I poll of the season, which was released Monday. Mercyhurst spent two weeks on the honorable mention list last January on the way to a 20-16-4 record a season ago. The Lakers are one of four Atlantic Hockey Association schools that earned votes in the poll.
Defending AHA champion Air Force stands 19th with 116 points. Rochester Institute of Technology (six points), Mercyhurst and Niagara (two) were among the honorable mention.
Boston College begins defense of its national championship ranked No. 1 with 35 first-place votes and 972 points. Minnesota stands second with 12 first-place votes and 937 points, followed by Michigan at No. 3 with three first-place votes and 857 points. North Dakota (826) and Union (789) complete the top five.
Mercyhurst plays 12 games against five teams ranked among the top 20 or the honorable mention. No. 11 Ferris State, which lost to BC in the national title game this past spring, and No. 15 Maine joins Air Force, RIT and Niagara on the schedule.

The Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team was chosen to finish third out of 12 teams in the Atlantic Hockey Association’s preseason coaches poll, which was released Tuesday.
The Lakers received no first-place votes and 89 points. Air Force, the defending regular-season and tournament champions, earned eight first-place votes and 112 points. Niagara was second with three first-place votes and 101 points. Bentley and Rochester Institute of Technology were tied for fourth with 87 points.
Holy Cross (74) placed sixth, followed by Connecticut (65) and Robert Morris (61), which had one first-place vote. Canisius (38), Army (30), American International (20) and Sacred Heart (19) rounded out the rest of the list.

Mercyhurst University men’s hockey coach Rick Gotkin has announced that senior Grant Blakey (Canton, Michigan) and juniors Nick Jones (Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania) and Daniel O’Donoghue (Port Jefferson Station, New York) will serve as the captains for the upcoming 2012-13 season.

The trio will serve as tri-captains for the upcoming season, with each player garnering the “C” on his jersey.

Blakey missed eight games last season due to an injury, but still posted four goals and 12 assists for 16 points, finishing 11th on the team in scoring. He was leading or near the team lead in scoring before he went down with his injury. He finished tied for third on the team with a +2 rating last season and also had one of Mercyhurst’s two shorthanded goals. His 12 assists was tied for eighth on the team. Blakey has played in 105 games for the Lakers in his three seasons, and has recorded 24 goals and 42 assists for 66 points. He will be one of only four seniors on next year’s squad, joining defenseman Charlie Carkin, forward Paul Chiasson, and goaltender Max Strang.

Named the team’s Top Defenseman at the team’s postseason banquet, Nick Jones was only one of five players last season to play in all 40 games. He was the only non-freshman from Mercyhurst to be named to an All-Conference team, earning a Third Team nod as a defenseman. Jones led all Laker defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points this season. He was tied for fifth on the team in both goals and points. His ten goals was the most goals by a Laker defenseman since Jamie Hunt scored 12 during the 2005-06 season. Hunt went on to become the first Laker to play in the National Hockey League, skating for the Washington Capitals.

In fact, Jones’ ten goals was tied for third-most by a Mercyhurst defenseman since the 1999-2000 season. T.J. Kemp scored 11 in 2002-03 and then scored 10 during the 2004-05 season. Jones finished in a tie for third among Atlantic Hockey defensemen with his 24 points this season, trailing only Air Force’s Tim Kirby (28) and Connecticut’s Alex Gerke (25). He was tied with Air Force’s Scott Mathis. Jones has played in 74 career games and has 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points.

Named the team’s Top Defensive Forward at the team’s postseason banquet, Daniel O’Donoghue played in 39 games last season and was tied for seventh on the team in scoring with eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points. He was one of the Lakers’ best penalty killers all season and was usually on the team’s top unit when called upon to kill a penalty. O’Donoghue scored Mercyhurst’s first shorthanded goal of the season against Sacred Heart on January 6 and he was named the Atlantic Hockey Co-Player of the Week on January 23 after posting two goals and two assists in a series at Holy Cross. In 76 career games, O’Donoghue has 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points.

Mercyhurst loses just three players to graduation from a team that finished the 2011-12 season with a 20-16-4 overall record and advanced to the Atlantic Hockey Association semifinals for the first time since the 2008-09 season. The team’s 20 victories was also the most by a Mercyhurst team since winning 22 games during the 2008-09 campaign.

Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament schedule

Semifinals – Friday

at Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, N.Y.

No. 1 Air Force (19-10-7) vs. No. 4 Mercyhurst (20-15-4), 4:05 p.m.

No. 2 Niagara (17-10-9) vs. No. 3 Rochester Institute of Technology (19-12-6), 60 minutes after completion of Game 1

Championship game – Saturday

at Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, N.Y.

Semifinal winners, 7:05 p.m.

Quarterfinals (best-of-three series)

No. 5 Holy Cross at No. 4 Mercyhurst

Game 1 – Mercyhurst 2, Holy Cross 1

Game 2 – Holy Cross 3, Mercyhurst 1

Game 3 – Mercyhurst 3, Holy Cross 1

Mercyhurst wins series 2-1

No. 6 Bentley at No. 3 Rochester Institute of Technology

Game 1 – Bentley 4, RIT 1

Game 2 – RIT 5, Bentley 4 (2OT)

Game 3 – RIT 3, Bentley 0

RIT wins series 2-1

No. 7 Robert Morris at No. 2 Niagara

Game 1 – Niagara 3, Robert Morris 0

Game 2 – Niagara 2, Robert Morris 1

Niagara wins series 2-0

No. 8 Connecticut at No. 1 Air Force

Game 1 – Air Force 4, Connecticut 3

Game 2 – Connecticut 3, Air Force 1

Game 3 – Air Force 4, Connecticut 3

Air Force wins series 2-1

The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team will face Holy Cross in the Atlantic Hockey Association quarterfinals next weekend at Mercyhurst Ice Center.

The best-of-three series begins Friday at 7:05 p.m., followed by Game 2 Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, is set for Sunday at 7:05 p.m.

The fourth-seeded Lakers (18-14-4) earned a bye in this past weekend’s first round by finishing among the top four teams in the regular-season standings.

Fifth-seeded Holy Cross (19-13-4) swept 12th-seeded Army 3-2 and 5-2 in a best-of-three, first-round series in Worcester, Mass.

The other three quarterfinal series next weekend are No. 8 Connecticut (15-17-4) at No. 1 Air Force (17-9-7), No. 7 Robert Morris (17-15-5) at No. 2 Niagara (15-10-9) and No. 6 Bentley (15-14-8) at No. 3 Rochester Institute of Technology (17-11-6).

The winners earn spots in the semifinals, which will be held March 16 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. The championship game is March 17 in Rochester.

- Victor Fernandes

The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team has earned a well-deserved break.

The Lakers needed a win against Canisius Saturday night and some help to secure a top-four finish in the Atlantic Hockey Association standings and a bye in next weekend’s first round of the AHA playoffs.

The Lakers handled their part, as they shut out the Golden Griffins 5-0 in front of 725 at Mercyhurst Ice Center behind redshirt junior goaltender Max Strang’s 27-save performance. Then Holy Cross defeated Bentley 6-4 Saturday, which handed the Lakers (18-14-4, 15-8-4) next week off and home-ice advantage in a best-of-three quarterfinal series against a first-round winner in two weeks.

Mercyhurst finished fourth in a tight conference race, behind first-place Air Force, Niagara and Rochester Institute of Technology. The Lakers would face the best remaining first-round winner in the quarterfinals.

Canisius (10-20-4, 10-14-3) finished ninth and will face eighth-place Connecticut in a best-of-three, first-round series next weekend.

Freshmen Nardo Nagtzaam and Chris Bodo led the Lakers with a goal and two assists apiece. Nick Jones had a goal and assist. Daniel O’Donoghue and Kyle Just each scored a goal.

Here’s the fallout from the Mercyhurst men’s hockey team’s 2-1 loss to Canisius Friday night, according to SID David Leisering

* Mercyhurst no longer has a chance for the Atlantic Hockey Association regular season title. Niagara has the tiebreaker on us so the Lakers cannot pass the Purple Eagles.

* Niagara and Air Force tied for first with 34 points

* Bentley and RIT tied for third with 33 points

* Mercyhurst and Holy Cross tied for fifth with 32 points

* Robert Morris has 31 points

* Mercyhurst holds tiebreaker on Air Force, Bentley, and Holy Cross

**** Mercyhurst can still get a first-round bye with a win and …

1) a Bentley loss or tie

2) an RIT loss

3) Bentley wins and RIT wins or ties, but Air Force loses

Mercyhurst (17-13-4, 14-7-4 AHA) at Canisius (9-19-4, 9-13-3)

When: Friday, 7:05 p.m.

Where: Buffalo State Sports Arena, Buffalo

On the air: www.b2livetv.com (live stream), www.gogriffs.com (Internet radio, live statistics)

Up next: vs. Canisius (Saturday, 7:05 p.m.)

Fast facts: Mercyhurst enters the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to win the Atlantic Hockey Association’s regular-season championship for the first time. … The Lakers are tied for third with Bentley and Niagara at 32 points – one point behind front-running Air Force and one behind second-place Rochester Institute of Technology. Holy Cross (31 points) and Robert Morris (29) are behind the Lakers in sixth and seventh, respectively. … Mercyhurst holds tiebreakers over Air Force, Bentley and Holy Cross, but not over Niagara, RIT and RMU. … Mercyhurst would secure a bye in next weekend’s first round of the AHA playoffs and home-ice advantage for the quarterfinals in two weeks by finishing among the top four in the standings. … The Lakers can finish as low as seventh. If the Lakers finish fifth, sixth or seventh, they would play a first-round game at Mercyhurst Ice Center. … They have three of their last five games, but are 5-5-2 since recording their second four-game winning streak of the season. … They are 6-4-3 in AHA road games. … Redshirt junior G Max Strang will start tonight. … Junior F Grant Blakey (lower-body injury) won’t play this weekend. He already has missed nearly a month. … Canisius stands ninth in the conference with 21 points, three behind Connecticut. The Golden Griffins need to sweep Mercyhurst and two UConn losses to 10^th-place American International to host a first-round game against UConn. … Canisius has won six of the past nine meetings with the Lakers.

- Victor Fernandes

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Max Strang waited patiently for his next start in goal.

That start occurred Saturday night in a key Atlantic Hockey Association game against Air Force at Cadet Ice Arena. Strang, a redshirt junior who hadn’t played in two weeks, responded by stealing a big win.

Strang stopped a career-high 50-of-51 shots in Mercyhurst’s 2-1 win against first-place Air Force in front of 2,887 fans. His save total was the most by a Laker in a regulation game since Ryan Zapolski stopped 50 shots against Robert Morris Nov. 19, 2010.

With the win, the Lakers (17-13-4, 14-7-4) moved into a three-way tie for third with Niagara and Bentley with two games left in the regular season.

They head into next weekend’s home-and-home series with Canisius two points behind Air Force (16-8-7, 14-5-6) and one behind second-place Rochester Institute of Technology. Holy Cross and Robert Morris are one and three points behind the Lakers, respectively.

The top four teams in the standings earn first-round byes in the AHA playoffs, which begin in two weeks.

Strang allowed only Cole Gunner’s goal 9 minutes, 22 seconds into the opening period, which handed the Falcons a 1-0 lead. Mercyhurst, which was outshot 51-19, tied the score at 1 on Nick Jones’ power-play goal 11:11 into the second.

Paul Chiasson’s unassisted goal 6:25 into the third snapped the tie. Then the Lakers held on the rest of the way, headlined by a successful penalty kill in the game’s final two minutes.

;

SUMMARY

;

Mercyhurst 2, Air Force 1

Mercyhurst 0 1 1 — 2

Air Force 1 0 0 — 1

1^st Period — 1. Air Force, Cole Gunner 5 (Kirby, Weissenhofer), 9:22. Penalties — Zay (M) hooking, 5:16; Zay (M) tripping, 19:46.

2^nd Period — 2. Mercyhurst, Nick Jones 9 (Bahntge, Nagtzaam), 11:11 (pp). Penalties — Frischmon (M) hooking, 7:12; Fabian (A) cross checking, 9:41; Shiplo (M) cross checking, 13:44.

3^rd Period — 3. Mercyhurst, Paul Chiasson 13 (unassisted), 6:25. Penalties — Gunner (A) facemasking, 6:58; O’Donoghue (M) facemasking, 6:58; Misiak (M) boarding, 17:15.

Shots on goal — Mercyhurst, 8-4-7—19; Air Force, 17-14-19—51.

Goaltenders — Mercyhurst, Max Strang 13-11-3(51 shots, 50 saves); Air Force, Jason Torf 5-3-2 (19 shots, 17 saves).

Power plays — Mercyhurst (1-1), Air Force (0-5).

Referee — Jim Visconte. Linesmen — Chris Foote, Jon Shaw.

Attendance — 2,887.