Mercyhurst (0-2-1, 0-1-0 AHA) at Sacred Heart (0-4-1, 0-2-1)
When: Today, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Today at Northford Ice Pavilion – Northford, Conn.; Saturday at Webster Bank Arena – Bridgeport, Conn.
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), www.sacredheartpioneers.com (live statistics)
What to expect: Officials at Sacred Heart moved tonight’s game from Milford Ice Pavilion, located in Connecticut’s coastal town of Milford, reportedly because the effects of Hurricane Sandy knocked out power at the rink. Northford is 20 miles northeast of Milford. Saturday’s game remains in the coastal city of Bridgeport at Webster Bank Arena, home of the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. … Mercyhurst returns to Atlantic Hockey Association play after taking last weekend off. The Lakers haven’t played since losing 7-3 and tying 3-3 at nationally ranked Ferris State two weeks ago. … They continue a season-opening stretch of 11 straight road games. Six of the last eight games are against conference teams. … They swept both games from the Pioneers, 9-1 and 3-1, at Mercyhurst Ice Center a season ago. … The Lakers opened AHA play with a 2-1 loss at Niagara Oct. 13. … Sacred Heart lost 7-1 at Bentley Oct. 16 before losing once and tying once against Army two weeks ago. … The Pioneers lost 6-3 last Saturday against NCAA Division I newcomer Penn State, which features former Lakers Taylor Holstrom and Nate Jensen.

- Victor Fernandes

Here are comments from Phil Ginand on leaving Mercyhurst College to sign with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers – courtesy of beat reporter Michael Fornabaio from the Connecticut Post:

“I got a concussion — well, supposedly a concussion — two or three weeks ago,” Ginand said. “The doctors said I’d be out for the season, and it was pretty serious. They’re the same doctors who told me, freshman year, when I hurt my knee that I probably shouldn’t play hockey again, but I went home and saw my doctors and they fixed me up. (This time) I got clearance from my doctors.”

“I’ve got two terms left: this term, and I can finish classes in the summer,” Ginand said. “I would have been done with classes.”

“This was going to be my last year, no matter what.”

Phil Ginand (Contributed/Mercyhurst College)

Phil Ginand is healthy enough to play hockey again – just not for the Mercyhurst College men’s team.

Ginand has signed an amateur tryout contract with the Bridgeport (Conn.) Sound Tigers, the AHL club announced Tuesday, and could make his debut Wednesday night against the Albany (N.Y.) Devils.

Three weeks ago, he suffered what Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin calls a season-ending concussion. He had no plans to have Ginand in the lineup for the rest of the season, Gotkin said.

“He wasn’t (medically) cleared (by) any of our people,” Gotkin said.

Ginand spoke with Gotkin late Monday night about signing with Bridgeport. Gotkin said he believes not being cleared to play for Mercyhurst played a role in Ginand’s decision.

“He told me he was feeling great and wanted to get back to playing hockey,” said Gotkin, who became aware of Ginand’s interest in pursuing a professional career two weeks ago. “I’m assuming he’s fine.”

Ginand, 22, a redshirt sophomore forward who missed all but two games last season while recovering from knee surgery, forgoes his final two years of eligibility. The Milford, Mass., native had 27 goals and 54 points in 68 career games, including 12 goals and 20 points in 27 games this season.

In January, then-senior forward Brandon Coccimiglio left school to join the ECHL’s Greenville (S.C.) Road Warriors. He now plays for the Central Hockey League’s Missouri Mavericks after brief ECHL stints with Greenville and Alaska. He has one goal and four points in 20 career games.
“At the end of the day, Phil wanted to be a professional hockey player, and I think he will be a good one,” Gotkin said of Ginand, who attended a Philadelphia Flyers rookie camp last summer.

Gotkin has lost four key forwards from his team this season – Ginand, Coccimiglio, Steve Cameron and Kyle Just. Cameron suffered what Gotkin said could be a season-ending, lower-body injury three weeks ago. Just and then-fellow freshman Jordan Tibbett left school in November after being charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a campus apartment Nov. 14.

“The guys we have (are) very resilient,” Gotkin said. “We’re trying to find a way to keep on winning.”

The Lakers face Connecticut this weekend in the Atlantic Hockey Association quarterfinals.

- Victor Fernandes