AHA TOURNAMENT – QUARTERFINALS
No. 6 Mercyhurst (16-15-5) at No. 3 Holy Cross (19-12-3)
When: Today and Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.*
Where: Hart Center – Worcester, Mass.
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), WMCE-FM/88.5 & wmce.mercyhurst.edu (radio), www.goholycross.com (live statistics)
What to expect: Mercyhurst earned a spot in the Atlantic Hockey Association quarterfinals with a two-game sweep of 11th-seeded Army in the first round last weekend. … With those wins, the Lakers snapped an eight-game winless streak (0-5-3) and swept a series for the first time since winning two games at Sacred Heart Nov. 2-3. … They also won consecutive games for the first time since 8-1 victories against Army and Robert Morris Feb. 2-5. … The Lakers and Crusaders meet in the quarterfinals for the second straight season. Mercyhurst won in three games at Mercyhurst Ice Center to advance to the AHA’s final four in Rochester, N.Y., a season ago Fifth-year senior G Max Strang stopped 111-of-115 shots in that series. … The Lakers split two games with the Crusaders at MIC in the regular season, losing 2-1 Jan. 11 and winning 4-2 the following night, but lead the all-time series 27-12-5. … The Lakers are 15-5-1 all-time at Hart Center. … They have a 3-1 record against Holy Cross in AHA tournament play and a 4-1 overall playoff mark dating back to a 2000 meeting in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (which became the AHA in 2003). … Rick Gotkin became the 26th college coach to reach 450 career wins last weekend. … Junior Fs Daniel O’Donoghue and Kyle Just and sophomore F Zac Frischmon combined for four goals and 11 points last weekend. They were teamed on a line for the first time this season in those games. … Holy Cross earned a first-round bye with a third-place finish in the regular-season standings. … The Crusaders enter this series with a five-game unbeaten streak. … They need one win to record consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in program history. … They have their best record through 34 games since posting a 23-9-2 mark in the 2005-06 season.
* Sunday’s game if necessary

Atlantic Hockey Association tournament schedule
Quarterfinals (best-of-3 series)
Friday-Sunday*
No. 6 Mercyhurst (16-15-5) at No. 3 Holy Cross (19-12-3), 7 p.m.*
No. 8 Rochester Institute of Technology (15-16-5) at No. 1 Niagara (21-8-5), 7:05 p.m.
No. 5 Robert Morris (20-12-4) at No. 4 Connecticut (17-13-4), 7:05 p.m.
No. 7 Canisius (15-18-5) at No. 2 Air Force (17-11-7), 9:05 p.m.
* Game 3 on Sunday (if necessary) would begin at 5 p.m.
Semifinals – March 22
at Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, N.Y.
Quarterfinal winners, TBA
Championship game – March 23
at Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, N.Y.
Semifinal winners, TBA
Note: Champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I tournament.

- Victor Fernandes

Mercyhurst University (11-9-1, 9-5-0 AHA) at Canisius (8-11-5, 7-6-2)
When: Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
Where: Buffalo State Sports Arena, Buffalo
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), www.gogriffs.com (live audio and statistics)
What to expect: Mercyhurst meets longtime rival Canisius for the 72nd time after having Friday night’s game against the Golden Griffins at Mercyhurst Ice Center moved to Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. at MIC. A water main break in the city Thursday prompted university officials to close school and send students home through the weekend. … The Lakers are tied for second with Holy Cross in the tight Atlantic Hockey Association standings. Five points separate the Lakers from 10th-place Connecticut. The Golden Griffins are in seventh, but are only two points out of second. Niagara, which suffered its first conference loss of the season at Holy Cross last weekend, tops the standings by nine points. … The Lakers edged Canisius 3-2 in overtime Dec. 18 at MIC on sophomore F Matthew Zay‘s winnning goal to take a 38-24-9 lead in the all-time series. … Junior F Kyle Just (upper-body injury) could rejoin the lineup tonight after missing the past six games. … Junior D Randy Cure (upper body) and freshman D Anthony Mastrodicasa (lower body) are cleared to skate, but neither will rejoin the lineup tonight. … Sophomore F Nardo Nagtzaam (lower body) will miss at least another three to four weeks. … The Golden Griffins were swept by Bentley 3-2 in overtime and 7-2 last weekend. … Canisius junior G Tony Capobianco ranks second in conference play with a 2.13 goals-against average and third with a .930 save percentage. … Mercyhurst junior G Jordan Tibbett (.924) and fifth-year senior G Max Strang (.922) are fourth and fifth, respectively, in save percentage. Strang, the reigning AHA goaltender of the week, has a 5-1-0 record, 1.61 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in his past six appearances. … Senior F Paul Chiasson needs one point to become the 15th player in Mercyhurst’s NCAA Division I history to reach 100 points. … Junior F Daniel O’Donoghue has a five-game point streak and 11 points in six games this month. … Lakers coach Rick Gotkin needs five wins to become the 26th college coach to reach 450 wins. … Freshman F Ralph Cuddemi, a former Erie Otters draft pick (11th round in 2010), has no goals and two points in 18 games for the Golden Griffins this season. … Mercyhurst stands 14th in Division I at 3.19 goals scored per game. In contrast, Canisius ranks 47th out of 59 teams at 2.25 per game. … However, the Golden Griffins are seventh nationally in scoring defense (2.12 goals allowed per game). The Lakers are 40th at 2.90 per game. … The Golden Griffins are 0-7-0 in one-goal games and 0-3-5 in games decided in overtime.

- Victor Fernandes

Mercyhurst University (8-6-1) at Maine (4-11-2)
When: Today and Saturday, 7:07 p.m.
Where: Today at Cumberland County Civic Center – Portland, Maine, Saturday at Alfond Arena – Orono, Maine
On the air: www.goblackbears.com (live stream, audio and statistics)*
What to expect: Mercyhurst begins the second half with a two-game series Maine, who are last in Hockey East Association this season. … The Lakers capped the opening half with three straight wins and five victories in their past seven games. … The Lakers play their 14th and 15th road games of the season. In contrast, they have played only three home games. … After this weekend, they play 11 of their final 17 regular-season games at Mercyhurst Ice Center. … Tonight’s game will be played in the home arena of the AHL’s Portland Pirates. … Mercyhurst faces Maine for the first time since being swept 4-2 and 4-1 Oct. 19-20, 2007. The Lakers are 0-4-1 in five career meetings, all at Maine. They tied 1-1 Dec. 16, 2006. But they earned their first career win in six tries against Clarkson last month. … Lakers coach Rick Gotkin said junior D Randy Cure (upper-body injury), freshman D Anthony Mastrodicasa (lower body), sophomore F Edward DeWald (upper body) and junior F John Mousso (lower body) won’t rejoin the lineup this weekend as originally hoped. The Lakers also lost junior F Kyle Just to an upper-body injury Dec. 18 against Canisius. … The Black Bears posted their first two-game winning streak of the season last weekend, as they captured the championship of the Florida College Classic in Estero, Fla., with wins against Minnesota Duluth and No. 12 Cornell. … Maine has played 10 games against eight teams currently ranked among USCHO.com’s top 20 or on the honorable-mention list (Boston College, Boston University, Cornell, Massachusetts, Massachusetts-Lowell, New Hampshire, Notre Dame and Providence). They are 2-7-1 in those games.
* Live stream for Saturday’s game only

- 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.

Sacred Heart (1-16-1, 0-10-1 AHA) at Mercyhurst College (10-8-2, 7-2-2)

When: Friday and Saturday, 7:05 p.m.

Where: Mercyhurst Ice Center

On the air: www.b2livetv.com (live stream), WMCE-FM/88.5 & 104.9 (radio), www.hurstathletics.com (live statistics)

Up next: at American International (Jan. 13-14, 7:05 p.m.)

Fast facts: The Lakers (16 points) are tied for second with Robert Morris and Rochester Institute of Technology in the Atlantic Hockey Association standings, one point behind Air Force. … They snapped a six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2) in conference play with a 4-3 loss to Niagara Dec. 10 at Mercyhurst Ice Center. … The Lakers face a one-win team for the second straight weekend. They swept a two-game non-conference series at Alabama-Huntsville 5-1 and 4-3 last weekend. … Freshmen lead the Lakers in points (Nardo Nagtzaam 13) and assists (Daniel Bahntge and Tyler Shiplo 9 apiece). Freshman Chris Bodo’s 6 goals ranks second to senior Derek Elliott (7) in goals. … Sophomore F Kyle Just has a goal and two points in his first two games of the season. Just and sophomore G Jordan Tibbett, who didn’t dress for either game last weekend, were acquitted of sexual assault and other charges in November. … Redshirt junior G Max Strang has a 7-2-2 record, 2.06 goals-against average and .947 save percentage in 11 AHA games. … The Pioneers posted their lone win, 7-6, against then-No. 8 Yale Nov. 22. They recorded their lone point in the AHA standings with a 4-4 tie against Niagara Nov. 27.

- Victor Fernandes

Mercyhurst College (8-8-2) at Alabama-Huntsville (1-19-1)

When: Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m.

Where: Propst Arena – Huntsville, Ala.

On the air: www.b2livetv.com (live stream), www.uahchargers.com (statistics)

Up next: vs. Sacred Heart (Jan. 6-7, 7:05 p.m.)

Fast facts: Mercyhurst begins the second half following a three-week layoff. … They traveled 700 miles to face the independent Chargers, the south’s only NCAA Division I program. … F Kyle Just and G Jordan Tibbett, who were acquitted of sexual assault and other charges last month, could make their season debuts tonight. They re-enrolled in school Nov. 28 and began practicing Dec. 7, and then recently received waivers from the NCAA to play. Coach Rick Gotkin said he expected to decide their playing status late Thursday after watching them skate in Thursday’s practice. … The Lakers swept a two-game series against the Chargers, 8-3 and 4-3, at Mercyhurst Ice Center last season. … The Lakers are 1-6 in non-conference games, with their only win at Cornell Oct. 29. … They have been outscored 34-15 in those games. In contrast, they are 7-2-2 with a 30-23 goal advantage in Atlantic Hockey Association play. … Freshmen lead the Lakers in points (Nardo Nagtzaam 13) and assists (Daniel Bahntge and Tyler Shiplo 9 apiece). Chris Bodo’s 6 goals ranks second to senior Derek Elliott (7) in goals. … Sophomore F John Mousso faces season-ending knee surgery. Sophomore F Trent Frey remains hampered by a lower-body injury. … UAH faces the possible end to its D-I program after the season. However, published reports earlier this month indicated that university officials are attempting to save the program. … The Chargers have faced seven teams currently ranked in or just outside the top 20 in the USCHO.com poll (Bowling Green, Lake Superior State, Merrimack, Ohio State, Massachusetts-Lowell, Nebraska-Omaha and Western Michigan). They are 1-11, with the lone win against UNO (3-1 on Dec. 2).

- Victor Fernandes

Check out a GoErie.com update on the ongoing legal battles for former Mercyhurst College men’s hockey players Kyle Just and Jordan Tibbett by clicking here.

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

The Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team is running a bit thin at forward.

Phil Ginand, the Lakers’ third-leading goal scorer, will miss the rest of the season with an upper-body injury. Senior Steve Cameron could miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury.

That’s 19 goals and 41 points out of NCAA Division I’s ninth-best offense, on top of the production lost with the departure of senior Brandon Coccimiglio last month and freshman Kyle Just in November.

Coccimiglio left school to pursue a professional career. Just and then-freshman goaltender Jordan Tibbett left school after being charged with sexually assaulting a woman in a campus apartment Nov. 14.

That’s bad timing for the Lakers, which are a week away from starting the Atlantic Hockey Association playoffs on the road. The Lakers (13-15-4, 11-12-2), which end the regular season tonight and Saturday against Canisius, cannot finish higher than fifth in the six-team West pod. Canisius is one point behind.

“What are you going to do? It’s kind of how the year has gone,” coach Rick Gotkin said.

Ginand and Cameron were injured two weeks ago against Robert Morris. The Lakers were forced to dress only 16 skaters, two below the maximum allowed by NCAA rules, last weekend against Air Force.

Ginand missed all but two games last season while recovering from knee surgery after finishing second among AHA freshmen in scoring two seasons ago. Cameron has 51 goals and 107 points in his four-year career, including a team-best 22 goals and 50 points as a sophomore. Earlier this season, he was the 14^th player in the program’s Division I history to reach the 100-point mark.

Cameron suffered a similar injury as junior defenseman Kevin Noble, who missed six weeks earlier this season. “It’s a long shot, but it’s not 100 percent that he won’t be back,” Gotkin said of Cameron.

- Victor Fernandes

Mercyhurst College hockey players Kyle Just and Jordan Tibbett have been charged with sexual assault in a campus apartment on Nov. 14. Read more by clicking the link.