What: Alabama-Huntsville (2-13-2) at Mercyhurst College (5-9-1)
When: Thursday and Friday, 7:05 p.m.
Where: Mercyhurst Ice Center
On the air: www.americaone.com (Internet video), www.wmce.com (Internet radio)
Players to watch
Mercyhurst – Sr. G Ryan Zapolski (5-6-0 record, 2.67 goals-against average, .922 save percentage, 1 shutout), Fr. F Daniel O’Donoghue (5-5-10), Sr. F Ryan Raven (6-3-9), Fr. F Taylor Holstrom (5-4-9), Sr. F Steve Cameron (4-5-9)
Alabama-Huntsville – So. F Keenan Desmet (5-7-12), Sr. D Matt Baxter (4-7-11), Jr. D Tom Durnie (2-9-11), Jr. F Jamie Easton (5-4-9), So. F Justin Cseter (2-7-9)
Fast facts
Mercyhurst – The Lakers enter the final weekend of the first half with losses in three straight games and five of their last six. … They are 0-2-1 in non-conference games (4-4 tie at nationally ranked Michigan Oct. 3 and 2-3 and 1-0 home losses to Western Michigan Nov. 15-16). … The Lakers trail UAH 2-4-3 in an all-time series that began with a 5-0 win on Nov. 13, 1992. These teams last met last Jan. 3 in the Shearton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup in Burlington, Vt. (UAH won 4-1). … The Lakers are 2-7-0 at home this season, including four straight losses. … Senior F Scott Pitt (3-4-7) needs one point to become the 13th player in the Lakers’ NCAA Division I era to reach the 100-point mark. … Cameron needs five points to reach 100. … Senior F Mike Gurtler scored his first goal of the season in Saturday’s loss to Rochester Institute of Technology. It was his sixth career short-handed goal. … Raven set a single-season career high by scoring his sixth goal of the season in Friday’s loss to RIT.
Alabama-Huntsville – The Chargers are the only NCAA Division I program playing without a conference affiliation. Their decade-long connection to College Hockey America ended when the men’s conference folded following the 2009-10 season. … The Chargers are winless in four straight games (0-3-1), including two one-goal losses to Robert Morris last weekend. They had an 11-game winless streak earlier this season. … They began the season with 10 straight games against schools from the CCHA (Bowling Green, Ferris State, Michigan State and Ohio State) and WCHA (Wisconsin).
Up next: at Ledyard Back Classic – at Dartmouth (Dec. 30, 7 p.m.), vs. Boston College/Colgate (Dec. 31, TBD)
– Victor Fernandes
