Four seniors from the Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team have signed ECHL contracts.

Forward Ryan Raven signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones on Thursday. He made his debut in a 3-1 win against Greenville on Saturday. Forward Scott Pitt has a point in three games with the Florida Everblades. Forward Mike Gurtler signed with the Bakersfield Condors on Saturday. Defenseman Jeff Terminesi signed with the Victoria Salmon Kings on Friday. He has no points in two games.

STORRS, Conn. – The Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team’s season ended in overtime again.

Tom Janosz scored 11 minutes, 41 seconds into overtime, handed the Lakers a 4-3 loss to Connecticut in Game 2 of their Atlantic Hockey Association series at Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum on Saturday night.

Janosz’s first goal of the season ended the Lakers’ season a year after a double-overtime goal eliminated the Lakers in Game 2 of a quarterfinal series against Canisius.

On this night, the Lakers (15-18-4) answered UConn’s three-goal second period, which broke open a scoreless tie, with three goals in a 6-minute span of the third period. Nate Jensen’s second goal of the season, scored on the power play sparked the comeback  6:09 into the period.

Scott Pitt moved the Lakers within a goal 18 seconds later. Then Mike Gurtler’s power-play goal completed the comeback with 7:49 left in regulation. Along the way, backup goaltender Max Strang stopped the first 11 shots he faced in relief of Erie native Ryan Zapolski.

Zapolski was pulled after allowing three goals in a 3-minute span late in the second. But Strang couldn’t stop Janosz on the game’s final shot. Mercyhurst outshot UConn 56-32 in the game. But Huskies goaltender Garrett Bartus made 53 saves.

Pitt had a goal and assist for the Lakers. Steve Bergin, Cole Schneider and Billy Latta each scored for the Huskies (15-17-4), which advance to the semifinals on Friday at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y.

- Victor Fernandes

Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament schedule

Quarterfinals (best-of-three series)

Game 2 – Saturday

No. 4 Connecticut 4, No. 5 Mercyhurst 3, OT (UConn wins series 2-0)

No. 6 Canisius 3, No. 3 Holy Cross 2, OT (Series tied 1-1)

No. 1 Rochester Institute of Technology 5, No. 8 American International 1 (RIT wins series 2-0)

No. 2 Air Force 4, No. 7 Sacred Heart 0 (Air Force wins series 2-0)

Note: Game 3 of each series, if necessary, is set for Sunday (same start times)

Game 3 – Sunday

Canisius (13-18-6) at Holy Cross (16-15-5), 7:05 p.m.

Semifinals – March 18

at Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, N.Y.

No. 1 RIT (18-10-8) vs. lowest remaining seed, 4:05 p.m.

No. 2 Air Force (18-11-6) vs. highest remaining seed, 60 minutes after completion of Game 1

Championship game – March 19

at Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, N.Y.

Semifinal winners, 7:05 p.m.

SUMMARY

Connecticut 4, Mercyhurst 3 (OT)

Mercyhurst  0  0  3  0  —  3

Connecticut  0  3  0  1  —  4

1^st Period — None. Penalties — Sims (C) boarding, :30; Pitt (M) interference, 13:58; Krispel (C) slashing, 19:02.

2^nd Period — 1. Connecticut, Steve Bergin 3 (Krispel, Ambrosie), 12:30. 2. Connecticut, Cole Schneider 12 (Ranallo), 13:39. 3. Connecticut, Billy Latta 11 (Cooper, Winter), 15:34. Penalties — Raven (M) roughing, 1:55; Schneider (C) cross checking, 6:32; Terminesi (M) roughing, 11:38; Harris (C) roughing, 11:38; Blakey (M) 5-min. major, 16:47; Ranallo (C) high sticking, 17:50; Cooper (C) high sticking, 18:54.

3^rd Period — 4. Mercyhurst, Nate Jensen 2 (Chiasson, Pitt), 6:09 (pp). 5. Mercyhurst, Scott Pitt 19 (Goebel, Holstrom), 6:27. 6. Mercyhurst, Mike Gurtler 10 (Blakey), 12:11. Penalties — Carkin (M) cross checking, 2:02; O’Donoghue (M) hitting after whistle, 2:02; Olson (C) hitting after whistle, 2:02; Janosz (C) holding, 6:01; Sapieha (C) tripping, 10:33.

Overtime — 7. Connecticut, Tom Janosz 1 (Ambrosie), 11:41. Penalties — None.

Shots on goal — Mercyhurst, 14-16-19-7—56; Connecticut, 9-11-4-8—32.

Goaltenders — Mercyhurst, Ryan Zapolski (20 shots, 17 saves), Max Strang 2-1-0 (12 shots, 11 saves); Connecticut, Garrett Bartus 14-14-4 (56 shots, 53 saves).

Power plays — Mercyhurst (2-6), Connecticut (0-4).

Referees — James Troup, Shayne Ferrier. Linesmen — Brendan Blanchard, Bryan Goodwin.

Attendance — 157.

Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament – quarterfinals (best-of-three)

What: No. 5 Mercyhurst College (15-16-4) at No. 4 Connecticut (13-17-4)

When: Friday through Sunday, 7:05 p.m.*

Where: Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum – Storrs, Conn.

On the air: www.uconnhuskies (Internet video, live stats)

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Sr. G Ryan Zapolski (13-13-3 record, 2.76 goals-against average, .923 save percentage, 2 shutouts), Sr. F Scott Pitt (18-21-39), So. F Paul Chiasson (17-19-36), Fr. F Taylor Holstrom (9-23-32), Sr. F Mike Gurtler (9-17-26)

Connecticut – Fr. F Cole Schneider (11-17-28), So. F Sean Ambrosie (10-17-27), Fr. F Billy Latta (10-14-24), Sr. F Andrew Olson (14-8-22), So. G Garrett Bartus (12-14-4, 3.46, .905)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers began the Atlantic Hockey Association playoffs with a 5-1 first-round win at Robert Morris last Saturday. … The Lakers split their only two meetings – a 3-1 loss and 9-4 win – at Connecticut Jan. 7-8. … With a series win, the Lakers would reach the conference’s Final Four at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y., for the third time in four seasons. … Pitt and Chiasson have six-game point streaks. … Gurtler needs seven points to become the 15^th player in the program’s NCAA Division I history to reach 100 career points and the third this season (Pitt and senior F Steve Cameron). … Cameron remains out with a potentially season-ending, lower-body injury.

Connecticut – The Huskies followed an eight-game winless streak, which began with the 9-4 loss to Mercyhurst Jan. 8, with six wins in their last eight games. … Bartus has earned 12 of the team’s 13 wins. … Schneider, the team’s leading scorer, is a native of Williamsville, N.Y., a Buffalo suburb.

* Sunday’s game (if necessary)

– Victor Fernandes

Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament schedule

Quarterfinals (best-of-three series)

Today-Sunday*

No. 8 American International (8-22-1) at No. 1 Rochester Institute of Technology (16-10-8), 7:05 p.m.

No. 7 Sacred Heart (6-23-6) at No. 2 Air Force (16-11-6), 9:05 p.m.

No. 6 Canisius (12-17-6) at No. 3 Holy Cross (15-14-5), 7:05 p.m.

No. 5 Mercyhurst (15-16-4) at No. 4 Connecticut (13-17-4), 7:05 p.m.

* Sunday games if necessary; start times apply to all three games

Semifinals – March 18

at Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, N.Y.

No. 1 – Quarterfinal winners, 4:05 p.m.

No. 2 – Quarterfinal winners, 60 minutes after completion of Game 1

Championship game – March 19

at Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, N.Y.

Semifinal winners, 7:05 p.m.

PITTSBURGH – Mercyhurst College remains alive in the Atlantic Hockey Association playoffs.

The Lakers advanced to next weekend’s quarterfinals with a 5-1 win against Robert Morris in front of 1,202 at RMU Island Sports Center on Saturday night. Scott Pitt led the way with two goals and an assist.

Taylor Holstrom (goal, assist), Derek Elliott (two assists) and Paul Chiasson (two assists) had two points apiece for the Lakers (15-16-4), the fifth seed in the conference’s West Scheduling Region.

Jesse Echternach and Mike Gurtler also scored goals and Erie native Ryan Zapolski made 30 saves for the Lakers, which handed the Colonials their only two losses on home ice this season.

Pitt’s two goals sparked the Lakers’ run to a 3-0 second-period lead. Trevor Lewis scored short-handed 1 minute, 59 seconds into the third to move the Colonials (18-12-5), the West’s fourth seed, within 3-1.

But Holstrom and Gurtler scored late in the game to seal the victory.

The Lakers will play at Connecticut (13-17-4), which had a first-round bye as the East’s No. 2 seed, in a best-of-three quarterfinal series starting with Game 1 on Friday. Game 2 is Saturday, followed by Game 3 (if necessary) on Sunday. All three games begin at 7:05 p.m.

The other quarterfinal series include American International at defending champion Rochester Institute of Technology, Sacred Heart at Air Force and Canisius at Holy Cross.

- Victor Fernandes

Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament

First round – Saturday

East Scheduling Region

No. 6 American International 6, No. 3 Army 3

No. 5 Sacred Heart 6, No. 4 Bentley 3

West Scheduling Region

No. 6 Canisius 6, No. 3 Niagara 3

No. 5 Mercyhurst 5, No. 4 Robert Morris 1

Quarterfinals (best-of-three series)

Friday-next Sunday

No. 8 American International (8-22-1) at No. 1 Rochester Institute of Technology (16-10-8), 7:05 p.m.

No. 7 Sacred Heart (6-23-6) at No. 2 Air Force (16-11-6), 9:05 p.m.

No. 6 Canisius (12-17-6) at No. 3 Holy Cross (15-14-5), 7:05 p.m.

No. 5 Mercyhurst (15-16-4) at No. 4 Connecticut (13-17-4), 7:05 p.m.

Note: Teams re-seeded based on overall regular-season standings; times apply to all three games.

SUMMARY

Mercyhurst 5, Robert Morris 1

Mercyhurst  1  2  2  —  5

Robert Morris  0  0  1  —  1

1^st Period — 1. Mercyhurst, Scott Pitt 17 (Holstrom), 7:02. Penalties — Brooks (R) hooking, 2:31; Pitt (M) slashing, 15:34.

2^nd Period — 2. Mercyhurst, Pitt 18 (Chiasson, Jensen), 8:36. 3. Mercyhurst, Jesse Echternach 2 (Elliott), 12:43. Penalties — Pitt (M) tripping, 3:06; Hervato (R) elbowing, 4:16; Jones (M) slashing, 5:32.

3^rd Period — 4. RMU, Trevor Lewis 10 (Urban), 1:59 (sh). 5. Mercyhurst, Taylor Holstrom 9 (Chiasson, Pitt), 16:35. 6. Mercyhurst, Mike Gurtler 9 (Elliott, Noble), 17:59 (en). Penalties — Kushneriuk (R) high sticking, :48; C. South (R) tripping, 7:09; Jones (M) hooking, 7:35.

Shots on goal — Mercyhurst, 6-15-13—34; RMU, 5-15-11—31.

Goaltenders — Mercyhurst, Ryan Zapolski 13-13-3 (31 shots, 30 saves); RMU, Brooks Ostergard 14-9-2 (28 shots, 24 saves), Eric Ferber (5 shots, 5 saves).

Power plays — Mercyhurst (0-4), RMU (0-4).

Referees — Jim Visconte, Chris Foote. Linesmen — Zach Roberts, Josh Deleman.

Attendance — 1,202.

Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament – first round

What: Mercyhurst College (14-16-4) at Robert Morris (18-11-5)

When: Saturday, 7:05 p.m.

Where: RMU Island Sports Center – Pittsburgh

On the air: www.americaone.com (Internet video), www.rmucolonials.com (Internet radio, live stats)

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Sr. G Ryan Zapolski (12-13-3 record, 2.82 goals-against average, .921 save percentage, 2 shutouts), Sr. F Scott Pitt (16-20-36), So. F Paul Chiasson (17-16-33), Fr. F Taylor Holstrom (8-22-30), Sr. F Mike Gurtler (8-17-25)

Robert Morris – Sr. F Nathan Longpre (14-28-42), Sr. D Denny Urban (8-31-39), Jr. G Brooks Ostergard (14-8-2, 2.67, .918), So. F Adam Brace (12-16-28), Jr. F Ron Cramer (9-12-21)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers, the No. 5 seed in the AHA’s six-team West scheduling region, start the conference playoffs on the road for the first time since 2006-07. They were swept by Canisius in a best-of-three quarterfinal series at Mercyhurst Ice Center last year. … The Lakers and Colonials split their three-game, regular-season series, with the teams splitting two games in Pittsburgh and tying 4-4 on Feb. 12 at MIC. Mercyhurst squandered a two-goal lead with two minutes left to settle for the tie. … The Lakers snapped a five-game winless streak with a 5-1 home win against Canisius in the regular-season finale last Saturday. … They enter the postseason with a 3-5-2 record in their last 10 games. … The Lakers will play without redshirt sophomore F Phil Ginand (season-ending, upper-body injury) and senior F Steve Cameron (potentially season-ending, lower-body injury). … Junior D Patrick Goebel (upper body) rejoined the lineup against Canisius after missing the previous two weekends. … Freshman D Nick Jones (upper body) will play tonight after missing last weekend’s games. … Gurtler needs seven points to become the 15^th player in the program’s NCAA Division I history to reach 100 career points.

Robert Morris – The Colonials were swept in a two-game series at Air Force last weekend to slip from the West’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye to the fourth seed. … They are an AHA-best 10-2-3 at home, including 9-1-3 at Island Sports Center. But the Lakers handed them that one loss (3-1 Nov. 19). … Longpre, Urban, senior F Chris Kushneriuk (7-13-20) and junior F Trevor Lewis (9-615) rank among the top 10 on the school’s scoring list. … Longpre has points in nine straight games and 19-of-21 outings.

– Victor Fernandes

Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament

First round – Today

East Scheduling Region

No. 6 American International (7-22-1) at No. 3 Army (11-19-4), 7:05 p.m.

No. 5 Sacred Heart (5-23-6) at No. 4 Bentley (10-17-6), 7:05 p.m.

West Scheduling Region

No. 6 Canisius (11-17-6) at No. 3 Niagara (18-12-4), 7:05 p.m.

No. 5 Mercyhurst (14-16-4) at No. 4 Robert Morris (18-11-5), 7:05 p.m.

Note: No. 1W Rochester Institute of Technology (16-10-8), No. 2W Air Force (16-11-6), No. 1 E Holy Cross (15-14-5) and No. 2E Connecticut (13-17-4) earned byes into the quarterfinals.

What: Mercyhurst College (13-15-4, 11-12-2 AHA) vs. Canisius (10-16-6, 9-11-5)

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

Where: Friday at Buffalo State Sports Arena; Saturday at Mercyhurst Ice Center

On the air: www.americaone.com (Internet video), WMCE (radio)*

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Sr. G Ryan Zapolski (11-12-3 record, 2.88 goals-against average, .919 save percentage, 2 shutouts), Sr. F Scott Pitt (15-18-33), So. F Paul Chiasson (16-14-31), Fr. F Taylor Holstrom (8-21-29), Sr. F Mike Gurtler (7-16-23)

Canisius – Sr. F Cory Conacher (19-13-32), Sr. F Vincent Scarsella (10-16-26), Fr. D Ben Danford (2-20-22), Sr. F Eric Rex (7-14-21), Jr. G Dan Morrison (7-13-4, 3.50, .903, 1 SO)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers, who are winless in their last four games (0-3-1), will clinch the fifth spot in the Atlantic Hockey Association’s West pod with a win in the regular season-ending series with the sixth-place Golden Griffins. … The Lakers will begin the playoffs on the road against the West pod’s third or fourth seed. … Redshirt sophomore F Phil Ginand (upper-body injury) is out for the season. … Senior F Steve Cameron (lower body) could miss the rest of the season. … Freshman F Nick Jones (upper body) will miss this weekend’s games. But coach Rick Gotkin hopes he will be cleared to play for the playoffs. … Junior D Patrick Goebel (upper body) rejoins the lineup after missing the past two weekends. …The school will honor seniors Cameron, Gurtler, Pitt, Zapolski, Jeff Terminesi, Ryan Raven and Jesse Echternach before Saturday’s game. … The Lakers lost 5-2 to Canisius in October, but they lead the all-time series 34-22-9. … Gurtler needs nine points to become the 15^th player in the program’s NCAA Division I history to reach 100 career points and the third this season (Pitt and Cameron). Gurtler also needs two short-handed goals to equal the program’s Division I career record of 10 set by Louis Goulet (1998-2002), now an assistant coach with the women’s team. … Zapolski, an Erie native, has 46 career wins, four shy of being the Lakers’ first goaltender to reach 50 since Peter Aubry in 2002. … The Lakers are tied for ninth nationally in scoring offense (3.53 goals per game), one spot ahead of Air Force (3.56).

Canisius – The Golden Griffins snapped a three-game losing streak (all by shutout) with a 6-3 win at Niagara on Saturday. … They were shut out in three straight games for the first time in the program’s 31-year history. … Conacher is the Division I program’s all-time leading scorer (132 points). … Danford has set a new program record for points by a rookie defenseman. … Fairview native Rex’s 21 points are eight more than his first three seasons combined. … The Golden Griffins have won four straight against the Lakers and five in a row at MIC.

Up next: at Atlantic Hockey Association tournament – first round (TBA)

* Radio broadcast – home game only

– Victor Fernandes

What: Air Force (12-11-6, 10-7-6 AHA) at Mercyhurst College (13-13-4, 11-10-2)

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

Where: Mercyhurst Ice Center

On the air: Image Sports Network (TV), www.americaone.com (Internet video)*

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Sr. G Ryan Zapolski (10-10-3 record, 2.70 goals-against average, .924 save percentage, 2 shutouts), Sr. F Scott Pitt (14-17-31), So. F Paul Chiasson (14-13-27), Fr. F Taylor Holstrom (8-17-25), Sr. F Ryan Raven (8-13-21)

Air Force – Sr. F Jacques Lamoureux (15-17-32), Sr. F Derrick Burnett (7-20-27), Jr. D Scott Mathis (7-16-23), So. F Kyle De Laurell (8-14-22), Fr. G Jason Torf (9-8-4, 3.02, .905)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers are sixth in the Atlantic Hockey Association. They trail the fifth-place Falcons by two points and are five points out of second with four games left. … The Lakers won 6-2 at Air Force Nov. 5 to extend their unbeaten streak in the series to three straight games (2-0-1). … They are 6-2-2 in the last eight meetings with the Falcons to even the series at 13-13-4. … They are unbeaten in six straight home games (5-0-1). … Redshirt sophomore forward Phil Ginand (upper-body injury) senior forward Steve Cameron (lower body) could miss extended time, coach Rick Gotkin said. … Junior D Patrick Goebel (upper body) will miss his second straight weekend. … Senior F Mike Gurtler (6-15-21) needs nine points to become the 15^th player in the program’s NCAA Division I history to reach 100 career points and the third this season (Pitt and Cameron). Gurtler also needs two short-handed goals to equal the program’s Division I career record of 10 set by Louis Goulet (1998-2002), now an assistant coach with the women’s team. … Pitt has points in eight of his last 10 games. … Zapolski, an Erie native, has 46 career wins, four shy of being the Lakers’ first goaltender to reach 50 since Peter Aubry in 2002. … Chiasson and Holstrom had nine-game point streaks snapped last Friday night at Robert Morris. … Ticket revenue from both games, as well as donations placed in donation boxes at the rink, will benefit the Kimball Family Foundation as part of the school’s Pink Zone week. Fundraisers also will be held at the basketball teams’ doubleheader Saturday. … The Lakers rank 10^th nationally in scoring offense (3.53 goals per game), one spot ahead of Air Force (3.52).

Air Force – The Falcons’ last nine games have been decided by a goal or finished in a tie (3-3-3). Nine of their 12 wins have been by a goal. … They haven’t won consecutive games since a three-game streak in December. … The Falcons are second nationally on the power play (24.7 percent). … They rank near the bottom nationally in scoring defense (3.24 goals per game). … Lamoureux needs one goal to set a new career record for goals in AHA games. He’s tied with Army’s Owen Meyer (55 from 2006-10). His twin sisters, Monique and Jocelyne, won silver with Team USA at the Vancouver Olympics.

Up next: at Canisius (Feb. 25, 7:05 p.m.), vs. Canisius (Feb. 26, 7:05 p.m.)

* TV broadcast tonight only

– Victor Fernandes

The Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team allowed a valuable point to slip away Saturday night.

The Lakers squandered a two-goal lead in the final two minutes of regulation before settling for a 4-4 Atlantic Hockey Association tie with Robert Morris at Mercyhurst Ice Center.

RMU (17-9-5, 12-7-5 AHA) erased that 4-2 deficit by scoring twice in a span of 57 seconds with goaltender Brooks Ostergard pulled for an extra attacker. Trevor Lewis scored off a rebound of Denny Urban’s shot to pull the Colonials within 4-3 with 1:58 left. Then with 1:01 left, Urban and Adam Brace assisted on Lewis’ tying goal. The teams failed to score in the five-minute overtime.

The Lakers (13-13-4, 11-10-1) and Colonials exchanged goals in the opening two minutes. RMU’s Furman South scored off a rebound a minute after Mercyhurst’s Phil Ginand scored on assists from Ryan Raven and Nate Jensen.

But a key sequence late in the period allowed the Lakers to take a two-goal lead into the second period.

Senior captain Scott Pitt scored his 13^th goal of the season to snap the tie with 2:40 left. As teammates celebrated the goal, sophomore forward Paul Chiasson scuffled with a fallen RMU player in front of the Colonials’ net. Ostergard intervened, sparking a multi-player altercation.

Chiasson received a 10-minute misconduct. Yet the Lakers received a power play because of Ostergard’s two-minute roughing penalty. Thirty-eight seconds later, junior forward Derek Elliott scored with the man advantage, with assists from Mike Gurtler and Jeff  Terminesi, to hand the Lakers a 3-1 lead.

The Colonials capitalized on a power play late in the second, as Colin South deflected Urban’s point shot past Lakers goaltender Ryan Zapolski, an Erie native, to slice RMU’s deficit to 3-2 at the 15:36 mark.

But 38 seconds later, the Lakers responded on Pitt’s second goal of the game for a 4-2 lead.

Yet RMU overcame a disallowed goal with 2:13 left in the third, which would have moved the Colonials within a goal, to cap a dominant final period with their pair of stunning goals. They outshot the Lakers 15-6 in the period. Mercyhurst finished with a 40-37 advantage overall.

- Victor Fernandes

SUMMARY

Mercyhurst 4, Robert Morris 4

Robert Morris  1  1  2  0  —  4

Mercyhurst  3  1  0  0  —  4

1^st Period — 1. Mercyhurst, Phil Ginand 12 (Raven, Jensen), :35. 2. RMU, Furman South 6 (Blandina, Chiavetta), 1:36. 3. Mercyhurst, Scott Pitt 13 (Terminesi, Holstrom), 17:20. 4. Mercyhurst, Derek Elliott 4 (Gurtler, Terminesi), 17:58 (pp). Penalties — Blandina (R) checking from behind, 5:26; Ostergard (R) roughing (served by C. South), 17:20; Chiasson (M) 10-min. misconduct, 17:20.

2^nd Period — 5. RMU, Colin South 5 (Urban, Longpre), 15:36 (pp). 6. Mercyhurst, Pitt 14 (Holstrom, Chiasson), 16:02. Penalties — Noble (M) tripping, 4:41; RMU, too many men (served by C. South), 6:43; Hervato (R) high sticking, 9:25; Cramer (R) cross checking, 12:06; Elliott (M) boarding, 14:33; Noble (M) slashing, 18:18.

3^rd Period — 7. RMU, Trevor Lewis 8 (Urban, Brace), 18:02. 8. RMU, Lewis 9 (Urban, Brace), 18:59. Penalties — Hervato (R) boarding, 9:30.

Overtime — None. Penalties — Cramer (R) goaltender interference, 3:26; Ginand (M) slashing, 3:26.

Shots on goal — RMU, 11-9-15-2—37; Mercyhurst, 18-12-6-4—40.

Goaltenders — RMU, Brooks Ostergard 13-6-2 (40 shots, 36 saves); Mercyhurst, Ryan Zapolski 11-10-3 (37 shots, 33 saves).

Power plays — RMU (1-3), Mercyhurst (1-6).

Attendance — 793.

PITTSBURGH – The Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team erased two one-goal deficits Friday night. However, the third time wasn’t the charm for the Lakers.

Chris Kushneriuk’s go-ahead goal midway through the second period was enough for Robert Morris to hand the Lakers a 3-2 Atlantic Hockey Association loss in front of 962 at RMU Island Sports Center.

Kushneriuk’s seventh goal of the season snapped a 2-2 tie with 8 minutes, 21 seconds left in the second.

Then goaltender Brooks Ostergard and the Colonials (17-9-4, 12-7-4) held off the one of NCAA Division I’s highest-scoring offenses the rest of the way. Mercyhurst (13-13-3, 11-10-1) entered the game scoring 3.57 goals per game. But they managed only Mike Gurtler’s two goals on this night.

Gurtler tied the score at 1 with 3:23 left in the first period. But RMU regained the lead at 2-1 on Adam Brace’s goal with 58 seconds left in the period. Gurtler tied the score at 2 with a short-handed goal 1:33 into the second. But Kushneriuk followed with the decisive goal 10 minutes later.

Erie native Ryan Zapolski made 27 saves in a losing effort for the Lakers, which complete the two-game weekend series against the Colonials today at 7:05 p.m. at Mercyhurst Ice Center.

SUMMARY

Robert Morris 3, Mercyhurst 2

Mercyhurst  1  1  0  —  2

Robert Morris  2  1  0  —  3

1^st Period — 1. RMU, Trevor Lewis 7 (Crichton, South), 1:04. 2. Mercyhurst, Mike Gurtler 5 (Blakey, Noble), 16:37. 3. RMU, Adam Brace 11 (Meadows, Jones), 19:02. Penalties — Gallen (M) tripping, 8:16.

2^nd Period — 4. Mercyhurst, Gurtler 6 (Blakey, Jensen), 1:33 (sh). 5. RMU, Chris Kushneriuk 7 (Kobialko, Hervato), 11:39. Penalties — Raven (M) hooking, :14; Urban (R) Carkin (M) hooking, 11:21.

3^rd Period — None. Penalties — Raven (M) 10-min. misconduct, 11:39.

Shots on goal — Mercyhurst, 7-10-12—29; Robert Morris, 12-9-9—30.

Goaltenders — Mercyhurst, Ryan Zapolski 11-10-2 (30 shots, 27 saves); RMU, Brooks Ostergard 13-6-1 (29 shots, 27 saves).

Power plays — Mercyhurst (0-1), Robert Morris (0-2).

Referees — Chris Baker, Ryan Sweeney. Linesmen — Jeff Pickering, Steve Waters.

Attendance — 962.

What: Mercyhurst College (13-12-3, 11-9-1 AHA) vs. Robert Morris (16-9-4, 11-7-4)

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

Where: Friday at RMU Island Sports Center, Pittsburgh; Saturday at Mercyhurst Ice Center

On the air: www.americaone.com (Internet video), www.rmucolonials.com (Internet radio)*

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Sr. G Ryan Zapolski (10-9-2 record, 2.52 goals-against average, .928 save percentage, 2 shutouts), Sr. F Scott Pitt (11-16-27), So. F Paul Chiasson (14-9-23), Sr. F Steve Cameron (7-14-21), Fr. F Taylor Holstrom (8-14-22)

Robert Morris – Sr. F Nathan Longpre (14-25-39), Sr. F Denny Urban (8-28-36), So. F Adam Brace (10-14-24), Jr. G Brooks Ostergard (12-6-1, 2.53, .918), Sr. F Chris Kushneriuk (6-12-18)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers have a winning record for the first time this season. … They are tied for fifth with Holy Cross in the Atlantic Hockey Association, one point behind fourth-place Air Force, two behind No. 3 Niagara and three behind the runner-up Colonials. … The Lakers have earned points in seven of their last eight games (6-2-1). … They are 2-0-1 against the Colonials this season, including a 3-1 road win Nov. 19 when RMU was ranked 20^th in the USCHO.com Division I poll. … The Lakers have won five straight at home after opening the season with a 2-7 mark. … They have moved into the top 10 nationally in scoring offense (3.57 goals per game). … Their power play has moved into the top 25 at 14.5 percent after being near the bottom of the 58-team list earlier this season. The Lakers had five power-play goals against Niagara, including four in last Friday’s win. … Zapolski, an Erie native, made 43 saves apiece and recorded a shutout in last weekend’s two-game sweep of Niagara. He has 46 career wins, four shy of being the program’s first goaltender to reach 50 since Peter Aubry in 2002. … D Patrick Goebel (upper-body injury) isn’t expected to play this weekend. … Chiasson and Holstrom have nine-game point streaks. … Holstrom is tied for ninth nationally in rookie scoring. … Senior F Mike Gurtler (4-13-17) needs 12 points to become the 15^th player in the program’s Division I history to reach 100 career points and the third this season (Pitt and Cameron).

Robert Morris – The Colonials received two votes in the latest USCHO.com poll. … They are 4-5-2 in the second half. … Longpre is tied for seventh nationally in scoring and tied for fifth in game-winning goals. … Urban is second in scoring by defensemen and tied for fourth overall in assists.

Up next: vs. Air Force (Feb. 18-19, 7:05 p.m.)

* Internet radio broadcast – tonight only

– Victor Fernandes