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.

Junior defenseman Nick Jones was one of three Mercyhurst men’s players named to the Atlantic Hockey Association’s all-conference teams, which were announced Tuesday. Jones earned first-team honors for ranking fourth among all defensemen with 18 points. Sophomore forward Ryan Misiak was named to the second team for totaling 30 points, while sophomore forward Matthew Zay earned a spot on the third team after leading the Lakers with 34 points.

The Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team is headed back to the Atlantic Hockey Association quarterfinals.
Several Lakers made sure that happened.
Grant Blakey and Daniel O’Donoghue scored two goals apiece, while Max Strang made 36 saves, to lead the Lakers to a 5-2 win over Army in front of 912 fans Saturday night at Mercyhurst Ice Center and a two-game sweep of their first-round series. Sixth-seeded Mercyhurst (16-15-5) travels to No. 3 Holy Cross next weekend for a best-of-three series in a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals won by the Lakers in three games.
“I thought we played a little better as a team Friday night,” said Lakers coach Rick Gotkin, referring to his team’s 2-1 win against the Black Knights (7-22-5) in the series opener. “We had five or six guys that really stepped up and played well (Saturday).” Kyle Just had three assists for the Lakers, while Nick Jones and Zac Frischmon had two assists apiece. “We’re really happy that our season continues,” Gotkin said.
* News and notes: Mercyhurst and Holy Cross meet in Game 1 Friday, followed by Game 2 Saturday and, if necessary, Game 3 Sunday. All three games are scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. … Gotkin became the 26th college coach to reach 450 career wins. … Mercyhurst didn’t have any power-play chances Saturday.

- Victor Fernandes

Atlantic Hockey Association tournament
First round (best-of-3 series)
No. 6 Mercyhurst vs. No. 11 Army
Game 1 – Mercyhurst 3, Army 1
Game 2 - Mercyhurst 5, Army 2
Mercyhurst wins series 2-0

Quarterfinals
March 15-17 (best-of-3 series)
No. 8 Rochester Institute of Technology (15-16-5) at No. 1 Niagara (21-8-5), 7:05 p.m.
No. 6 Mercyhurst (16-15-5) at No. 3 Holy Cross (19-12-3), 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.
Note: All three games in each series start at the same time.

SUMMARY

Mercyhurst 5, Army 2
Army 0 1 1 — 2
Mercyhurst 1 1 3 — 5
1st Period — 1. Mercyhurst, Grant Blakey 9 (Zay, Bodo), 5:24. Penalties — Just (M) slashing, 1:06.
2nd Period — 2. Mercyhurst, Daniel O’Donoghue 11 (Just, Frischmon), 4:38. 3. Army, Willie Faust 5 (Pomarico, Zaremba), 13:39 (pp). Penalties — Just (M) holding the stick, 8:55; Roberts (A) hooking, 8:55; Gettinger (M) hooking, 12:42.
3rd Period — 4. Mercyhurst, Blakey 10 (Just, Jones), 8:56. 5. Army, Joe Kozlak 7 (Clark), 15:07. 6. Mercyhurst, O’Donoghue 12 (Frischmon, Just), 16:28. 7. Mercyhurst, Ryan Misiak 17 (Jones), 19:10 (en). Penalties — None.
Shots on goal — Army, 11-18-9—38; Mercyhurst, 15-9-15—39.
Goaltenders — Army, Rob Tadazak 3-13-4 (38 shots, 34 saves); Mercyhurst, Max Strang 12-9-3 (38 shots, 36 saves).
Power plays — Army (1-2), Mercyhurst (0-0).
Referees — Steve Marofsky, Ryan Sweeney. Linesmen — Aaron Wallace, Tori Carissimo.
Attendance — 912.

Three stars
* Grant Blakey, Mercyhurst (2 goals) ** Daniel O’Donoghue, Mercyhurst (2 goals) *** Kyle Just, Mercyhurst (3 assists)

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.

ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team recently held its annual postseason team banquet and head coach Rick Gotkin presented eight postseason team awards to members of the 2011-12 roster.

The Lakers 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.

Redshirt junior goaltender Max Strang was named the team’s Most Valuable Player, while freshman Daniel Bahntge was the only player to winning multiple awards, finishing as the team’s Top Forward and as the Freshman of the Year.

The Top Defenseman award was given to sophomore Nick Jones, while the Top Defensive Forward went to sophomore Daniel O’Donoghue. Sophomore Randy Cure was named the team’s Most Improved Player and freshman Edward DeWald was given the team’s Hustle Award. Freshman Grant Gettinger earned the final honor of the evening, picking up the team’s Scholar Athlete Award.

Most Valuable Player – Max Strang
Strang, who will be returning for a fifth season in 2012-13, posted remarkable numbers in his first year as the starting goaltender. The native of Gilbertsville, Pa. had started just seven games in three years entering the season, but finished the campaign with a 16-14-3 overall record with a 2.68 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. His numbers were even better in the conference, as he helped lead Mercyhurst to a tie for third place in the standings and a first round bye in the postseason. He went 12-6-3 against conference opponents and sported a 2.25 goals against average and a .939 save percentage.

In the quarterfinals against Holy Cross, Strang stopped 111-of-115 Crusader shots (.965) to lead the Lakers to the best-of-three series victory and to advance to the Atlantic Hockey semifinals for the first time in four years. In 14 of his 33 starts, he stopped at least 38 shots and in 17 of his starts, he allowed two goals or fewer.

Freshman Of The Year / Top Forward – Daniel Bahntge
A native of Westlake, Ohio, Bahntge led Mercyhurst in scoring as a freshman, recording 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points. He was named to the Atlantic Hockey Association’s All-Rookie Team, finishing third in points by a rookie in the conference behind Bentley’s Alex Grieve and Brett Switzer, who had 34 and 33 points respectively. Earlier in the season, Bahntge was named the conference’s Rookie of the Week on January 9 and was also the conference’s Rookie of the Month in November. He had his first collegiate hat trick against Sacred Heart on January 6 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center, and then scored both of the Lakers’ goals in last Friday’s game one victory over Holy Cross.

Top Defenseman – Nick Jones
Jones was the only non-freshman from Mercyhurst to be named to an All-Conference team, earning a Third Team nod as a defenseman. A native of Cranberry Township, Pa., Jones led all Laker defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points this season. His ten goals is 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 is the 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.

Top Defensive Forward – Daniel O’Donoghue
A native of Port Jefferson Station, New York, O’Donoghue earned the Top Defensive Forward award after posting eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points this season. O’Donoghue 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. The sophomore 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.

Most Improved Player – Randy Cure
Hailing from Bloomington, Minnesota, Cure worked his way into the lineup on a regular basis this past season after being in-and-out of the lineup as a freshman. Although he only posted one assist in 34 games this season, Cure played a valuable role on the Mercyhurst blueline and was also regularly on the team’s penalty killing unit. Primarily a defenseman this past season, Cure was also pressed into services as a third- or fourth-line winger when injuries or illnesses came about. His only point was an assist on the team’s final regular season game of the season against Canisius.

Hustle Award – Edward DeWald
A native of Southampton, Pa., DeWald always gave 100% whether in practice or when he cracked the Mercyhurst lineup. Appearing in 19 games as a freshman, the winger posted one assist on the season – a helper against Niagara University on December 10. Mercyhurst was one game over .500 (9-8-2) when DeWald was in the lineup this season.

Scholar Athlete Award – Grant Gettinger
A native of North Olmsted, Ohio, Gettinger was honored with the Scholar Athlete Award by posting the best numbers in the classroom during the season. Gettinger was also a mainstay on the Mercyhurst blueline in his rookie season, appearing in all but one game and finishing the season with three assists. He earned assists against Alaska, RIT, and Canisius this season and also finished the year as a +1.

- From Mercyhurst news release

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Sophomore defenseman Nick Jones, freshman forward Daniel Bahntge, and freshman defenseman Tyler Shiplo of the Mercyhurst men’s hockey team were honored with postseason honors by the Atlantic Hockey Association on Thursday night at the conference banquet in Rochester, N.Y.

Jones was named an All-Conference Third Team selection, while Bahntge and Shiplo earned All-Rookie Team accolades.

A native of Cranberry Township, Pa, Jones currently leads all Laker defensemen in scoring with 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points this season. His ten goals is 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 is the 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 ranks third among Atlantic Hockey defensemen with his 24 points this season, trailing only Air Force’s Tim Kirby (27) and Connecticut’s Alex Gerke (25). Kirby was named the conference’s Defenseman of the Year and Player of the Year on Thursday night.

Bahntge, a native of Westlake, Ohio, leads Mercyhurst in scoring this season with 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points. Earlier this season, the freshman was named the conference’s Rookie of the Week on January 9 and was also the conference’s Rookie of the Month in November. He had his first collegiate hat trick against Sacred Heart on January 6 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center, and then scored both of the Lakers’ goals in last Friday’s game one victory over Holy Cross.

He ranks third in the conference among freshmen in scoring with 31 points, trailing Bentley’s Alex Grieve (34) and Brett Switzer (33).

Shiplo, a native of Oakville, Ontario, ranks third on the team in points by a defenseman with four goals and 15 assists for 19 points. The freshman had a goal and an assist last weekend against Holy Cross and registered four two-point contests this season, including a pair of assists in a 5-4 win at nationally-ranked Cornell on October 29.

He ranks tenth among conference defensemen in scoring and tied for 12th among conference freshmen.

- From Mercyhurst news release

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.

Ashley Harper, a senior goaltender on the 2010-11 Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team, was named College Hockey America’s top scholar athlete, the conference announced Thursday.

She also joined 65 other student-athletes on the CHA All-Academic Team. She was joined by teammates Vicki Bendus, Stephanie Ciampa, Meghan Corbett, Lauren Jones, Melissa Lacroix, Kyleigh Palmer, Kelley Steadman and Pamela Zgoda.

The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team had six players named to the Atlantic Hockey Association’s All-Academic Team – Grant Blakey, Steve Cameron, Randy Cure, Patrick Goebel, Nick Jones and Max Strang.

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