ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team scored five-straight goals to overcome an early deficit and defeat American International, 5-3, Saturday evening at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The Lakers, who improve to 11-11-2 overall and 11-5-2 in Atlantic Hockey play, win the season series, 4-0, and extend their winning streak over the Yellowjackets to 11 games.
Senior
Chris Risi keyed the offense with two goals, marking his first multi-goal game since scoring twice against RIT Feb. 16, 2007, while senior
Neil Graham and junior
Scott Pitt each added two assists. Senior
Matt Fennell, sophomore
Derek Elliott and freshman
Paul Chiasson tallied a goal apiece.
Falling behind, 2-0, in the first period, Mercyhurst stormed back with five-straight goals over a 35:37 span. Risi got the Lakers going when linemate Graham sent a shot from the blueline into AIC territory. As goaltender Ben Meisner was about to meet the puck behind his cage, Risi came in and wrapped it around the net for a wide-open score at 14:32.
American International controlled play in the first period, outshooting the Lakers, 9-5, and exposing the Laker power-play unit with a short-handed goal. However, Mercyhurst would give the Yellowjackets a taste of their own medicine during a two-goal outing in the second.
After Fennell evened the slate with a power play goal at 11:04, Elliott provided Mercyhurst with the lead on the penalty kill. On another miscue by the goaltender, Elliott picked off a clearing attempt, spun around and shot the biscuit over a diving Meisner for the go-ahead score at 13:53. It was his fifth goal of the season and first short-handed.
Mercyhurst added two more in the third before AIC answered during a late run at the end. Chiasson made it a 4-2 game when he converted a tic-tac-toe play made possible by Pitt and junior
Brandon Coccimiglio at the 1:05 mark. Risi then gave the Lakers some insurance by knocking in a shot from Graham that bounced off the glass with 9:51 remaining. AIC’s Steve McLeod cut into the lead with a power-play goal at 13:53.
After the first period, the Lakers rebounded in the shot department, holding a 30-25 advantage for the game. They also converted 1-for-4 on the power play and held the Yellowjackets 1-for-5 on the man-advantage. Junior
Ryan Zapolski made 22 saves to move to 11-9-2 on the season and 6-0-0 against AIC.
Mercyhurst continues AHA play next weekend with a two-game series against Sacred Heart, beginning on Friday, Jan. 15, at 7:05 p.m. in Milford, Conn.