Complete Box Score
OMAHA, Nebraska - The Mercyhurst men's hockey team lost its season opener against #14 Nebraska-Omaha 5-1 on Friday night in front of more than 5,400 fans at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha. Mercyhurst will play Atlantic Hockey Association-rival Robert Morris in the consolation game of the Mutual of Omaha Stampede at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks jumped out to a 3-0 lead, before junior
Grant Blakey scored the lone goal for Mercyhurst at the 10:46 mark of the third period on the power play. The Mavericks would put an end to the Lakers' thoughts of a comeback with a pair of goals in the span of three-and-a-half minutes to close out the game.
Senior goaltender
Max Strang stopped 39 Nebraska-Omaha shots, as the hosts outshot the Lakers 44-18 for the game.
Despite outshooting Mercyhurst 18-6 in the opening 20 minutes, Nebraska-Omaha could muster just one goal in the first period on Strang, with Brock Montpetit scoring his first of two goals on the night at the 5:03 mark of the opening stanza.
The Mavericks would tack on two goals in the second period, with the eventual game-winner coming from Michael Young just 44 seconds into the frame. Josh Archibald made it 3-0 twelve minutes later, as the Mavericks outshot Mercyhurst 14-7.
Blakey got Mercyhurst on the board midway through the third on the power play, with a pair of freshmen,
Ryan Misiak and
Tyler Shiplo, adding assists for their first collegiate points. But, the Mavericks got goals from Johnnie Searfoss (14:01) and Montpetit (17:36) to close out the scoring.
Strang played all 60 minutes, making double-digit saves in all three periods, and 39 for the game. John Faulkner got the win for the Mavericks, stopping 17 of 18 Mercyhurst shots.
Each team tallied a power play marker, with Nebraska-Omaha going 1-for-2 and Mercyhurst going 1-of-3 with the man advantage.
Mercyhurst will play AHA-rival Robert Morris in the consolation game on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. The Colonials lost to Colgate 3-1 in the opening game of the Mutual of Omaha Stampede.
