|
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
Final
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|
Holy Cross
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
|
Mercyhurst
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
4
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Box Score
ERIE, Pa. – The Holy Cross men's hockey team was edged by Mercyhurst on Friday night. Two Crusaders tallied their first goals of the season, Matt Slick and Conner Jean. Seven different Crusaders tallied a point on the night. Holy Cross drops to 2-12-2, 2-8-1 AHA and Mercyhurst improves to 9-10-2, 7-5-1 AHA.
The teams skated to a scoreless first period, despite the Crusaders outshooting the Lakers, 15-8. Holy Cross had 4:52 of power play time in the first 20 minutes and posted 11 shots on the advantage. Erik Gordon claimed his 11th start of the season and stopped all eight shots he faced in the first.
The second period saw three power play goals and began with a quick man-advantage goal from Michael Laffin. Mercyhurst tallied two power play goals to take the lead, but Matt Slick walked into a loose puck for his first goal of the season to tie up the game, 2-2.
Holy Cross took its second lead of the game just over three minutes into the third period, with another career-first. Conner Jean scored his first collegiate goal to put the Crusaders ahead, 3-2. Nearly halfway through the period, the Lakers knotted the score up, 3-3, and on a nearly identical play finalized the game, 4-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
1-0 HC (2nd - 0:34): After working the puck around the blue line on the power play, Neil Robinson sent the puck down to Anthony Vincent in the corner. Vincent quickly gave the puck to Michael Laffin in the low slot, who sent a one-timer to the far post and in.
1-1 MU (2nd - 3:42): James Anderson took a one-timer in the slot as the Lakers rushed the puck on a power play.
2-1 MU (2nd - 7:29): Jospeh Duszak scored on a wrist shot from the center point, again on the power play.
2-2 HC (2nd – 15:30): Matt Slick put away his first career goal as he shot an uncontested puck at the top of the slot and fired it off the post and into the net through a screen. Jack Surowiec and Ryan Leibold picked up assists on the play.
3-2 HC (3rd – 3:15): Johnny Coughlin battled for a loose puck in the offensive zone corner. Coughlin passed up to the center point where Conner Jean was open and waiting. Jean wristed a shot towards the goal and bounced past Mercyhurst's Garret Metcalf.
3-3 MU (3rd – 9:29): Duszak deked around a Holy Cross skater and took a wrist shot through traffic to score.
4-3 MU (3rd – 14:10): In a nearly identical play Duszak completed his hat trick.
NOTES & NUMBERS:
- Erik Gordon recorded 17 saves in the game.
- Holy Cross outshot Mercyhurst, 38-21. It is the largest shooting margin that the Crusaders have held this season.
- Two Crusaders marked first-career goal.
- Seven Crusaders added a point in the game.
- Laffin's goal marked his second power play goal of the season, to now lead the team. Laffin has now tallied three goals in his last two games.
UP NEXT:
Holy Cross will complete the series with Mercyhurst on Jan. 5 at 7:00 p.m.
