WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross men's ice hockey team defeated Mercyhurst, 7-3, Friday night at the Hart Center Rink.
 
Holy Cross improves to 19-11-2 (18-4-2 AHA) on the season with the win, while Mercyhurst moves to 4-24-4 (4-17-3 AHA) with the loss.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Junior Mack Oliphant got the Crusaders on the board twenty seconds into the contest, picking up a pass from senior Liam McLinskey at the faceoff dot before sending a wrist shot over the shoulder of the Lakers' netminder.
• Mercyhurst tied the game at 1-1 thirty seconds later, though McLinskey would pull the Crusaders back on top two minutes later when he cleaned up a rebound off a shot by freshman Matt Kursonis.
• Mercyhurst scored again with 15:19 to play in the opening frame to knot the score at 2-2 heading into the first intermission
• The second period came and went without a score, though not for lack of trying. The Crusaders outshot Mercyhurst, 17-3, and dominated at the dot, 21-3.
• Junior Matt DeBoer started the scoring party in the third, picking up a loose puck in front of the net with 9:37 remaining, sending it past the Lakers' netminder to put the Crusaders up 3-2.
• Mercyhurst responded just over a minute later, but junior Jack Stockfish was able to regain the lead with 6:58 remaining, scoring what would hold as the game winner.
• Junior Michael Abgrall banked in a deflected puck a shot by senior Nic Petruolo to give the Crusaders' the two-goal lead with 4:45 to play in regulation.
• Holy Cross tacked on two empty net goals in the final three minutes of the game at the hands of McLinskey and sophomore Will Elias to solidify the 7-3 win.

 
BEYOND THE BOX:

• Senior Thomas Gale recorded 15 saves in the contest.
• Kursonis and Stockfish tied for the game-lead in faceoff wins with 15 each. Holy Cross finished with 49 faceoff wins to Mercyhurst's 26.
• Holy Cross held Mercyhurst to 0-for-7 on the power play over the weekend, with just three shots in those opportunities.

 
UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross will continue its homestand when they welcome Bentley to the Hart Center Rink on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.

 
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