Nov. 11, 2005

Box Score

Worcester, Mass. - The Crusaders of Holy Cross dropped a seven-spot on Mercyhurst in the first period Friday night and went on from there to down the Lakers 10-3, ending Mercyhurst's five-game winning streak. While the Lakers dropped to 5-2-0 overall, the Crusaders improved to 5-1-0 with the victory and moved into a first-place tie with the Lakers in Atlantic Hockey with identical 4-1 marks.

Holy Cross led 7-1 after a period and 8-3 after two. Mercyhurst junior forward Scott Champagne extended his scoring streak to 26 games with a first period goal. Freshman Brett Robinson and senior Erik Johnson had the other Mercyhurst markers. Mercyhurst outshot Holy Cross 36-35. Junior goaltender Mike Ella started for the Lakers, allowed eight goals, and took the loss. Junior Jordan Wakefield played 99 seconds and allowed a pair of tallies.. The teams combined for 36 penalties and 88 penalty minutes in game. The Crusaders cashed five power play goals in 13 chances while the Lakers were blanked in 14 tries. Senior Tony Quesada picked up the win in goal for Holy Cross.

The ten goals by the Crusaders represented a one-game high against the Lakers in the all-time series as Holy Cross won for only the third time in 12 meetings with Mercyhurst at the Hart Center. The ten goals allowed were the most given up by Mercyhurst since a 10-2 setback at Colorado College in late November of 2002. The combined 13 goals were the most by the two teams since the Lakers roughed by the Crusaders by an identical 10-3 count March 11, 2000, in a MAAC Hockey League Quarterfinal game at the Ice Center.

The meeting was the first of a weekend pair between the two and the initial contest of four this season. Holy Cross won't visit Erie until mid-February. The last time the teams tangled, Mercyhurst escaped with a 4-3 overtime win at Quinnipiac last March in an Atlantic Hockey semifinal game.

The teams will wrap up the weekend series Saturday night at 7:00pm.