Nov. 12, 2005

Box Score

Worcester, Mass. - Junior forwards Scott Champagne and Kyle Gourgon scored third period goals as Mercyhurst rallied to defeat Holy Cross 4-3 before nearly 1600 fans at the Hart Center Saturday night. The win propelled the Lakers into undisputed possession of first place in Atlantic Hockey with a 5-1-0 mark and avenged a 10-3 setback to the Crusaders Friday night.

As he did in the Michigan Tech series that began the season, freshman goaltender Tyler Small halted the Lakers' one-game skid by making 32 saves. Small made 41 saves at Michigan Tech in early October to get the Lakers a split in a season-opening pair of games against the Huskies.

After a disastrous first period Friday, one in which the Lakers allowed seven goals and trailed by six after twenty minutes, senior forward Mike Pochatek had the first period's lone score Saturday. Pochatek collected his third career goal in 57 games when he beat Friday's victorious netminder, Tony Quesada, with an even-strength marker at 5:45. The teams combined for 25 shots in the period, 13 by Holy Cross.

The Crusaders scored twice within a two-and-a-half-minute span early in the second to take a 2-1 advantage. Senior forward Tyler McGregor knotted the game with a power play goal at 5:42 and senior forward Pierre Napert-Frenette followed suit with an even strength marker at 7:56. Gourgon then tied the game again with his first of two goals, a power play tally, at 14:40 of the middle period.

Holy Cross took its final lead midway in the third when McGregor found the back of the net again, his fifth goal of the two games.

Just when it looked like the Lakers might drop both games, along came Champagne and Gourgon. Champagne got the equalizer just 25 seconds later and Gourgon scored what proved to be the game winner exactly four minutes after that, at 14:09. The Champagne goal not only extended his scoring streak to 27 games dating to last season, but also was his team-leading seventh of the season and set the table for Gourgon's heroics.

Holy Cross pulled Quesada in the final minute of regulation, but could not get the equalizer.

Mercyhurst outshot Holy Cross 42-35 and converted 1 of 5 power plays. The Crusaders cashed 1 of 4 man advantages. After a raucous game Friday night that saw the teams combine for 36 penalties and 88 penalty minutes, the Saturday finale featured only nine penalties, all minor infractions. Small remained perfect on the young season at 3-0-0 while Quesada lost for the first time in five decisions.

Mercyhurst (6-2-0 overall) will now await the arrival of second-place Sacred Heart next weekend. The Pioneers, 4-1-1 in conference play, will visit both Friday and Saturday nights for 7:00 contests.