Nov. 24, 2006

Stats

Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst got a pair of power play goals from freshmen, an even strength marker from a junior, and 46 saves from a sophomore in outlasting Holy Cross 3-2 Friday night at the Ice Center. The Lakers, winless in nearly a month, improved to 3-7-2 overall and to 3-5-1 in Atlantic Hockey. Holy Cross dropped to 7-6-0 and 6-4-0 respectively.

Freshman defenseman Matt Fennell put the Lakers ahead with his second goal of the season, both on power plays, at 9:52 of the first. The Crusaders tied the game with a power play marker of their own nearly five minutes later when sophomore Dewey Thomson beat Small. Holy Cross outshot Mercyhurst 15-11 in the first period.

Mercyhurst took control of the game in the middle period when junior Ryan Toomey notched his second of the year about two minutes into the stanza and freshman winger Neil Graham scored what proved-to-be the game-winner with a power play goal at 8:25. The Lakers owned a 15-8 advantage in shots on target.

Mercyhurst had a rough third period, but Small came up big between the pipes. The Lakers were outshot 25-3 in the finale thanks, in part, to five successive minor infractions, the only penalties of the period. The Crusaders had two-man advantages twice, one for 41 seconds and the other for 1:53, but couldn't score. They did draw within one when team captain James Sixsmith registered his fifth of the season, an even strength lamplighter, with just over two minutes left in regulation. That goal allowed the Crusaders to empty their net with 69 seconds left and, although the puck was in the Lakers' zone most of the time, Holy Cross could not force overtime.

Small was brilliant throughout the game. He stopped Sixsmith on a breakaway with just under six minutes to play in the middle period and made several more outstanding stops to keep the Crusaders at bay.

The Crusaders owned a 48-29 advantage in shots, but scored only once on the power play in nine tries. The Lakers finished 2 of 6.

Freshman Ian Dams, who did not see action in two prior games at Holy Cross in October, made 26 stops as his record dropped to 5-4-0. Small improved to 3-6-2.

The Lakers have won two of three games against the Crusaders this season and now lead the all-time series 16-8-2. The teams conclude the weekend and ergular season series Saturday night at 7:00 at the Ice Center. Mercyhurst had been 0-4-2 in its last six games.