Dec. 9, 2006

Stats

Erie, Pa. - Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) built a three-goal lead with four scores in the first period Saturday night, then had to hang on to subdue stubborn Mercyhurst 6-4. The Tigers, 5-2 winners Friday night in the series' opener, won their fifth straight game in sweeping the weekend series. RIT improved to 8-5-2 overall and to 8-2-1 in Atlantic Hockey. The Lakers dropped to 4-10-3 and 4-8-2 respectively.

The four-goal outburst came at the expense of senior Mike Ella, who made his first start in goal in 28 games. Ella hadn't started since suffering a 2-1 setback at Sacred Heart January 28, 2006. The Tigers scored four times on 13 first-period shots, getting successive power play goals that began with a 5-on-3 and adding solo scores in 5-on-5 and 4-on-4 situations.

The Lakers got early momentum with their own 5-on-3 advantage for 1:28, but failed top capitalize. The Tigers were presented with a :32 two-man advantage later in the period and got lamplighters from junior defenseman Brent Patry and junior winger Matt Smith. The Lakers got one back when senior Scott Champagne scored his 8th goal of the season at 13:29, but RIT countered with two more scores before the period ended. Junior Ricky Walton stretched the lead to 3-1 at 15:37 and sophomore Brennan Sarazin made it 4-1 with a 4-on-4 marker at 16:34.

Senior Jordan Wakefield made a relief appearance for the second night in a row at the start of the second period and, although he stopped 26 of 28 shots the rest of the way, the Lakers couldn't rebound from the early deficit. Juniors Ryan Toomey and Ben Cottreau sandwiched second period power play goals around one by Tigers' freshman Matt Crowell as the Lakers drew to within 5-3 after forty minutes. It was Toomey's 5th of the year and Cottreau's 10th.

Mercyhurst applied early third period pressure against RIT netminder Louis Menard, but had nothing to show for it. The Tigers cleared a puck from their goal crease in the first 30 seconds of the finale and dodged a goal seconds later when the net became dislodged. The Tigers scored their third power play goal of the game seven minutes later as Smith collected his second of the night. Mercyhurst junior winger Matt Warren concluded the scoring with his first of the season at 14:08. It was Warren's first goal since March 4 of last season in a 4-2 verdict over Canisius at the Ice Center.

RIT outshot the Lakers 41-27 and converted 3 of 7 power play chances. The Lakers finished 2 of 9.

Menard collected his fifth win of the seson in seven decisions while Wakefield, who allowed the Tigers' 5th and 6th goals of the game, absorbed the loss, his second in three verdicts.

Mercyhurst will step out of the conference for three road games the rest of December. The Lakers will travel to #3 Maine for a game on the 16th, then visit Denver on the 29th and 30th for contests against the #13 Pioneers and either Brown or UMass-Lowell. Mercyhurst will return to the Ice Center January 5 and 6 to host conference-rival Air Force,