Feb. 17, 2006

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - Holy Cross got a pair of goals from senior forward Blair Bartlett and 36 saves from senior netminder Tony Quesda to turn back Mercyhurst 5-2 Friday night before a sell-out crowd of 1500 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The Atlantic Hockey first-place Crusaders improved to 21-7-1 overall and 17-5-1 and 35 points in the conference. The Lakers, who trailed HC by a point entering the weekend series, dropped to 18-11-0 and 16-7-0 respectively and are now three points behind.

Mercyhurst scored the first knockdown when sophomore center Ben Cottreau lit the lamp, shorthanded, just 1:56 into the contest and 32-seconds following an early Lakers' penalty. Cottreau's 14th of the year, and second shorthanded marker, was assisted by senior defenseman Conrad Martin. But Holy Cross got the equalizer on the same power play when senior winger Tyler McGregor beat Mercyhurst freshman Tyler Small, just 20 seconds later, and the Crusaders never trailed again.

McGregor's lamplighter was his team-leading 22nd of the year and 6th against Mercyhurst in this, the third meeting of the season between the two teams. McGregor had a combined five goals in a 10-3 Holy Cross win and a 4-3 Mercyhurst victory in a pair of games in Worcester, Mass. earlier in the season.

Bartlett scored his first goal eight minutes into the period to give Holy Cross a 2-1 lead after twenty minutes. Both teams fired nine shots in the opening twenty minutes.

Holy Cross took one of its seven minor penalties just three seconds into the middle stanza and the Lakers got even when senior forward Scott Reynolds knocked in a rebound just 46 seconds later. Reynolds' 11th of the year was aided by Cottreau and junior winger Scott Champagne. But the Crusaders scored the go-ahead goal on the very next shift when freshmam winger Kai Magnussen silenced a vocal crowd with his third tally of the year and second game-winner. As he did in the first period, Bartlett finished the scoring in the middle frame with second of the game and 10th of the year at 18:27. The Lakers owned a decisive 20-11 advantage in shots in the second period, but only one eluded Quesada.

Mercyhurst senior winger Dave Borrelli had a chance to narrow the lead early in the third, but missed the net on a breakaway and Holy Cross eventually put the game away when junior forward Sean Nappo scored at 14:39 for the final margin. The Lakers owned a 9-5 advantage in shots in the third and accumulated an overall margin of 38-25 for the game.

The Crusaders finished 1 of 4 with the man advantage and allowed a shorthanded marker. Mercyhurst cashed 1 of 6 power play opportunities.

Holy Cross has now won 2 of 3 regular season meetings with Mercyhurst and will leave Erie Saturday night in first place in Atlantic Hockey regardless of tomorrow's outcome. After Saturday's game, the Crusaders have home-and-home contests next weekend with third place Sacred Heart and a similar arrangement the following weekend with Bentley. Mercyhurst will host Army for a pair next weekend before concluding the regular season with home-and-home contests against Canisius.