Nov. 2, 2007

Stats

USAF Academy, Colo. - Mercyhurst won its first game of the season Friday with a 5-3 win over the Air Force before more than 1,600 fans at the Cadet Ice Arena. The Lakers improved to 1-5-1 overall and to 1-1-1 in Atlantic Hockey. The Falcons dropped to 3-2-0 and 1-2-0 respectively. Mercyhurst has now won three straight against Air Force and continued the visiting team's perfect record of 5-0 in the all-time series.

Mercyhurst got the lone score of the first period when freshman forward Steve Cameron scored his first collegiate goal, even strength, with just eleven seconds to play. Senior linemate Ryan Toomey helped. The lamplighter was Mercyhurst's first in the opening period this season. Both teams had 13 shots on the goal in the first twenty minutes.

The offenses came to life in the second period as the teams combined for three goals within a 1:18 span. The Lakers stretched their advantage to 2-0 at 6:27 when sophomore forward Derek Fisher collected his first career goal, even strength, with help from senior linemate Kerry Bowman. But the Falcons quickly tied the game on a pair of even strength goals of their own. Senior defenseman Frank Schiavone beat freshman Ryan Zapolski at 6:57 and freshman forward Blake Page followed suit at 7:45 to square the contest at 2-2. Later in the period, freshman center Scott Pitt and the Mercyhurst power play went to work. Pitt cashed his second and third goals of the season, at 14:13 and 19:12, to restore the two-goal advantage. Junior forward Matt Pierce and Cottreau assisted on each goal. The two teams divided 24 shots in the middle period.

Neither team could score for the first 18 minutes of the third before Air Force senior winger Matt Charbonneau sliced the lead to 4-3 with his first goal of the season at 18:20. Toomey silenced the partisan crowd when he scored shorthanded into an empty net at 19:38. Sophomore defenseman Kirk Medernach assisted for his first point of the season.

Fisher's first goal came in his 29th career game. Bowman's assist was his first since March 4, 2006, in a 4-2 win over Canisius at the Ice Center. He had two goals in 19 games last season. Cottreau extended his scoring streak to five games. All three of Pitt's goals this season have come with the man advantage. The Lakers had scored only seven goals in their first six games and no more than two in any one contest.

Freshman goalie Ryan Zapolski picked up his first collegiate win by turning aside 34 Air Force shots. Air Force outshot Mercyhurst 37-30, including a 12-5 margin in the final twenty minutes. The Lakers finished 2 of 5 on the power play while the Falcons were blanked in seven tries.

The win came against Air Force sophomore goalie Andrew Volkening, whose numbers through the first four games were the best in Atlantic Hockey and among the best in the nation. He came into the contest ranked first in the AHA in save percentage (.943) and goals against average (1.52). He was the only goalie in the league with a save percentage over .925 and a GAA below 2.00. Volkening ranked 11th in the nation in GAA and ninth in save percentage.

The two teams will conclude the weekend series tomorrow night at 9:35 eastern.