Nov. 3, 2007

Stats

USAF Academy, Colo. - Air Force rallied with five third period goals, including three within a 2:15 span early in the period, to defeat Mercyhurst 6-2 Saturday night and gain a split of their weekend series. Air Force improved to 4-2-0 overall and to 2-2-0 in Atlantic Hockey while Mercyhurst dropped to 1-6-1 and 1-2-1 respectively. The Falcons' win marked the first success by the home team in the six games to date with the all-time series now knotted 3-3. The Lakers outscored the Falcons 5-3 Friday night for their first win of the season.

Mercyhurst entered the third period with a 2-1 lead that quickly dissipated as a trio of Air Force freshmen and the altitude combined to wear down the Lakers. Forward Matt Becker, playing his first collegiate game, got the Air Force even at 3:38 and wingers Blake Page (5:06) and Scott Kozlak (5:53) followed suit with their first collegiate goals to give the Falcons the lead for the first time in the series. Junior defenseman Greg Flynn padded the lead to 5-2 with a power play goal at 10:41 with his third of the year and senior forward Eric Ehn, a Hobey Baker candidate, finished Mercyhurst and the scoring with a power play marker, his first of the season, at 19:58. Air Force outshot Mercyhurst 15-4 in the decisive third period.

As it did Friday night, Mercyhurst scored the first two goals Saturday as junior forward Matt Pierce and sophomore defenseman Matt Fennell became the third and fourth different players to score their first goals of the season this weekend. Pierce fired one past sophomore Air Force netminder Andrew Volkening just 52 seconds into the game and Fennell banged home the Lakers' third power play goal of the series at 8:14. Junior Brett Robinson and sophomore Cody Collins helped on the first score while seniors Ben Cottreau and Ryan Toomey assisted on Fennell's goal. Falcons' sophomore forward Brett Nylander countered with his third of the year at 11:20, at the expense of Mercyhurst freshman Ryan Zapolski, to conclude first-period scoring. Air Force outshot Mercyhurst 15-6 in the first twenty minutes.

The teams played scoreless hockey in the middle period although the Falcons owned a 13-8 advantage in shots.

Air Force was called for six minor infractions and finished 2 of 11 on the power play. Mercyhurst was penalized 11 times for 22 minutes and was 1 for 5.

The Lakers will step out of the conference in a big way next weekend when they travel to East Lansing, Mich. for a pair of games against the defending national champions and No. 6-ranked Michigan State Spartans.