Box Score

Erie, Pa. – Junior Billy Colton registered three goals during a 5-1 victory Saturday, Oct. 24 at Gannon, as the Lakers clinched a PSAC tournament berth. Also, the win marked the 100th for head coach Keith Cammidge at the helm of the men's soccer team.

The Lakers improved to 13-4 on the season, 6-1 in PSAC West play. Mercyhurst is now first in divisional standings, three points ahead of Slippery Rock, which has a game in hand.

Cammidge has posted 100 wins as men's soccer coach at Mercyhurst, against 40 losses and 12 ties, for a .697 winning percentage. He also earned his 100th win as women's coach for the Lakers Sept. Sept. 8 at Clarion. He is the winningest coach in Mercyhurst soccer history.

Leading 2-0 after halftime, the Lakers battled the Golden Knights during the second half, as physical play picked up. Gannon sliced the deficit to 2-1 at 49:43, when Afrim Latifi converted a Sean Washek pass into his eighth goal of the season.

Several players suffered injuries during the second half, and Gannon's Tyler Hollingsworth was given a red card for injuring Ole Brandmeyer during the 73rd minute. Following the stoppage, Billy Colton laced a free kick around the wall and into the net for a 3-1 Laker lead and his second goal of the match.

Less than three minutes later, Austin Solomon gave Mercyhurst a three-goal advantage, as he found the ball following a turnover and sprinted in on GU keeper Steven Boehmer. With a Gannon defender tugging at his jersey, Solomon chipped a shot over Boehmer for his fifth goal of the season and a 4-1 edge on the scoresheet.

Following more chippy play and a save by Diego Gustin, the Lakers continued pushing forward offensively. Colton capped the scoring in the 90th minute, as he tracked down a long ball from Nicholas Thompson, breaking in alone and beating the keeper before depositing it into the vacant net at 89:38. His third goal of the match, and 11th on the season, provided the final score of 5-1.

For the match, the Golden Knights outshot the Lakers 18-15, while both teams posted nine shots on target.

Diego Gustin earned his 12th win of the season, making eight saves, while Boehmer stopped four Laker shots in the loss.

The Lakers staked a 2-0 lead during the first half before GU sliced the deficit in half. Gustin made a brilliant save in the first minutes, stopping Dan Howell. Colton followed with a close shot on goal, which was denied. Mercyhurst got on the board first, when Thompson scored on an indirect kick at 13:30. Arash Fahandezh touched the ball to Thompson, who struck a shot that found the bottom corner of the net for his 10th goal of the season.

Colton scored his first goal of the match at 33:20, as he ran alongside a ball that was played by Solomon into space. He beat his defender with a quick move before chipping a shot over the keeper for a 2-0 Laker lead, one which they took into the locker room.

Colton's hat trick was the second three-goal game of his career, with his first coming Oct. 12, 2007 against Findlay. He has posted 12 multiple-goal games during his career. He is fourth in program history with 89 career points.

Colton and Thompson have both reached the 10-goal mark this season. The last time two Lakers reached double-digits in goals was 2007, when Colton had 16 strikes, and Kurt Young tallied 11 times.

Solomon has posted three goals during the last two games, giving him five for the season. He is one of four Lakers with five goals this season.

Thompson has recorded seven assists this season, and Fahandezh has six helpers in 2009. Thompson has registered an assist in each of the last three games.

Mercyhurst will next play host to Slippery Rock Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. for a chance to clinch first place in the PSAC West. The Rock beat the Lakers 2-1 Sept. 22 at Slippery Rock.