ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Mercyhurst College men's hockey team rallied from four goals down to tie the fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines, 4-4, in the season-opener for both teams Saturday evening at Yost Ice Arena. The Lakers, who unofficially won the game, 5-4, on a shootout goal by senior Jeff Terminesi, snap an eight-game losing streak in season-opening games and move to 0-0-1 for the first time in program history.

Senior Brandon Coccimiglio, sophomores Grant Blakey and Paul Chiasson, and freshman Taylor Holstrom all scored for the Lakers, while freshman Jordan Tibbett recorded the decision in goal with 22 saves and one goal allowed through 35 minutes. Junior Max Strang started the game and made 17 saves while allowing three goals.

Trailing 4-0 in the second period, the Lakers began to chip away at the Michigan lead when Holstrom connected on the end of a tic-tac-toe play set up by seniors Steven Cameron and Scott Pitt on the power play.

The score remained intact until the third period when the Laker offense silenced the announced crowd of 6,198 with three goals over a span of six minutes and 37 seconds.

Chiasson made it a two-goal game taking an outlet pass from freshman Nick Jones and sending it sailing over the shoulder of Michigan goaltender Shawn Hunwick with 5:22 showing on the clock. Blakey followed suit and buried the end of a play created by senior Mike Gurtler and junior Derek Elliott on a two-on-none opportunity at 9:25. Coccimiglio then evened the slate when he backhanded sophomore Phil Ginand's rebound into the net at 11:59.

Both teams skated through the remaining eight minutes of regulation and the five-minute overtime frame without a goal, forcing a shootout as mandated by the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). After a 1-1 score through the first three rounds, Mercyhurst overcame a miss in the fourth and buried the Wolverines on Terminesi's shot in the fifth.

For the game, Michigan outshot Mercyhurst 43-37 and went 1-for-5 on the power play. The Lakers finished 1-for-8 with the extra skater.

Mercyhurst returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 3, with an exhibition contest against Queen's at 7:05 p.m. at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

NOTES: Mercyhurst improves to 0-2-1 all-time against Michigan. Both teams met for the first time since the 2003-04 season, when Michigan prevailed 5-3. Their only other meeting came in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, a 4-3 come-from-behind victory for the Wolverines…Coaches Rick Gotkin and Red Berenson were both denied a milestone victory. Coach Gotkin is in pursuit of his 400th career win, while Berenson is looking for No. 700. Both stand at 399 and 699 wins, respectively.