Complete Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Mercyhurst freshmen forwards Nardo Nagtzaam and Matthew Zay scored 33 seconds apart late in the first period and senior goalie Max Strang stopped 37 of 38 Army shots, as the Lakers edged the Black Knights 2-1 Friday night. Mercyhurst rebounded after a pair of disappointing non-conference losses at Wisconsin last weekend and improved to 7-7-1 overall and, more importantly, to 6-1-1 in Atlantic Hockey. Army dropped to 1-7-5 on the season and to 1-5-3 in the conference.

Nagtzaam cashed his fourth of the season, from freshman winger Chris Bodo, at 14:21 and Zay followed suit with his third of the year, from freshman forward Ryan Misiak and senior defenseman Kevin Noble, at 14:54. Army had an 11-8 advantage in shots in the period.

The two teams then played scoreless hockey for nearly 40 minutes before Army freshman foward Maurice Alvarez cut the Mercyhurst lead in half with his fourth of the season at 14:15 of the third. The Black Knights were able to pull junior goalie Ryan Leets in the game's final 90 seconds, but Strang denied everything that came his way.

Army outshot Mercyhurst 38-28 for the contest, including a 15-5 advantage in the third period. The Lakers finished 0-for-1 on the power play while Army failed on all three opportunities.

For Zay, it was his second game-winning goal of the season (the other came against Connecticut in a 2-0 win early last month at the Ice Center). Freshmen have now tallied five of the team's seven game-winners to date.

Strang improved his season record to 7-7-1 with a save percentage of .920 and a goals-against-average of 2.91. He has allowed 12 goals in eight conference games thus far, and sports a .962 save percentage against Atlantic Hockey opponents.

Friday's game was the first conference road tilt of the season for Mercyhurst and marked the fifth conference opponent that Strang has allowed one goal or fewer (4-0-1). 

Friday's win kept the Lakers in second place in the conference, two points in arrears of first place Air Force, but with two games in hand on the Falcons.

Mercyhurst and Army will conclude the weekend series Saturday night at 7:05.