Complete Game Notes

ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University men's hockey team opens the 2012-13 regular season on Saturday, October 13 with a conference game against Atlantic Hockey rival Niagara. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. from the Dwyer Arena in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Mercyhurst opened its 2012-13 season with a 3-1 exhibition victory over Wilfrid Laurier last Saturday. It was the first meeting between the two schools. Mercyhurst got a goal 19 seconds into the contest from senior captain Grant Blakey with the assists going to sophomore Chris Bodo and senior Paul Chiasson. The Lakers scored again midway through the second period cashing in on a 5-on-3 power play. Bodo was the beneficiary of some tick-tack-toe passing with the assists going to junior captains Daniel O'Donoghue and Nick Jones. Mercyhurst scored its final goal early in the third period on a redirection by O'Donoghue. Jones and sophomore Ryan Misiak had the assists. Senior goaltender Max Strang played the full game and stopped 21-of-22 Wilfrid Laurier shots on goal. O'Donoghue, Bodo, and Jones each had two points in the victory.

The Lakers return 23 of their 26 players from last year's team, including ten of the team's top 12 scorers from a year ago. Mercyhurst also returns all four goaltenders, including fifth-year senior Max Strang, who enjoyed a breakout campaign last season - his first season as the team's starting netminder. Included in the 23 returning players are three that earned postseason accolades from the conference after last season. Sophomore forward Daniel Bahntge, who led the Lakers in scoring as a freshman with 31 points, and sophomore defenseman Tyler Shiplo were named to the All-Rookie Team, while junior defenseman Nick Jones was selected to the AHA's Third Team. Jones, along with senior Grant Blakey and junior Daniel O'Donoghue, will serve as this year's captains.

Head coach Rick Gotkin begins his 25th season behind the bench of the Mercyhurst program and is the only coach in NCAA history to take the same program to the NCAA playoffs in all three divisions. He is 434-306-60 at Mercyhurst, just 16 wins shy of 450 for his career. He is the all-time winningest coach for any Mercyhurst program in school history. The coaching staff brought in five freshmen for the 2012-13 season - three defensemen and two forwards. Joining Mercyhurst this season will be defensemen Mychal Monteith (Toledo, Ohio/Texas Tornado, NAHL); Anthony Mastrodicasa (Woodbridge, Ontario/Vaughan Vipers, OJHL); and Justin Stevens (Brantford, Ontario/Pembroke Lumber Kings, CCHL). Newcomers up front include Alec Shields (Moon Township, Pa./Traverse City North Stars, NAHL) and Kyle Cook (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Springfield Jr. Blues, NAHL). 

Saturday's contest starts a string of 11 straight games on the road to begin the season. Mercyhurst will not return home until Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8 against American International. After Saturday's contest with Niagara, Mercyhurst will travel to last year's NCAA Division I runners-up, Ferris State, for a pair of games next Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20.