Box Score

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. - Three players tallied a goal and an assist and sophomore goaltender Jimmy Sarjeant stopped 39 shots on goal as the Mercyhurst University men's hockey team played to a 3-3 overtime tie against #16 Ferris State on Saturday night at the Ewigleben Ice Arena. The Lakers, who unofficially won the game in a shootout on a goal by sophomore Nardo Nagtzaam, moved to 0-2-1 on the young season. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs moved to 1-1-2 on the year.

Sarjeant made just his second collegiate start on Saturday night and turned aside a career-high 39 shots in 42 attempts by the Bulldgogs. His only other start came on December 31, 2011 when he led the Lakers to a 4-3 victory at Alabama-Huntsville.

Seniors Grant Blakey and Paul Chiasson, along with sophomore Ryan Misiak each had a goal and an assist in the contest. Misiak continued his fine start to the season and now leads the team in scoring with two goals and two assists through the first three games.

Misiak, in fact, got the Lakers on the board first with his second goal of the season at the 9:36 mark of the opening period. Chiasson and Blakey had the assists on Mercyhurst's first power play goal of the year. It also marked the first time this season that the Lakers played with a lead.

Just 1:45 later, Chiasson found the back of the net behind Ferris State goaltender CJ Motte, giving the Lakers a 2-0 advantage. Chiasson's goal also came on the power play, as Mercyhurst finished the night 2-for-8 with the man advantage. Misiak and fellow sophomore Daniel Bahntge had the assists.

Ferris State would come back, solving Sarjeant at the 14:28 mark of the opening period on a goal by Eric Alexander, who was later given a five-minute major for contact to the head and a corresponding game misconduct. Justin Buzzeo and Nate Milam had the helpers.

The Bulldogs outshot Mercyhurst 13-6 in the opening twenty minutes.

Ferris State would waste little time at the outset of the second period to knot the game at 2-2. Andy Huff notched a power play goal just 48 seconds into the middle stanza for his third goal of the weekend and of the season. Cory Kane had the assist.

But, Mercyhurst came right back. Blakey responded 65 seconds later, at the 1:53 mark, to recapature the one-goal lead with an even-strength goal. Sophomore defenseman Grant Gettinger had the lone assist on the goal.

Ferris State again outshot Mercyhurst, this time by a 16-10 margin in the second period.

Mercyhurst would cling to the one-goal advantage until the Bulldogs tied the game at 3-3 with 5:52 left in regulation. Justin DeMartino was credited with the tying goal with the assists going to Travis White and to Huff.

Neither team would score throughout the remainder of regulation and through the overtime period, during which the Lakers outshot Ferris State 3-0. The game went to a shootout as mandated by the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). Nagtzaam was the first player in the shootout and he beat Motte to give the Lakers the advantage. Sarjeant stood tall, stopping all three shootout attempts, including a glove save on Simon Denis in the final round to secure the shootout win. The game, however, goes in the records as a tie.

Ferris State outshot the Lakers 42-25 for the game. Sarjeant was brilliant, stopping 39 shots to move to 0-0-1 on the season and 1-0-1 in his career. Motte stopped 22-of-25 Laker shots to move to 1-1-2 on the young season.

The Lakers will have next weekend off and then will jump back into conference play against the Pioneers of Sacred Heart on Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3. Mercyhurst swept a two-game series with the Pioneers last season at the Ice Center. Faceoff for Friday's game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. while Saturday's tilt is slated for 4:05 p.m. from the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut.