Complete Game Notes

FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Mercyhurst University men's hockey team (0-2-1, 0-1-0 AHA) will be looking for its first victory of the season this weekend, as the Lakers take on the Pioneers of Sacred Heart University (0-4-1, 0-2-1 AHA) in a pair of conference matchups. Friday's contest will be held at the Northford Ice Pavilion, while Saturday's tilt will take place at Webster Bank Arena. Faceoffs are scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. respectively.

Friday's game was originally scheduled to take place at the Milford Ice Pavilion, but due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the game was moved to the Northford Ice Pavilion in Northford, Conn. Saturday's contest remains at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.

Mercyhurst has not played since October 19 and 20 when the Lakers lost and tied at Ferris State. The Lakers dropped a 7-3 decision in the first game of the series, then bounced back for a 3-3 overtime tie in game two. Mercyhurst swept Sacred Heart last season at the Mercyhurst Ice Center, outscoring the Pioneers 12-2 over a two-game series.

Sacred Heart is also looking for its first win of the season. The Pioneers are coming off a 6-3 home loss against the NCAA's newest Division I team, Penn State. Sacred Heart, who was predicted to finish last in the Atlantic Hockey preseason poll, is 12-58-10 since winning 21 games during the 2009-10 season.

Gates open to Friday's game at the Northford Ice Pavilion at 6:00 p.m. and to Saturday's game at Webster Bank Arena at 3:00 p.m. Tickets to Friday's game are $8 for adults, and $4 for youth (17 and under) and senior citizens. Tickets to Saturday's game are $10 for adults and $5 for youth (17 and under) and senior citzens, and also are good for admission to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers' AHL game against Hershey at 7:00 p.m.
 
THE SERIES
Sacred Heart leads the overall series with the Lakers 19-17-3. Mercyhurst narrowed the gap last season, sweeping the Pioneers at home by the scores of 9-1 and 3-1 on January 6 and 7, 2012. The nine goals scored was a season-high for Mercyhurst. In that game, the Lakers scored six goals in the second period including four goals during a five-minute major penalty. Freshman Daniel Bahntge recorded his first career hat trick in the 9-1 victory. In game two, the Lakers got late goals from Nick Jones and Daniel Bahntge to snap a 1-1 tie. Goaltender Max Strang stopped 39-of-40 Sacred Heart shots to complete the sweep. Mercyhurst has won three of the last four meetings between the two schools.

THE COACHES
Rick Gotkin is in his 25th season with Mercyhurst and has posted a career record of 434-308-61. He is the only coach in NCAA history to take the same program to the NCAA Division III, Division II, and Division I national tournament. Gotkin is also the all-time winningest coach for any Mercyhurst program in school history. He took over for Fred Lane, who coached Mercyhurst's inaugural season in 1987-88. 

C.J. Marottolo is in his fourth season with Sacred Heart and has posted a career mark of 33-71-14. Marottolo won the Bauer Hockey Coach of the Year in the Atlantic Hockey Association after guiding the Pioneers to a 21-13-4 record in his first season.

ABOUT MERCYHURST
Mercyhurst (0-2-1) was off this past weekend and have not played since a 7-3 loss and a 3-3 overtime tie at #16 Ferris State on October 19 and 20. The Bulldogs were last season's NCAA Division I national runners-up. On Friday, Mercyhurst trailed 2-1 entering the second period, but the Bulldogs scored five goals and outshot Mercyhurst 19-2 in the second period to break open the contest. Senior goaltender Max Strang suffered the loss, allowing seven goals on 34 shots in 40 minutes. Junior Jordan Tibbett stopped all 14 Ferris State shots in the third period. The Lakers got the first career shorthanded goal from junior Nick Jones in the first period and then got goals from junior Kyle Just and senior Charlie Carkin in the third period. It was just Carkin's fourth career goal in 95 career games. On Saturday, Mercyhurst jumped out in front 2-0 on power play goals by senior Paul Chiasson and sophomore Ryan Misiak in the first period. Senior Grant Blakey added a goal in the second period. The Lakers were 5:52 away from pulling off the upset, but the Bulldogs were able to send the game to overtime. The game went to a shootout, as mandated by the CCHA. Mercyhurst got a goal in the opening round of the shootout from sophomore Nardo Nagtzaam and then sophomore goaltender Jimmy Sarjeant stopped all three Bulldog shooters in the shootout, as the Lakers unofficially won the game. However, according to the records, the game goes in as a tie. Sarjeant, making just his second career start on Saturday, stopped 39-of-42 Ferris State shots. His only other start was a 4-3 victory at Alabama-Huntsville on December 31, 2011. Sophomore Ryan Misiak had an assist on Friday and a goal and an assist on Saturday and now has at least one point in all three games this season. He leads the team with two goals and two assists for four points. The shorthanded goal by Jones was the Lakers' first of the season. Mercyhurst did not record its first shorthanded goal until Daniel O'Donoghue notched a man-down goal against Sacred Heart in the Lakers' 21st game last season. Mercyhurst is now 0-5-1 lifetime against Ferris State as these were the first meetings against the Bulldogs since the 2006-07 season. Since earning Division I status for the 1999-2000 season, Mercyhurst is now 16-79-10 in games against teams not in its conference (.200 winning percentage). However, over the last 18 non-conference games, Mercyhurst is 5-10-3 (.361 winning percentage). Mercyhurst has five more non-conference games on the schedule this season - two at Rensselaer, two at Maine, and one at Clarkson. The Lakers are in the midst 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.

ABOUT SACRED HEART
Sacred Heart hosted the newest member of NCAA Division I College Hockey – the Penn State Nittany Lions – in their only action last week, losing 6-3 on Saturday night at the Milford Ice Pavilion.  Josh Phillips scored his first collegiate goal to give Sacred Heart an early lead. However, Penn State reeled off three unanswered goals to take the lead for good.  Brian Sheehan and Drew George also scored for the Pioneers. George leads the team with three goals, and has registered a point in 15 of his last 17 games, dating back to last year.  Eric Delong assisted on two Pioneer goals, and now has 91 points for his career. Since Marottolo led the Pioneers to a 21-win season back in 2009-10, the Pioneers have posted a 12-58-10 overall record (.213 winning percentage). Brian Sheehan leads Sacred Heart with two goals and four assists through the team's first five games of the season. George (three goals, two assists) and Delong (two goals, three assists) have five points apiece.