Complete Box Score

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - Junior Paul Chiasson's goal at the 2:19 mark of the second period proved to be the difference, as sophomore goaltender Jordan Tibbett stopped 17 Niagara shots in the third period to help the Mercyhurst men's hockey team defeat the Purple Eagles of Niagara 3-2 on Saturday night to earn a weekend split. With the win, the Lakers snapped a four-game winless streak and moved back into second place in the Atlantic Hockey standings, one point behind Air Force, who defeated RIT 4-2 on Saturday night. Mercyhurst is now 15-11-4 overall and 12-5-4 in conference play. Niagara's seven-game win streak came to an end as their record fell to 12-9-7 overall and 11-5-5 in conference play.

Tibbett got the Saturday night start in goal after a lackluster performance by the Lakers on Friday night, when Mercyhurst lost 6-1 on home ice. The Indianapolis, Indiana native, making his third start of the season, held the Purple Eagles in check for much of the night. He stopped 33-of-35 Purple Eagle shots and improved to 2-0-1 on the season. In similar fashion, last weekend at RIT, Tibbett got the start after a 5-1 setback the night before, and helped the Lakers play to a 2-2 tie with the Tigers by stopping 37-of-39 RIT shots.

It was Niagara, however, who drew first blood on Saturday night. With sophomore Daniel O'Donoghue in the Mercyhurst penalty box, Niagara's Chris Lochner scored his ninth goal of the season at the 13:15 mark, giving the home team a 1-0 advantage. Patrick Divjak and Ryan Murphy had the assists on the goal that came just 35 seconds into O'Donoghue's infraction.

O'Donoghue would make amends, knocking home his sixth goal of the season with just 54 seconds left in the opening period, tying the game at 1-1. Sophomore Nick Jones and freshman Matthew Zay had the assists.

Mercyhurst, who was outshot 43-28 at the Ice Center the night before, held a 14-9 shot advantage after the opening period on Saturday night.

The Lakers then jumped on Niagara goaltender Chris Noonan early in the second. Mercyhurst would score two goals in a 26-second span to take a 3-1 lead. Freshman Ryan Misiak scored his fourth goal of the year at the 1:53 mark, giving the Lakers their first lead of the weekend. Chiasson and freshman Tyler Shiplo had the assists.

Chiasson then buried his team-leading 11th goal of the season, unassisted, at the 2:19 mark, giving Mercyhurst its two-goal cushion. Chiasson's power play goal gives him six goals in Mercyhurst's 10 games during the 2012 portion of the regular season.

Niagara would cut the lead to 3-2 at the 10:50 mark of the second period, when Murphy beat Tibbett. Kevin Ryan and C.J. Chartrain had the assists. Mercyhurst held an 11-9 shot advantage in the second period.

Play would belong to Niagara in the third period, but the heroics belonged to Tibbett. The sophomore stopped all 17 Niagara shots in the third period, as the Lakers were outshot 17-7 during the last twenty minutes.

Tibbett stopped 33-of-35 to pick up his second win of the season. Since rejoining the Lakers, Tibbett has allowed eight goals in nearly 225 minutes (2.13 goals against average). He has stopped 127-of-135 shots since returning for a .941 save percentage. Noonan, meanwhile, suffered just his fourth loss of the season, stopping 29 Mercyhurst shots on the night.

The Lakers went 1-for-9 on the power play, while Niagara was 1-for-5 with the man advantage.

The dogfight down the stretch continues for the Lakers next weekend, as they play a home-and-home series with the Colonials of Robert Morris. The teams will square off at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Friday night, February 10, for a 7:05 p.m. start, and then will travel down I-79 to suburban Pittsburgh on Saturday night, also for a 7:05 p.m. faceoff.

Robert Morris has defeated the Lakers twice this season, both in one-goal games. The Colonials won 2-1 in the consolation game of the Nebraska-Omaha Tournament the opening weekend of the season, and then knocked off the Lakers 4-3 at the Ice Center back on November 11 in conference play.