HAMILTON, N.Y. - The Mercyhurst University men's hockey team will face its stiffest test to date when it heads to Starr Rink on the campus of Colgate University for a pair of non-conference games against the fourth-ranked Raiders. Faceoffs are scheduled for 7:35 p.m. both nights.

The Lakers (2-2-0, 1-1-0 AHA) and the Raiders (5-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) have met six prior times in the all-time series with Colgate winning five of those six matchups. However, all six contests have been decided by three goals or less and the schools have not squared off since Colgate swept Mercyhurst by the finals of 3-1 and 3-2 on November 26 and 27, 2004 in Hamilton, New York.



Mercyhurst has opened the 2014-15 campaign with consecutive weekend splits. The Lakers took two points at Air Force to open the season, winning game two of the series against the Falcons by a 4-2 final. Then, after taking a weekend off, Mercyhurst entertained Hockey East-foe, Merrimack College last Friday and Saturday. The Lakers suffered a 5-4 overtime loss in game one of the series before bouncing back for a 3-2 victory last Saturday.

Colgate enters the weekend series having swept Northeastern and Sacred Heart after opening the season with a split against St. Cloud State.

LAST MEETINGS ...

November 26, 2004
at Colgate 3, Mercyhurst 1

David Wrigley gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead early in the second period at Starr Rink before the Raiders responded with three unanswered (the last one being an empty-netter) to win game one of a weekend series. Only a total of 38 shots on net were taken, with Colgate outshooting Mercyhurst 24-14. Andy Franck suffered the loss in goal for the Lakers stopping 21 of 23 shots he faced. Tyler Burton scored the game-winner for the Raiders, on the power play, with 4:29 left in the middle period.

November 27, 2004
at Colgate 3, Mercyhurst 2

Colgate jumped out to a 3-0 advantage after two periods before Scott Champagne scored a pair of goals at the 2:02 and 3:40 marks of the third period to cut the Raider lead to one. Mercyhurst was able to pull Andy Franck for an extra attacker with 57 seconds left in regulation but could not get the equalizer. Adam Mitchell was the game's first star after scoring a goal and adding two assists for the Raiders. Franck stopped 39-of-42 shots in the loss with Mercyhurst being outshot 42-22 for the contest.

LAST WEEKEND ...

Mercyhurst earned its second split in as many weekends to start the season after it went 1-1 against Hockey East foe, Merrimack College, at the Mercyhurst Ice Center last weekend. Merrimack took game one, outlasting the Lakers 5-4 in overtime before Mercyhurst returned the favor with a 3-2 regulation win in game two. The Lakers and the Warriors have now split four meetings in the all-time series.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB ...

Senior forward Matthew Zay scored with 32 seconds left in regulation last Friday night to force overtime and to become the 17th player in the Division I era at Mercyhurst to record 100 career points. It was Zay's first goal of the season and the 34th of his career. He has an even 100 points in 116 career games with the Lakers and has scored 86 points in his last 80 games after registering just 14 points in 36 games as a rookie.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME ...

Redshirt senior Kyle Just recorded, what proved to be, his first collegiate game-winning goal in last Saturday's 3-2 win over Merrimack. His first goal of the season and first game-winner in 109 career games. His deflection off of a centering feed from redshirt freshman Jack Riley was originally waived off by the officiating crew but was overturned when the officials went to the video replay.

PICKING UP THE SLACK ...

Junior Anthony Mastrodicasa is taking over as the offensive-minded defenseman for the Lakers after the graduation of Nick Jones, who left Mercyhurst as one of the highest-scoring blueliners in program history. Mastrodicasa was second to Jones in points by a defenseman last season after recording five goals and 13 assists as a sophomore. After being held scoreless in the season-opening weekend at Air Force, Mastrodicasa tied a career-high with three points (one goal, two assists) in last Friday's loss to Merrimack. He added an assist in Saturday's win for a four-point weekend, leapfrogging him into a tie for the team-lead in scoring through four games.

SPREADING IT OUT ...

The Lakers have scored a dozen goals through four games of the regular season and only senior Chris Bodo (two) and junior Alec Shields (two) have more than one goal. In the opening weekend at Air Force, Mercyhurst had five goals and five different goal scorers. Last weekend against Merrimack, Mercyhurst had seven goals by seven different players.

The Lakers already have 16 players with at least one point this season with only seven players (including goaltender Jimmy Sarjeant), who have played in at least one game, not recording a point this season.

WELCOME TO COLLEGE HOCKEY ...

Freshman Jonathan Charbonneau didn't take long to make his presence felt in the Mercyhurst lineup. After being held off the scoresheet in the season opener, Charbonneau had a goal and an assist in the Lakers' 4-2 win at Air Force in game two of the series. For his efforts, the St-Colombant, Quebec-native earned Co-Freshman of the Week honors from the Atlantic Hockey Association. Meanwhile, defenseman Tyler Enns recorded an assist and was a +3 in his only game in the Air Force series (game two). Zach Todd is the only other true freshman to have played thus far and it took him a whopping four games to pick up his first point - he earned an assist in Saturday's 3-2 win over Merrimack.

PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF ...

During Mercyhurst's playoff run last season, Alec Shields emerged as an offensive threat in the Laker lineup. After recording two assists in his first 18 games last season, Shields had five points in his last four games, with four of those points coming in three playoff contests. His first collegiate goal was a game-winner in game two of the AHA Quarterfinals against Holy Cross. He also scored a pair of goals in the AHA Semifinal loss to Canisius.

In the first weekend of the 2014-15 season, Shields had the game-winning goal and added an assist in the split with Air Force. Last weekend, Shields tallied his second goal of the season in Saturday's victory. Dating back to last season, Shields has at least one point in seven of his last eight games. He had a six-game point-scoring streak snapped last Friday in game one against Merrimack.

OPENING WEEKEND ...

Mercyhurst jumped right into conference play to start the 2014-15 season as it traveled to Colorado to square off against the Air Force Academy. The Falcons defeated the Lakers 5-1 in the season opener on Friday, October 11, before Mercyhurst rebounded with a 4-2 win the following night to earn the split. The Lakers moved to 12-14-3 lifetime against Air Force and 8-5-1 at the Cadet Ice Arena.

ALMOST THERE ...

Senior Matthew Zay became the 17th player in the Division I era at Mercyhurst to record 100 career points when he sent last Friday's game, against Merrimack, to overtime. Seniors Ryan Misiak and Daniel Bahntge are close to becoming numbers 18 and 19 to reach the plateau. Misiak had a goal last Friday and is now just four points shy of 100. Meanwhile, Bahntge is scoreless through four games and is still nine points shy.

WILD PERIOD ...

A total of 12 goals were scored at the Cadet Ice Arena in the season-opening weekend between Mercyhurst and Air Force. Of the 12 goals, eight were scored in the second period, with six of those coming in the span of 3:21 of game action. On Friday night, Air Force snapped a 1-1 tie with three goals in the span of 1:18 late in the second period to break the game open. Mercyhurst returned the favor on Saturday night, scoring three goals in 2:03 to also break a 1-1 deadlock. Mercyhurst's four goals on Saturday all came in the second period and were scored in the span of 9:03.

EXHIBITION OPENER ...

Mercyhurst opened the 2014-15 season on October 5 with a 6-1 victory over Ryerson University of Toronto at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. After a scoreless first period, the Lakers scored four times in the second, three of which came during a 75-second span midway through the frame. Freshman Jonathan Charbonneau put Mercyhurst on the board with a power play goal before Ryerson tied it at 1-1 just over three minutes later. Seniors Ryan Misiak, Zac Frischmon, and Ed DeWald scored 75 seconds apart to give the Lakers a 4-1 lead after two. Sophomore Philippe Drouin and Stephen Hrehoriak closed out the scoring in the third. Misiak led the offense with a goal and three assists, while Charbonneau, DeWald, and Drouin had one goal and one assist each. Sophomore Spencer Bacon started in goal and stopped 14-of-15 shots in nearly 30 minutes. Freshman Brandon Wildung closed out the contest by stopping all 17 shots he faced.

SCOUTING THE RAIDERS ...

Mercyhurst has lost five of the six previous meetings against Colgate but has only been outscored 22-15 in the all-time series. The Lakers are 0-4 in Hamilton, New York. All six games have been decided by three goals or less. The two programs have not met since Colgate swept the Lakers, 3-1 and 3-2, on November 26 and 27, 2004, at Starr Rink.

Colgate enters the weekend series as the fourth-ranked team in the country. It sports a 5-1-0 record to start the season, sweeping Northeastern and Sacred Heart after splitting with St. Cloud State to open the year. Kyle Baun leads the Raiders in scoring with five goals and two assists in six games. Defenseman Spiro Goulakos has six assists, while Tim Harrison, a property of the Calgary Flames, has three goals and two assists. Charlie Finn has been sensational in goal, posting a 5-1-0 record with a 1.34 goals against average and a .945 save percentage. He has started every game for the Raiders this season. Special teams have also been solid. The Raiders are 7-of-27 on the power play (26.9%) and have killed off 22-of-24 opponent chances (91.7%).

NON-CONFERENCE NIGHTMARES ...

Since joining the Division I ranks in the 1999-2000 season, the Lakers have struggled against teams out-of-conference. Mercyhurst is 20-91-11 against non-conference opponents in its Division I history and posted a 2-8-1 non-conference mark last season. The Lakers earned victories over Merrimack and Rensselaer and a tie at Alaska in 2013-14. This season, Mercyhurst is 1-1-0 out of conference, having split against Merrimack last weekend.

Mercyhurst is 18-30-7 lifetime against teams from the ECAC, including a 10-8-3 record against former conference-rival Quinnipiac. Against other teams in the conference: Brown (0-1), Clarkson (1-6), Colgate (1-5), Cornell (1-0-1), Dartmouth (0-0-1), Princeton (1-0), Rensselaer (3-7), St. Lawrence (0-1), Union (1-1-1), and Yale (0-1-1).

SEASON OPENING STRUGGLES ...

Since joining the Division I ranks in 1999-2000, Mercyhurst has not fared well in season openers. In fact, Mercyhurst is 0-15-1 in its 16 season-opening games since becoming a Division I member. The only non-loss in those 16 games was a 4-4 overtime tie at Michigan to open the 2010-11 season. The Lakers eventually defeated the Wolverines in a shootout but the game went in the record books as a tie. Mercyhurst has been outscored 68-30 in those 16 contests.

AYE, AYE CAPTAIN ...

Head coach Rick Gotkin announced that senior forward Matthew Zay will serve as this year's team captain, while seniors Ryan Misiak and Tyler Shiplo will be the assistants.

Zay, a native of Glendale, New York, entered the 2014-15 season needing just four points to become the 17th player in school history, at the Division I level, to record 100 career points. He has led the Lakers in each of the last two seasons in scoring, including a career-high 43 points last year. He was a First Team All-Atlantic Association selection and was named the team's Best Forward at the annual postseason banquet last season. Zay participated in the Chicago Blackhawks Prospect Development Camp over the summer.

Hailing from Shelby Township, Michigan, Misiak entered needing just five points to reach the century mark in his career. He had a career-high 25 assists last season, helping him tie his career-best of 38 points he also recorded as a sophomore. He led the Lakers with 29 points against conference opponents last season and was named an All-AHA Second Team honoree in 2012-13. Misiak attended the New Jersey Devils Prospect Development Camp in the summer of 2013.

Shiplo, who calls Oakville, Ontario, home, is one of two senior defensemen this season for the Lakers. He scored a career-high five goals last season and entered his senior campaign needing one point for 50 in his career. Last season, Shiplo was fifth on the team with a +13 plus/minus rating and was second on the squad with 66 blocked shots.

MUCH BETTER IN CONFERENCE OPENERS ...

In contrast to Mercyhurst's 0-15-1 record in season openers since becoming a Division I program in 1999-2000, the Lakers have fared much better in conference openers. Since the 1999-2000 campaign, Mercyhurst is 10-5-1 in its conference opening contests and have outscored the opposition by a 55-40 margin.

MERCYHURST PICKED TO WIN AHA IN PRESEASON POLL ...

For the first time since the 2006-07 season, Mercyhurst was picked to win the Atlantic Hockey Association according to the annual preseason coaches' poll. The Lakers garnered six first-place votes en route to the top spot in the voting. Coming off of the team's first-ever AHA regular season championship last season and first since winning the last of three MAAC Hockey League regular season titles in 2002-03, Mercyhurst has much of its team returning from a year ago. Last year's AHA representative in the NCAA tournament, Robert Morris, came in second and received three first-place nods. Air Force, Niagara, and Bentley rounded out the top five.

PLENTY OF FIREPOWER RETURNING ...

Mercyhurst has the luxury of returning 12 of its top scorers from an offense that averaged 3.61 goals per game and ranked third in the nation a year ago. Nine returners up front finished the 2013-14 season with double digit points, led by senior Matthew Zay (17g, 26a), who tied for the team lead with 43 points. He was an All-AHA First Team choice after earning Third Team honors as a sophomore. He led the AHA outright in scoring during his sophomore campaign, becoming the first Mercyhurst player to accomplish the feat since joining the conference. Senior Ryan Misiak (13g, 25a) established a career-high in assists and tied his career-high in points last season. He was an All-AHA Second Team member as a sophomore. Senior Daniel Bahntge (15g, 17a) was a member of the AHA All-Rookie Team as a freshman. All three of them are within ten points of reaching the century mark for their careers.

Redshirt senior Kyle Just established career-highs in goals (8) and points (27) while senior Nardo Nagtzaam (11g, 11a) tied his career-high in goals despite only playing in 23 games. Senior Zac Frischmon (8g, 14a) had career-highs in goals, assists, and points. Sophomore Kyle Dutra (7g, 15a) led all freshmen on the team in scoring and was the AHA Rookie of the Month for December. Senior Chris Bodo (10g, 11a), junior Kyle Cook (11g, 7a), and sophomore Stephen Hrehoriak (6g, 7a) also finished in double figures a year ago.

SARJEANT AT ARMS ...

Mercyhurst also has the luxury of returning its goaltender from a year ago - the reigning AHA Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year, senior Jimmy Sarjeant. Last season, Sarjeant went 14-0-5 with a 2.00 goals against average and a .943 save percentage against league opponents. His overall winning percentage of .724 (18-5-6) ranked seventh in the country while his .930 save percentage was fifth in the nation. He earned his first collegiate shutout with a 51-save masterpiece against Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, last January. It was the most saves by a Laker netminder since Ryan Zapolski stopped 63 Canisius shots in a double overtime loss on March 13, 2010. The 51 saves set a program record for most saves in shutout since the team moved to Division I in 1999-2000 and marked the most stops in a non-overtime game since Jordan Wakefield had 52 saves in a loss at Air Force on January 6, 2007.

Last season, Sarjeant became the first Laker to win the AHA Player of the Year Award since the league's inception in 2003-04. He also became the first Mercyhurst goaltender to win the league's Goaltender of the Year Award since the league's inception. He became just the second goaltender to win both AHA Player of the Year and Goaltender of the Year in the same season (Josh Kassel, Army, 2007-08) and just the third goaltender to win Player of the Year honors (Kassel, Carson Chubak of Niagara, 2012-13).

CLOSING IN ...

Three Lakers - seniors Matthew Zay, Ryan Misiak, and Daniel Bahntge - entered the 2014-15 season within 10 points of becoming members of the 100-point club at the Division I level at Mercyhurst. Zay became the 17th player to reach the milestone last Friday with his goal late in regulation. Prior to Zay, the last reach the benchmark was Daniel O'Donoghue, who reached the milestone last December. Misiak (38g, 58a) is just four points shy. Bahntge (39g, 52a) is nine points away from the century mark.

Also with a shot this season to reach the century mark are senior Chris Bodo (41g, 35a), redshirt senior Kyle Just (17g, 53a), and senior Nardo Nagtzaam (24g, 38a). Bodo, who is 24 points shy, recorded a career-high 27 points during his sophomore campaign and has two goals and an assist through the first four games. Meanwhile, Just (30 points away) and Nagtzaam (38 points away) would have to post career-highs to reach the plateau. Just's career-high is 27 set last season while Nagtzaam scored 30 as a freshman and had 22 points in 23 games last season.

GOTKIN CLIMBS THE LEADERBOARD ...

Head coach Rick Gotkin enters his 27th season as the Mercyhurst head coach. He is the only coach in NCAA history to take the same program to the NCAA tournament at all three divisions (D-III - 1991; D-II - 1993, 1995; D-I - 2001, 2003, 2005). He has guided the Lakers to a record of 476-336-72 and ranks 25th on the all-time list of NCAA coaches in victories. He ranks 12th among active coaches with his 476 victories and needs eight wins to surpass Joe Marsh (St. Lawrence, 1985-2012) and to move into 24th on the all-time wins list. He is 24 wins shy of 500 victories with the Laker program.

GOING CAMPING ...

Senior Matthew Zay participated in the Chicago Blackhawks Prospect Development Camp over the summer, joining a list of current Lakers who have been to NHL camps in the past. Nardo Nagtzaam participated in the Washington Capitals camp in the summer of 2012 while Ryan Misiak was at the New Jersey Devils camp in the summer of 2013.

Nagtzaam also played for his native country, Netherlands, in the IIHF World Championships (Division I - Group B) in Vilnius, Lithuania this past April. He was the only collegiate player on the Dutch roster.

SARJEANT ON USCHO.COM AND MIKE RICHTER WATCH LISTS ...

Coming off of his brilliant 2013-14 campaign, senior goaltender Jimmy Sarjeant was recognized as one of ten goaltenders to watch according to USCHO.com and one of twenty on the initial list for the second annual Mike Richter Award, given to the nation's top goaltender. Sarjeant, who was one of 19 finalists for the inaugural Mike Richter Award, posted an 18-5-6 overall record with a 2.46 goals against average and a .930 save percentage last season.

WHO ARE THESE GUYS? ...

As with every season, Mercyhurst has brought in a host of freshmen that will be looking to contribute at the collegiate level. Seven newcomers join the roster in 2014-15 - three forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender. Up front, Kane Elliott played for the Milton Icehawks (OJHL) and scored 59 points (27g, 32a) in 51 games last season. Jonathan Charbonneau played for the St. Jerome Panthers (QJAHL). He tallied 40 goals and 49 assists in just 42 games with the Panthers. Finally, head coach Rick Gotkin's son, Brandon Gotkin, joins the team after playing four seasons with the Cathedral Prep Ramblers in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League. He had a career-high 29 points during his junior season and registered 67 points and 149 penalty minutes in 72 career games.

On the blueline, Tyler Enns played three seasons for the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots (OJHL). He had 14 points in 31 games during the 2013-14 season. Patrick Piacentini was a member of the North York Rangers (OJHL) for the past two seasons. He had 10 goals and 75 assists in 103 games with the Rangers during his career. Finally, Zach Todd played with the Boston Jr. Bruins (USPHL) last season and recorded 12 goals and 21 assists. Prior to that, Todd played for the Brockville Braves in the CCHL and had 24 goals and 28 assists in 54 games with the team during the 2012-13 season.

Brandon Wildung is the lone new face between the pipes. He competed with the Minot Minotauros in the NAHL during the 2013-14 season. He went 14-17-3 with a 2.44 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. He also played with the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in 2012-13. While there, he went 11-6-0 with a 2.61 goals against average and a .926 save percentage.

Redshirt freshman Jack Riley also rejoins the club this season after an injury forced him out of the Laker lineup for all but seven games in his rookie season a year ago. The son of Army coach Brian Riley, Jack had one assist in his seven games with the Lakers last season.