WEST POINT, N.Y. – Hollywood couldn't have scripted this one any better.

Redshirt freshman Jack Riley, playing in front of his hometown crowd, on the ice he grew up on, and against his father, Brian, scored two goals and added two assists to lift the Mercyhurst University men's hockey team to a 6-3 victory over Army at Tate Rink on Saturday night. The Lakers improved to 7-4-2 overall and 5-2-2 in the Atlantic Hockey Conference standings while the Black Knights fell to 4-12-2 overall and 4-10-2 in conference play.

Riley was making his first appearance against his father's team at West Point. He missed last season's weekend at Army with an injury that forced him to miss all but seven games a year ago. Entering Saturday night's game, Riley had one goal and three assists in 11 games this season and had a goal and four assists in 18 career games before his career night. It was his first multiple-goal game and his second career multiple-point contest.

The Lakers improved to 35-9-4 lifetime against Army, including back-to-back sweeps of the Black Knights at Tate Rink. Prior to the last two seasons, Mercyhurst hadn't swept Army in West Point since February 13 and 14, 2004. Over the last 20 meetings between the two schools, Mercyhurst is 16-0-4 and has not lost to Army since January 10, 2009.

Riley, the West Point native, gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead with his second goal of the season at the 5:09 mark of the opening period. Riley shot towards the goal from the faceoff circle, got it away cleanly, and surprised Army starting goaltender, Cole Bruns, for his second goal of the season.

Senior Matthew Zay followed with his second goal in as many nights – his third of the season – at 11:43. Freshman Jonathan Charbonneau took the initial shot that ended up on the stick of Zay, who circled behind the goal and beat Bruns on a wraparound. Redshirt senior Kyle Just had the other assist.

Mercyhurst held a slim 9-8 shot advantage in the opening period.

The Lakers took a 3-0 lead when sophomore Kyle Dutra beat goaltender Parker Gahagen, who relieved Bruns at the outset of the second period. The goal, just 1:25 into the middle stanza, was Dutra's sixth of the season and was assisted by junior Kyle Cook.

But, Army would storm all the way back to tie the game at 3-3 after scoring the next three tallies of the contest. Conor Andrle got the Black Knights on the scoreboard at the 14:25 mark of the second period, beating freshman goaltender Brandon Wildung, who was making his second collegiate start.

Just three minutes later, Brendan McGuire cashed in on the power play, beating Wildung on a one-timer from point blank range, to cut the Mercyhurst lead to 3-2 after two periods. Army outshot Mercyhurst in the second period, 15-10.

Then, at the 5:06 mark of the third period, Army scored shorthanded to knot the game at 3-3. An initial shot from the left wing corner was gloved down by Wildung, who had thought he held on to the puck. However, the puck was loose in the crease and Clint Carlisle crashed the net to knock it across the goal line.

But, Riley and the Lakers, took over from there.

Two minutes after Army tied the game at 3-3, Riley centered a pass from behind the Army goal that ended up on the stick of senior Daniel Bahntge. The senior beat Gahagen for, what proved to be the game-winning goal, at 7:07.

Riley was at it again at 11:28 when he made a blind, backhanded pass to senior Ryan Misiak cutting down the slot. Misiak beat Gahagen over the glove hand with a one-timer from between the circles. It was Misiak's second goal in as many nights and his fourth goal of the season. Junior Alec Shields had the other assist.

The magical night for Riley was capped off at 15:44 when he received an outlet pass from Cook, got behind the Army defense for a breakaway, and beat Gahagen with a forehand shot past the left pad. Senior Grant Gettinger had the other assist.

As has been the case in the first three meetings, the Riley's embraced at center ice during the customary handshake line. But, this was one was certainly one to remember for Jack, and bittersweet for his father, Brian.

Riley was also a +4 on the night and blocked a game-high five shots in the defensive zone.

Wildung moved to 1-0-1 on the season and in his career. He turned aside 30-of-33 Army shots in the Laker victory. Gahagen and Bruns combined to stop 26-of-32 Mercyhurst shots with Gahagen suffering the loss in goal. He dropped to 4-7-1.

Army was 1-for-1 on the power play while Mercyhurst was 0-for-3.

The Lakers will return home on Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14 for the final games before the holiday. Mercyhurst will play Atlantic Hockey-leading Robert Morris – Saturday's faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. while Sunday's start time is at 4:05 p.m.