Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - Senior Daniel O'Donoghue scored with 26 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and sophomore Kyle Cook scored at the 4:40 mark of the extra session to lift the Mercyhurst University men's hockey team to a stunning, come-from-behind, 5-4 overtime victory in game one of the Atlantic Hockey Association Quarterfinals at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Friday night. Mercyhurst, which leads the best-of-three series one game to none, improved to 20-12-7 overall while the Crusaders dropped to 14-21-3 on the season.



Mercyhurst trailed 3-0 early in the second period and was behind 4-2 heading to the third period before junior Tyler Shiplo cut the lead to 4-3 with a power play goal at the 7:03 mark of the third. Junior goaltender Jimmy Sarjeant was pulled with 50 seconds left in regulation, and, after a Laker timeout and an offensive zone faceoff win, O'Donoghue provided the game-tying tally. Junior Daniel Bahntge and freshman Stephen Hrehoriak were able to work the puck to the front of the Holy Cross net and O'Donoghue was able to slide the puck past Crusader netminder Matt Ginn just before a Holy Cross defender knocked him to the ice. It was O'Donoghue's 14th goal of the season and forced overtime for the seventh time in the Lakers' last nine home games.

Cook completed the three-goal rally when he buried a rebound at the 4:40 mark of overtime for his second goal of the game and his 11th goal of the season to give the Lakers the pivotal game-one victory in the series. Junior Ryan Misiak took the initial shot on Ginn and Cook was in the right place at the right time to one-time the rebound past the out-of-position netminder for his second game-winning goal of the year. Sophomore Anthony Mastrodicasa had the other assist.

It was Mercyhurst's first overtime victory since December 18, 2012 when the Lakers defeated Cansius 3-2 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on a goal by Matthew Zay. It was also Mercyhurst's first victory of the season when trailing after two periods of play. The Lakers were 0-6-1 in such games before Friday night.

The Crusaders got on the board at the 8:54 mark of the opening period on a power play tally from freshman Brett McKinnon. Mike Barrett and Shayne Stockton had the assists.

Shots favored Holy Cross in the opening period, 15-13.

McKinnon scored his second goal of the game, and fifth of the season, redirecting a shot from the point by Joe McNamara past Sarjeant just 30 seconds into the second period to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage. Karl Beckman had the other assist. The lead ballooned to 3-0 at the 5:11 mark with Ryan McGrath stuffed home a centering pass from Castan Sommer. Jake Youso had the other helper.

The Lakers appeared dead in the water until Cook gave the home team life with his tenth goal of the season at the 14:26 mark of the second. Head coach Rick Gotkin tried several different line combinations in the second period to attempt to get something to click and Cook, working up front with junior Zac Frischmon and redshirt freshman Alec Shields, provided the spark after banging home a rebound past Ginn. His linemates had the assists.

Then, with just 39 seconds left in the middle stanza, senior Nick Jones, who pinched in from the right point, one-timed a centering pass by O'Donoghue just under the crossbar and past Ginn for his eighth goal of the season. Zay had the second assist on the goal.

It seemed as if the Lakers would be down just a goal heading to the third, but the Crusaders had other ideas. Sommer skated down the right wing into the Mercyhurst zone and let go of a well-placed snapshot that beat Sarjeant to the glove side to reclaim the two-goal lead with 23 seconds left in the period.

Shots were even at 16 apiece in the middle frame.

Shiplo buried his fifth goal of the season after a perfect centering pass from the left wing boards by junior Nardo Nagtzaam to cut the Holy Cross lead to 4-3 with 12:57 left in regulation. It was Shiplo's second power play goal of the year and was also assisted by Mastrodicasa.

Sarjeant stopped 34-of-38 Holy Cross shots to pick up his 17th victory of the season. He improved to 17-4-6 on the year. Ginn was peppered with 50 shots from the Laker offense and he turned aside 45 of them to fall to 11-20-3 on the season.

Both teams were assessed just two minor penalties in the contest and both teams were able to convert one of their two power play opportunities.

Game two of the best-of-three series will take place at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Saturday night, March 15. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.