ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Mercyhurst University men's hockey team put up another valiant effort on Sunday evening but dropped a 3-2 decision at the 11th-ranked Michigan Wolverines in front of 4,911 fans at the Yost Ice Arena. The loss dropped the Lakers to 3-3-0 overall while Michigan starts the season with a 2-0-0 overall mark.

Mercyhurst and Michigan have met five times in the all-time series with the Wolverines holding a 4-0-1 advantage over the Lakers. However, in those five contests, Mercyhurst has been outscored by just a total of six goals. Michigan won the weekend series opener on Friday night by a 6-4 final.

Sophomore goaltender Brandon Wildung kept the Lakers in the game all evening on Sunday as he turned aside 42-of-45 Michigan shots on goal, including 18-of-19 in the opening twenty minutes. Wildung, named the game's third star, dropped to 3-3-0 overall on the season despite posting 83 saves in the weekend series.

Michigan, which outshot Mercyhurst 19-5 in the opening period, could not solve Wildung until Alex Kile notched his first goal of the season with 2:57 left. Michael Downing and Nicholas Boka picked up the assists.

The Lakers tied the contest at 1-1 while working on the power play. Redshirt sophomore Jack Riley buried his first goal of the season at the 1:52 mark. Senior Kyle Cook and freshman Derek Barach had the assists. It was Riley's tenth career goal while Cook picked up his seventh assist of the season - an NCAA Division I best. It was also Cook's eighth point of the year, tying him for the nation's lead in points.

Evan Allen put the Wolverines back in front, 2-1, at the 5:08 mark with his first goal of the young season. Max Shuart and Justin Selman had the helpers.

But, back came the resilient Lakers. Sophomore Jonathan Charbonneau buried his fourth goal of the season, getting a shot past Michigan netminder Zach Nagelvoort, to knot the contest at 2-2 at the 11:03 mark. Freshmen Taylor Best and Jeremy Wu had the assists on Charbonneau's marker. The sophomore is now tied with Best for the team lead in goals with four after scoring just seven goals in 39 games as a rookie a year ago.

Michigan's Kyle Connor gave the Wolverines the lead back with 4:09 left in the second period - his third goal of the weekend series. Selman and Zach Werenski had the assists on, what proved to be, the final goal of the game.

Mercyhurst had chances in the third, getting the stanza's only power play chance with 5:45 left in regulation. The Lakers could not score on the opportunity but then, again, put pressure on the Wolverines as Wildung was pulled with 1:16 left. But, Nagelvoort and the Wolverines slammed the door on Mercyhurst's upset bid.

Michigan outshot Mercyhurst, 45-21, for the contest but just 26-16 over the final two periods after coming out firing in the first. Wildung was credited with 42 saves while Nagelvoort turned aside 19 in his first start of the season. The Lakers were 1-for-3 on the power play and were able to kill off Michigan's only man advantage opportunity in the game.

Mercyhurst also held a slim edge in the faceoff circle, 34-33. Freshman Josh Lammon won 11 of his 15 faceoffs on Sunday.

The Lakers will return home, and will jump back into conference action, when Army West Point invades the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24. Faceoffs both nights are scheduled for 7:05 p.m.