ERIE, Pa. –  There were a lot of firsts for the Mercyhurst University men's hockey team against Colgate on Sunday afternoon. Most of them were recorded by freshmen playing in either their first or second games of their careers. The most important "first", however, was a team effort as the Lakers edged the 20th-ranked Colgate University, 9-7, to gain their initial win and a split of their season-opening weekend series.

Mercyhurst improved to 3-7 lifetime against the Raiders and head coach Rick Gotkin moved to within six victories of 500 for his career (494-353-76). The 16 combined goals on Sunday were the most in one game involving Mercyhurst since the Lakers became a Division I program in 1999-2000. Mercyhurst defeated Bentley, 10-5, at the Ice Center on December 3, 2005 - the school's previous Division I high.

The teams divided six goals evenly in a wild and wooly first twenty minutes - just a precursor of things ahead. 

Colgate sophomore forward Sebastian Weberg cashed a power play chance at 7:22 and, for the second straight game, the Raiders had drawn first blood. That goal, however, opened the flood gates as a total of five goals were scored in a span of 6:13.

Mercyhurst tied the game at 9:45 when sophomore defenseman Zach Todd scored the Lakers first power play goal of the season, and his first career power play tally, with help from freshman defenseman Lester Lancaster and junior forward Kyle Dutra. Just 2:06 later, Mercyhurst took its first lead of the two-game series when sophomore forward Kane Elliot walked in on a breakaway and roofed a backhander over Colgate sophomore goalie Zac Hamilton who was making his first start of the year. Redshirt sophomore Jack Riley had the lone assist - his first of three helpers on the afternoon. 

Colgate squared things at 2-2 just 66 seconds later when junior forward Derek Freeman collected his second goal in as many games. Mercyhurst retaliated in the blink of an eye. Freshman forward Wes Baker, making his first collegiate appearance, scored at 13:35 after banging in a centering feed from freshman Tommaso Bucci. Sophomore Tyler Enns had the other helper.

So, it took just 13-and-a-half minutes of the opening period for Mercyhurst to accomplish two things it couldn't do all of Friday night – score three goals and convert a power play.

The Raiders eventually finished the scoring in the period at 18:05 when senior forward and team captain Mike Borkowski beat Lakers' starting netminder, junior Spencer Bacon. Bacon, making his first start of the season and fourth of his career, would be finished after twenty minutes. Colgate outshot Mercyhurst 15-9 in the opening period.

Mercyhurst's starting goalie in Friday's 5-2 loss, sophomore Brandon Wildung, came in to start the second period while Hamilton would exit early in the second, a period dominated on the scoreboard by the Lakers.

Mercyhurst recaptured the lead at 5:49 of the second when sophomore Bryan Sienerth scored the Lakers' second power play of the game – in as many chances – with help from Riley and Todd.

Exit Hamilton and enter Friday's winning goalie, junior Charlie Finn. Hamilton allowed four goals on just 12 Mercyhurst shots.

Finn wouldn't fare much better as another freshman seeing his first action of the season, forward Taylor Best, scored his first goal as a Laker with help from Riley and Todd. Elliot then put an exclamation point on the period when he scored a highlight reel, shorthanded, unassisted goal at 18:38. Despite outscoring the Raiders 3-0 in the period, the Lakers had just a slight 11-10 margin in shots.

The Lakers extended their lead to 7-3 at 8:05 of the third when junior defenseman Philippe Drouin collected Mercyhurst's third power play goal of the game with help from senior forward Kyle Cook and Best. For Drouin, it was his first career power play goal (46 games played) and his first goal since January 9, 2015, against Sacred Heart.

The game was seemingly over but Colgate wasn't buying it.

Trailing 7-3 with 5:04 left in regulation, the Raiders got off the deck and tallied four times in less than four minutes to tie the game at 7-7. Borkowski scored his second of the game, with his net empty, at 14:56, Freeman continued the revival with a shorthanded goal at 16:13, Borkowski completed his hat trick at 17:43, and junior Brett Corkey finished the onslaught with an extra-attacker score at 18:16. Suddenly, each team had a touchdown and a point after.

But, with overtime looming, Mercyhurst sophomore winger Jonathan Charbonneau scored what proved to be the game-winner at 18:43. After a save from Wildung in the defensive zone, freshman Derek Barach picked up a loose puck and played it ahead to Charbonneau who whistled a snap shot under the glove hand of Finn for an 8-7 advantage. Freshman forward Josh Lammon finished the scoring with an empty-netter from the center red lineat 19:30. Cook and freshman Jeremy Wu had the assists.

Colgate outshot Mercyhurst 19-15 in the wide-open third period and 44-35 for the 60 minutes. Mercyhurst finished with seven minor penalties, was 3-of-4 with the man advantage and also scored shorthanded. Colgate was hit with six infractions for 20 minutes, was 1-of-6 with the extra attacker, and also tallied shorthanded.

Neither Wildung nor Finn, who started and finished Colgate's 5-2 win Saturday night, began Sunday's contest but were the goaltenders of record at game's end. Bacon made 12 first-period saves while Wildung recorded 25 over the final 40 minutes to square his record  at 1-1. Bacon hadn't played since coming on in relief vs. Bentley last March 14. Colgate starter Hamilton allowed four goals on a dozen Mercyhurst shots. Finn stopped 18 shots in relief.

All but two players, sophomores Michael Verboom and Patrick Piacentini, had points for the Lakers on Sunday. Todd led the way with a goal and two assists while Riley had three helpers. Riley's three helpers were the most since getting three against Sacred Heart January 9, 2015. Best (1g, 1a), Cook (0g, 2a), and Elliot (2g, 0a) had two points apiece. For Elliot, his two goals were a career best and his shorthanded strike was the first of his career. Elliot had only one goal in 20 games played a season ago.

The nine goals were the most that Mercyhurst has scored since a 9-1 victory over Sacred Heart at the Ice Center on January 6, 2012. Meanwhile, the seven goals allowed were the most since allowing eight to Rochester Institute of Technology last February.

Mercyhurst will open Atlantic Hockey play on the road next weekend when it visits Bentley University for Friday and Saturday night games. Both contests are due to start at 7:05 p.m. from the John A. Ryan Skating Arena. Last season, Mercyhurst ended Bentley's season in stunning fashion during a best-of-three quarterfinal series in suburban Boston.