WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Mercyhurst University men's hockey team scored the final four goals of the game, three in the third period, to knock off the Yellow Jackets of American International College, 5-2, at the Olympia Ice Center on Saturday afternoon. The Lakers completed a two-game sweep with the victory and improved to 14-10-4 overall and 12-7-3 in the Atlantic Hockey Conference standings. AIC dropped to 3-20-7 overall and 3-14-7 in conference play.

Mercyhurst improved to 37-6-1 lifetime against the Yellow Jackets and moved to 21-3-0 against AIC in West Springfield.

Junior Mychal Monteith scored his first collegiate goal, in his 72nd career game, at the 5:50 mark of the third period to snap a 2-2 tie and to give the Lakers their first lead of the game. Senior Daniel Bahntge followed with a goal at 16:27 and senior Matthew Zay finished off the Yellow Jackets with an empty-net goal at 19:12 to complete the three-goal barrage.

AIC's Alexander MacMillan scored the lone goal of the opening period, beating senior goaltender Jimmy Sarjeant for his 14th goal of the season. Johno May and Austin Orszulak had the assists. Mercyhurst outshot the Yellow Jackets, 10-6, but trailed on the scoreboard 1-0 after the opening twenty minutes.

Senior Nardo Nagtzaam, playing in just his eighth game of the season and only his third game since missing 20 straight due to an injury, got the Lakers on the board at 8:25 of the second with his second goal of the season. Freshman defenseman Zach Todd and junior defenseman Anthony Mastrodicasa had the assists. It was just Todd's second helper of the season and his first since a 3-2 win over Merrimack on October 25.

Moments later, however, Orszulak put the hosts back in front by a goal, 2-1, at 9:16 with his team-leading 19th marker of the season. May and MacMillan had the helpers. Less than half a minute later, Sarjeant was removed from the game and was replaced by freshman Brandon Wildung, who stopped 27-of-28 in Friday's 3-1 win over the Yellow Jackets. 

With Wildung in, the momentum quickly changed.

Senior defenseman Tyler Shiplo notched his fourth of the season at 11:40 to knot the game at 2-2. Freshman Bryan Sienerth and sophomore Kyle Dutra had the assists.

American International outshot Mercyhurst, 19-13, in an end-to-end second period.

Monteith's first career goal assisted by Nagtzaam and senior Zac Frischmon. It was also Monteith's first point of the season and his first since picking up an assist in the Atlantic Hockey semifinal loss to Canisius last March. Meanwhile, it was Nagtzaam's first multiple-point game since recording a goal and two assists in a 5-5 tie against Robert Morris on February 28, 2014.

Redshirt senior Kyle Just and senior Grant Gettinger had the assists on Bahntge's team-leading 13th goal of the season. Just and Monteith had the assists on Zay's empty-netter - his ninth goal of the season. 

With his two assists, Just pulled to within six points of becoming a member of the 100-point club during Mercyhurst's Division I era. Meanwhile, Monteith's two points marked his second career multiple-point game. His other came against Niagara on February 22, 2014.

Wildung earned the victory in goal, stopping all 17 shots he faced, to improve to 6-4-3 in his rookie campaign. Sarjeant started and allowed two goals on 16 shots in 29:41 of action. Alex Murray dropped to 2-13-5 on the season after stopping 34-of-38 he faced.

Only two minor penalties were assessed in the contest and both went against the Yellow Jackets. Mercyhurst was 0-for-2 on the power play.

Mercyhurst returns home next Friday and Saturday, February 13 and 14, to host the Purple Eagles of Niagara University at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Faceoffs both nights are scheduled for 7:05 p.m.