UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst men's hockey team fell, 7-5, to 17th-ranked Penn State University in front of a sold-out crowd of 6,089 fans on Saturday at the Pegula Ice Arena.
 
Zach Todd and Taylor Best each scored a goal and made two assists while Kane Elliot recorded a goal and an assist. Jack Riley and Josh Lammon also scored one goal each for Mercyhurst (3-3-2). Derek Barach had two assists while Patrick Piacentini and Quinn Wichers tallied one assist each.
 
James Robinson scored three goals while Chase Berger, Liam Folkes, Nitika Pavlychev and Andrew Sturtz each scored one goal for Penn State (5-5-0).
 
Penn State got on the board first at 2:33 of the first period with Robison's first goal of the game.
 
Halfway through the first period Riley scored his third goal of the season to tie it at 1-1. Todd and Barach added assists.
 
One minute and 23 seconds later, Best scored his second goal of the year to give Mercyhurst their first and only lead of the game. Wichers recorded his first collegiate point with an assist. Piacentini also had an assist.
 
Robinson then notched two goals and Berger added one goal to give the Nittany Lions a 4-2 lead early in the second period.
 
Late in the second period, Lammon converted on the power play to bring the Lakers within one goal, 4-3.
 
Penn State scored 46 seconds later to take a 5-3 lead. Folkes recorded the goal.
 
Todd scored his third goal of the season at 6:17 of the third period to bring Mercyhurst back within one goal, 5-4. Elliot had the lone assist.
 
Halfway through the third period, Elliot tied the game at 5-5. Barach and Best added assists.
 
With a pile of players in front of the Mercyhurst net, Pavlychev put the Nittany Lions back in the lead 6-5.
 
Penn State then scored an empty net goal to end the game 7-5, Nittany Lions.
 
Mercyhurst went 1-for-5  on the power play while Penn State went 0-for-3.
 
Brandon Wildung stopped 50 out of 57 shots on net for the Lakers and Peyton Jones saved 36 out of 41 shots for the Nittany Lions.
 
The Lakers are back in action November 10-11 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center when they welcome Canisius College.