Setting the Stage
The Mercyhurst men's hockey team will head to Air Force Academy on Jan. 5-6 for a two-game Atlantic Hockey series. There's a 7:05 p.m. MT (9:05 EST) puck drop on Friday, before a 5:05 p.m. MT (7:05 EST) start on Saturday.
 
Last Time Out
The Lakers played in a home-and-home series against Robert Morris when they dropped both games, 5-2 and 5-3, on Dec. 16-17.
 
Zach Todd (1g, 3a), Jonathan Charbonneau (3g, 1a), Taylor Best (1g, 1a), Joseph Duszak (1g, 1a) and Bryan Sienerth (1g) all recorded points during the weekend.
 
Previous Matchup
The Lakers and Falcons matched up twice last season and the Falcons took both games. On Jan. 5, Air Force defeated Mercyhurst 3-1. Trevor Stone scored two goals and Jordan Himley recorded one goals for the Falcons with Matthew Whitter had the Lakers' lone goal.
 
On Jan. 6 the Falcons won 4-2. Erik Baskin scored two goals and Matt Serratore scored one goal for the Falcons on Saturday. Matthew Whittaker scored both goals for the Lakers.
 
All Time Series
Air Force has acquired a 17-13-3 all time-series advantage over Mercyhurst, including a 6-3-1 margin in the past 10 meetings.
 
Scouting Air Force
The Falcons are coming into the weekend with an 8-9-3, 3-7-2 AHA record.
 
They are coming off of a 6-0 loss to #2 Denver on Dec. 30.
 
Evan Giesler and Himley are leading the roster with 13 points each. Matt Koch and Serratore are next with 11 points each.
 
Spending the most time in net is Billy Christopoulos. He has a 7-8-3 record with a 2.18 goals against average and .917 save percentage.
 
Air Force is 14.5 percent on the power play, ranking them 48th in the nation. They are 80.2 percent on the penalty kill, ranking them 36rd in the nation.
 
Laker Record
Mercyhurst comes into the weekend series looking to snap a two-game losing skid and to improve its 7-9-2, 4-6-2 record.
 
Leader Trio
Jonathan Charbonneau, Taylor Best and Derek Barach are leading the Laker roster with 16 points each.
 
Duszak National Ranking
Duszak had two assists in the Lakers last weekend series pushing him up nine spots to 14th in the nation in points per game for a defenseman with 0.81. He currently has 11 assists and 13 points on the season.
 
Between the Pipes
Brandon Wildung has put up a 3.21 GAA and .907 save percentage with a 6-8-2 record. Colin DeAugustine has earned a 1-1-0 record with a 3.31 GAA and .887 save percentage.
 
Special Teams
Mercyhurst scored three power play goals during its last weekend series, moving them up one spots to 10th in the nation on the power play with 24.1 percent. The Lakers moved down eight spots to 51st in the nation on the penalty kill with 77.6 percent.
 
Players to Watch
For Mercyhurst
Charbonneau and Duszak are riding three-game point streaks. Charbonneau has recorded three goals and five points in the past three games. Duszak has put up four assists and five points in the last three games.
 
For Air Force
Baskin recorded his first career hat trick during the Falcons' 6-3 win over Colorado College on Dec. 29. He has six goals and nine points on the season.
 
Next Up
Mercyhurst will welcome Niagara University to the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Jan. 12-13. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. both nights.
 
Stay Connected
Keep up with the team by following our social media:
Twitter: @HurstMensHockey
Facebook: facebook.com/mercyhurstmenshockey
Instagram: @mercyhursthockey
Snapchat: @hurstmhockey