ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Jack Riley scored the game-winning goal and added two assists, becoming the 22nd player in Division I program history to record 100 career points, as the Mercyhurst men's ice hockey team took down the Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday at the Gene Polisseni Center in front of 2,535 spectators.
With the victory, the Lakers assured themselves a tie for first place in the final AHA regular-season standings. They will need a win or tie -- or a Canisius tie or loss against Niagara -- to lay claim to the outright AHA regular-season championship.
Bryan Sienerth scored two goals while Joseph Duszak scored the Lakers' other goal. Zach Todd, Derek Barach, Josh Lammon, Quinn Wichers and Patrick Piacentini each had one assist for Mercyhurst (18-11-4, 15-8-4).
Max Mikowski, Chase Norris and Erik Brown scored for RIT (14-17-3, 13-13-1).
During the first period, Sienerth scored his first goal of the night to give Mercyhurst an early 1-0 lead. Todd shot the puck and it deflected off Riley's skate toward Sienerth, who found the back of the net.
Thirty-eight seconds into the second period, Sienerth scored his second goal of the night to give Mercyhurst a 2-0 lead. Riley slid the puck down to Barach, who dished it over to Sienerth, who broke away to scored his ninth goal of the season.
A little over halfway through the second period, Mikowski scored to bring RIT within on. Matt Abt and Chris McKay had assists.
With 1:08 left in the second period, RIT tied the game at 2-2 with a goal from Norris.
RIT took its first lead of the game when Brown started off the scoring for the third period with assists from Girduckis and Norris.
However, within 1:08, Mercyhurst had the lead thanks to goals by Duszak and Riley.
Thirty-two seconds after RIT took the lead, Duszak scored his sixth goal of the season to tie the game at 3-3. Wichers and Duszak broke the puck out of the Mercyhurst zone. Lammon accepted a pass from Duszak and took a shot, which deflected back to Duszak, who wrapped around the RIT net and scored a forehand shot to the right of goaltender Christian Short.
Thirty-six seconds later, Riley scored his 15th goal of the season to put the Lakers ahead for good. He received assists from Piacentini and Barach. Barach dug the puck out to the point where Piacentini gained control. Piacentini directed the puck toward Riley, who deked a Tiger defender and then the goaltender, Short.
RIT thought it evened the contest with 21 seconds left in the third period, but a goaltender interference call wiped the tally and helped MU escape with the win.
The Lakers finished 0-for-3 on the power play while the Tigers went 0-for-4.
Brandon Wilding stopped 35 out of 38 shots on net for Mercyhurst while RIT goaltender Short made 18 out of 22 saves.
Both teams are back in action Saturday for their regular-season finale. The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m.
