ERIE, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst men's hockey team will play a home and home weekend series with Atlantic Hockey foe Niagara Friday and Saturday. The Friday contest is set for a 7:05 p.m. puck drop inside the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The series finale will be at Dwyer Arena in Lewistown, N.Y. and is also slated for a 7:05 p.m. start.

The Lakers come into the contest after a series split with AIC. Niagara also split their conference series last weekend with Canisius.

Mercyhurst brings a scoring average of 2.6 into the contest while NIagara averages 1.7 goals per game. The teams have put almost the same number of shots on net through 10 games with 246 for the Lakers and 247 for the Purple Eagles, but Mercyhurst has a shooting percentage of .106 while NIagara's stands at .069.

Steven Ipri leads the Lakers in points with 13 and goals with six. Dalton Hunter ranks second on the team with 12 points and has recorded a team-high nine helpers.

Garrett Metcalf is coming off a win in the series finale with AIC stopping 35-of-38 shots. He is currently 3-3-0 on the season with a .898 save percentage and a 3.65 goals against average.

A limited number of tickets are still available by clicking here or tickets are sold 90 minutes prior to puck drop at the Ice Center.

Laker Notes

THIS WEEK'S GAMES
The Lakers bring a 4-6 overall mark and 2-2 in Atlantic Hockey play after a weekend split with AIC.

The Friday contest with Niagara (1-8-1 overall, 1-4-1 AHA) will be played at the Mercyhurst Ice Center while Saturday's clash will be at Dwyer Arena. 

The Lakers hold a slim 16-15-2 advantage in the all-time series and are 11-7-2 at the MIC and 5-8-0 on the road.

Mercyhurst comes in averaging 2.6 goals per game and allowing 4.7.   

LAST TIME OUT
Mercyhurst bounced back from a tough Friday night with a 4-3 overtime win over AIC on Saturday.

Steven Ipri scored a pair of goals including the overtime winner. Garrett Metcalf stopped 35-of-38 shots to in the victory.

The Lakers dropped a 12-0 decision to the Yellow Jackets on Friday.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
Mercyhurst has just eight upperclassmen and has a roster with 11 freshman and eight sophomores. 

Joseph Maziarz scored his first collegiate goal against Bentley and is leading all freshman with four points.

Gueorgui Feduolov has a pair of goals on the season while Ashton Stockie has a pair of assists. 

A pair of sophomores lead the Lakers in scoring in forwards Steven Ipri and Dalton Hunter.

Ipri has a team-high 13 points on six goals and seven assists.

Ipri's 1.3 points per game ties him for 22nd in the country.

Hunter has 12 points and a team-leading nine assists he currently ranks tied for 31st with 1.2 points per game.

AHA PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Dalton Hunter was selected as the Atlantic Hockey Player of the Month recording nine points in six games in October.

Hunter posted three goals and six assists and had three multi-point games.

Hunter is currently second on the team in points with 12 and leads the team with nine assists.

Hunter has recorded a point in eight of the Lakers 10 games.

MAN ADVANTAGE 
Mercyhust has used the power-play to their advantage cashing in on 12-of-47 opportunities on the year.

The Lakers rank 10th in the NCAA for power play percentage with a conversion rate tof .255.

Eight different Mercyhurst players have recorded a power play points and six different Lakers have power play goals. James Anderson and Steven Ipri each have netted three power play tallies.

CARDIAC KIDS
The Lakers have had a flare for the dramatic this season with all of their victories coming by one goal in the final minute of regulation or in overtime. 

The Lakers started the season with a 3-2 win at Arizona State scoring the game-winner with 19 seconds to play.

Mercyhurst has scored three overtime game winners against St. Lawrence, Bentley and AIC.

EXPERIENCE IN NET
Despite the youth up and down the roster, Mercyhurst brings back a wealth of experience between the pipes. The Lakers bring back a junior and a pair of seniors between the pipes.

Redshirt senior Garrett Metcalf has made six starts for the Lakers making 184 saves and posting a 3.65 goals against average.

Mercyhurst also brings back junior Stefano Cantali. Cantali has made the four starts for the Lakers making 93 saves and posting a .845 save percentage. 

Senior Colin DeAugustine  has made two appearances this season making 43 saves in relief.

BEHIND THE BENCH
Head coach Rick Gotkin enters his 32nd year behind the bench for the Lakers. He is fresh off a contract extension prior to the season.

Gotkin is the longest-tenured coach in Division I and currently ranks second among active coaches in wins with 562.

He ranks in the top 20 in career wins and has guided the Lakers to six NCAA appearances.

FRIENDSHIP FOUR
The Lakers have been selected to compete in the 2020 Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Mercyhurst is one of three Atlantic Hockey Schools to compete in the 2020 version of the Friendship Four. It is the first time that Atlantic Hockey members will compete in Belfast. Army and Sacred Heart will also be in Northern Ireland. Quinnipiac will round out the field.

The opening night matchups have been announced and Mercyhurst will take on ECAC opponent Quinnipac on the opening night. Time and game order is still to be determined.