Erie, Pa. — The Lakers are back on home ice this weekend to host the Crusaders for two games. It'll be the first and only time the two sides see each other this season.
Matchup History vs Holy Cross
Since the two squads first met in 1997/98 season, Mercyhurst has had the advantage over them, going 45-20-10 all time. The Lakers have continued to hold that advantage in recent years as well. Last year, they matched up once in Worcester, in which the Lakers swept the two game series by outscoring them 7-2 on the weekend. The last time the Crusaders visited Erie, Mercyhurst won both games 2-1 with the first being an overtime winner. The last loss against Holy Cross came in the 2021/22 season as an overtime loss in Worcester.
Recap
The Lakers took a trip to Waltham this past weekend, in which they were swept by Bentley. The Falcons were able to win by four goals in each game. In game one, Mercyhurst got shutout for the first time since October when they visited Notre Dame, losing 4-0. In game two they were able to put together goals, scoring four of their own, but ultimately it wasn't enough to counter a rampant Falcons offense that scored eight, marking the second time they've been swept all season.
Stats Leaders
Boris Skalos is in the team lead for goals (10).
Steven Agriogianis has the lead in team assists (13).
Agriogianis and Skalos lead the team in points (18).
Jake Beaune has the most blocks on the team (49).
Owen Say leads the team in saves (647) and save percentage (.915).
A Look at the Crusaders
Bill Riga heads the Holy Cross coaching staff for his third season. They welcomed 8 new additions to their squad this season, six freshmen and two transfers. Both of their transfers, Nic Petruolo and Michael Hodge, came from Union College. Senior forward Jack Ricketts leads the team in goals, sitting at 11. Liam McLinskey, a junior forward, owns the team lead in both assists at 17 and total points at 26. Junior goalie Thomas Gale has the most saves at 428 over 15 starts and senior Jason Grande has the best save percentage at .924 over 12 starts. The Crusaders come into play 12-11-4 overall.
Puck drop for game one is set for Friday, January 26th at 7:00 pm and 5:00 pm for game two on Saturday, January 27th.
