Rochester, N.Y. – The Mercyhurst Lakers Men's Ice Hockey team fought hard but ultimately fell 3-2 to RIT in an Atlantic Hockey matchup on Friday night at the Gene Polisseni Center. The Lakers tied the game twice, but a third-period goal by Xavier Lapointe proved to be the game-winner for the Tigers.
How It Happened:
RIT took the early lead at 5:41 of the first period when Crossley Stewart found the back of the net off an assist from Tanner Andrew. The Lakers responded late in the period, as Mickey Burns netted the equalizer at 16:08, finishing a feed from Ryan Coughlin to send the game into the first intermission tied 1-1.
The Tigers reclaimed the lead in the second period on the power play, with Tyler Fukakusa scoring at 13:29, assisted by Xavier Lapointe and Matthew Wilde. Once again, Mercyhurst answered back before the period ended, as Burns struck for his second goal of the game at 18:48, with assists from Matteo Disipio and Tyler DesRochers, bringing the game to 2-2 heading into the final frame.
RIT secured the game-winner at 10:53 of the third, as Lapointe capitalized on a setup from Wilde and Fukakusa. Despite pushing for a late equalizer, Mercyhurst couldn't break through RIT's defense.
Notable Performances:
Up Next:
Mercyhurst (4-25-4, 4-18-3 AHA) will look to bounce back in the series finale against RIT on Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 7 PM at the Gene Polisseni Center.
