Erie, Pa. – The Mercyhurst Lakers Men's Ice Hockey team dropped a 4-1 decision to American International College (AIC) on Saturday evening at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Despite a third-period goal from Will Margel, the Lakers couldn't overcome AIC's strong offensive performance and power-play efficiency. 

How It Happened: 

After a scoreless first period, AIC broke through at 5:50 of the second period when Noah Serdachny found the back of the net, assisted by Dario Beljo and Danny Weight. The Yellow Jackets doubled their lead at 16:44 when Beljo capitalized on a power play, assisted by Brett Bamber and Josh Barnes, making it 2-0 heading into the final period. 

Mercyhurst responded in the third as Will Margel scored at 12:03, finishing a play set up by Boris Skalos and Ryan Coughlin to cut the deficit to 2-1. However, AIC regained control on another power-play goal from John Lundy at 18:05, followed by an empty-net goal from Oscar Geschwind at 19:16 to seal the 4-1 victory. 

Notable Performances: 

• Will Margel scored his fourth goal of the season. 

• Boris Skalos and Ryan Coughlin each tallied an assist. 

• Carter McPhail made 26 saves in net for the Lakers. 

• Trent Sambrook blocked a team-high four shots, adding to his season total of 58. 

Up Next: 

The Lakers (4-22-4, 4-15-3 AHA) will hit the road next weekend for a two-game Atlantic Hockey series against Holy Cross. Puck drop for Friday's game is set for 7 PM.