NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – The Mercyhurst men's hockey team traveled to Niagara in game two of a home-and-home series. Last night, the Lakers blanked the Purple Eagles, 3-0. Today, the Lakers led for the entirety of the game. They took a 4-2 victory in a chippy affair featuring 26 total penalties. Salvatore Evola made 36 saves and helped secured their first sweep of the season after Charles-Edward Gravel kept a shutout last night.

The game began with Niagara (7-14-0, 4-9-0 AHA) winning the initial faceoff. However, Mercyhurst (3-18-1, 3-10-1 AHA) quickly turned the momentum with Andrew LeBlanc scoring an even-strength goal at 19:07, assisted by Will Schumacher and Jacob Leblanc. Despite a flurry of penalties, including a 10-minute unsportsmanlike conduct for the Lakers' Connor Pelc and Kaden Muir, they maintained their advantage. The period concluded with the Lakers leading 1-0 as Evola made several saves.
 
The Lakers extended their lead in the second period with a goal by Brendan Lamb at 11:31, marking his third of the series. Despite a series of shots from the Purple Eagles, Evola consistently denied scoring opportunities. The Lakers successfully navigated penalty situations, preventing Niagara from converting on their power play opportunities. The period concluded with the Lakers leading 2-0.
 
Mercyhurst capitalized early in the final frame with a power-play goal by Sean James, assisted by Caleb Price and Ryan Coughlin, extending their lead to 3-0 at 17:51. Niagara responded by closing the gap to 3-2 with goals from Ray Murakami and Marshall Finnie, creating tension as the period progressed. However, with 1:24 remaining, Schumacher secured the victory for the Lakers with an empty-net goal, assisted by Coughlin, bringing the final score to 4-2. 

The Lakers will host Canisius for their next series beginning Friday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.