ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst men's hockey team hosted RIT for game two of the series. Last night, the Lakers scord two special-teams goals, featuring a powerplay and a shorthanded, and tied the Tigers 2-2. The shots were closer tonight, but the Tigers captialized on more of their chances and handed the Lakers a 3-1 defeat. 
 
The first period commenced with Mercyhurst (3-21-2, 3-13-2 AHA) taking early control by winning the opening faceoff. Despite multiple attempts by Caleb Price and Dominik Bartecko, shots were met with saves by RIT (15-11-2, 11-7-2 AHA). Charles-Edward Gravel stood firm in goal for the Lakers, turning aside numerous shots, including several during a power play after Andrew LeBlanc's penalty for cross-checking. Mercyhurst's defense effectively neutralized the Tigers' offensive efforts, maintaining a scoreless draw by the period's conclusion, with both teams locked at 0-0.
 
The Lakers faced a challenging second period against RIT, initially struggling as the Tigers scored twice, breaking the deadlock at 11:19. They then extended the lead at 8:07. Despite these setbacks, the Lakers responded with a goal by LeBlanc at 6:00, assisted by Caleb Price and his brother Jacob Leblanc, narrowing the deficit. The period concluded with RIT holding a 2-1 advantage.
 
Mercyhurst continued to face some challenges as RIT maintained pressure, resulting in multiple blocked shots and saves by the Lakers' defense. Price and Kaden Muir continued to these blocks. Despite being on the penalty kill twice, Mercyhurst held RIT scoreless during those power plays. In the final moments, RIT sealed their advantage with an empty-net goal at 00:30, extending their lead to two. The game concluded with Mercyhurst unable to close the gap, ending in a 3-1 defeat.
 
The Lakers hit the road to face Sacred Heart in their next series on Feb. 6 and 7.