ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst men's hockey team hosted Army for their first home series of 2026. The score was deadlocked at zero after the first two periods.
Will Schumacher opened the scoring in the middle of the third period and the Lakers fired home two more to pick up their first win of the season, 3-0.
Charles-Edward Gravel had another impressive showing with 39 saves and his first career shutout.
Today's game began with Mercyhurst (1-17-1, 1-9-1 AHA) coming out strong, with
Christian Kocsis and
Lukas Klemm both attempting early shots that were saved by the Black Knights goaltender. Despite consistent offensive pressure, including several faceoff wins by the Lakers, they were unable to convert their chances into a goal. Defensively, Gravel was solid in goal, making numerous saves against Army (7-10-5, 2-9-3 AHA). Gravel was particularly strong during a power play opportunity for Army following a slashing penalty on Mercyhurst. The period concluded with Mercyhurst on a power play due to a high-sticking penalty on Army, but neither team managed to score, leaving the scoreboard at 0-0.
The Lakers faced a defensive battle in the second period, with Gravel continuing to show out between the pipes. Despite facing two power plays, the Lakers maintained their composure. They successfully killed both penalties, featuring a critical block by
Tyler DesRochers. The period concluded with neither team finding the back of the net, leaving the deadlocked at 0-0.
Mercyhurst took decisive control in the third period with a series of key plays. At 12:50, Schumacher scored the first goal, assisted by
Ryan Coughlin, giving the Lakers a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, at 14:17,
Sean James increased the lead to 2-0 with a goal assisted by
Connor Pelc. The Lakers were now up 2-0 in less than two minutes. The momentum continued as
Andrew LeBlanc secured his first career goal with an empty-netter at 18:03, assisted by Klemm, extending the lead to three. Since Schumacher's opening goal, the Laker's momentum could not be stopped. Mercyhurst's defense remained strong, backed by Gravel who completed his first career shutout. The game concluded with a 3-0 victory for the Lakers.
Puck drop for game two will take place tomorrow, Jan. 10 at 5 p.m.
