USAFA, Colo. - The Mercyhurst men's hockey team traveled to Air Force for another crucial AHA series. Going into the game, the Lakers had not won at the Cadet Ice Arena since 2018. The first period was scoreless, the second period featured five goals, and the third period featured a fire alarm delay and a Laker equalizer. At 3-3, the game remained tied in overtime and Mercyhurst won the ten-attempt shootout, 3-2. Salvatore Evola made an outstanding 40 saves between the pipes. 
 
The first period commenced with Mercyhurst (4-22-3, 4-14-3 AHA) and Ryan Coughlin winning the opening faceoff. The Lakers displayed strong defensive efforts, highlighted by Evola's multiple saves. Dominik Bartecko blocked a couple of shots, successfully thwarting Air Force (14-12-3, 10-9-2 AHA) and their offensive attempts. Despite some offensive opportunities, including a shot hitting the pipe by Bartecko, the Lakers were unable to convert. The period concluded with both teams scoreless.
 
The second stanza was the start of complete chaos. Lakers opened the second period with a quick goal at 18:52 by Christian Kocsis, assisted by Sean James and Brendan Lamb. The Falcons responded swiftly, leveling the score at 18:26. Mercyhurst regained the advantage at 16:57 with a goal from Coughlin, assisted by Jacob Leblanc. However, Air Force managed to tie it again at 12:55 with another goal by Genest, and later took the lead with his hat-trick goal at 3:38. The period concluded with Air Force leading 3-2.
 
The third frame was marked by early domination from Air Force. With six minutes played, everything changed. The game was halted for 30 minutes due to a fire alarm delay. When play resumed, the Lakers found some fire of their own. Lukas Klemm fired a shot from the blue line at the 10:37 mark, assisted by John Larkin and Alexander Dimitriadis, who won the initial faceoff. This even-strength goal leveled the score and had the Lakers fired up. The remainder of the period saw solid defensive efforts from the Lakers, with Evola making key saves to maintain the tie after regulation. 
 
In a tense overtime period, the Lakers were initially on defense, with Evola making several key saves yet again against the Falcons' persistent offense. Caleb Price contributed significantly by blocking an early shot. Despite Air Force's offensive pressure, the Lakers managed to keep the score level, as Christian Kocsis had a shot saved. The period concluded without a change in score, ending the game in a tie.
 
In the decisive shootout, there were ten attempts on net, five for each team. Mercyhurst's Barrett Brooks and Bartecko both successfully converted their attempts, contributing crucially to the team's performance. Kocsis smoothly potted the final goal, while Salvatore Evola stood firm in the net, making the final save. The Lakers outlasted Air Force, concluding the game with a final score of 3-3 and an extra point for their 3-2 shootout win. 

Puck drop for game two will take place tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. EST.