FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Mercyhurst men's hockey team played game two of their road series at Sacred Heart. They were beaten last night and today was headed in the same direction when they went down, 1-0. However, they turned the tide when a coaches' challenge negated the Pioneers' second goal. The Lakers used this momentum, scored an equalizer and a game-winner, and secured a 2-1 victory. Salvatore Evola made 26 saves on 27 shots. 
 
The game commenced with Sacred Heart (14-11-3, 10-7-3 AHA) taking the initial faceoff. Mercyhurst (4-22-2, 4-14-2 AHA) responded with a faceoff win by Brendan Lamb shortly after. Evola stood firm in goal for the Lakers, denying multiple attempts from the Pioneers throughout the period. The Lakers had several shots on goal, including a close call from Andrew LeBlanc that hit the pipe during a power play. Despite their efforts, Mercyhurst could not capitalize on their opportunities, while Sacred Heart managed to score at the 3:41 mark. The Lakers were trailing by just a goal after the first,
 
Mercyhurst faced a challenging second period against Sacred Heart. They killed off a power play without conceding a goal after a hooking penalty on Kaden Muir at 16:58. Evola made multiple crucial saves, particularly during the power play, keeping the Lakers in the game. Despite several attempts from LeBlanc and Christian Kocsis, Mercyhurst could not break through, and the period ended with the score still at 1-0. 
 
The Lakers seized momentum in the final frame. Sacred Heart thought they scored their second goal. Merchurst challenged the call for offsides, won, and the score remained 1-0. The decisive goal by Alexander Dimitriadis came at 15:10 to level the game. This was assisted by Lukas Klemm and Sean James. Dominik Bartecko's blocked shot soon after highlighted the momentum the Lakers had. Kocsis then netted the game-winning goal at 8:36, again assisted by Klemm, with Dimitriadis contributing to the play. Mercyhurst's defense, backed by solid saves from Evola, maintained the lead against the Pioneer's attempts. The comeback was complete and the game ended with a 2-1 victory.
 
The Lakers will travel across the country to Air Force in their next series on Feb. 13 and 14.