Saturday, November 26
Erie, PA
2:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
6-8-2, 2-5-1
2
at
4
Mercyhurst University
5-9-2, 4-2-2
1
2
3
F
Air Force
0
1
1
2
Mercyhurst
1
2
1
4
Falcons fall to Mercyhurst, 4-2
11/26/2022 4:57:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
ERIE, Pa. – Mercyhurst built a 2-0 lead in the second period and held off Air Force for a 4-2 win in an Atlantic Hockey Association game Saturday, Nov. 26, in Erie, Pa. Mercyhurst swept the two-game series.
Mercyhurst broke a scoreless tie late in the first period after winning a faceoff in the offensive zone. Marko Reifenberger won the draw and Gueorgui Feduolov won a stick battle on the boards, spun into the left circle and snapped a wrister for a 1-0 lead at 17:10.
Early in the second period, the Lakers (5-9-2, 4-2-2 AHA) took a 2-0 lead on the rush when Steven Agriogianis tipped in a centering pass from Kyler Head at 1:50. Air Force got on the board at 2:59 when Nate Horn netted his sixth of the season. Brandon Koch took a shot from the left circle and then chased it down behind the net. From below the goal line, Koch sent the puck out front and Horn cut the Laker lead in half. Luke Rowe also assisted on the play. Late in the period, the Lakers regained the two-goal advantage when Jake Beaune centered a puck from the wall to Reifenberger on the doorstep at 16:55.
Mercyhurst took a 4-1 lead early in the third period on the rush. Garrett Dahm tipped in a centering pass from Joseph Maziarz at 5:26. Air Force cut the Laker lead in half again as Luke Rowe scored his fifth of the season. Austin Schwartz gained the zone and Ty Pochipinski set up Rowe at the right point. Rowe's first shot was saved, but he put back his own rebound at 12:22.
Late in the third period, a major penalty was called on the Lakers and the Falcons went on the power play. With 3:19 remaining, the Falcons pulled the goalie and had a 6-on-4 advantage. Air Force kept the puck in the offensive zone nearly the entire time. In the final 4:37 of the game, Air Force had 11 shots on net and four others blocked by defensemen, but were not able to cut into the Laker lead.
Air Force outshot Mercyhurst, 19-7, in the third period and 40-30 in the game. Guy Blessing made 26 saves while Laker goalie Tyler Harmon made 38. Each team was 0-for-3 on the power play.
"We played better tonight, but we didn't get any puck luck," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We played with more grit in our game tonight, but we were chasing the scoreboard again. We took a step in the right direction, but it wasn't good enough. It is very frustrating. This was a hard-fought game both ways, but they found a way to score goals and we didn't."
Air Force (6-8-2, 2-5-1 AHA) returns home for a two-game conference series against Holy Cross, Dec. 2-3, at the Cadet Ice Arena.
--30--
Mercyhurst broke a scoreless tie late in the first period after winning a faceoff in the offensive zone. Marko Reifenberger won the draw and Gueorgui Feduolov won a stick battle on the boards, spun into the left circle and snapped a wrister for a 1-0 lead at 17:10.
Early in the second period, the Lakers (5-9-2, 4-2-2 AHA) took a 2-0 lead on the rush when Steven Agriogianis tipped in a centering pass from Kyler Head at 1:50. Air Force got on the board at 2:59 when Nate Horn netted his sixth of the season. Brandon Koch took a shot from the left circle and then chased it down behind the net. From below the goal line, Koch sent the puck out front and Horn cut the Laker lead in half. Luke Rowe also assisted on the play. Late in the period, the Lakers regained the two-goal advantage when Jake Beaune centered a puck from the wall to Reifenberger on the doorstep at 16:55.
Mercyhurst took a 4-1 lead early in the third period on the rush. Garrett Dahm tipped in a centering pass from Joseph Maziarz at 5:26. Air Force cut the Laker lead in half again as Luke Rowe scored his fifth of the season. Austin Schwartz gained the zone and Ty Pochipinski set up Rowe at the right point. Rowe's first shot was saved, but he put back his own rebound at 12:22.
Late in the third period, a major penalty was called on the Lakers and the Falcons went on the power play. With 3:19 remaining, the Falcons pulled the goalie and had a 6-on-4 advantage. Air Force kept the puck in the offensive zone nearly the entire time. In the final 4:37 of the game, Air Force had 11 shots on net and four others blocked by defensemen, but were not able to cut into the Laker lead.
Air Force outshot Mercyhurst, 19-7, in the third period and 40-30 in the game. Guy Blessing made 26 saves while Laker goalie Tyler Harmon made 38. Each team was 0-for-3 on the power play.
"We played better tonight, but we didn't get any puck luck," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We played with more grit in our game tonight, but we were chasing the scoreboard again. We took a step in the right direction, but it wasn't good enough. It is very frustrating. This was a hard-fought game both ways, but they found a way to score goals and we didn't."
Air Force (6-8-2, 2-5-1 AHA) returns home for a two-game conference series against Holy Cross, Dec. 2-3, at the Cadet Ice Arena.
--30--
Team Stats
AF
MU
Shots
40
30
PPG
0
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
3
3
Penalty Mins
6
9
Faceoffs Won
27
33
Game Leaders
Skaters
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
2
A
1
+/-
0
Goals
0
Sh
1
A
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Ice HockeyD
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