March 13, 2007

ERIE, Pa. - The 2006-07 season continued Mercyhurst College's march towards the elite teams in both the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and the Great Lakes Region.

For the second straight season, the Lakers exceeded expectations placed on the squad in the conference preseason poll. Picked to come in third in the competitive GLIAC South Division, Mercyhurst finished second in the division, earning its first GLIAC Quarterfinal home game since joining the conference in 1995-96.

A 59-54 win over Wayne State at the MAC accomplished several firsts for the Lakers. No Mercyhurst team had won a postseason game in 29 years. It was also Mercyhurst's first GLIAC postseason win and earned the team its first trip to the GLIAC semifinals.

It was also the Lakers' 13th home win of the season, as the MAC was again a tough place for opponents to play. Mercyhurst was 13-2 (.867) on its home floor in 2006-07 increasing its mark to 24-5 over the past two seasons (.828).

The team had clinched second place in the GLIAC South with just the program's fifth win over rival Gannon at the Hammermill Center, one of the toughest venues for road teams in Division II. That victory also gave Mercyhurst just its second season sweep of the series with the Golden Knights.

Mercyhurst finished its season with 18 wins, giving the program 37 wins over the past two seasons, the fourth highest two-year total in school history. The squad also finished with nine conference victories, giving it 18 over the past two years. That total ties for a Laker record and the .529 win percentage against GLIAC competition is a two-year record. It was also the first time the Lakers had put together winnings conference records in consecutive seasons.

In addition to the team accomplishments, there were several individual accolades and milestones. Seniors Avi Fogel and Shelby Chaney both topped the 1,000 career point plateau. After the season, Fogel was named to the All-GLIAC South first team, while Chaney earned a nod on the second team.