Oct. 21, 2006

Stats

Worcester, Mass. - Mercyhurst got the first career hat trick from junior forward Ben Cottreau, a last-minute goal from sophomore forward Matt Pierce, and a pair of goals from senior captain Kyle Gourgon to outlast conference-rival Holy Cross 7-5 Saturday and earn its first win of the season. The Lakers are now 1-3 overall, but evened their Atlantic Hockey record at 1-1. The Crusaders, 4-1 winners over the Lakers Friday night, dropped to 1-2 and 1-1 respectively.

After a scorless 13 minutes, the teams combined for four lamplighters in the last seven minutes of the opening period. Cottreau scored his first goal at 13:05 and Gourgon gave Mercyhurst a two-goal cushion with a power play marker at 16:30. But the Crusaders regrouped and got even with an even strength and a power play goal by freshman winger Ryan Driscoll at 17:53 and 19:54. Both teams had eleven shots in the first twenty minutes.

Mercyhurst freshman defenseman Matt Fennell's first collegiate goal, a power play score at 9:55 of the second, restored Mercyhurst's lead. But, before the middle frame ended, Holy Cross had captured the momentum thanks to a power play goal from senior winger Sean Nappo at 12:30 and an even strength marker from junior forward Chris Trovato at 14:58. Holy Cross had a 16-11 shot advantage in the second frame.

Cottreau tied the game at 4-4 with his second of the game at 5:35 of the third, but Holy Cross junior forward Dale Reinhardt scored his third goal of the series, with the Crusaders down a man, at 7:35. It was all Mercyhurst thereafter. Cottreau tied the contest for the last time with hsi third of the game, this one on a power play, at 9:09. The perennial rivals played scoreless hockey for the next ten minutes before sophomore forward Matt Pierce, who tallied the Lakers' lone goal Friday, found the back of the net with just 37 seconds left in regulation. Gourgon then finished Holy Cross and the scoring by notching his second of the game and third of the season into an empty net with 10 seconds left.

Mercyhurst finished with three power play goals in ten tries and 38 shots against freshman Tyler Chestnut, last night's winning goalie. Mercyhurst sophomore Tyler Small stopped 34 of 39 HC shots in picking up his first win of the season in four starts. The teams combined for 80 minutes in penalties, 48 to Holy Cross.

Cottreau added two assists for a five-point game and Gourgon, who got his first two-goal game since December 9 of last season in a 5-4 verdict over visiting Canisius, also had a pair of helpers for a four-point effort.

Mercyhurst will open its regular season home schedule next Friday and Saturday when conference-rival Connecticut visits for a pair of 7:00pm games.