Dec. 2, 2006

Stats

Springfield, MA - Mercyhurst scored three unanswered first period goals and went on from there to defeat American International College 8-3 Saturday night to gain a split of their weekend series. The Lakers improved to 4-8-3 overall and to 4-6-2 in Atlantic Hockey. The Yellow Jackets, who surprised Mercyhurst 4-2 Friday, fell to 1-13-0 and 1-10-0.

Five different Lakers enjoyed three-point games. Senior captain Kyle Gourgon and sophomore forward Chris Trafford scored two goals apiece while single markers went to Ryan Toomey, Nick Vandenbeld, Bobby Phillips, and Scott Champagne.

Toomey, Vandenbeld, and Gourgon scored even strength goals in the opening period to give senior netminder Jordan Wakefield, making just his second start of the season, an early cushion.

The two teams divided four goals in the middle period. Mark Pavli got the Yellow Jackets on the board with an early power play goal, but Gourgon answered with a power play goal of his own nearly eight minutes later to restore the 3-goal margin. Mark Fuqua trimmed the deficit to two with a goal at 10:48, but Champagne matched that with his seventh of the year, with the Lakers up a man, at 15:37.

Pavli cut the deficit to 5-3 with his second of the game at 9:03 of the third, but Trafford scored two power play goals sandwiched around an even strength lamplighter by Phillips to complete the scoring. Winger Trafford hadn't played in the last five games while defenseman Phillips had missed the last seven. They were two of the quintet with three-point efforts.

Wakefield benefited from the offensive display by picking up his first win in more than a year. Wakefield and the Lakers defeated the Yellow Jackets 9-3 November 5, 2005, in Massachusetts.

Mercyhurst outshot its first opponent of the season, getting 37 shots against Friday night's winner, Tom Fenton, and Matt Tourville, who played the final 2:30. Wakefield was credited with 22 stops.

Mercyhrust will return to the Ice Center next week for conference games against Rochester Institute of Technology. Both Friday and Saturday night games start at 7.