Jan. 10, 2008

Erie, Pa. -

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Mercyhurst and Army, separated by only two points in the current Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) standings, collide this Friday and Saturday nights at 7:05 at the Ice Center. The Lakers, 5-13-2 overall and 5-5-2 in the conference, are tied for sixth in the ten-team league while the Black Knights (6-9-3, 6-4-2) are fourth.

Mercyhurst had a three-game winning streak snapped last weekend with 3-2 and 5-1 non-conference setbacks to WCHA-member Michigan Tech. Those were the final non-conference games of the regular season.

Army also played out-of-conference for the last time last weekend and dropped a 3-2 home decision to Union and a 4-1 road verdict to Merrimack. Army is winless in its last five games (0-4-1).

Mercyhurst sophomore defenseman Matt Fennell will be presented with Atlantic Hockey's 2007 Scholar Athlete of the Year awatd before Friday's game. AH Commissioner Bob DeGregorio will make the presentation to Fennell, who carried a perfect 4.0 GPA in Biology.

Fast Facts

• Sophomore defenseman Matt Fennell will receive the Atlantic Hockey 2007 Student Athlete of the Year Award before Friday's game. Fennell, a biology major, had a perfect 4.0 last year. AH Commissioner Bob DeGregorio will make the presentation.

• Senior Ben Cottreau, who missed five games prior to the 2007-ending AIC series, had a goal in each of the Tech games and now has a 5-game scoring streak.

• The Lakers have scored more than three goals in a game only four times in their first 20 contests.

• Michigan Tech became the 5th nationally-ranked team to face the Lakers this season. (Ohio State, Notre Dame, Maine, and Michigan State).

• Sophomore Cody Collins had his first goal of the season in Friday's 3-2 loss. It was his first goal since last March when he lit the lamp in a season-ending 5-4 loss at UConn in the conference quarterfinals.

• Freshman defenseman Zack Fenwick signed with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League over break and senior forward Ryan Toomey learned he will miss the rest of the season due to injury.

• Mercyhurst has played four overtime games this season. They played a club-record ten last year.

• Mercyhurst has been outshot in 14 of 20 games and has won only one time (RIT) when trailing after two periods.

• Freshmen forwards Brandon Coccimiglio and Scott Pitt join Cottreau as the only multiple-point players on the team so far this season.

• Mercyhurst has two former players under contract to National Hockey League teams. Defenseman Jamie Hunt is playing in the Washington Capitals organization. He made his NHL debut last fall for the Caps at Pittsburgh. Defenseman T.J. Kemp signed a one-year deal with Edmonton over the summer and made his NHL debut in September in an exhibition game at Vancouver. At the moment, the two are assigned to Hershey and Springfield respectively.

• Former defenseman Conrad Martin signed a professional tryout contract with the America Hockey League's Hamilton Bulldogs over the Christmas/New Year's break. Former goalie Andy Franck is now with the AHL's Providence Bruins.

• Although the Lakers lead the all-time series 14-7-0, Army has won the last three including 6-3 and 2-1 verdicts at Army last season. Army's last visit to the Ice Center was in February of 2006. Mercyhurst won the opener 6-2, but Army prevailed 3-2 in the weekend finale, its first-ever win in Erie.

• The Lakers were picked to finish fourth this season in the 10-team Atlantic Hockey Association's pre-season coaches' poll. Army was picked third.

• The Lakers are tied for sixth in Atlantic Hockey with Canisius, but have two games in hand. The Lakers trail fourth-place Army by two points. Both teams have played the same number of conference games. Mercyhurst trails first-place Air Force by seven points, but has four games in hand.

• Both teams have played four common conference opponents: Holy Cross, RIT, Sacred Heart, and AIC. The Black Knights are 4-2-2 against the quartet while the Lakers are 3-3-2.

• Both Rick Gotkin and Brian Riley have won conference Coach of the Year honors. Riley was an assistant coach for SUNY Plattsburgh's NCAA Championship Team in 1986-87. Mercyhurst AD Craig Barnett was a goaltender for that team.

• Army assistant coach Rob Haberbusch was Craig Barnett's assistant for five years at the University of Findlay. Army assistant coach Brian Sherry played for Barnett and the Oilers from 2002 through 2004, when the program was dissolved.