Jan. 30, 2008

Erie, Pa. -

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Mercyhurst and Holy Cross, two perennial Atlantic Hockey (AH) contenders, play for the third and fourth times this season when the two collide in Worcester, Mass., this Friday and Saturday. The Lakers, 7-14-5 overall and 7-6-5 (5th in AH), own a two-point advantage over the Crusaders, 8-10-6 and 7-8-3, and tied for 6th. Holy Cross got the better of play in Erie last October, winning 4-1 and tying 2-2 in overtime. Both Friday and Saturday games begin at 7:05 at the Hart Center.

Junior Matt Lundin is expected to start both games in goa for Mercyhurst. Lundin was injured when the Crusaders visited the Ice Center in October.

Mercyhurst wraps up a 6-game road trip with this weekend's games. The Lakers are 0-1-3 on the current road swing and played a pair of 3-3 overtime ties at Bentley last weekend.

Holy Cross has won three of its last four conference games and divided a home-and-home series with Sacred Heart last weekend, losing 5-1 there and winning 4-2 on home ice.

Only eight points separate first-place RIT (24) from ninth-place Canisius (16). AIC is tenth with a dozen points. Nine of the ten teams have 10 conference games left in the regular season. RIT has eight AH contests remaining.

Fun Facts

• The Lakers are 5-1-3 in their last nine conference games

• Senior Ben Cottreau had a 9-game scoring streak ended by Bentley last Friday

• The Lakers have scored a power play goal in five of their last six games and seven of their last nine. Their four-game streak was severed by Bentley last Friday

• Mercyhurst has given up three goals in every game of its current 6-game trip and has scored three in all but one game when it was nipped 3-2 at UConn on January 19.

• The Lakers have scored more than three goals in a game only five times in their first 26 contests.

• Mercyhurst has played seven overtime games this season, 0-5-2. They played a club-record ten last year.

• Mercyhurst has been outshot in 18 of 26 games and has won only one time (RIT) when trailing after two periods.

• Junior Matt Pierce had the first two-goal game of his career at Bentley Saturday.

• Sophomores Cullen Eddy and Chris Risi scored their first goals of the season at Bentley last Friday.

• The Lakers lead the all-time series against Holy Cross 16-9-4. Holy Cross defeated Mercyhurst 4-1 and tied the Lakers 2-2 in late October at the Ice Center.

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

• The Lakers are fifth in the tightly-bunched conference at the moment; Holy Cross is tied for sixth but only two points behind the Lakers.