May 5, 2007

Box Score

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - Neither team scored in the first quarter, but Mercyhurst scored five goals in each of the final three periods to end its regular season with a 15-7 victory over East Coast Conference rival Adelphi.

After the two squads combined for just 12 shots in the first 15 minutes, Adelphi (5-8, 1-5 ECC) got on the board with a Marc Burton score just 1:25 into the second period. The Lakers retaliated with a four-goal run over the a span of less than seven minutes to take a 4-1 lead. Mike Thon scored the first two Mercyhurst (12-1, 6-0 ECC) goals, taking an assist from David Osier on the team's first goal at 12:04.

Scott Janssen made it 3-1 with a score at 6:20, then assisted on Tyler Burton's score with 5:24 to play in the half.

The Panthers' Michael Gongas, however, scored just 14 seconds later, and Adelphi added two more to tie things with 1:51 left in the period.

Mike Bartlett gave Mercyhurst its one-goal advantage with 0:26 remaining in the second with an unassisted score.

Mercyhurst outscored the Panthers 5-1 in the third quarter and turned in an eight goal run to take control of the contest. Simon Stocks and Bartlett each scored unassisted to make it 7-4, before Adelphi cut the lead to two with another goal by Gongas.

The Lakers, however, scored the next eight goals to close the third and open the fourth. Adam Mulherin scored all three of his goals during the spree and Bartlett added a pair. Bryon Lindner and Janssen had the other goals in the run that gave Mercyhurst a 15-5 advantage.

Adelphi scored a pair of late goals in the final two minutes for the 15-7 final.

Bartlett scored a career-high four goals in the contest. Mulherin added three, while Janssen, Thon and Tyler Burton had two apiece. Janssen matched Bartlett's four points by assiting on two Laker scores.

Jason Lashomb had four groundballs and made 15 saves in the win.

Gongas scored three for the Panthers, with Marc Burton adding a pair.

Drew Smith started in net for Adelphi, making 10 saves and allowing 12 goals. Sean Quinlan finished the contest, surrendering Mercyhurst's final three goals and making a pair of stops.

A year after finishing the year in a three-way tie for the conference championship, Mercyhurst used the win to claim an outright ECC title and has had at least a share of the conference championship in both of its two seasons in the league.

The victory should also keep the Lakers in the No. 1 position in the Division II rankings and set up the team to host an NCAA Final Four game for the first time in school history. Mercyhurst has made three of the past four final fours.