Box Score

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American International College men's ice hockey team dropped a 7-2 decision against Mercyhurst College to earn a weekend split. The Lakers are now 13-9-2 overall and 10-3-2 in conference play, while the Yellow Jackets move to 4-16-2 overall and 3-10-2 in the AHA.

Mercyhurst started the contest with a 1-0 lead at 6:19 in the first period when senior defenseman Kevin Noble (Sparwood, B.C.) placed the puck right over junior goalie Ben Meisner's (Halifax, N.S.) shoulder off a pass from freshman forward Nardo Nagtzaam (Nijmegen, Netherlands).

The Lakers earned a 2-0 lead at 10:22 in the second period when senior defense Patrick Goebel (Independence, Ohio) found the back of the net. Mercyhurst ended the second period up 4-0, sophomore forward Trent Frey (River Falls, Wis.) and freshman forward Matthew Zay Glendale, N.Y.) earned the last two goals of the period.

The Yellow Jackets finally got on the board at 16:47 when sophomore forward Blake Peake (Lethbridge, Alb.) scored in the third period to make it a 7-1 contest. Sophomore forward Nick Sandor (Vancouver, B.C.) scored AIC's final goal with 59 seconds left in the game. Mercyhurst earned a 7-2 victory over the Yellow Jackets

Sophomore goalie Jordan Tibbett (Indianapolis, Ind.) made 27 saves in the victory, while Meisner stopped 29 in the loss.
The Lakers outshot AIC 51-29.

The Yellow Jackets will return to action a week from Friday when they travel to Niagara University to take on the Purple Knights on January 20th & 21st for an Atlantic Hockey weekend series.