WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass.-The Mercyhurst Lakers scored a shorthanded goal just :32 into the game and ran off with a 6-1 victory over American International ice hockey in an Atlantic Hockey contest today.

Senior forward Daniel O'Donoghue got the scoring started for the Lakers at :32 of the first period when he stole the puck at the blueline and roared in on goal, firing the puck past the blocker of senior goalkeeper Ryan Kerpan (Saskatoon, Sask.). Freshman forward Stephen Hrehoriak scored what turned into the game-winner at 3:27 of the period and senior defenseman Nick Jones tallied at 7:36 to give the Lakers a three-goal lead early on.

AIC took a late penalty for boarding in the first and then another penalty for illegally playing the puck early in the second and on the five-on-three, junior forward Kyle Just buried a shot to give the Lakers a 4-0 edge at 1:41; at 9:16, junior forward Chris Bodo added a fifth Laker goal, and then Hrehoriak tallied a sixth at 3:09 of the third.

AIC did manage to break the shutout as freshman right wing David Norris (Calgary, Alb.) made a play to senior left wing Jon Puskar (Canton, Mich.), who got the puck to junior center Brandon Fagerheim (Calgary, Alb.) out in front for his third of the year on a shot under the glove of junior Jimmy Sarjeant.

That would be all that Sarjeant allowed, as he improved to 7-3-1 on the year with 25 saves; Kerpan stopped 47 shots to fall to 0-2-0 on the campaign.

The Yellow Jackets start a five game road trip Tuesday when they head to the Tsongas Center to battle Hockey East's UMass Lowell Riverhawks at 7:00 p.m.