Feb. 27, 2008

Erie, Pa. -

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Mercyhurst and Canisius, two old rivals from the late 80s, close the Atlantic Hockey Association regular season with a home-and-home series this weekend. Friday's game takes place in Buffalo while the Lakers and Golden Griffins close the campaign Saturday at 7:05 at the Ice Center on Senior Night. Seniors Kerry Bowman, Jamie Coghlan, Ben Cottreau, and Ryan Toomey will be recognized before the game.

All ten positions in the conference remain up for grabs. The conference calls it "parity"; the fans call it "exciting"; the coaches and players find it "nerve-wracking". Mercyhurst, 11-17-6 overall, is currently fifth in the onference with an 11-9-6 record. While the Lakers can't catch Army for first (the Black Knights have 33 points), they couold climb as high as second with some help. The top five finishers host a best-of-three quarterfinal series the following weekend.

On the flip side, a pair of losses to Canisius could drop Mercyhurst to sixth and place Rick Gotkin's team on the road for the opening round.

Canisius, 10-18-5 overall, is tied for seventh in AH with a record of 9-13-4. The Golden Griffins will travel for the conference quarterfinals no matter what they do this weekend, since they can wind up no better than 6th.

The teams split a pair of earlier games, with each protecting its home ice. Canisius blanked Mercyhurst 4-0 in Buffalo November 30 before the Lakers got even the next night, 5-2, in Erie.

Fast Facts

• The Lakers are 9-4-4 in their last 17 conference games.

• Mercyhurst will recognize its seniors before Saturday's regular season finale: Ben Cottreau, Kerry Bowman, and Jamie Coghlan. Ryan Toomey has applied to the NCAA for a medical redshirt.

• The Lakers have scored a power play goal in eleven of their last fourteen games. After going 6 for 16 over the prior four games, the Lakers are just 5 of 29 in their last five contests.

• After giving up just two power play scores over the prior six-game stretch, Mercyhurst has allowed eleven in its last five games. The Lakers have also allowed a shorthanded goal in four straight contests.

• Mercyhurst has already surpassed its conference wins of last season (9) with 2 conference contests left in the regular season (1h, 1a).

• The Lakers have scored more than three goals in a game only seven times in their first 34 contests. They are 7-0-0 when doing so.

• Mercyhurst has played eight overtime games this season, 0-2-6. They played a club-record ten last year.

• Mercyhurst has been outshot in 24 of 34 games and has won only once (RIT) when trailing after two periods.

• Junior goaltender Matt Lundin stopped a second-period penalty shot Saturday night.

• Freshman netminder Ryan Zapolski saw his first action last Saturday since a 4-2 win over Army on January 12.

• Junior Brett Robinson had two goals and one assist against the Tigers. His two points came in Saturday's loss, his third multi-point game of the season. He played in his 100th career game Friday. Only three players on the roster have played in 100+ games.

• Freshman Steve Cameron had a goal (his team-leading 10th of the season) and two assists last weekend against RIT. He collected his second multi-point game of the season in Saturday's 4-2 loss.

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

• Although the Lakers lead the all-time series 29-14-7, they were 0-1-3 vs. Canisius last season and split two prior games this season. Each team won on its home ice.

• Canisius defeated Mercyhurst 4-0 in Buffalo November 20; the Lakers rebounded the next night for a 5-2 win in Erie. The two games saw a combined 130 shots (70 by Mercyhurst), 27 penalties (16 to Mercyhurst) and 89 penalty minutes (59 to Mercyhurst). Canisius scored a power play goal in each game while the Lakers scored twice shorthanded in Erie.

• Mercyhurst needs one point in the two games against Canisius or one point from RIT in two games against Bentley to guarantee a quarterfinal series (best 2 of 3) at the Ice Center March 7, 8, and (if necessary) 9.

• Depending on the outcome of this weekend's games, Canisius could finish as high as 6th and as low as 10th.