Hockey Falls 4-3 at Mercyhurst to Close First Half of Season

Saturday, December 9

Erie, PA

4:00 PM

Army West Point

4-12-0, 3-8-0

Mercyhurst University

6-8-3, 4-3-3

Army West Point

Mercyhurst

Hockey Falls 4-3 at Mercyhurst to Close First Half of Season

December 09, 2023 | Hockey

Box Score

ERIE, PA - Army West Point hockey (4-12-0, 3-8-0 AHA) fell to Mercyhurst (6-8-3, 4-3-3 AHA) on Saturday night to close out the first half of the regular season.

The Lakers used three unanswered goals in the third period to earn a split in the series. Ricky Lyle and Jake Hewitt each logged a goal and an assist in the effort, while Mac Gadowsky recorded a pair of helpers to give him six points altogether in the series.

Army kept its momentum from the third period last night, which saw the Black Knights score four times for a come-from-behind win in regulation to begin the series. The Black Knights peppered Owen Say in the Lakers net with 16 shots through the opening twenty minutes, eventually finding the first goal of the game on the power-play. Jake Hewitt skated into the left circle and delivered a centering pass to Nik Hong who deposited his second career goal which put the Black Knights ahead with 6:20 to play in the period. Evan Szary stopped all five shots that he faced in the frame as Army led 1-0 going into the first intermission.

The Black Knights got another opportunity on the power-play to begin the second period, cashing in once again for a two-for-two start for the Army PP unit. This time it was Hewitt on the receiving end as he cleaned up a loose puck on the doorstep after a Ricky Lyle shot was well saved by Say. Mac Gadowsky logged a secondary assist on both goals, giving him a point on Army's first six goals of the series through a goal and five helpers.

Steven Agriogianis cut the Mercyhurst deficit in half with a goal at the 12:57 mark of the second period, getting the Lakers firmly back into the game. Szary made a few key saves to maintain the lead, before Army found another breakthrough with Ricky Lyle netting his fifth tally of the season. Max Itagaki collected an entry pass and layed off to Lyle who was entering the offensive zone, as Lyle gathered and fired a precise shot into the top left corner past Say to restore the two-goal advantage with under two minutes until the second intermission. The Black Knights took a 3-1 lead into the third.

Trent Sambrook quickly made it a one-goal game 1:03 into the third with his first career goal, as Evan Szary was injured on the play in net for the Black Knights which forced Gavin Abric into relief action. Mercyhurst got a power-play opportunity midway through the period, which they took advantage of through Kyler Head who knotted the score at three. With just under nine minutes to play, the Lakers took their first lead of the contest at 4-3 as Garrett Dahm finished an odd-man rush with Tommy Bannister providing the assist. Army was unable to repeat its magic from the night before, as the Lakers held on to go into the break with a victory.