Mercyhurst remained unbeaten in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 3-1 win over visiting Fairfield Saturday night at the Ice Center.
The win improved Mercyhurst’s record to 13-7-2 overall and to 12-0-2 in the conference. The Stags, who lost 3-2 Friday night, fell to 4-14-2 overall and 2-10-2 in the MAAC.
The Lakers got on the scoreboard first when sophomore Adam Tackaberry scored his eighth goal of the season on the power play at 5:20 of the second period. Tackaberry was helped by freshman Rich Hansen and junior Mike Muldoon.
The Stags tied the game on a power play of their own later in the period when junior Casey Laflamme beat Mercyhurst goalie Peter Aubry at 15:59. Aubry stopped the initial shot, but Laflamme fired home the rebound. The goal was assisted by sophomores Jonathon Wyson and Peter Hams.
The Lakers had killed 59 of their last 60 shorthanded situations before the Laflamme goal.
With the score still deadlocked midway in the third period, Mercyhurst freshman T.J. Kemp sprang junior forward P.J. Hiscock on a breakaway and the Mississauga, Ontario, native beat Fairfield netminder Craig Schnappinger at 9:18 to give the Lakers the lead. Sophomore forward Mike Carter put the icing on the cake with his eighth of the year at 14:00.
Mercyhurst outshot Fairfield 25-18 and is now 9-0 lifetime against the Stags. All three games this year have been decided by one or two goals, the Lakers having won 1-0 at Fairfield very early in the season. Mercyhurst finished 1 of 4 with the man advantage; Fairfield was 1 of 5.
