Linemates Louis Goulet and Eric Ellis scored two goals apiece to lead visiting Mercyhurst to an 8-1 decision over Army Friday night at Tate Rink.
Adam Tackaberry added four assists to keep the Lakers unbeaten in MAAC play at 8-0-1 and improve their overall record to 8-4-2. Army is winless (0-3-1) in its last four games and is now 5-10-1 overall, 4-7 in the MAAC.
The eight goals allowed were the most by an Army team since a 9-3 loss to Princeton early in the 1997-98 season and the most in a home game since a 9-3 loss to Boston College in the fourth game of the 1994-95 season.
Mercyhurst benefited from two quick three-goal flurries. Peter Rynshoven, Mark Stamp and Jamie King all scored within a span of 3:34 midway through the first period to help the Lakers open a comfortable lead. Rynshoven and Stamp knocked in rebounds, while King beat Scott Hamilton with a high shot from the right point.
Army’s Mike Fairman cut the lead to 3-1 on a five-on-three power play at 4:26 of the second period, but Ellis scored twice in 12 seconds to cap the Lakers’ second three-goal outburst. Tackaberry fed Goulet from behind the net for a power-play goal at 13:04 to make it 4-1 before Ellis tallied twice. The three goals in 3:07 made it 6-1 after two periods. Jeff Gould and Goulet added third-period insurance against Army backup goalie Ford Lannan.
Mercyhurst, which defeated Army 2-1 on a Gould goal with 0.9 seconds left in regulation on Dec. 9, outshot Army 40-28. Peter Aubry made 21 saves before giving way to Matt Cifelli (six saves) for the final 10:07. Hamilton stopped 22 shots in two periods for Army, while Lannan made a career-high 10 saves in 20 minutes.
Mercyhurst was 3-for-7 on the power play, while Army was 1-for-5 against the nation’s top-ranked penalty-killing team.
Goulet added two assists to his two goals for a four-point night, and Rynshoven also chipped in two helpers.
The Black Knights travel to Sacred Heart on Saturday at 5 p.m., while Mercyhurst visits Colgate at 7 p.m.
