Freshman Jamie Hunt scored a goal and added two assists and senior Mike Carter recorded three assists as the Mercyhurst Lakers defeated Bentley, 7-1, in Atlantic Hockey action Saturday afternoon at the John A. Ryan Arena.
The Falcons dropped their third game in a row and fell to 7-18-4 overall and 5-13-4 in conference play. Mercyhurst swept the season series with Bentley, 3-0, and improved to 17-13-2 overall and 14-7-1 in Atlantic Hockey.
Mercyhurst jumped on the scoreboard first late in the opening period with a power play tally from junior forward Rich Hansen. Hansen was positioned in front of the Bentley net and was able to tip in a shot taken by Hunt from the point. The shot ricocheted off of Hansen’s stick and into the net.
The Lakers increased their cushion to three with a pair of power-play scores in the second period, courtesy of Adam Tackaberry and Hansen’s second power-play score of the night. Tackaberry, who also added an assist later in the game, was able to pounce on a rebound from a shot taken by T.J Kemp when Mercyhurst was on a five-on-three power play.
The visitors struck again, this time with the five-on-four advantage, when Carter threaded a backdoor pass to Hansen for the goal. Bentley was able to get one back midway through the second frame, when freshman Kyle Larman sent a shot from just inside the blue line, that found its way through traffic and into the back of the Mercyhurst net.
Up 3-1 heading into the final frame, Mercyhurst poured it on in the final 20 minutes, tallying four scores to balloon the lead to six. Hunt led the charge, and freshman Jon Asseltine, Kyle Gourgon and Pat Henk all got in the mix.
Bentley goalie Simon St. Pierre made 31 stops in his first action in six games. Mercyhurst goalie Jordan Wakefield made 27 stops for the victors.
