Air Force Academy

Jan. 5, 2007

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ERIE, Penn. - Air Force scored three goals in the third period for a 5-3 win over Mercyhurst in an Atlantic Hockey Association game Friday, Jan. 5, at the Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Penn.

The Flacons improved to 10-8-3 overall and 7-3-3 in the AHA. Mercyhurst fell to 4-13-4 overall and 4-9-2 in the league.

Mercyhurst opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the first period after a Falcon turnover in the neutral zone. Laker Chris Trafford picked up the puck and skated in uncontested on goalie Peter Foster, netting his sixth of the year.

The Falcons answered at the 4:27 mark as freshman Jeff Hajner scored his fourth of the year. Josh Print led a rush up the ice and took a shot from the slot that was saved. Hajner put back the rebound to tie the score at 1-1. Laker Kyle Gourgon gave Mercyhurst a 2-1 lead at 10:06. Bobby Phillips and Cody Collins assisted on the play.

Air Force dominated the first 12 minutes of the second period, out-shooting the Lakers, 10-0 at one point. The Falcons tied the game on the power play as Josh Schaffer scored his fifth of the season. Defenseman Greg Flynn started the rush and fed Brian Reese in the neutral zone. Schaffer skated the puck down the right wing to the bottom of the circle and then beat Jordan Wakefield with a wrister off the bottom of the crossbar at the 7:27 mark. After Air Force killed a penalty, Wakefield made a save on a shot by Reese that led to a Laker rush. On the 2-on-1 breakaway, Collins' wrister beat Foster to make the score 3-2 at the 14:04 mark.

After killing the penalties, the Falcons took a 4-3 lead when Eric Ehn, the nation's leading scorer, scored from right in front of the net. Mayra started the play deep in his own end and found Mike Phillipich in the neutral zone. Ehn skated the puck down the slot with a Laker hanging all over him. His shot went under the pads of Wakefield and trickled over the goal line for a one-goal lead. With 50 seconds left in the game, Theo Zacour drew a penalty that gave the Falcons a power-play. With 14 seconds left and Mercyhurst with an empty-net, Ehn took a pass from Ramsey and Phillipich and scored his second of the game and his 18th of the season for a 5-3 win.

The Falcons out-shot the Lakers, 41-23, in the game. AFA was 2-for-4 on the power play while MC was 0-for-3. Foster made all eight saves in the third period and had 20 for the game. Wakefield made 36 for the Lakers.

"Points are always hard to get on the road, especially when you have to come from behind," head coach Frank Serratore said. "We had to chase the scoreboard all night and that is hard to do against a trapping team. Our hard work and persistence paid off. I'm really proud of our guys. Service academy teams never say die, they keep coming and going things happen. If we want to contend for the league title, we can't let points get away. We have an opportunity tomorrow night to sweep a series. We have some tremendous kids with great attitudes and they are already thinking about tomorrow night."

The same two teams conclude the series Saturday night at 7 p.m.

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