ERIE, Pa. – Despite a furious third-period finish which ended with 18 shots on goal, the Niagara Purple Eagles hockey team came up just short in a 3-2 loss to the Mercyhurst Lakers Friday night at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. It was Niagara's first one-goal loss of the season to an unranked team after six previous wins in that category. Nick Farmer and Zach Mills picked up the goals for Niagara, while Brian Wilson made 30 saves between the pipes.
 
Game Summary

• Final Score: Mercyhurst 3, Niagara 2
• Niagara Goal Scorers: Nick Farmer, Zach Mills
• Niagara Assists: Chris Harpur, Justin Kendall, Nic Mucci, Kris Spriggs
• In Goal: Brian Wilson (8-10-2) – 3 GA, 30 SV
• Power Plays: Niagara – 0-for-4 (11 SOG); Mercyhurst – 0-for-2 (3 SOG)
• Records: Niagara – 10-11-2 (9-6-2 AHC); Mercyhurst – 9-10-2 (6-7-2 AHC)
• Location: Mercyhurst Ice Center – Erie, Pennsylvania
• Attendance: 1,004

Game Recap

• Making his 18th straight start during his freshman season, goaltender Brian Wilson was sensational in the first period, keeping it a scoreless game after 20 minutes despite a 16-5 shots on goal advantage for the Lakers.
• Niagara's best chance of the first period came on a 4-on-3 rush with 7:45 to play. Eric Cooley found a crease in the slot and broke in on the Mercyhurst goal, but his shot was stopped glove-side by Lakers netminder Brandon Wildung.
• The Purple Eagles killed off their first penalty of the night, a holding call to Johnny Curran, early in the second period, but 32 seconds after the penalty expired, Mercyhurst's Taylor Best broke in up the right wing and beat Wilson to make it a 1-0 game.
• Midway through the second, the Lakers' Bryan Sienerth forced a turnover at the Niagara blue line and found Derek Barach for the quick goal to double the lead.
• After Mercyhurst killed a Niagara power play, the Purple Eagles found the back of the goal as Chris Harpur knifed a pass through the defense to Nick Farmer, who broke in all alone and beat Wildung to get Niagara back within one at the 12:07 mark of the second.
• Mercyhurst had a goal by Kane Elliot overturned early in the third period, but seconds later, the Lakers converted on a goal by Joseph Duszak, the eventual game-winner, to push the lead to 3-1.
• Niagara was able to draw back within one late in the third period. Kris Spriggs found Nic Mucci on the rush, who fed Zach Mills in the slot. Mills' backhand found the back of the net through traffic to draw Niagara back within one.
• The Purple Eagles pulled Wilson for the extra attacker with 3:35 to play, but could not find the equalizer in a flurry of late shots, falling 3-2 to the Lakers.

 
Coach's Corner

• Head coach Jason Lammers: "There's some battle there late. We want to find some better consistency for the other 55 minutes, it's something we need to grow in our game. There's only one thing to do and that's to work our way out of it, and we need to put in some more work."

 
Inside the Numbers

• Brian Wilson's 16 saves in the first period were his second-most in any period this season, and his most in a shutout period. Wilson turned away 19 of 20 shots in the third period of a 6-3 win at Air Force on Dec. 1, 2017.
• Nick Farmer now has two goals and one assist in his last five games.
• Freshman Justin Kendall is up to six points (1+5) on the season as he has registered an assist in three of Niagara's last four games.
• Zach Mills scored his third goal of the season, and his first since Dec. 2, 2017 at Air Force.
• Niagara outshot Mercyhurst 34-33 for the game, including an 18-7 advantage in the third period. The Purple Eagles were held scoreless on four power plays while generating 11 shots on goal with the man advantage.

 
Up Next

• Niagara and Mercyhurst close out the weekend series back at the Mercyhurst Ice Arena on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 7:05 p.m. Paul Hamilton has the play-by-play call on WLVL 1340 AM.

 
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