Mercyhurst and Bentley played to a 4-4 overtime tie Tuesday, January 4, at the Ice Center. The Lakers, who’ve played extra hockey in four of their last five games, are now 5-9-3 overall and 4-1-3 in Atlantic Hockey. The Falcons left Erie with 3-10-4 and 2-5-3 marks respectively.

Mercyhurst junior defenseman Preston Briggs’ (Colorado Springs, Colorado) first goal and first point of the season, a shorthanded strike with less than three minutes to play in regulation, knotted the game for the final time. Other Mercyhurst goals came from the sticks of junior forward Dave Borrelli (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario), his tenth; junior defenseman Conrad Martin (Toronto, Ontario), his second; and freshman forward Ben Cottreau (Toronto, Ontario), his fifth. Borrelli’s goal tied the game at 1-1 in the first period and came on one of five Mercyhurst power plays.

Bentley had a first period goal from Jeremy Chase, a second period tally by Josh Thompson, and third period power play goals from Chase and Brendan McCartin.

The Lakers were forced to play catch-up hockey most of the night as they were whistled for 18 penalties totaling 68 minutes, causing 13 Bentley power plays. The Falcons were guilty of 7 infractions for 22 minutes. Mercyhurst was penalized 50 minutes alone in the third stanza when Bentley scored twice in six chances with the man advantage to take 3-2 and 4-3 leads only to have the Lakers rally each time. The Lakers came from behind three times in the game (0-1, 2-3, and 3-4) and led only once at 2-1 on Martin’s goal four minutes into the middle period. Despite the discrepancy in penalties, the Lakers outshot the Falcons 40-38.

Mercyhurst had its six-game winning streak come to an end against Bentley, but the Lakers still lead the all-time series 15-3-2.