Army West Point Athletics
Friday, January 9
Erie, Pa.
7 p.m.
Army West Point
7-10-5, 2-9-3
0
at
3
Mercyhurst
1-17-1, 1-9-1
1
2
3
F
Army West Point
0
0
0
0
Mercyhurst
0
0
3
3
Hockey Falls 3-0 at Mercyhurst
January 09, 2026 | Hockey
ERIE, Pa. – Army West Point hockey (7-10-5, 2-9-3 Atlantic Hockey America) made the trip to Erie, Pa. on Friday for its first league contest of 2026 as the Black Knights took on Mercyhurst (1-17-1, 1-9-1 Atlantic Hockey America) at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.
Army dominated the shots on goal comparison with 39 shots on goal to the Lakers' 24, but a late rush from the home team to end the third period gave Mercyhurst a 3-0 lead that held through the final whistle.
The Black Knights posted JJ Cataldo in between the pipes where he logged 21 saves on Mercyhurst's 24 shots on goal.
Charles-Edward Gravel stood in goal for the Lakers where he tallied 39 saves against Army.
Army led the shots on goal in every period in the Friday night game, beginning with a 14-11 shot differential in the first period as Army fought to carry its momentum from its win over Northeastern one week prior over into league play.
Cataldo and Gravel locked things down defensively to hold both teams scoreless through the first period.
Army stepped up the pressure in the second period, logging 10 shots on goal to Mercyhurst's three including two power play opportunities for the Black Knights, but the stalemate continued at both ends of the ice despite aggressive efforts from both offenses.
The Black Knights tallied 15 shots on goal in the third period to the Lakers' 10, but the home ice advantage shone through as Mercyhurst found the back of the net for the first time nearly 13 minutes into the third frame.
The home team extended their advantage just under a minute and a half later to seize a quick two-goal lead with six minutes left on the clock.
Army pulled Cataldo to try its hand at an extra-man opportunity with three minutes remaining in regulation, but the Lakers cleared the puck out of the neutral zone and down the ice to score an empty-net goal for their third of the night.
Army continued to battle, posting two more shots on goal as the final seconds ticked by, but the Lakers held on to their advantage and secured the 3-0 win for game one.
UP NEXT
Army will return to the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Saturday, January 10 at 5 p.m. ET for game two of its series with the Lakers.
Army dominated the shots on goal comparison with 39 shots on goal to the Lakers' 24, but a late rush from the home team to end the third period gave Mercyhurst a 3-0 lead that held through the final whistle.
The Black Knights posted JJ Cataldo in between the pipes where he logged 21 saves on Mercyhurst's 24 shots on goal.
Charles-Edward Gravel stood in goal for the Lakers where he tallied 39 saves against Army.
Army led the shots on goal in every period in the Friday night game, beginning with a 14-11 shot differential in the first period as Army fought to carry its momentum from its win over Northeastern one week prior over into league play.
Cataldo and Gravel locked things down defensively to hold both teams scoreless through the first period.
Army stepped up the pressure in the second period, logging 10 shots on goal to Mercyhurst's three including two power play opportunities for the Black Knights, but the stalemate continued at both ends of the ice despite aggressive efforts from both offenses.
The Black Knights tallied 15 shots on goal in the third period to the Lakers' 10, but the home ice advantage shone through as Mercyhurst found the back of the net for the first time nearly 13 minutes into the third frame.
The home team extended their advantage just under a minute and a half later to seize a quick two-goal lead with six minutes left on the clock.
Army pulled Cataldo to try its hand at an extra-man opportunity with three minutes remaining in regulation, but the Lakers cleared the puck out of the neutral zone and down the ice to score an empty-net goal for their third of the night.
Army continued to battle, posting two more shots on goal as the final seconds ticked by, but the Lakers held on to their advantage and secured the 3-0 win for game one.
UP NEXT
Army will return to the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Saturday, January 10 at 5 p.m. ET for game two of its series with the Lakers.
Team Stats
AWP
MU
Shots
39
24
PPG
0
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
3
3
Penalty Mins
6
6
Faceoffs Won
29
28
Game Leaders
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
5
A
0
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
4
A
0
Players Mentioned
G
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