After winning the regular season Great Midwest Athletic Conference title, the Griffins advanced to the G-MAC Final on Saturday afternoon as they hosted Mercyhurst at DSG Field.
Mercyhurst held the Griffins off the board for the first 21:19 of the game and took a 4-0 lead in that stretch and never gave up the lead in defeating the Griffins 11-9 to capture the G-MAC title. SHU ends their season with a 12-5 record while the Lakers improve to 14-2. Â
Neither team found the back of the next in the first eight minutes of the first quarter but the Lakers scored three times in a minute twenty six span as they took a 3-0 lead over the Griffins. They carried that lead into the second quarter. Â
The Lakers scored just 33 seconds into the second quarter as they took a 4-0 lead.Â
Colin Socker got the Griffins on the board at the 8:41 mark of the second quarter as SHU cut the lead to 4-1. Mercyhurst answered with a goal at the 5:41 mark but SHU got goals from
Vincent Cogliandro and
Carter Green before the half as they cut the lead to 5-3 at the break. Â
Mercyhurst started the third quarter scoring 17 seconds apart, the second one at the 10:27 mark as they extended their lead to 7-3.Â
Blake Morrow and
Jeremy Sforzo scored goals less than a minute apart as SHU trimmed the lead to 7-5 with 8:12 remaining. The Lakers then scored the final three goals of the period as they extended their lead to 10-5 after three quarters.Â
Nate Herbster scored twice in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter as the Griffins got back to within three at 10-7. The Lakers got one of those goals back before
Peyton Gensler and
Kaden Granberg scored for SHU to cut the lead to 11-9 with 2:43 to play. The Griffins were able to get one more possession but the Laker keeper made two saves as Mercyhurst was able to then run out the clock. Â
The Griffins outshot the Lakers 42-35 in the contest. They also forced 21 Laker turnovers while committing just nine. The big advantage for the Lakers was an 18-4 advantage in faceoffs. Â
Herbster led SHU with two goals. Sforzo added a goal and two assists.Â
Josh Miller recorded 10 saves. Â