ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT men's hockey (14-18-2, 13-14-1 AHA) dropped its regular season finale, 4-3 to Atlantic Hockey regular season champion Mercyhurst University (19-11-4, 16-8-4 AHA) in front of 2,696 fans at the Gene Polisseni Center on Saturday evening. The Tigers finish the regular season tied for sixth in the Atlantic Hockey standings and will host No. 11 Sacred Heart in a best-of-three first round series next weekend.

Before the game RIT honored seniors Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines), Liam Kerins (Caledon, Ontario/North York Rangers), Max Mikowski (Cheekotwaga, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres), Brady Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), Chase Norrish (Strongfield, Saskatchewan/Yorkton Terriers), Myles Powell (Courtenay, British Columbia/Cowichan Valley Capitals), who were playing in their final regular season home game.

Erik Brown (Keene, Ontario/Kemptville 73's) scored two goals for the Tigers, giving him 11 in his last five games and 28 on the season, which shattered Matt Smith's Division I single-season team record, set in 2007-08. He also notched his 50th career goal, becoming the fourth player in RIT's Division I history to do so.

Powell became the 10th player in RIT's Division I history to reach 100 career points with an assist on Abt's second period power-play goal. He now has 43 goals and 57 assists at the university.

RIT went 3-for-6 on the power-play, while Mercyhurst was 1-for-5. RIT held a 30-24 advantage in shots on goal.

Joseph Duszak scored the game-winning goal and added an assist to lead the Lakers, while Bryan Sienerth, James Anderson and Michael Verboom also scored. Goaltender Brandon Wildung made 27 saves to pick up his 18th win of the season.

"We are disappointed to lose the two games this weekend, but in general, both games were really good and well played," said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. "This was a good gauge to see where we are at, heading into the postseason."

Brown would get the Tigers on the board with his 27th goal of the season and eighth power-play tally, just before the halfway point of the period. Moments before the goal, Brown was hit low by a slap shot from Norrish and crumpled to the ice in pain. He got back up and remained in his spot right in front and was able to slam home his own rebound after Gabe Valenzuela (Brampton, Ontario/North York Rangers) spotted him alone. Wildung made a great save on the first attempt before Brown fired the rebound over the goaltender.

RIT goaltender Logan Drackett (Calgary, Alberta/Calgary Canucks) was called upon to make two big point-blank saves on Jonathan Charbonneau and Joshua Lammon to keep it 1-0. Drackett made 20 saves overall on the evening in his first start since Jan. 16.

The Lakers would even the game at 1-1 with 1:40 left in the period, as Duszak fired a long stretch pass from behind his own net, hitting Charbonneau in stride at the RIT blueline, setting up a 2-on-1 rush. Charbonneau made a perfect cross-ice feed to Verboom, who fired a shot past a sliding Drackett for his second goal of the season, tying the game.

Brown would score the record-breaking goal 10:55 into the second period on the power-play, as he swatted in a loose puck to the side of Wildung after Adam Brubacher (Elmira, Ontario/Powell River Kings)'s shot went off the post and stayed behind the Mercyhurst goaltender. Brubacher assisted on all three of RIT's goals.

Mercyhurst would come right back with 2:33 left in the period, as Anderson took a long stretch pass from Kane Elliott, skated into the RIT zone and ripped a wrist shot from the left circle off the crossbar and in for his third goal of the season, tying the game at 2-2.

RIT would score its third power-play goal of the evening with just 4.1 seconds left in the period, as Abt fired a shot through a screen from the high slot after trading passes from Powell for his sixth goal of the season. The assist was Powell's 100th career point.

Sienerth scored his 10th goal of the season 48 seconds into the third period on the power-play to tie the game and Duszak scored the eventual game-winner, six minutes later on a 2-on-1 rush with Nathan Ferriero.

RIT had two late power-plays, including 56 seconds of a 6-on-4 to end the game, but could not get the tying goal.

Mercyhurst won three of four meetings between the two schools this season. The Lakers defeated RIT, 6-3 on Jan. 16, while RIT earned a 6-5 overtime win on Feb. 12. Brown tallied his first collegiate hat-trick on Feb. 12, while Dupuis scored two goals, including the game-winner 1:50 into overtime. Last night, Sienerth scored two goals and Jack Riley had a goal and two assists in Mercyhurst's 4-3 win.
 
RIT leads the all-time series between the two schools, 40-23-6.

The Tigers will be back in action next weekend, starting Friday, March 2 against Sacred Heart in a best-of-three first round series. Game two will be Saturday and if necessary, game three is Sunday. Game times will be announced on Monday.