MILFORD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart men's hockey team got a goal from Zach Sabatini (Johns Creek, Ga.) with 2:16 remaining in regulation to tie the Mercyhurst Lakers 2-2 Friday night.

Sacred Heart (6-15-4, 5-10-4 AHC) came close to scoring first Friday night when Jordan Minello (Sweaburg, Ont.) rang a shot off the crossbar with 12:56 remaining in the opening period. Mercyhurst (12-7-4, 10-4-3 AHC) got on the board first, however, with a power play goal. With the Lakers on the power play, Zac Frischmon fired home a Tyler Shiplo pass past Alex Vazzano (Trumbull, Conn.) with 6:07 to play in the period. The Pioneers responded with 3:15 left in the first. Minello finished off some tic-tac-toe passing with Drew George (Regina, Sask.) and Alec Butcher (Anchorage, Alaska) for a power play goal to tie the game 1-1.

The Lakers took back the lead with 7:27 to play in the second period. Matthew Zay took a Ryan Misiak pass coast to coast, firing a shot over Vazzano's shoulder and into the top half of the net to give Mercyhurst a 2-1 lead. The Pioneers came alive in the third period, outshooting Mercyhurst 14-4. Sacred Heart had a five-minute power play with 12:23 to play when Shiplo was called for contact to the head. The Pioneers had five shots on goal, but Lakers goaltender Brandon Wildung stopped them all to keep Mercyhurst ahead 2-1.

With 2:16 remaining in regulation, the Pioneers leveled the game. Evan Jasper (Whitby, Ont.) led a one-man breakout out of the Sacred Heart zone. Once he got deep into the Mercyhurst zone, he threw a centering pass to an open Sabatini right in front of the net for the tying goal. The Lakers nearly took the lead with 1:09 to play, but Vazzano made a diving glove save to stop Kane Elliot's shot. In overtime, Sacred Heart outshot Mercyhurst 6-1 but couldn't get the game-winning goal as the two teams settled for the tie.

Sacred Heart outshot Mercyhurst 38-22, including a 20-5 edge in the third period and overtime. The Pioneers were 1-for-8 on the power play, while the Lakers were 1-for-4. Vazzano made 20 saves while Wildung stopped 36 shots.

The two teams wrap up their weekend series Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.