The Misericordia University hockey team dropped a close contest to Wilkes University, 3-2, in a MAC showdown, Friday night.
 
The Colonels struck first with a goal at 5:19 of the first period and tacked on two more goals at 5:22 and 8:45 of the middle frame to take a 3-0 lead. 
 
MU responded at 13:28 when Ryan Karbach buried a loose rebound after a shot by Ethan Hollingsworth to put the Cougars on the board, 3-1. 
 
Misericordia cut the deficit to 3-2 as Karbach lit the lamp again with a power play goal at 17:38. 
 
Despite a tenacious forechecking effort in the third period, MU was unable to find the game-tying goal.
 
The Cougars opened the game with a strong offensive showing, peppering the Wilkes goalie with four shots in the first three and a half minutes of play
 
Jacob Perrin was also tested early as the Misericordia netminder turned aside two scoring attempts by the Colonels.
 
Shortly after the Wilkes' first goal, the Cougars headed to the penalty kill and received some much-needed support from Perrin, who made five consecutive saves. 
 
Just before the original penalty expired, MU was penalized again and Perrin made three more saves to prevent Wilkes from doubling their lead. 
 
The Cougars picked up their first man advantage of the evening late in the first frame and the power play unit generated a pair of shots by James Eng and Zach Ross to end the period with some offensive momentum.
 
Misericordia continued to fire away at the Colonels' goaltender in the second period, as Jack Tos and Dominic Della Civita opened the frame with two shots on goal. 
 
Midway through the middle frame, MU headed to another power play and Patrick Toomey and Eng both registered shots on goal that were turned aside by the Wilkes goalie as the Cougars continued to search for their first goal.
 
Following a faceoff in the Misericordia defensive zone, Hollingsworth took a breakout pass all the way down the ice and managed to fire a shot on goal and Karbach backhanded the rebound into the back of the net, putting his team on the board, 3-1. Hollingsworth picked up an assist on Karbach's third of the season at 13:28.
 
Wilkes attempted to respond, however four more poised saves by Perrin in a 26-second span kept the Cougars within striking distance.
 
Shortly thereafter, Wilkes received a bench minor for too many men on the ice. Misericordia went back to work on the power play, setting up shop in its offensive zone. After Tos won a draw to the left of the Colonel goalie, the puck found its way back to Della Civita at the point. Looking for a deflection, the captain sent a slap shot towards goal that was redirected off the back glass by Tos. As the puck bounced back to an open goal mouth, Karbach crashed the net and buried a shot to bring MU within one goal. Tos and Della Civita assisted on Karbach's second of the night at 17:38.
 
After 40 minutes of action, Misericordia exited the ice trailing by just one goal.
 
Blocks by Eric Kotkowski and Brendan Vettraino, along with another save by Perrin, prevented Wilkes from securing an insurance marker early in the third period
 
The two teams traded scoring chances for the majority of the final frame, however the score held firm at 3-2.
 
The Cougars were assessed another penalty with just over four minutes to go in regulation and were successful in killing the two-minute minor.
 
With a minute and nine seconds remaining in the third, Perrin exited his crease in favor of an extra attacker as Misericordia desperately searched for the game-tying goal. 
 
MU was unable to send the game into overtime and fell to Wilkes, 3-2.
 
Karbach accounted for both of the Cougars' goals. He shared the team lead in shots on goal with Eng and Tos as the trio all tallied three apiece. Della Civita blocked a team-high three shots while Toomey had another stellar night at the dot, winning nine of 12 faceoffs. Perrin finished the night with 33 saves between the pipes.
 
The Cougars will take on their fellow Toyota SportsPlex tenant again, Saturday at 3:30.