Boston University vs. No. 1 Mercyhurst College
NCAA Quarterfinals
Saturday, March 13 - 2:00 p.m.
Mercyhurst Ice Center
All-Time Series: 3-1-0 (MC)

Live Stats: www.ncaasports.com
Television: WQLN
Radio: WMCE
Webcast: www.b2livetv.com (Free of Charge)

Boston University vs No. 1 Mercyhurst College Game Notes

SERIES PREVIEW: The top-ranked Mercyhurst College women's hockey team and Boston University meet for just the fifth time in program history this weekend as the two teams face each other in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

The Lakers, making their sixth-straight NCAA appearance, enter the tournament as the top seed in the eight-team bracket, earning the right to host a quarterfinal game by going 29-2-3 and capturing their eighth-straight College Hockey America Championship. This will be the third time MC has hosted a quarterfinal game, with previous occurrences happening in 2007 and 2009.

Mercyhurst brings the top-scoring offense in the country to the postseason, averaging 4.76 goals per game.

The Lakers have eight players with 20 or more points, and 11 with 10 or more points. Three of those skaters – Vicki Bendus, Jesse Scanzano, and Bailey Bram – rank first, second and third in the country in points per game and place in the top-5 in several other offensive categories.

Bendus and Scanzano are tied with a nation-best 62 points apiece. Bendus, the 2010 CHA Player of the Year and a Patty Kazmaier Top-Three Finalist, has 27 goals and 35 assists to rank second in points per game (1.82), fifth in goals per game (0.79) and third in assists per game (1.03). She is also tied for first in short-handed goals, finding the back of the net five times with a skater in the penalty box. Scanzano leads the country in points per game (2.00) thanks to her 20-goal, 42-asssist effort.

Bram, meanwhile, is third in the country in points per game at 1.74. She has scored 27 goals and added 27 assists for 54 points, giving the Lakers three 50-plus point scorers for the first time in program history. She places third in goals per game (0.87), second in power-play goals (12) and third in game-winning goals (8). Her five man-down scores tie her for first with teammate Bendus.

Boston University makes its first appearance in the tournament by virtue of winning the Hockey East Title. The Terriers (17-8-12) defeated Connecticut, 3-2, in overtime to cap off a storybook run that included a 4-0 rout of fifth-ranked New Hampshire in the WHEA Semifinal and a 3-1 victory over Boston College.

The Terriers average 2.76 goals per game on offense and allow 2.14 goals per game. They boast five players with 20 or more points, led by senior forward Melissa Anderson with 21 goals and 18 assists. Junior Lauren Cherewyk has 12 goals and 19 points, followed by freshman Jill Cardella with 12 goals and 26 assists. Junior Jillian Kirchner has nine goals to go along with 17 assists, and Jenelle Kohanchuk has 12 goals and nine assists. In goal, Melissa Haber has posted a 15-7-8 record with a .924 save percentage and a 1.98 goals against average.

This will be first meeting since last season when both teams split a two-game series in Boston, Mass. Mercyhurst captured the first game by a 4-2 score before bowing 3-2 the next day.

LAKER QUICK HITS: Mercyhurst earned its highest seeding in the NCAA Tournament since entering the 2007 bracket as the No. 2 team...MC is 4-1-1 against teams competing in the NCAA Tournament this season. Mercyhurst defeated Cornell by a 4-1 score in a two-game series and split with Minnesota Duluth, trouncing the Bulldogs, 5-2, in their first meeting. MC went 1-0-1 in a series against Clarkson in Januray...The Lakers captured their eighth-straight CHA Tournament trophy and ninth-straight conference championship dating back to their time in GLWHA last weekend in Detroit, Mich....Junior Ashley Cockell scored two goals in the CHA title game against Syracuse to earn tournament MVP honors. Juniors Jesse Scanzano and Melissa Lacroix and sophomore Bailey Bram also earned spots on the all-tournament team...Mercyhurst stayed perfect against Robert Morris and Syracuse last weekend, defeating the Colonials for the 23rd-straight time and the Orange for the ninth-consecutive time...Head coach Michael Sisti improved his all-time record at Mercyhurst to 281-77-26...Mercyhurst has scored 21 short-handed goals this season, the most by a Laker squad in program history and the most by any team in NCAA history...MC has given up four goals three times this season (0-1-2)...Mercyhurst has only given up three power-play goals since Jan. 23...Boston makes its first trip to Erie since the 2007-08 season.

MERCYHURST AND THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: The Lakers make their sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division Women's Hockey Championship. Mercyhurst dropped its first four national quarterfinal contests by one goal each, with the initial three happening in overtime. The team broke through last season, advancing to the 2009 Women's Frozen Four Championship Game, defeating St. Lawrence and Minnesota and falling to Wisconsin in the title game. Mercyhurst plays host to an NCAA quarterfinal game for the third time in the last four seasons,

MARCH 19, 2005 - HARVARD
Mercyhurst opened its NCAA tournament career  March 19, 2005 with a triple-overtime thriller against eventual national runner-up Harvard. The Lakers held a 3-1 lead after one period, and led 4-3 after two, but Harvard scored a 5-on-3 goal in the third period, and Julie Chu won it for Harvard in the third overtime. Laker goaltender Desi Clark set an NCAA tournament record, making 78 saves, as Mercyhurst was outshot, 83-60. Samantha Shirley scored the Lakers' first-ever national tournament goal, unassisted at 5:41. The Lakers also received goals from Danielle Lansing, Teresa Marchese, and Stephanie Jones.

MARCH 18, 2006 - WISCONSIN
On March 18, 2006, the Lakers lost 2-1 in double-overtime at eventual national champion Wisconsin. Mercyhurst held a 38-35 advantage in shots on goal, and got on the board first courtesy of a Julia Colizza shorthanded goal at 9:06. Wisconsin countered with a power play tally during the first period, and the score remained tied through the end of regulation and one overtime session. The Badgers' Tia Hanson won it at 10:10 of the second overtime. Laura Hosier made 33 saves for the Lakers.

MARCH 9, 2007 - MINNESOTA DULUTH
The Lakers played host to Minnesota Duluth March 9, 2007 in the program's first national tournament home contest, dropping a 3-2 decision in overtime. Mercyhurst stormed to a 2-0 lead, with Stephanie Jones opening the scoring with a power play goal late in the first period and freshman Meghan Agosta notching an unassisted goal early in the second. UMD rallied, tying the contest with just 1:44 remaining in regulation before Jessica Koizumi won it at 11:16 of overtime. Mercyhurst outshot UMD, 46-32, and Laura Hosier made 29 saves for the Lakers. Minnesota Duluth advanced to the championship game, losing to Wisconsin.

MARCH 18, 2008 - MINNESOTA DULUTH
Mercyhurst earned a rematch with the Bulldogs March 15, 2008. Minnesota Duluth rallied for three third period goals, including two on the power play, to erase a one-goal deficit and defeat Mercyhurst 5-4. Meghan Agosta opened the scoring just 22 seconds into the game, but UMD responded 26 seconds later, and the game was tied at 1-1 before a minute had been played. Valerie Chouinard and Natalie Payne earned go-ahead goals, and Payne's tally gave the Lakers a 3-2 lead at 3:08 of the third. UMD reeled off three straight goals, and Mercyhurst freshman Vicki Bendus scored to make it 5-4 right before the buzzer. Laura Hosier made 28 saves for Mercyhurst.

MARCH 14, 2009 - ST. LAWRENCE
In 2008-09, the Lakers hosted St. Lawrence on  March 14, earning the program's first berth in the Women's Frozen Four with a 3-1 victory. Despite Mercyhurst's 44-13 edge in shots on goal, St. Lawrence took a 1-0 lead early in the first period. Mercyhurst freshman Kelley Steadman tied the game at 1-1 at 2:15 of the second period, and Meghan Agosta earned the Lakers' first game-winning goal in a national tournament game. Agosta scored on the power play at 14:35 of the second period, and freshman Jess Jones added an insurance marker in the third period for a 3-1 victory. Freshman goaltender Hillary Pattenden made 12 saves for her first NCAA tournament victory.

MARCH 20, 2009 - MINNESOTA
In the team's first Frozen Four Semifinal, March 20, 2009 against No. 2 Minnesota at Boston Univ.'s Agganis Arena, the Lakers reeled off five straight goals, downing the Golden Gophers, 5-4, to advance to the Frozen Four Championship Game. Gigi Marvin scored off the rush on a power play at 5:29 of the first period, and then the Laker offense took over, staking the team to a 5-1 lead after two periods. Valerie Chouinard tied the game at 1-1 with a power play goal at 8:38, and Bailey Bram and Meghan Agosta added first-period goals. Meghan Corbett and Agosta struck in the second, and Mercyhurst held a four-goal lead after two. Minnesota stormed back in the third period with three goals in the final nine minutes, but the Lakers held them off, 5-4. Hillary Pattenden made 33 saves in the win, and Agosta scored her second game-winning goal in as many games.

MARCH 22, 2009 - WISCONSIN
Mercyhurst's 2009 tournament run ended in the Frozen Four Championship Game March 22, as No. 1 Wisconsin defeated the Lakers, 5-0. The teams skated through a scoreless first period, and despite a 37-32 Mercyhurst advantage in shots, the Lakers were unable to get a puck past Jessie Vetter. The Badgers scored three goals in a 5:10 span during the second period to take a 3-0 lead, and added two more tallies in the third for the 5-0 victory. Hillary Pattenden made 27 saves in the loss, and Mercyhurst's Meghan Agosta was named to the all-tournament team, the first Laker to be so honored.

All told, the Lakers are 2-5 in NCAA tournament play, scoring 19 goals while allowing 25 goals. Meghan Agosta is the team's all-time leader in NCAA postseason goals (5) and points (6), while current Laker Jesse Scanzano leads all-time with four assists, including a team-record three assists March 20, 2009 vs. Minnesota. Hillary Pattenden has been the winning goaltender in each Laker victory, while Laura Hosier made 90 saves in NCAA competition.

Of the 2009-10 skaters, Vicki Bendus, Bailey Bram, Megan Corbett, Jess Jones and Kelley Steadman have each scored one postseason goal, all happening as freshmen. 

MERCYHURST ALL-TIME IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
*March 19, 2005    
at Harvard - L 4-5 (3ot)

*March 18, 2006    
at Wisconsin - L 1-2 (2ot)

*March 9, 2007    
vs. Minnesota Duluth - L 2-3 (ot)

*March 15, 2008    
at Minnesota Duluth - L 4-5

*March 14, 2009    
vs. St. Lawrence - W 3-1

&March 20, 2009    
vs. Minnesota (at Boston) - W 5-4

$March 22, 2009    
vs. Wisconsin (at Boston) - L 0-5

*NCAA national quarterfinal
&2009 NCAA Women's Frozen Four Semifinal
$2009 NCAA Women's Frozen Four Final

KAZ WATCH: Junior Vicki Bendus became the second player in the history of Mercyhurst women's hockey to be named a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. She joins Meghan Agosta as the only Lakers to make it to the final round for the highest honors in women's Division I hockey. Bendus ranks near the top of the NCAA leaderboard in almost all offensive categories. She is tied for the nation's lead in points (62) and shorthanded goals (5), second in points per game (1.82), third in assists per game (1.03) and fifth in goals per game (0.79). Bendus was also named the College Hockey America Player of the Year and garnered First Team All-CHA honors. A four-time CHA Player of the Week, Bendus helped the Lakers secure the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

AN “ERIE” EVENT: Mercyhurst College has been selected as the official host of the 2011 NCAA Women's Frozen Four. This marks the first time the NCAA Women's Frozen Four will take place in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, it is the first time that Mercyhurst will host an NCAA Division I Championship tournament and the first time that a team from College Hockey America will serve as host.

ALL-CHA TEAM: Junior Vicki Bendus was named College Hockey America Player of the Year at the 2010 CHA Tournament Banquet, held at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. Bendus, who also was named a First Team All-CHA honoree, highlighted a list of six Lakers that earned postseason honors. Juniors Jesse Scanzano, Melissa Lacroix and Cassea Schols, and sophomore Bailey Bram joined Bendus as First Team All-CHA selections, while freshman Samantha Watt landed a spot on the All-CHA Rookie Team. Additionally, Bram was honored as Mercyhurst's three-star award winner and the conference's selection as well.

KING OF THE HILL: Mercyhurst was ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com Poll for the fifth-straight week and No. 1 in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Poll for the 22nd-straight week.