Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The No. 3/4 Mercyhurst College women's hockey team will have a shot at winning its ninth straight College Hockey America title after defeating Robert Morris, 3-1, in the semifinal round of the CHA Tournament Friday afternoon at the Tennity Ice Pavilion.

The Lakers, winners of all eight CHA titles since the league's creation in 2002, posted its 28th straight win over the Colonials and stretched its record to 28-5-0 on the season.

Senior assistant captain Jesse Scanzano scored two goals, senior captain Meghan Agosta dished out two assists and junior Kelley Steadman found the back of the net once.

Junior Hillary Pattenden earned the win in net with 24 saves as the Lakers outshot the Colonials 44-25, including 14-5 in the first period and 13-7 in the third.

Mercyhurst pounced on the Colonials early with two goals in the first period. Steadman broke the ice at the 13:09 mark when she took a pass from Agosta at the MC blueline, skated down the boards and sniped a shot from the top of the right circle past goaltender Meeri Raisanen for the 1-0 lead. Scanzano made it 2-0 on the penalty kill thanks to a pass Agosta on a two-on-one opportunity at 19:04.

Robert Morris broke up the shutout early in the second, as Cobrina Delaney took a cross-crease feed from Brianna Delaney and knocked it past Pattenden with 6:20 elapsed.

The Lakers, however, got their two-goal advantage back following a pair of RMU penalties, including one that resulted in a penalty shot after freshman Christine Bestland was tripped on a breakaway. Set up by senior assistant captain Vicki Bendus along the boards, Scanzano took a centering pass and converted the extra-man opportunity with a shot from between the circles with 33 seconds to play.

Both teams then skated scoreless through the third period, with the Lakers holding off a late rush by the Colonials with the goaltender pulled in the final two minutes to preserve the win.

Mercyhurst will now play the Syracuse for the CHA title on Saturday, Mar. 5 at 5 p.m. at Tennity Ice Pavilion.