Complete Box Score

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's hockey team concluded regular season play Saturday night with a 4-4 overtime tie at College Hockey America rival, Robert Morris. The Lakers, who won the regular season title the previous night in Erie with a 3-0 verdict over the Colonials, closed the regular season with an overall mark of 22-6-3 and a conference record of 8-1-3. The Colonials finished with 17-9-4 and 6-3-3 records.

The Lakers squandered a pair of two-goal leads during the contest. Senior forward Kelly Steadman gave the Lakers a 2-0 advantage with a pair of goals, three minutes apart, in the first period. Her first of the game and 31st of the season came at 6:59 and was assisted by freshmen Caroline Luczak and Kristine Grenier. Her second, at 9:44, was helped by sophomore Christie Cicero and senior Pamela Zgoda. RMU freshman forward Rebecca Vint drew the Colonials within a goal when she cashed a power play chance at 14:11 of the first. The Lakers owned a slight 13-12 advantage in shots in the first twenty minutes.

Robert Morris opted to change goaltenders to start the middle period as junior Kristen DiCiocco exited in favor of freshman Courtney Vinet. The Lakers spoiled the strategy as senior Jill Szandzik found the back of the net at 15:20. Szandzik's third goal of the weekend series was assisted by senior Bailey Bram and sophomore Christine Bestland.

But the Colonials pressed the attack and knotted the game at 3-3 with two goals 53 seconds apart late in the period. Sophomore Thea Imbrogno collected her 15th of the season at 17:28 followed by junior Cobina Delaney's 8th lamplighter at 18:21. Mercyhurst outshot RMU 11-10 in the second frame.

Bailey Bram put Mercyhurst ahead 4-3 when she parked her 26th of the season, unassisted, at 4:33 of the third. But with about three minutes left in regulation, the Colonials' junior forward Dayna Newsom beat Mercyhurst senior netminder Hillary Pattenden to force overtime. Mercyhurst outshot Robert Morris 10-8 in the third but the Colonials had the better of play in the extra session, totaling six of the combined ten shots on goal.

Steadman's two goals were her 5th and 6th this season at the Clearview Arena. She scored all four goals for the Lakers in a 4-2 win at RMU on January 20 as the Lakers finished 2-1-1 against the Colonials during the regular season. The CHA championship will take place at Robert Morris the first weekend in March.

Pattenden (19-6-3) stopped 32 of 36 RMU shots and remains at 99 wins in her illustrious career, an NCAA record. DiCiocco stopped 11 of 13 Lakers' shots in the first twenty minutes while Vinet turned aside 23 of 25 over the last 45 minutes.

Both teams will rest until the conference playoffs.

Niagara, currently third in the conference, and 4th-place Syracuse will meet next Friday and Saturday at Niagara. Syracuse needs to sweep the Purple Eagles to capture third place. As of today, #1 Mercyhurst would play #4 Syracuse in one semi-final and #2 Robert Morris would tangle with #3 Niagara. The two winners would then meet for the CHA championship.