ERIE, Pa. - The seventh-ranked Mercyhurst University women's hockey team returns to the Mercyhurst Ice Center when it hosts College Hockey America-rival, Lindenwood University, for a two-game series this weekend. The Lakers and the Lady Lions will square off at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 5, and then will conclude the weekend series on Saturday, December 6 at 2:00 p.m.
Friday night's contest will be the program's Teddy Bear Toss while Saturday's game will serve as the team's annual Pink The Rink game, with all proceeds from the contest being donated towards breast cancer awareness and research.
Mercyhurst leads the all-time series with Lindenwood by an 11-0-1 margin and has outscored the Lady Lions, 81-10, in the initial dozen meetings between the two schools. Last season, the Lakers went 3-0-1 against Lindenwood, but the Lady Lions picked up their first point in the series with a 2-2 overtime tie at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on February 22, 2014 - the last meeting between the two teams.
The Lakers (14-2-2, 5-1-0 CHA) enter the weekend series on a six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1) and winners of 11 of their last 13 games (11-1-1). Mercyhurst, most recently, skated to a 1-1 overtime tie at Cornell on Monday, getting the game-tying goal from junior
Hannah Bale midway through the second period.
Junior forward
Emily Janiga leads the Lakers with 13 goals and 11 assists and was named the CHA Player of the Month after scoring seven goals and seven assists in eight November games. Junior forward
Jenna Dingeldein has chipped in with seven goals and ten assists for 17 points, pulling within five points of joining the 100-point club. Meanwhile, senior
Shelby Bram is just seven points away from also reaching the milestone.
Senior goaltender
Amanda Makela has had a remarkable first half of the season and was named the CHA Goaltender of the Month after going 7-1 with a 0.76 goals against average and a .964 save percentage in November. All told, she is 14-2-2 with a 0.88 goals against average and a .955 save percentage. She ranks second in the country in goals against average, third in save percentage, and second with seven shutouts - one shy of the school record of eight, held by Desi Clark during the 2001-02 season.
Lindenwood (5-8-1, 4-3-1 CHA) is having its best season since becoming an NCAA Division I member. The Lady Lions are currently tied for second place in the CHA standings - one point behind the Lakers in the conference. Lindenwood has earned at least a split in five of its seven series this season, including November 28 and 29 (its most recent games) against Syracuse. The Orange won the first game, 1-0, before the Lady Lions responded with a 2-1 win the following night.
Goaltender Nicole Hensley leads all of Division I with 444 saves and is 5-8-1 with a 2.73 goals against average and a .921 save percentage. Shara Jasper, a transfer from Minnesota-Duluth, leads the Lady Lions with seven goals and six assists for 13 points. She is the only player in double figures this season.
