April 24, 2006

Stats

Erie, Pa. - Shannon Pagano and Joanna Culkin combined for nine goals as Gannon downed Mercyhurst 12-8 Monday night. Gannon, ranked #10 on Division II, improved to 11-5 on the season while the Lakers dropped to 8-8. Breanna Haggerty and Kristen Toomey led the Lakers with three goals apiece.

Culkin gave Gannon the early lead with her first goal 90 seconds into the contest, but Haggerty got Mercyhurst even for the only time in the game with her 45th of the season at 24:15. The Lady Knights then scored the next four markers before settling for a 6-4 lead at intermission. Gannon outshot Mercyhurst 14-7 in the first 30 minutes and won 8 of 11 face-offs.

The Lady Knights put the game away by scoring the first five goals of the second half for an 11-4 lead with just over 16 minutes left. Toomey broke the dry spell with her third tally of the game and 19th of the season at 13:57, but Pagano restored the seven-goal Gannon advantage (12-5) less than a minute later. The Lakers closed the scoring with three goals in the last 1:15, two by Haggerty and the other by Page Christensen. Jessie Horeth had the other Mercyhurst goal.

Gannon had a 25-20 advantage in shots, won 15 of 22 face-offs, and cashed 3 of 6 free-position shots. The Lakers won the battle of ground balls 30-24 and converted 1 of 3 free-position shots.

Mercyhurst goalie Megan Foley was credited with five saves while counterpart Acacia Cook recorded nine.

Haggerty's three scores give her 47 goals for the season, just three shy of tying the team's one-season mark of 50 set by Nadia Shabanza in 1998. The Gannon win was its third straight in the series, which it leads 10-2.

The Lakers, who had a two-game victory string snapped, travel to Indiana University of Pa Tuesday for their final match of the season.