Jan. 13, 2007

Stats

Detroit, Mich. - #1 Mercyhurst rallied from a 3-0 first period deficit to trim Wayne State 7-5 Saturday at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum and sweep the two-game College Hockey America weekend series. The Lakers improved to 20-1-1 overall and to 4-0-0 in the conference. The Warriors fell to 8-14-0 and 1-3-0.

Wayne State scored three times in the games first fourteen minutes and knocked out Mercyhurst starting goaltender Laura Hosier in the process. Freshman Christine Jefferson scored at 5:02 and sophomore Sam Poyton followed with a power play goal at 9:58 and an even strength marker at 14:14 as Hosier turned aside only four of the seven shots she faced. The 3-0 deficit was Mercyhurst's largest of the season. Sophomore Courtney Drennen relieved Hosier and the Lakers came to life late in the period when senior team captain Julia Colizza scored her 11th goal of the season with help from senior winger Stefanie Bourbeau. The Lakers outshot Wayne State 15-9 in the first twenty minutes.

Mercyhurst closed to within 3-2 at 6:22 of the second when freshman Meghan Agosta cashed a power play goal, her 17th of the season, with help from Bourbeau and senior defender Ashley Pendleton. The Lakers tied the game four minutes later when sophomore Valerie Chouinard scored her 18th of the season and fourth of the series with an assist to junior Stephanie Jones. Wayne State broke the tie about a minute later when freshman Katrina Protopapas beat Drennen but the never-say-die Lakers got even before the period ended when Pendleton nailed her third of the year at 16:07 with assists to Michelle Bonello and Sherilyn Fraser. The Lakers owned a 14-4 shot advantage in the middle period.

Mercyhurst took the lead for the first time just a minute into the third when Agosta recorded her 18th goal of the campaign, and her second power play goal of the game, with help from Colizza and sophomore Natalie Payne. The lead grew to 6-4 when Jones scored her seventh of the year from Pendleton and Fraser just 31 seconds later. The Warriors rallied one more time when junior Ashley King lit the lamp, but Chouinard finished Wayne State and the scoring with her second of the game and 19th of the year, a power play marker at 12:05. Agosta and Colizza assisted.

Mercyhurst outshot Wayne State 41-18. Drennen improved to 4-0-1 on the season and 13-0-2 in her career. The Lakers improved to 28-0-2 lifetime against Wayne State.

Mercyhurst reached the 20-win plateau for the seventh time in eight years and in the shortest amount of time in its brief history. The earliest date until today was January 25, 2003, when the Lakers won at Ohio State 2-1. Mercyhurst has also recorded its 20th win four times against Wayne State. The five goals allowed were the most given up since the 5-4 triple overtime loss at Harvard in the NCAA Regionals in March of 2005.

Mercyhurst has won 10 straight and will return to the Ice Center next Friday and Saturday for non-conference games against Connecticut. The Huskies, 12-9-1 overall and ranked in the Top 10 earlier in the season, snapped a five-game losing streak today with a 4-2 win over #4 Dartmouth. The Lakers lead the all-time series against the Huskies 5-0-1.