Dec. 2, 2007

Stats

Niagara University, N.Y. - Sophomore forward Meghan Agosta registered her second career hat trick as No. 6/7 Mercyhurst stretched its winning streak to four games and prepared for No. 1 New Hampshire next weekend with a 5-0 win at Niagara University Sunday. The Lakers swept the weekend series with the Purple Eagles and improved to 12-2-2 overall and to 4-0-0 in College Hockey America. Niagara, which dropped a pair of games at New Hampshire last weekend, fell to 6-6-2 overall and to 0-2-0 in the conference.

Following an early Mercyhurst penalty, Agosta began the Lakers' three-goal first period with her tenth career shorthanded goal and second of the series just 2:19 into the contest. Freshman Vicki Bendus assisted. Senior captain Stephanie Jones made it 2-0 at 11:54 with her sixth of the year. Agosta and junior Natalie Payne helped. Agosta made it 3-0 at 15:58 when she found the back of the net with assists to Jones and freshman Jesse Scanzano. Mercyhurst outshot Niagara 18-5 in the first period.

The Lakers then added solo goals in the last two frames. Scanzano tallied her 4th of the year at 3:09 of the middle period from junior Valerie Chouinard and Bendus and Agosta concluded the scoring with her third of the game, a power play goal, at 45-seconds into the third period. Chouinard and Scanzano helped on the play.

Mercyhurst outshot Niagara 40-28 overall and converted 1 of 2 power play chances. Niagara finished 0 for 7.

Senior goalie Laura Hosier collected her 61st career win and 18th shutout, both second all-time to Desirae Clark's 63 and 24. Niagara used both junior Nikki Rudy and sophomore Jill Zelonis in goal.

Agosta had four goals and three assists in the two games and now has 19 goals and 14 helpers for 33 points, tops on the team in all categories. She also extended her scoring streak to ten games. Freshman Scanzano also had a productive weekend with a goal and five assists while both Chouinard and Bendus collected a goal and three helpers. Scanzano had back-to-back three point games, giving her three such efforts this season.

Agosta has 15 multiple-goal games in her career: eleven 2-goal, two 3-goal efforts, and a pair of four-goal contests. Her seven points over the weekend give her 107 in her career in just 51 games.

Mercyhurst now leads the all-time series 23-4-2. The Lakers have five shutouts this season, including two in their last three games.

The Lakers return to the Ice Center next Friday and Saturday to play No. 1 New Hampshire. The Wildcats (15-2-0) got a scare Saturday before edging Boston University 3-2 in overtime. They then blanked Northeastern 4-0 Sunday to start a three-game road trip. The Wildcats have won six straight and are a perfect 9-0-0 in Hockey East. Their losses have come at St. Lawrence (3-0 on October 6) and to Princeton (2-1 on November 11).

New Hampshire leads the all-time series 4-3-1, but Mercyhurst is 2-1-2 against the Wildcats in the last five meetings and won 2-1 at UNH last season. The victory snapped a 32-game home unbeaten streak for the Wildcats and propelled the Lakers to No. 1 in the nation for the first time ever. Mercyhurst held the spot for eleven successive weeks.

Friday's game starts at 7:00pm and Saturday's will begin at 3:00.