Jan. 25, 2008
Box Score
Erie, Pa. -
The #6/7 Mercyhurst women's hockey team exploded for five goals in the first period and never looked back, en route to a 7-1 victory over visiting Quinnipiac at the Ice Center. The Lakers improved to 18-5-2 on the season and improved to 9-0-0 all-time against the Bobcats (3-17-4).
Sophomore Meghan Agosta extended her team-record consecutive game scoring streak to 19, as she tallied two goals and an assist on the night. Freshman defender Cassea Schols registered her first career multi-goal game, and junior forward Valerie Chouinard also added two goals, as the Lakers improved to 11-1 at home this season.
Agosta started the first period barrage with a power-play tally, her 32nd goal of the season, at the 2:22 mark. Junior defender Natalie Payne, with the first of four assists in the game, and freshman Ashley Cockell had the helpers. Schols would then score her first goal of the night, third of the season, at 6:13 with an assist from freshman Geena Prough. That goal was also a power-play goal, as the Lakers went 4-for-8 in the first period with the skater advantage and finished the night 5-of-12.
Agosta notched her second of the game and 33rd of the season, a power-play goal that was ripped from the left-wing circle, past Quinnipiac starting goaltender Tia Wishart. Payne and freshman Vicki Bendus had the assists. The Lakers then scored their first even strength goal of the night, at the 14:52 mark, with senior Danielle Ayearst tallying her first goal of the season. Ayearst, normally a defender but who played on the third forward line for the Lakers, banged home a rebound to give the Lakers a 4-0 lead. Senior Kristen Erickson and freshman Melissa Lacroix had the assists. Schols would add her second of the game and fourth of the season to close out the first period scoring at the 15:58 mark. Cockell and Bendus had the assists, as the Lakers outshot Quinnipiac 21-3 in the opening period.
Quinnipiac scored its only goal of the night at the 7:43 mark of the second period, as Breana Burton stuffed home a rebound past junior netminder Nicole Nelson, who saw her first action of the season in relief of senior goaltender Laura Hosier, who played only the first period. Brandice Moniz and Kallie Flor picked up the assists. Nelson and the Lakers would not allow the Bobcats any further scoring, as the Fargo, ND-native finished the night stopping 8-of-9 Bobcat shot attempts.
Chouinard extended the lead to 6-1 with a second-period goal, her 11th of the season, at the 14:48 mark. Freshman Jesse Scanzano and Payne had the assists. Chouinard scored the only goal of the third period at the 4:31 mark on assists from Payne and Agosta.
Mercyhurst outshot Quinnipiac 55-12 for the contest, holding the visitors to no more than five shots in any period. The Bobcats finished the game 1-of-7 on the power play.
Hosier (14-4-2) picked up her 67th career victory for Mercyhurst.
The same two teams will tangle at the Ice Center tomorrow afternoon at 2:00.
