Feb. 15, 2008

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - A freshman and a senior combined for five goals Friday night as Mercyhurst defeated Niagara 5-2 in a College Hockey America (CHA) game at the Ice Center. The Lakers won their 20th game of the season (20-6-3, CHA 5-1-1) while Niagara fell to 7-18-4 and 1-6-0 respectively.

Mercyhurst, playing four skaters short including leading scorer Meghan Agosta, grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the first period when freshman Vicki Bendus scored the first of her three and seventh of the season at 5:24 with the Lakers up a skater. Senior captain Stephanie Jones followed with her tenth of the year, even strength, four minutes later. Niagara drew within one at 15:50 when freshman Marie Linander Henriksen scored on the power play, beating senior goalie Laura Hosier (15-5-3). Mercyhurst outshot Niagara 10-5 in the first twenty minutes.

The Lakers stretched the lead to 4-1 after two periods as Bendus got her second of the game at 6:28 and finished her hat trick a bit more than six minutes later with a power play score. The Lakers outdistanced Niagara 19-10 in shots in a wide open middle period.

Jones finshed the Mercyhurst scoring at 8:56 of the third with her eleventh of the year. Niagara junior Ashley Riggs closed the scoring at 15:23 when she found the back of the net on another power play opportunity. Niagara outshot Mercyhurst 12-9 in the third, but the Lakers owned a 38-27 advantage overall.

Niagara finished 2 of 13 with the skater advantage as the Lakers were whistled for 13 minor penalties in the contest. Niagara had seven successive power play chances from late in the second period through the game's conclusion, including several abbreviated 5-on-3 situations in the final period. Mercyhurst was 2 of 5 on its power play.

Niagara sophomore Jill Zelonis (4-8-3) stopped 33 shots, but couldn't deal with Bendus and Jones as the two did all their damage on 12 shots. Bendus also assisted twice, giving her not only her first career hat trick but also her first career five-point effort. For Jones, it was her second two-goal effort of the season.

Mercyhurst is 3-0 this season against Niagara and leads the all-time series 24-4-2. The two teams will conclude the weekend series Saturday afternoon at 2.