Erie, Pa. – Sophomore Jesse Scanzano and junior Johanna Malmstrom accomplished two individual milestones as the No. 4 Mercyhurst College women's hockey team won its 10th straight game with an 8-1 victory over Vermont Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

Scanzano tallied her first collegiate hat-trick with two power-play goals and a short-handed strike while Malmstrom scored her first career goal, which stood as the game-winner early in the first period.

The Lakers, who improve to 13-4-0 overall and 7-0-0 at home, skated to a 2-1 advantage after the first period. Scanzano gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead after scoring on a power-play at 4:31 while Malmstrom made the score 2-0 less than five minutes later on an even-strength opportunity at 8:51. Vermont's Erin Barley-Maloney cut the deficit to one nearing the end of the frame when she pushed a puck past freshman Hillary Pattenden with under two minutes to play.

Both teams combined for 15 shots in the opener, with Mercyhurst holding a 10-5 edge. However, the Lakers would pull away from the Catamounts during the second and third periods, outshooting them 20-11 and knocking home three special teams scores.

Senior Valerie Chouinard kicked off the start of a three-goal second period with her sixth of the season at 2:26 followed by markers from freshman Bailey Bram on the power-play at 8:20 and Scanzano on a short-handed chance at 12:55.

The offense continued to flourish in the third with junior captain Meghan Agosta adding her 13th of the season just 58 seconds into the frame. Freshman Kelley Steadman increased the lead to six with a tally at the 10:25 mark right before Scanzano completed her hat-trick to close out the game at 11:31.

In goal, Pattenden earned her 12th win of the season with 14 saves while counterpart Ashley Walenty suffered the loss with 22.

Mercyhurst finished the game with a 30-15 advantage in shots and a 3-for-7 mark with the extra-man. Vermont was 0-for-6 on special teams.

Both teams will close out the series on Sunday, Jan. 11 with a 1:00 p.m. contest at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.