2010 Easton Hockey Showcase
Hosted by St. Cloud State

No. 1 Mercyhurst vs. Minnesota State - Mankato
Saturday, Jan. 2 - 1:07 p.m. EST
National Hockey Center - St. Cloud, Minn.
Live Stats: www.stcloudstate.edu/athletics

No. 1 Mercyhurst vs. St. Cloud State
Sunday, Jan. 3 - 4:07 p.m. EST
National Hockey Center - St. Cloud, Minn.
Internet: www.b2livetv.com
Live Stats: www.stcloudstate.edu/athletics

Full 2010 Easton Hockey Showcase Game Notes

TOP STORY - The top-ranked Mercyhurst College women's hockey team opens the second half of the season at the 2010 Easton Hockey Showcase, hosted by St. Cloud State at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.

Mercyhurst opens the tournament against Western Collegiate Hockey Association opponent Minnesota State on Saturday before facing host St. Cloud State on Sunday. Hockey East's Providence will also partake in the event.

The Lakers, boasting a 15-1-1 record entering 2010, have not lost since a 4-3 setback at the hands of Minnesota Duluth Oct. 31 and look to extend their 2009-10 record against WCHA foes after going 3-1 earlier this season.

In its last time out, Mercyhurst swept then-No. 10 St. Lawrence by the scores of 4-2 and 6-2 to close out the first half of the season. Junior Ashley Cockell led all scorers with five points, scoring two goals and adding three assists, including the primary helper on sophomore Bailey Bram's game-winning and nation-leading 15th goal of the season in Friday's 4-2 win. Junior Jesse Scanzano and freshman Lauren Jones each added three goals. Scanzano recorded her fourth-career hat trick with three scores in Saturday's 6-2 triumph while Jones picked up three goals on the weekend, earning College Hockey America Rookie of the Week honors.

Following the Easton Hockey Showcase, the Lakers will have a weekend off before hosting Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference rival and third-ranked Clarkson on Friday, Jan. 15 and Saturday, Jan. 16 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Pa.

SATURDAY'S OPPONENT AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES - Saturday's game against Minnesota State will mark the 10th meeting in the all-time series, which Mercyhurst leads 8-1-0. Both teams have not faced off since the 2005-06 season, when the Mavericks defeated the Lakers 2-0 in their season-opener. Mercyhurst dealt MSU a 4-2 setback the next day to salvage a split of the series. In nine games, Mercyhurst has outscored Minnesota State 26-10 and has pitched one shutout.

SUNDAY'S OPPONENT AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES - Mercyhurst and St. Cloud State will meet for just the seventh time in program history when the two teams face each other on Sunday at the National Hockey Center. The Lakers, who lead the all-time series 5-1-0, have not faced the Huskies since the 2003-04 season, when both teams split a two-game series. In six games, the Lakers have outscored the Huskies 15-5 and have held them scoreless on two occasions.

QUICK STAT OF THE NIGHT - Mercyhurst has four players ranked in the top-10 nationally in points per game, three in goals per game and three in assists per game. Of those categories, junior Jesse Scanzano is the top-ranked Laker in two of them, placing first in points per game (2.07) and second in assists per game (1.21).

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES - Freshman Lauren Jones was named College Hockey America Rookie of the Week for her efforts in a sweep of then-No. 10 St. Lawrence. Jones supplied the Lakers with three goals. She scored the first goal of the game on Friday and added an insurance marker to make it 4-1.  In Saturday's victory, Jones' lamplighter gave MC a 4-2 lead.  She had four shots on goal and a +3 plus/minus rating for the weekend.

GOOD AS GOLD - It's official! Mercyhurst College women's hockey forward Meghan Agosta will have a shot at a second gold medal as she was one of 21 players nominated to represent Canada's Women's National Team at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. Hockey Canada made the announcement on Monday, Dec. 21, just three days after Agosta scored and added an assist in a 3-2 victory over Lethbridge. Canada's 21-player roster includes three goaltenders, six defensemen and 12 forwards. In addition, the roster includes 14 players  who have played in previous Olympic Winter Games. Four players will compete in their fourth Olympic Winter Games. The 21 players on Canada's roster have combined to play in 94 IIHF World Women's Championships. For Agosta, this is her second run with Canada after playing in the 2006 games in Torino, Italy. As the youngest member of the Canadian National Team, Agosta posted a hat trick against Russia on her 19th birthday as the Canadians claimed their second-straight gold medal.

KING OF THE HILL - The Mercyhurst College women's hockey team locked down the top spots in both the USCHO.com Women's Division I and USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Women's Division I Polls for the 11th straight week, closing out the first half of the season as the country's unanimous top-ranked team. The Lakers (15-1-1, 4-0-1 CHA) received 150 points and all 15 first-place votes in the USCHO.com Poll and 19 first-place votes and 190 points in the USA Today Poll.

THE 100-POINT CLUB - Junior Vicki Bendus became the 10th player in program history to score 100 points in a career with a goal and two assists Dec. 5 against Robert Morris. She currently has 33 goals and 70 assists for 103 points and joins classmate Jesse Scanzano as the only players on this year's roster with a 100 or more points. Scanzano accomplished the feat last season in a 5-4 win over Minnesota in the NCAA Semifinals.

TRANSFER SERVICE - Sophomore Kyleigh Palmer and junior Kylie Rossler will look to help the Lakers back to the postseason after transferring to Mercyhurst this past summer. Palmer comes to Erie after spending a year at Vermont, where she supplied the Catamounts with six goals and 13 points over a span of 32 games. Rossler, on the other hand, comes to Mercyhurst from CHA foe Robert Morris. As a Colonial, the Regina, Saskatchewan native tallied six goals and 13 points through 32 games.

AN “ERIE” EVENT - Mercyhurst College has been selected as the official host of the 2011 NCAA Women's Hockey Frozen Four.  This marks the first time the NCAA Women's Frozen Four will take place in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, it is the first time that Mercyhurst will host an NCAA Division I Championship tournament and the first time that a team from College Hockey America will serve as host.

CRYSTAL BALL PREDICTIONS - Coaches of the CHA picked Mercyhurst to finish first in the College Hockey America Preseason Poll. The Lakers claimed four of five possible first-place votes and 16 points to earn the top ranking for the eighth-straight season. Along with the poll, league officials also announced the preseason All-CHA Team. Bendus and Scanzano earned two of the forward honors outright, while sophomore Bailey Bram and Robert Morris' Brianna Delaney tied for the third and final slot. Junior Ashley Cockell highlighted the defense, joining classmate Melissa Lacroix and Chelsea Burnett of Wayne State as the top backliners in the league. Sophomore Hillary Pattenden and Syracuse's Lucy Schoedel completed the team in a tie for best goaltender. In addition to her spot on the all-conference team, Scanzano was also named preseason player of the year.

FILL IN THE BLANK - For the first time since 2005, the Lakers will be without the services of either Valerie Chouinard or Meghan Agosta, the only two 200-point scorers in program history. Chouinard wrapped up her four-year career last season with a two-point effort against Minnesota to reach the milestone. She finished her career with 91 goals and 109 assists. On the other hand, Agosta is taking the season off to compete for the Canadian National Team in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. She became the seventh player in NCAA history to record 100 goals in a career and the first Mercyhurst player to accumulate 200 points. In 2009, she was named CHA Player of the Year and a First Team All-American for the third consecutive year.

A WELCOMED CHANGE - Junior Ashley Cockell has made a seamless transition from defense to offense this season. The preseason all-conference selection at defense has already set a new career-high in goals with 12 through 17 games. She currently has 21 points, just six shy of tying her career-high of 27 set last season.

MAKE 'EM PAY - Opponents should beware when being awarded a power play against Mercyhurst. The Lakers have scored the same amount of times on the penalty kill (12) as opponents have scored with an extra skater on the ice (12). The team's 12 short-handed goals are the most by any team in Division I, and the most by a Laker squad in program history.

SHORTY WITH A SHORTY - Junior Vicki Bendus has played a major role in the Lakers' offensive-minded penalty kill. The 5'1” forward has scored four of the team's 12 short-handed goals to lead the team and rank No. 1 in the country.

TITLE TOWN, USA - Mercyhurst claimed its seventh-straight College Hockey America Regular Season Title last season, going 16-0 against the competition from the five-team league. The Lakers outscored their opponents 93-23 while recording three shutouts. In the postseason, Sisti's squad posted a 2-0 mark to claim their seventh-straight CHA Tour- nament Trophy.

JUST WIN, BABY - Sophomore Hillary Pattenden has been a force since coming to Mercyhurst. This season she is 15-1-1 with a 1.46 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. She became the first Mercyhurst goalie to win 20-plus games as a freshman last season. The Surrey, B.C. product recorded a 24-3-0 record with a 1.95 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. She was also the first Laker netminder to win an NCAA Tournament game, defeating St. Lawrence and Minnesota to advance the team to its first national championship appearance.