ERIE, Pa. – The third-ranked Mercyhurst College women's hockey team used a strong third-period surge to defeat Colgate, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon at Tullio Arena. Playing at the site of the 2011 NCAA Women's Frozen Four, the Lakers scored three times within a two-minute and nine-second span to turn aside the Raiders and win for the 10th time this season (10-2-0)

Tied at one midway through the third, Mercyhurst broke the deadlock and started its run when senior Melissa Lacroix accepted a pass from junior Kelley Steadman and ripped a shot through the legs of goaltender Kimberly Sass at 10:05.

Fifty seconds later freshman Christine Bestland made it a 3-1 advantage as she deflected in a shot from junior Bailey Bram on the doorstep.

Senior captain Meghan Agosta then added Mercyhurst's fourth goal on the penalty kill. Deep in Laker territory, junior Kyleigh Palmer sent a pass up ice to Agosta, who skated along the boards and sniped a shot to the near post for her 14th goal of the year at 12:14.

Colgate's Amanda Kirwan closed out the game with a power-play marker at 17:08. The Raiders went 2-for-6 with the man-advantage, netting their first to tie the game at 1-1 with just 1:41 elapsed in the third.

Mercyhurst outshot the Raiders 38-17 for the game and accounted for the only goal scored during the first two periods of play. Junior Pamela Zgoda gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead when she floated a shot through traffic past a preoccupied Sass at the 4:51 mark of the second.

In goal, junior Hillary Pattenden moved her record to 10-2-0 on the season with 15 saves, nine of which came during the first period. Sass, on the other hand, made 34 stops as she saw her record dip to 4-5-0.

Mercyhurst returns home next weekend to the Mercyhurst Ice Center to host College Hockey America rival Niagara on Friday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.