Box Score

ERIE, Pa. – The No. 1/1 Mercyhurst College women's hockey team exploded for four goals in each of the last two periods to take an 8-0 victory over Wayne State in front of 702 fans at the Mercyhurst Ice Center Friday afternoon. Sophomore Kelley Steadman posted her first career hat trick during the win.

The Lakers have now won four straight against College Hockey America opponents, improving to 24-2-3 overall, 11-1-1 in league play. Wayne State drops to 8-15-4 overall, 4-8-1 in the CHA. 

Five different players scored goals in the contest, including multiple goals from sophomore Kelley Steadman, sophomore Jess Jones and junior Vicki Bendus, to help Mercyhurst tie its second-highest goal output of the season for the fifth time this season. It is the sixth time this season that the Lakers have registered eight or more goals.

At even strength, Steadman recorded the first two goals of the middle stanza before Jones' shorthanded marker a minute, 43 seconds later gave the Lakers a quick 3-0 advantage. Steadman would go on to add another even strength goal at 15:19 to mark her first career hat trick, giving her a personal-best 14 goals this season. It was her fourth career multiple-goal game and second this season. Both multiple-goal games this season were against Wayne State.

Jones' shorthanded goal marked the Lakers' 19th shorthanded goal this season, tying the team for the most shorthanded goals in a single season in NCAA Division I women's hockey history. The 2004-05 Minnesota Golden Gophers netted 19 SHG's in 40 games, a year in which Minnesota finished as national champion for the second-straight season.

Mercyhurst wasted little time increasing its lead in the third as Kylie Rossler deposited her first goal of the season just 2:05 into the final stanza.

The Lakers would not add another tally until 9:25 when Bendus scored the first of two goals on the night, increasing her team-leading total to 24.

Jones contributed her second goal of the game and 17th of the season at 15:40 before Bendus wrapped up the scoring less than two minutes later at 17:14.

Jones' multiple-goal game is her fourth this season while Bendus posted her seventh multiple-goal game.

Additionally, seven Lakers combined for 10 assists, led by three from sophomore Bailey Bram and a single-game career-high two helpers from sophomore Pamela Zgoda.

As the Mercyhurst offense poured on the goals, goaltender Hillary Pattenden posted her fifth shutout of the season, turning away 17 shots on goal and tying her win total (24) from a year ago.

The Lakers return to action tomorrow, Saturday, February 20 when they go for the season-sweep against Wayne State. Face-off is set for 2 p.m.