Complete Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The 10th-ranked Mercyhurst women's hockey team got 30 saves from senior goaltender Hillary Pattenden, and three different players scored goals, as the Lakers blanked Providence College for the second consecutive day, 3-0, to sweep the weekend series. The Lakers improved to 4-2 overall on the season while the Friars dropped to 0-4-2.

Mercyhurst got a goal in each of the three periods on Sunday afternoon, getting the first one from senior Bailey Bram 4:43 into the contest. With Mercyhurst on the power play, senior Jess Jones took a shot from the point that was blocked in front of Providence goaltender Genevieve Lacasse. The rebound, however, found a wide-open Bram, who deposited the puck into the net for her fourth goal of the weekend and sixth of the season. Bram registered her fourth career hat trick on Saturday. Freshman Molly Byrne had the other assist.

There were 35 combined shots on goal in the first period, with the Lakers holding a 22-13 advantage. However, the score remained 1-0 until senior Jill Szandzik blasted a slapshot past Lacasse from the high slot with 5:22 elapsed in the second. It was Szandzik's first goal as a Laker, after having scored eight goals in three seasons with Wayne State. She transferred to Mercyhurst after Wayne State folded its hockey program this past spring. A pair of freshmen, Shelby Bram and Vaila Higson had the helpers.

Mercyhurst held a 16-6 shot advantage in the second period, and 38-19 through 40 minutes, but still the game was in doubt until the last few minutes.

Mercyhurst was whistled for back-to-back penalties late in the third period, and the Friars elected to pull Lacasse in what amounted to a 6-on-3 for a few seconds, and then became a 6-on-4 shortly thereafter. But, with the Lakers shorthanded and the extra attacker on the ice for Providence, senior Kelley Steadman sealed the victory with a shorthanded empty-netter at 17:39, giving Mercyhurst to 3-0 victory. It was Steadman's fourth goal of the season and was unassisted.

Both goaltenders played well on Sunday, but the story was Pattenden, who recorded her second consecutive shutout and now has 15 for her career, including three already this season. She stopped 30 shots in the victory, improving her record to 4-2 while lowering her goals against average to 1.32. It was her 84th career victory (84-14-3), putting her seven shy of tying, and eight away from breaking the NCAA Division I all-time wins record, held by Wisconsin's Jessie Vetter, who finished her career with 91 victories.

Lacasse turned aside 45 shots on goal in the loss, dropping her record to 0-4-1 on the season.

Special teams proved huge again for the Lakers on Sunday. Mercyhurst went 1-for-4 on the power play and stopped all six Providence power-play opportunities, while cashing in their third shorthanded goal of the season. For the season, Mercyhurst is 5-for-21 on the power play (23.8%) and they have killed off 24-of-25 opponent power play chances (96.0%).

Mercyhurst will have a week off, and then will travel to St. Louis, Missouri on Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29, for a pair of games with NCAA newcomer Lindenwood. Lindenwood applied for acceptance into the CHA earlier this fall and is still awaiting word from the league office as to whether or not they have been accepted. The Lions are playing as an NCAA Division I independent this season, and are 0-8 on the year. Faceoffs from St. Louis are scheduled for Friday the 28th at 8 p.m. ET and Saturday the 29th at 1 p.m. ET.