ERIE, Pa. - The eighth-ranked Mercyhurst women's hockey team will open the regular season with some stiff competition, as the ninth-ranked Bobcats of Quinnipiac University come to the Mercyhurst Ice Center during Homecoming Weekend. Faceoffs are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday night and 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

Mercyhurst concluded its exhibition portion of the schedule last weekend, knocking off the Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres 6-0 last Saturday, and then defeating the Toronto Jr. Aeros 5-1 on Sunday. The Lakers went a perfect 3-0 in their preseason schedule, also defeating Wilfrid Laurier 10-2 back on September 17.

In the first game, a 10-2 win over Wilfrid Laurier, freshman Kristine Grenier and senior Bailey Bram each had three goals and three assists. Grenier finished the three games with four goals and four assists, while Bram missed this past weekend's games trying out for the Canadian National Team in Calgary, Alberta. In the victory over Stoney Creek, sophomore Christine Bestland led the way with five points (one goal, four assists), while freshman Caroline Luczak (one goal, three assists) led the way on Sunday's win over Toronto. In three exhibition games, Bestland had three goals and seven assists, while freshman Shelby Bram had two goals and seven assists. Senior Kelley Steadman also had two goals and seven assists in the three contests. Senior goaltender Hillary Pattenden started all three games, playing a period in each of the first two, while playing the entire game on Sunday. In 100 minutes, she stopped 35 of 36 shots, while junior Stephanie Ciampa and freshman Amanda Makela each allowed one goal in two periods of work.

The Lakers have plenty of new faces both on the bench and behind the bench this season. Mercyhurst is coming off a 29-6 record last year, a year that saw them win its 10th straight conference championship and make its seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division I playoffs. The Lakers do lose the NCAA's all-time leading scorer Meghan Agosta, the 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner Vicki Bendus, All-American and 200-point scorer Jesse Scanzano, and several other key pieces (including all-conference defensemen Cassea Schols and Melissa Lacroix) to graduation.

But, the Lakers have plenty of firepower coming back, led by seniors Bailey Bram and Kelley Steadman, and sophomore Christine Bestland. Seven of the Lakers' returning players scored at least 10 points last season, and five of those had 22 points or more. Bram leads the returners, having scored 43 points last season, followed closely by Bestland, who finished her rookie season with 42 points. Steadman set a career-high in points last season with 29. Seniors Jess Jones (26 points) and Pamela Zgoda (22 points) should also contribute offensively.

Goaltending should be a strength again for Mercyhurst, as the Lakers' top two goaltenders return from last season, led by senior Hillary Pattenden. The Surrey, B.C. native is already the school's career leader in victories with 80, and ranks second in minutes played (5,546) and third in saves (1,706). She is expected to shoulder the load again this season, with junior Stephanie Ciampa ready to step in when needed. Ciampa has played 11 games at Mercyhurst and has a goals against average of 1.20 and a save percentage of .928.

The Lakers bring on nine newcomers to the team in 2011-12 and all are expected to make contributions. The Lakers' new faces include four forwards, four defensemen, and a goaltender. Included in the new faces are two transfers from former CHA-rival Wayne State, who disbanded their hockey program after last season. Senior defenseman Jill Szandzik and junior forward Gina Buquet will be counted on for some extra leadership.

The coaching staff also went through some changes during the offseason. Head coach Michael Sisti is back for his 13th season with the Lakers. He has amassed 311 career wins and sports a .770 winning percentage, both among the NCAA Division I's best. Louis Goulet moves up to associate head coach, replacing Paul Colontino who left for the head coaching job at CHA-rival Robert Morris. Also added to the staff this season are Delaney Collins, a former Canadian National Team member, and Kelly Paton, a 2010 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award while playing with New Hampshire. Their experience should pay immediate dividends.

Mercyhurst, eighth in the country, will host Quinnipiac, the ninth-ranked team in the country, on Friday night at 7 p.m. and Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Mercyhurst is 10-0 lifetime against the Bobcats, but will mark the first meeting between the two teams since the 2007-08 season.