Box Score
ERIE, Pa. - The seventh-ranked Mercyhurst University women's hockey team suffered its first loss of the young season on Friday night, losing by the score of 3-0 at the hands of fifth-ranked Clarkson at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The loss dropped the Lakers to 5-1-1 on the season while the Golden Knights remained unbeaten at 5-0-0.
The shutout marked just the 10th time since the inception of the program that Mercyhurst has been shutout at home and just the third time since the 2005-06 season. The last time Mercyhurst was shutout at home came on October 1, 2011 when Quinnipiac defeated the Lakers 1-0.
Special teams, which had been a major plus for the Lakers early on, proved costly for Mercyhurst on Friday. All three of Clarkson's goals came during power play opportunities, including a 5-on-3 situation late in the first period. The Lakers entered the game having allowed just four power play goals in 37 chances through the first six games of the season.
The visitors cracked the scoreboard at the 8:16 mark of the opening period while the Lakers were trying to kill off a bench minor for too many players on the ice. Jamie Lee Rattray beat Mercyhurst sophomore goaltender
Amanda Makela through the five-hole for a 1-0 Clarkson advantage. Plenty of traffic in front of the goal screened Makela and the wrist shot from Rattray snuck through. Carly Mercer and Erin Ambrose had the assists.
Then, just over three minutes later, Mercyhurst suffered back-to-back minor penalties just three seconds apart, and the Golden Knights took advantage. On a similar situation, Rattray again got a wrist shot to sneak through traffic and through Makela's five-hole for a 2-0 Clarkson lead at the 11:54 mark of the opening period. Mercer and Ambrose again had the assists.
Clarkson held a 10-8 shot advantage over Mercyhurst after the opening twenty minutes.
The Golden Knights would cap off the scoring in the second period on a power play goal by Danielle Skirrow, which came at the 4:34 mark. A shot by Ambrose from the point was redirected by Skirrow past Makela for the final margin of the night. Rattray had the other assist on the goal.
Despite trailing 3-0, Mercyhurst outshot Clarkson 12-6 in the second period and had a 20-16 advantage through 40 minutes.
Mercyhurst came out in the third period with a flurry of shots on Clarkson goaltender Erica Howe, holding a 7-1 shot advantage in the opening minutes. But, Howe and the Golden Knights would hold off the Lakers' comeback attempt and skated away with the 3-0 victory.
Howe stopped all 36 Mercyhurst shots on goal to improve to 4-0-0 on the season. Howe has now allowed just three goals in her first four starts of the season. Makela settled down after the first period and finished the night with 24 saves, including all 11 Clarkson shots in the third period. Makela dropped to 2-1-1 on the season.
Mercyhurst dominated the total shots attempted category, 74-41, but Clarkson's defense stymied the Lakers all night, blocking 24 Mercyhurst shot attempts throughout the contest.
Clarkson finished 3-for-6 on the power play while Mercyhurst finished 0-for-6.
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series on Saturday afternoon for a 3:00 p.m. faceoff at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.
