Complete Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - It was senior night at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Friday night. And, appropriately, it was the seniors that led the Mercyhurst women's hockey team to its 12th consecutive regular season title.

The Lakers got all three goals from seniors Jill Szandzik and Kelley Steadman, and senior goaltender Hillary Pattenden picked up her sixth shutout of the season, as Mercyhurst blanked the Colonials of Robert Morris 3-0 to clinch the College Hockey America regular season title. The Lakers improved to 22-6-2 overall and 8-1-2 in conference play, while the Colonials dropped to 17-9-3 and 6-3-2 in league action.

Szandzik scored two goals, her first career multi-goal game either at Wayne State or at Mercyhurst, and Steadman scored her team-leading 30th goal of the season to lead the Lakers offensively. Meanwhile, Pattenden did the rest, stopping 25 Robert Morris shots for her 18th career shutout and her 99th career victory - just one shy of becoming the first goaltender in NCAA history to reach 100 career wins.

Mercyhurst came out flying to start the contest, outshooting the Colonials 15-4 in the opening twenty minutes. With Paige Pietrangelo in the Robert Morris penalty box, Szandzik scored her fifth goal of the season at the 5:04 mark, giving the Lakers a 1-0 advantage. Freshman Vaila Higson took the initial shot, but Szandzik pinched in from the left point and snapped a shot past Robert Morris goaltender Kristen DiCiocco from a bad angle. Senior Bailey Bram had the other assist.

It remained a 1-0 Mercyhurst lead until the 16:40 mark of the second period, when Szandzik beat DiCiocco again, this time on an even-strength goal, for a 2-0 advantage. Szandzik again pinched in from the left point, received a pass from Steadman from behind the goal, and ripped a shot past DiCiocco for the two-goal lead. Steadman had the lone assist, as the Lakers outshot Robert Morris 11-9 in the second period.

Steadman would cap off the scoring with her 30th goal of the season, easily a career-high. The native of Plattsburgh, New York scored 17 goals last season as a junior - her high before this season. Bram and senior Jess Jones picked up the assist on Steadman's 12th power play goal of the year, giving her the national lead in that category.

Shots were dead even at 12-12 in the third period.

Pattenden stopped 25 Robert Morris shots, improving to 19-6-2 on the season. It was her sixth shutout of the season, but her first since her record-breaking 92nd career win against Lindenwood on December 14. Meanwhile, DiCiocco stopped 35-of-38 Mercyhurst shots on goal in the loss, dropping to 15-9-3 on the year.

The Lakers went 2-for-6 on the power play, improving its nation's leading power play percentage to 29.8%. Meanwhile, the Colonials went 0-for-4 with the skater advantage.

Mercyhurst will conclude the regular season on Saturday night, February 18, as the two teams will make the trek down I-79 to suburban Pittsburgh for a 7:00 p.m. faceoff.