Box Score

Highlights ( Courtesy of Providence Athletic Communications )

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior goaltender Amanda Makela of the tenth-ranked Mercyhurst University women's hockey team made 31 saves in a 5-0 shutout over Providence College on Saturday afternoon. Mercyhurst improved to 2-2 in the season after capturing its second non-conference win. Providence fell to 1-2-0 overall.

The last time the Lakers shutout an opponent on the road was against Yale in a 4-0 win on November 17, 2012. Makela's 31 saves marked her second highest career saves in a game, her first shutout of the season and fourth of her career.

Junior Shelby Bram's lone shot on goal in the contest made it past goaltender Sara Bryant just 3:50 into the first period. Senior Christine Bestland set up the goal after creating a turnover behind the Friars net. She passed the puck to Bram who was stationed in the slotThe goal proved to be the game-winner and gave Mercyhurst a 1-0 lead.

The Lakers got a power-play opportunity at the end of the first period and capitalized at the 1:59 mark of the second, Maggie Rothgery tallied her second goal of the season, working a two-on-one with junior Molly Byrne.

With Byrne's assistance again, the Lakers tallied another goal a little over two minutes later when Bestland recorded her first shorthanded goal of the season at the 3:12 mark. With the two assists, Byrne now has three points in the early season.

The Lakers were awarded a five minute power-play later in the second period. The final two goals were scored during the advantage. Sophomore Jenna Dingeldein tallied the first at the 10:13 mark, while Bestland added the fifth Mercyhurst goal at the 11:21 mark of the period.

Sophomore Emily Janiga started Dingeldein's goal by winning the faceoff in front of the Friars' net to senior Kayleigh Chippy. Chippy then passed it to Dingeldein who was stationed just outside the faceoff circle. Bestland scored her second goal of the game and fourth of the season with an unassisted goal after skating in the faceoff circle from the left side and sneaking a shot to the right side of the Friars' net.

After two periods of play, Mercyhurst had outscored the Friars 5-0, but were being outshot 26 to 20. The Lakers had a chance for a sixth goal early in the third when senior Christie Cicero was awarded a penalty shot with 15:24 left. However, the Friars goaltender Allie Morse denied Cicero to keep the damage at five.

Mercyhurst special teams contributed to the Lakers success. Mercyhurst was successful three out of nine times with the extra skater and . The Lakers also killed all nine of Providence's power-play opportunities and scored once down a player.

Bestland finished with two goals and an assist to extend her scoring streak to ten games. Bestland needs a point Sunday to tie her career-high of eleven successive games with at least one point. Dingeldein has scored four goals this season and is three points away from 50 career points. Janiga is just seven points away from achieving 50 points in a Mercyhurst uniform.

The Lakers look to sweep the weekend series against the Friars on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.