Box Score

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Junior captain Christine Bestland scored her second hat trick of the season to lead the seventh-ranked Mercyhurst women's hockey team to a 5-2 win over Penn State University Friday night.  The Lakers improved to 20-5-1 overall and 11-2 in the College Hockey America conference.  Penn State fell to 7-18-1 in the season and 1-11-1 in the CHA.
 
Mercyhurst scored two unanswered goals to lead 2-0 after the first period of play.  Bestland scored her first goal of the evening from sophomore Molly Byrne and Shelby Bram.  Junior Kaleigh Chippy tallied her second goal of the season four minutes later from freshman Lauren Kilroy and senior Stephanie DeSutter. 
 
The Lakers' offense held a 30-to-3 shot advantage over the Nittany Lions throughout the first period.  Mercyhurst is now 18-0-0 after scoring the first goal of the contest, and is 12-0-0 when leading after the first period.
 
Senior Jenna Hendrikx tallied her fifth goal of the season from sophomore Kristine Grenier and senior assistant captain Gina Buquet at 4:52 into the second.  Hendrikx's goal proved to be her third game-winner of the season.
 
Two minutes later, Penn State's Hannah Hoenshell narrowed the Mercyhurst lead to two goals when Paige Jahnke set her up.  The Lakers restored the three-goal lead when Bestland tallied her 17th goal of the season, a power-play goal, at 16:13.  Freshman Emily Janiga notched her first assist, while Byrne collected her second of the evening. 
 
The Nittany Lions cut the lead in half at the 6:27 mark of the third period when Jordin Pardoski cashed her third goal of the season.  Penn State's Shannon Yoxheimer and Jess Desorcie recorded the assists. 
 
Bestland completed her hat trick two minutes later to give the Lakers a 5-2 lead.  Senior assistant captain Lauren Jones compiled her fifth assist of the season. 
 
Penn State would have three power-play opportunities in the last six minutes of the third period, but could not muster a goal as the Lakers defense held Penn State to 0-for-3 in their last three power-plays.
 
The Lakers outshot Penn State 64-to-19 in the contest and held the Nittany Lions to 1-for-7 on the power-play.
 
Senior goaltender Stephanie Ciampa improved to 12-1-0, making 17 saves on 19 shots.  Penn State's netminder Celine Whitlinger fell to 1-6 in the season, recording 59 saves on 64 shots. 
 
Mercyhurst and Penn State meet tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.at the Greensburg Ice Pavilion to complete the weekend series.