Box Score

ERIE, Pa. – Junior captain Christine Bestland scored two goals while freshman Jenna Dingeldein tallied a goal and two assists to lead the ninth-ranked Mercyhurst University women's hockey team to a 4-1 win over RIT on Friday afternoon.  The Lakers improved to 25-6-1 overall and 16-3-0 in the CHA this season.  RIT fell to 14-14-5 overall and 7-7-5 in the CHA. 
 
Before today's contest, the Lakers donated $1,000 to the American Cancer Society and Making Strides against Breast Cancer of Erie.  Mercyhurst raised this money earlier this year during their annual “Pink the Rink”.  David Schumacher was there to accept the check on behalf of the American Cancer Society, and junior captain Christine Bestland presented the check on behalf of the Mercyhurst Lakers.
 
Senior goaltender Stephanie Ciampa made 20 saves and allowed one goal while in net for the Lakers.  Ciampa is now 16-1-0 this season and is on her seventh straight win between the pipes.
 
The game remained scoreless between the first two periods of play.  Mercyhurst outshot RIT 8-to-3 throughout the first period, and 12-to-9 in the second.  Mercyhurst was given only one power-play opportunity, while RIT had two and was held to only three shots on net. 
 
Mercyhurst finally found a way to break through RIT goaltender Ali Binnington with less than a minute into the third period.  Bestland tallied her first goal of the game after receiving a pass from Dingeldein in front of the crease and tossed it in between Binnington's five hole. 
 
The Lakers scored two more goals at 4:47 and 6:46 to tally three unanswered Laker goals.  Freshman Emily Janiga tipped a pass from sophomore defensemen Vaila Higson that snuck past Binnington's left top corner.  Janiga's goal marked her 19th of the season.
 
Higson again added another helper after setting up Bestland's second goal of the night, her 26th of the season, on the Lakers only successful power-play of the evening.  Mercyhurst was 0-for-8 before Bestland ended the man-advantage drought not even half-way through the third.
 
The Tiger's Tenecia Hiller recorded her 13th goal of the season and only RIT goal at 12:06 on a power-play opportunity to cut the Laker lead to two goals.  Ariane Yokoyama notched the assist.  RIT was given two more power-play chances at the end of the third period, but could not muster past Ciampa.
 
With 1:35 left in regulation, RIT pulled goaltender Binnington to give the Tigers a one-man advantage to try and pull a last minute rally after trailing 3-1.  Not even 30 seconds later, Higson win the puck in the Laker defensive zone, which then passed it from Byrne to Dingeldein, where she held possession and slipped the puck in the back of the net to seal the victory.
 
Binnington tallied the loss in net for RIT, falling to a record of 9-8-4.  She made 27 saves on 31 shots in 59:29 minutes played.
 
Two teams are back in action tomorrow at the Mercyhurst Ice Center to conclude the regular season at 2:00 p.m.  The Mercyhurst Lakers will honor their seniors for their last regular season home game at the Ice Center.  One senior will also be awarded the Bill Smith Award, given to the Laker who shows in-house honor for meritorious service on-and-off-the ice.