ERIE, Pa. - The #8/8 Mercyhurst University women's hockey team won for the ninth time in its last ten games on Saturday afternoon as the Lakers defeated Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) 4-1 to sweep the weekend series. Mercyhurst improved to 12-2-1 overall and to 5-1-0 in College Hockey America. The Tigers, losers of three straight, fell to 6-7-3 and 1-4-1 respectively.

Junior forward Emily Janiga became the 17th player in program history to record 100 career points in a Laker uniform - just one day after senior defenseman Molly Byrne became the 16th member of the 100-point club. In just 89 career games, Janiga, after leading the Lakers with a goal and two assists on Saturday afternoon, now has 45 goals and 57 assists for 102 points.

Sophomore forward Megan Whiddon started the scoring for the Lakers in the first period when she one-timed a centering feed from freshman Sarah Bobello for her fourth goal of the year at 5:24. Janiga picked up the other assist for her 100th career point. 

Whiddon's goal was the lone marker of the period as the Lakers outshot the Tigers, 13-2.

With the Lakers on an early second period power play, Janiga made it 2-0 at 3:39 with her 11th goal of the season. She received help from Robello and Byrne. The lead grew to 3-0 at 16:11 when sophomore forward Taylor Accursi crashed the net and scored on a rebound - her second tally of the season. Junior forward Hannah Bale took the initial shot while Janiga had the secondary assist. Mercyhurst outshot RIT, 7-6, in the middle period.

Freshman forward Kirsten Miller closed the scoring for Mercyhurst early in the third when she sniped a shot past RIT netminder Jetta Rackleff from the right wing circle for her first collegiate goal at 1:48. Junior forward Kathy Donohue and Whiddon helped.

The Tigers then spoiled the Lakers' bid for a shutout when junior winger Carly Payerl slapped one past Mercyhurst senior netminder Amanda Makela at 15:13. Both teams took seven shots in the period as the Lakers finished with a 27-15 advantage.

Rackleff (0-2-1) took the loss for the second straight day. RIT finished 0 for 7 with the skater advantage and ended the two-game series a combined 1 for 14. The Lakers were 1 of 5 and, collectively, 3 for 9 on the weekend.

Makela, who has played every minute in goal this season for the Lakers, improved to 12-2-1 with 14 saves in the victory. She ranks fourth in the country with a 1.00 goals against average and is sixth in the nation with a .949 save percentage this season. 

Mercyhurst, aided by a penalty killing unit that has been successful 63 of 66 times, has now allowed two goals or less in nine of its last ten games.

The Lakers improved to 9-2-0 lifetime against the Tigers with Saturday's victory marking career win #399 for head coach Michael Sisti and the Mercyhurst program, which started play in 1999-2000.

Mercyhurst has two more home games remaining on the schedule prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. The Lakers will host Colgate in a pair of non-conference games at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Tuesday, November 25 and Wednesday, November 26. Faceoffs are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. respectively.