ERIE, Pa. - The seventh-ranked Mercyhurst University women's hockey team scored three goals in the third period, snapping a 2-2 tie after forty minutes, en route to a 5-2 victory over visiting Lindenwood University on Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The win completed a weekend sweep of the Lady Lions, extended the Lakers' unbeaten streak to eight games (7-0-1), and improved their record to 16-2-2 overall and 7-1-0 in the College Hockey America standings. Lindenwood fell to 5-10-1 overall and 4-5-1 in league play.

Junior Jenna Dingeldein scored just 58 seconds into the third period for, what proved to be the game-winning goal, while freshman Sarah Robello and sophomore Taylor Accursi added goals later in the final period to secure the Laker victory. The goal was Dingeldein's only point of the afternoon, putting her one point shy of becoming the 18th player in program history to record 100 career points. Meanwhile, senior Shelby Bram had the primary assist on Dingeldein's tally to move within four points of also reaching the milestone.

Junior Hannah Bale gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead at the 7:10 mark of the opening period with her first collegiate shorthanded goal. Junior J'nai Mahadeo received an outlet pass from senior Molly Byrne, chipped the puck ahead to Bale, and the junior from Oakville, Ontario sniped a wrist shot from the right wing circle over the glove hand of Lindenwood goaltender Sarah McGall for her fifth goal of the season. Bale would strike again at 18:08, sliding a rebound past McGall for her second goal of the game and sixth of the season. Accursi and junior Kathy Donohue had the assists.

Mercyhurst outshot Lindenwood, 10-4, in the opening period.

But, the visitors would not go quietly, scoring twice in the middle period to tie the contest at 2-2 after forty minutes. Katie Erickson got the Lady Lions on the board at 3:35, beating senior goaltender Amanda Makela for her fourth goal of the season. Shara Jasper and Lyndsay Kiurkham had the assists. Then, at 9:16, Jordyn Constance tied the game with a power play goal, redirecting a shot from the left point by Jasper over the shoulder of Makela. Alyssa West picked up the other assist on Constance's sixth goal of the year.

Lindenwood managed just five shots on goal in the second period, but two of those found the back of the net. Mercyhurst held a 6-5 shot advantage in the middle frame.

Dingeldein received an outlet pass from Bram, sprinted down the right wing, and beat McGall just under the crossbar for her tenth goal of the season, snapping the 2-2 tie. Byrne had the other helper on Dingeldein's team-leading fourth game-winning marker of the season. Robello followed with a goal at 5:50, beating McGall through a screen with a shot from just inside the left point. The freshman's sixth goal of the year was assisted by Mahadeo and junior Emily Janiga.

Accursi finished off the scoring at 7:23 with her third goal of the season, one-timing a centering feed from Bale just past the outstretched glove of McGall. Sophomore Jillian Skinner had the other assist.

Mercyhurst scored three times on just four shots in the third period, with the shots dead even at four apiece in the last twenty minutes.

The Lakers outshot Lindenwood, 20-13, with Makela turning aside 11 shots to improve to 16-2-2 on the season. McGall stopped just 15-of-20 Mercyhurst shots to drop to 0-2 on the year.

Bale led the way with a career-high three points on two goals and one assist. It was the first multiple-goal game of her career. Meanwhile, Accursi had the first mulitple-point effort of her career with one goal and one assist. Mahadeo and Byrne had two assists apiece in the victory.

Mercyhurst was 0-for-3 on the power play while Lindenwood was 1-for-3. It was just the fourth power play goal allowed by the Lakers this season - in 84 chances.

The Lakers will conclude the 2014 portion of the schedule with a trip to State College, Pa., to battle the Nittany Lions of Penn State in a two-game conference series next Friday and Saturday, December 12 and 13. Friday's start time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. while Saturday's puck drop is slated for 2:00 p.m.