ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University women's hockey team got goals from five different players and freshman Sarah McDonnell posted 11 saves for her first career victory as the Lakers blanked the Tigers of Rochester Institute of Technology, 5-0, on Friday night at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The victory, Mercyhurst's first of the season, improved the Lakers' overall record to 1-5-1 while they begin the season with a 1-0-0 mark in College Hockey America action. The Tigers dropped to 3-5-0 overall and 0-2-0 in conference play.

After a scoreless first period in which the Lakers outshot the Tigers, 10-4, Mercyhurst exploded for three goals in just under three minutes in the second period to take a 3-0 advantage after forty minutes.

Sophomore Sarah Robello got Mercyhurst on the scoreboard with her third goal of the season at 7:26. Senior Jenna Dingeldein led the rush and dropped a pass off for Robello along the left wing. The sophomore winger took a wrist shot that tipped off the glove of RIT goaltender, Brooke Stoddart, for a 1-0 lead.

Roughly 90 seconds later, at 8:53, freshman Rachael Smith banged home a rebound for her third goal of the season to give the Lakers a 2-0 cushion. Freshman Sarah Hine and senior Hannah Bale had the assists. Junior Megan Whiddon followed with her first goal of the season at 10:14 to extend the Mercyhurst advantage to 3-0. Junior Jillian Skinner and freshman Molly Blasen had the assists.

Shots favored the Lakers in the second period, 15-3.

Hine gave the hosts a 4-0 advantage with her first collegiate power play goal at 3:17 of the third period. Smith and Blasen had the helpers on Hine's second goal of the season. Bale completed the scoring with her second of the season at the 8:35 mark. Junior Paige Horton and Dingeldein had the assists.

McDonnell did the rest, although she was not tested often. The freshman earned her first career win in goal, stopping all 11 shots she faced for her first career shutout and Mercyhurst's first shutout of the season. Stoddart suffered the loss for the Tigers, dropping to 2-2 overall, after stopping 31 shots. Mercyhurst held a sizeable 36-11 advantage in shots for the contest.

Bale, Smith, and Hine led the way with a goal and an assist each while Blasen and Dingeldein chipped in with two assists each.

Mercyhurst went 1-for-5 on the power play while RIT was held scoreless on six attempts by the Mercyhurst penalty killing unit. The power play goal was just Mercyhurst's third of the season.

The Lakers and the Tigers will conclude the weekend series at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Saturday, October 31. Faceoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.