ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Mercyhurst University women's hockey team, which clinched its 13th straight College Hockey America (CHA) Regular Season Championship last weekend, will conclude the 2014-15 regular season with a trip to suburban St. Louis to square off against the Lady Lions of Lindenwood in a two-game weekend series. Faceoffs are scheduled for 8:00 p.m. (EST) on Friday night and 2:00 p.m. (EST) on Saturday afternoon.

By virtue of winning the league's regular season crown, the Lakers will host the CHA Final Four on March 6 and 7 with the awards banquet on March 5. The winner of this year's league championship will receive an automatic bid to the NCAAs for the first time in conference history.

The teams have met 14 times previously with Mercyhurst posting a 13-0-1 record against the Lady Lions in the all-time series. The Lakers have outscored Lindenwood, 92-14, overall with a 50-4 margin at Lindenwood.

Mercyhurst (22-7-3, 13-4-1 CHA) won its 13th straight CHA regular season crown, and 15th consecutive regular season title overall, after sweeping second-place Penn State last weekend at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The Lakers did not allow a goal to the Nittany Lions, and allowed the visitors just 29 shots combined in the two games. Offensively, senior Shelby Bram and juniors Emily Janiga and Jenna Dingeldein provided all six goals over the weekend (two each).

Lindenwood (9-18-2, 6-10-2 CHA) are two points behind Robert Morris for fourth place in the CHA standings but would have to finish with more points than the Colonials to host a first-round series. Robert Morris went 2-1-1 against Lindenwood this season.

THE SERIES...

•Mercyhurst leads the all-time series against Lindenwood by an 13-0-1 margin and has outscored the Lady Lions, 92-14 in those 14 meetings

•The teams played a weekend series in Erie on December 5 and 6 with the Lakers sweeping the Lady Lions by 6-2 and 5-2 scores. Mercyhurst improved to 7-0-1 lifetime against Lindenwood in Erie. Mercyhurst is 6-0-0 at Lindenwood and has outscored the Lady Lions by a 50-4 margin in those six contests

•The Lakers went 3-0-1 last season against Lindenwood as the Lady Lions picked up their first point in the all-time series with a 2-2 overtime tie in Erie on February 22, 2014

About MERCYHURST...

•Mercyhurst clinched its 13th consecutive CHA regular season championship, and 15th straight overall, with a weekend sweep against Penn State at the Mercyhurst Ice Center last Friday and Saturday. Mercyhurst won 2-0 on Friday and 4-0 on Saturday and will host the CHA Final Four the weekend of March 6 and 7 with the winner of the tournament getting an automatic bid to the NCAAs

•Mercyhurst has won four consecutive games for the first time since winning five straight from November 11 to November 26. The Lakers have allowed one goal over the course of the last four games

•Senior goaltender Amanda Makela got the start on Saturday after junior Julia DiTondo had started the previous three games. Makela stopped all 18 shots in a 4-0 win for her eighth shutout of the season and the 17th of her career. Her eight shutouts ties a single-season school record held by Desi Clark during the 2001-02 season. Her 17 career blankings moved her into a tie for fourth on the school's all-time list. She was named the CHA Goaltender of the Week for the third time this season

•Senior Shelby Bram and juniors Jenna Dingeldein and Emily Janiga each had two goals and two assists in the sweep of Penn State. The trio accounted for all six goals during the weekend and only four other players (J'nai Mahadeo, Sarah Robello, Molly Byrne, and Jillian Skinner) scored during the two games

•Junior forward Emily Janiga was named the CHA Player of the Week after scoring four goals and an assist at RIT on February 6 and 7. She had two goals in each game - the first time this season she has had multiple goals in back-to-back games. She has scored two goals in three of her last four games and leads the team with 26 goals and 16 assists for 42 points. Janiga is tied for the national lead in power play goals (10), tied for seventh in game-winning goals (5), is 11th in points per game (1.31), and is tied for fifth in goals per game (0.81)

•Junior goaltender Julia DiTondo earned CHA Goaltender of the Week honors after posting both wins at RIT on February 6 and 7. It was the first time in her collegiate career that she started back-to-back contests. She allowed one goal on 37 shots and posted her second career shutout with 20 saves on Saturday. DiTondo's first shutout came against Penn State on December 7, 2013. She started the first game of last weekend's series against Penn State and recorded an 11-save shutout to improve to 3-0-0 on the season

•Senior forward Shelby Bram scored a first period goal on Friday, February 6 to become the 19th Laker player overall, and fourth this season, to reach the 100-point milestone. She has 29 goals and 75 assists in her four-year career

•Dingeldein became the third member to reach the program's 100-point-club this season (18th overall) when she scored a first period goal against Penn State on December 13. In 106 career games, Dingeldein has 112 career points and is tied for 15th on the school's all-time scoring list

•Mercyhurst ranks second in the country in killing off penalties, allowing only nine power play goals in 139 chances (93.5%). Only Wisconsin (96.0%) has been better

•Janiga now has 124 points in 106 career games and ranks 14th on the school's all-time scoring list. She joined the 100-point club on November 22 against RIT. She needs two points to pass Samantha Shirley, three to pass Julia Colizza, six to pass Stephanie Jones, seven to pass C.J. Ireland and Stefanie Bourbeau, and nine to pass Kelley Steadman

•Senior defenseman Molly Byrne beat Janiga to the 100-point-club by one day (November 21 against RIT) and is tied for 15th on the program's all-time scoring list, along with Dingeldein, with 112 points

•The victory on Tuesday, November 25 against Colgate was win #400 in the history of the women's hockey program and was win #400 for head coach Michael Sisti. Sisti became the second coach in Division I history to reach 400 career wins while the program became the third-fastest to reach the plateau (545 games). Only Minnesota (502) and New Hamsphire (506) reached 400 faster

About LINDENWOOD...

•Lindenwood enters the series with a 9-18-2 overall record and a 6-10-2 conference mark. The Lady Lions are two points behind fourth-place Robert Morris but would have to pass the Colonials for sole possession to host an opening round series (Robert Morris is 2-1-1 against Lindenwood this season)

•Lindenwood's nine victories this season is a new Division I program record, breaking the team's previous high of eight during the 2011-12 season - its first as a Division I program

•The Lady Lions are 2-2-1 over their last five games with all five contests decided by two goals or fewer

•Junior Shara Jasper, in her first season with Lindenwood after transferring from Minnesota-Duluth, leads the Lady Lions in scoring with 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points. Senior Jordyn Constance leads the team with 13 goals and is second with 25 points

•Junior Nicole Hensley sees the most time in goal and is 9-15-2 with a 2.82 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. She ranks fourth in the country with 786 saves. She missed the series in Erie as sophomore Sarah McGall got both starts against the Lakers