ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Mercyhurst University women's hockey team scored the final seven goals of the game, including five in the second period, to turn back College Hockey America (CHA)-rival Lindenwood, 7-1, on Saturday afternoon and earn a split of a regular season-ending weekend series. The Lakers, the host team for the CHA Final Four in two weeks, concluded regular season play 23-8-3 overall and 14-5-1 in the conference. The Lady Lions, who earned their first-ever win over Mercyhurst Friday night 3-1, dropped to 10-19-2 and 7-11-2 respectively.
 
As it did in Friday's opener, Lindenwood dented the scoreboard first when junior forward Lyndsay Kirkham cashed her eighth of the season at 13:13 of the opening frame. But, as a portent of things to come, Mercyhurst freshman winger Jennifer MacAskill tied the game about four minutes later when she notched her third of the year, from freshman defenseman Callie Paddock and senior forward Shelby Bram.

There were 27 shots on goal in the opening period, 15 from the Lakers.
 
Senior defenseman Molly Byrne gave the Lakers the lead for good when she scored a power play goal at 2:44 of the second. Her third of the year was helped by juniors Emily Janiga and J'nai Mahadeo. Janiga got into the scoring act about three minutes later when she netted her team-leading 27th of the season with the Lakers again up a skater. Byrne and Bram helped.

Bram took the remaining roar out of the Lady Lions with a shorthanded goal, with help from junior Jaclyn Arbour at 11:05 and, suddenly, the lead was 4-1. Paddock then got her first collegiate goal less than a minute later and the rout was on. Freshman Sarah Robello and junior Hannah Bale assisted. Junior forward Jenna Dingeldein ended second-period scoring with her 18th of the year, another power play goal, from Robello and Byrne, at 12:48.

When the dust cleared, the Lakers had scored five goals in a span of ten minutes and four seconds, including three power play markers and a shorthanded tally. Despite the five-goal barrage in the second, Mercyhurst owned a modest 12-8 advantage in shots.
 
Bram ended the scoring with her second marker of the game – and fourth point – at 3:57 of the third. Byrne had the lone assist. The Lakers owned an 8-4 shot margin in the third and a 35-24 advantage for the full sixty minutes. The Lakers also converted three power play opportunities in four tries.
 
Senior goaltender Amanda Makela played the first two periods and picked up her 20th win of the season (20-7-3). Freshman Jessica Convery saw her first collegiate action in the third and turned aside all four Lindenwood shots.
 
Sophomore Sarah McGall (0-4-0) stopped 28 Mercyhurst shots and was saddled with the loss.
 
The Lakers improved to 14-1-1 lifetime against Lindenwood.
 
The conference quarterfinals begin next weekend with #6 RIT, the CHA defending playoff champion, visiting #3 Robert Morris in a best two-of-three while #5 Lindenwood travels to #4 Penn State for a similar best-of-three. The two survivors will join #1 Mercyhurst and #2 Syracuse in Erie for the semifinals and championship game March 6 and 7. The tournament winner will, for the first time, receive an automatic bid to the NCAAs.