ROCHESTER, N.Y. - After a disappointing month of January, the Mercyhurst University women's hockey team started February on a positive note by defeating Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), 5-1, Friday night in a College Hockey America (CHA) contest at the new Gene Polisseni Center. The Lakers improved to 19-7-3 overall and to 10-4-1 in the conference and maintained a one-point lead over second-place Penn State, which won at Lindenwood, 3-2, Friday. RIT fell to 10-16-3 and 4-10-1 respectively.
 
Coming off an eight-game stretch that produced only two victories and a tie, the Mercyhurst coaching staff opted to shake things up a bit. Junior netminder Julia DiTondo (1-0-0) made her first start of the season, and her first start since January 24, 2014, and stopped 16-of-17 Tigers' shots. While DiTondo and the defense did their jobs, Mercyhurst got offensive production from a freshman, a junior, and two seniors.

It was the first time since a 5-2 win over Lindenwood on December 6 that the Lakers had reached five goals in a game. 
 
Senior forward Shelby Bram got the Lakers off to a quick start against RIT senior goaltender Ali Binnington (7-8-1) with her fourth goal of the season at 4:41 of the first. The goal marked Bram's 100th career point and was her first lamplighter since a 5-1 win at Syracuse November 7, a span of 17 games. Freshman forward Kirsten Miller registered the lone assist.

The Tigers reached DiTondo for their lone goal just 62 seconds later when senior winger Kolbee McCrea tallied her seventh goal of the season. But Mercyhurst took the lead for keeps when junior forward, and reigning CHA Offensive Player of the Week, Jenna Dingeldein cashed her 14th goal of the year at 7:05. Senior defender Molly Byrne and Miller had the helpers. For Miller, it was her first collegiate multiple-point game.

Mercyhurst outshot RIT, 13-5, in the first period.

Junior forward Emily Janiga took over in the second, scoring twice, to give the Lakers a 4-1 advantage after forty minutes. Janiga's first goal of the period, and 21st of the season, came at 4:03 and was assisted by junior J'nai Mahadeo and Dingeldein. The assist by Mahadeo extended her career-long point-scoring streak to four games.

Janiga notched her second of the game, and 22nd of the year, at 16:43. Freshman Sarah Robello and sophomore Megan Whiddon had the assists. It was Whiddon's first point since scoring twice against Lindenwood on December 5. Robello, meanwhile, has at least one point in four of her last five games.

The Lakers outshot the Tigers, 10-7, in the middle stanza.

Freshman forward Brooke Hartwick capped off the scoring with her second goal of the season at 12:45 of the third. It was Hartwick's first goal since a lamplighter on October 3 - opening day against Providence. Janiga had the lone assist.

The three-point effort by Janiga tied a season-high that she had accomplished on three previous occasions. Miller had her first collegiate multiple-point game while Dingeldein, who had one goal and one assist, has now reached multiple points in three straight contests.

DiTondo picked up her first win since December 7, 2013, when she blanked Penn State, 8-0. Binnington suffered the loss after turning aside 26-of-31 Laker shots. It was her first game against Mercyhurst since stopping 62-of-63 shots in the Tigers' 2-1 double overtime victory in the CHA Championship game last March. She missed the two-game series earlier this season.
  
Mercyhurst outshot RIT, 31-17, and was 0-for-3 with the skater advantage. The Tigers finished 0-for-5.
 
Mercyhurst improved to 10-2 lifetime against the Tigers and has now won all three meetings this season. The Lakers swept the Tigers by identical 4-1 scores November 21 and 22 at the Ice Center.
 
The two teams will conclude the weekend series on Saturday afternoon at 3:05 p.m.