ERIE, Pa. – A third period goal from sophomore Rachael Smith was the deciding factor in an impressive 3-2 win by Mercyhurst over Quinnipiac at Mercyhurst Ice Center Friday evening. The win was the Lakers' first victory of the 2016-17 season.
 
Mercyhurst showcased an aggressive defensive game plan from the beginning and it served the team well in the first period. Although the Lakers did not score, they held the Bobcats scoreless in the frame and limited their high-octane offense to just one shot on goal. Meanwhile, the Lakers generated numerous scoring-chances, registering seven shots. This was a result of stout play in the neutral zone and an aggressive forecheck that allowed the Lakers time to possess the puck in the offensive zone.
 
In the second period, Mercyhurst's pressure with the puck paid off with the first goal of the game. Taylor Accursi netted her first of the season from just in front of the cage with assists awarded to Megan Whiddon and Brook Hartwick 4:53 into the period. The goal gave the Lakers their first lead of the season.
 
Quinnipiac came back to knot the score up at one with 5:54 on the clock in the second. Bobcat captain Emma Woods tallied her third of the season after teammate Meghan Turner intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and set her up for the shot. Woods' shot beat Mercyhurst goalie Jessica Convery to make it 1-1.
 
Shortly after the goal, Quinnipiac had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Morgan Stacey headed to the penalty box for tripping at the 4:32 mark. The Lakers penalty kill stood up to the task, however, as all three Bobcat shots were blocked by the Mercyhurst PK unit.
 
Late in the back-and-forth second period, Mercyhurst got a big boost by taking the lead in the final minute. After Whiddon found Stacey open at the center point, Stacy ripped a shot that was deflected in by Hartwick with 35 seconds remaining. Hartwick's goal was her first of the season and it gave the Lakers a 2-1 advantage entering the third period.
 
Mercyhurst gave the Bobcats problems in the neutral zone all game long by aggressively pursuing the puck and giving Quinnpiac little room to maneuver. When Quinnipiac did get space, they were dangerous, and they found enough space early in the third period to tie the score again. Randi Marcon put a shot on net that was stopped by Convery, but the rebound went right to the stick of Miranda Lantz who scored to tie the game 2-2 just past four minutes into the third period.
 
The Lakers bounced right back with another go-ahead goal two minutes later courtesy of Rachael Smith. Smith, who had been buzzing all night creating chances not only for herself but teammates as well, earned her first goal of the season after Molly Blasen skated in from the blue line and fed the puck into the crease where Smith put it in the net. The score read 3-2 with 13:34 remaining in the game.
 
Mercyhurst continued to bottle up Quinnipiac between the blue lines and made any entries into the Lakers' end difficult. As time winded down to the two-minute mark, the Bobcats pulled their goalie Sydney Rossman for the extra attacker. Paige Horton was sent to the box for tripping with 1:26 left on the clock, allowing Quinnipiac a six-on-four power play chance. Convery came up with four big saves on the penalty kill and that proved to be enough as the clock ran out, resulting in a 3-2 Laker win.
 
Hartwick finished the game with a goal and an assist to bring her season point total up to three (1G, 2A), which is tied Whiddon (3A) for the team lead. Convery earned her first win of the season and now hold a 1-0-1 record with a goals-against average well under two. Accursi led all skaters with six shots on goal, five of which came in the second period. Smith's game-winning goal was the second of her career, with the first coming on Feb. 6 last year in a 6-3 win over Robert Morris. Smith earned the game's first star while Horton and Stacy earned second and third star respectively.
 
The Lakers (1-1-1) take on Quinnipiac again tomorrow at Mercyhurst Ice Center beginning at 2 p.m.