PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Mercyhurst women's ice hockey team struggled in their first College Hockey America conference game of the season, losing 2-1 to Robert Morris at the RMU Island Sports Center on Friday afternoon.
The Lakers looked to turn around a three-game losing skid entering the game, but Robert Morris came out firing to earn the game's first goal in the first period. 3:54 into the game, Aneta Ledlova beat Mercyhurst goalie
Jessica Convery and scored her first goal of the season to put the Colonials up 1-0. Leah Carey was credited with the assist.
Mercyhurst bounced back with a goal later in the first period to tie the game at one. At the 13:36 mark,
Megan Whiddon worked her way behind the Robert Morris net and fed a pass to Brook Hartwick in the crease. Hartwick snapped the puck past Robert Morris goalie Lauren Bailey. Hartwick leads the Lakers with two goals this season, while Whiddon leads the team with four assists.
The score remained 1-1 entering the second period and Mercyhurst had its chances in the period to take the lead. The Lakers had four power play chances in the period, including 1:32 on a five-on-three. They managed five shots on net and another handful of shots that were blocked, but the Colonials kept the Lakers off the scoreboard and went into the second intermission still knotted at 1-1.
In the third period, Convery made three saves early to stall Robert Morris. The Lakers then received two more power play chances in the middle of the period. On those power plays, Mercyhurst fired seven shots on net, but Bailey stopped each of the opportunities. Mercyhurst finished 0-7 on the power play for the game with 13 total shots.
With time winding down in the third period, Robert Morris found the go-ahead goal that proved to be the game-winner. With 1:53 remaining, Kirsten Welsh netted her fifth goal of the season with assists to Brittany Howard and Katherine Howard. In the final 1:53, the Lakers failed to create any legitimate scoring chances and they fell 2-1.
The Lakers (1-5-1) look to end their four-game skid against the same Colonials tomorrow at 3:00 p.m at RMU Island Sports Center.
