ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst women's ice hockey team got a three-point effort from Vilma Tanskanen and two more points from Maggie Knott to down College Hockey America foe Syracuse 4-1 at Mercyhurst Ice Center Friday evening.
 
The Lakers (5-10-2) improved their conference record to 4-2-1 with the win. Syracuse (5-10-1) now holds the same conference mark at 4-2-1.
 
Tanskanen scored Mercyhurst's first goal of the game shorthanded in the first period. Knott also scored in the first period on a Lakers power play. Brooke Hartwick also netted an even-strength goal in the opening frame, while Emma Nuutinen picked up her first goal of the season in the third period.
 
Syracuse scored the first goal of the game 5:29 in. Entering the game, Mercyhurst had been 0-9-2 when its opponent scored first. Momentum shifted in Mercyhurst's favor on Tanskanen's short-handed breakaway at 12:14, the first short-handed goal of the season by the Lakers.
 
Mercyhurst took the lead on Knott's power-play marker at 15:51. Sam Isbell and Tanskanen earned assists on the play.
 
2:02 later, the Lakers extended their lead to 3-1 on Hartwick's fourth goal of the season. Sarah Robello and Michele Robillard picked up helpers on the goal.
 
After a scoreless second period, Nuutinen scored her first goal of the season at 4:03 with Tanskanen and Knott's help on the set-up.
 
Kennedy Blair improved to 3-4-0 with the win in goal. She made 20 saves, including 12 in the third period.
 
The Lakers had a 30-21 advantage in shots on net for the game. Through two periods, the Lakers had 24 shots on target to Syracuse's nine.
 
Both teams square off in a rematch tomorrow beginning at 1 p.m. at Mercyhurst Ice Center.