Women's Ice Hockey | 2/8/2018 1:00:00 PM

The Mercyhurst women's hockey team hosts Penn State for two games this weekend Feb. 9-10 to begin its final four-game home stand this regular season.
 
PLACE: Mercyhurst Ice Center
DATES: February 9-10
TIMES: Friday @ 3:00 p.m. | Saturday @ 2:00 p.m.
WATCH: MERCYHURST LIVE STREAM
STATISTICS: LIVE STATS
TWITTER: MERCYHURST ATHLETICS | MERCYHURST WOMEN'S HOCKEY
 
SETTING THE SCENE
This series against Penn State marks the 29th and 30th games of the season for Mercyhurst and the final regular-season meeting between the Lakers and Nittany Lions.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
Mercyhurst and Penn State last met Nov. 3-4 of 2017 at Pegula Ice Arena. The Lakers took game one 3-1 before tying the Nittany Lions 1-1 in the second game. Vilma Tanskanen scored twice in game one and Summer-Rae Dobson pitched in a power-play marker. Molly Blasen scored her lone goal of the season in the tie.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Mercyhurst holds a 16-3-3 advantage in the all-time series against the Nittany Lions. Mercyhurst has outscored PSU  83-28 over that span. Mercyhurst holds an 8-1-1 record against PSU at Mercyhurst Ice Center dating back to the first matchup between these teams in 2012.
 
ALL GOOD THINGS MUST END...
Mercyhurst had its season-high five-game winning streak snapped last time out, but completed January with a 6-2 overall record.  During January, Mercyhurst outscored opponents 27-10.
 
...BUT BETTER THINGS FOLLOW!
Mercyhurst holds a 96-13-11 all-time record in the month of February, including a 28-3-2 mark over the last five seasons. In the 2016-17 season, Mercyhurst had a season-high five-game win streak and outscored opponents 18-10. The Lakers have only lost multiple games in February twice in program history (2003, 2008).
 
TOP FINNISHER
Junior forward Vilma Tanskanen leads the Lakers with 13 goals this season, eclipsing her goal total from her first two collegiate seasons with the University of North Dakota (7). Tanskanen's hat trick a Syracuse on Jan. 27 was the first hat trick by a Laker since Christine Bestland netted three on 2/21/14 vs. Lindenwood.

OVER-THE-TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
Forwards Maggie Knott (So.), Summer-Rae Dobson (Fr.), and Sam Isbell (So.) have combined for 51 points this season, the second-most scored by a trio of underclassmen in CHA (RMU, 61 points).

SISTI MILESTONE WATCH
Mercyhurst head coach Mike Sisti currently has 395 wins against conference opponents since joining the CHA in 2002-03. He would become the first coach in CHA's history to reach 400 CHA wins.
 
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS 
Penn State ranks fifth in the CHA standings and has the most ties (9) among all Division I teams in the country. The Nittany Lions also have allowed the fewest goals in the CHA (55) while having the fewest penalty minutes (212 PIM, 7.6 PIM/G). PSU is seeking its first win since Jan. 12.  
 
Senior goaltender Hannah Ehresmann has put together one of the best statistical seasons of any netminder in the country. Despite a 5-8-7 overall record, she has stopped 92.8% of all shots and has a 1.92 goals-against average to go with one shutout win.  
 
Freshman forward Natalie Heising leads PSU and all CHA freshman 18 points. She's scored a team-high nine goals, five of which are power-play markers. Sophomore Brooke Madsen (16 pts) and freshman Katie Rankin (13) are the Nittany Lion's next two top-scoring forwards. Madsen had a goal in the early November series between these two teams Senior Bella Sutton and junior Kelsey Crow are PSU's most productive defensive players with 11 points each.