The Mercyhurst women's ice hockey team is set to host Penn State for a two-game weekend series at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Jan. 17-18. Puck drops at 3:05 p.m. on Friday and 2:05 p.m. on Saturday.
Promotions
Saturday's game will be the first ever Autism Awareness game. The Lakers will be wearing special Autism Awareness jerseys that can be purchased after the game for $125. The first 100 fans will receive a FREE t-shirt. Find a puzzle piece around campus starting on Friday morning and bring it to the game on Saturday for a giveaway.
Beer Sales
There will be beer sold on Friday but not Saturday.
Last Time Out
Mercyhurst split its weekend series at Syracuse last weekend. The Lakers fell 8-3 on Friday before winning 4-3 in overtime the next night.
Maggie Knott scored with 0.1 left on the clock to give Mercyhurst an overtime win on Saturday.
Michele Robillard had two goals and three assists on the weekend and
Summer-Rae Dobson had one goal and two assists.
Previous Matchup
The Lakers and Nittany Lions meet four times last season with the Lakers going 2-0-2.
Sam Isbell,
Alexa Vasko, M.K. Gialames,
K.K. Thiessen,
Emily Pinto, Nuutinen, Knott, Dobson and Robillard recorded points for Mercyhurst. Nuutinen recorded a hat trick during the 5-4 overtime win.
Kennedy Blair made 19 saves in the 1-1 tie and 27 saves in the 2-2 tie.
Brooke Madsen, Katie Rankin, Natalie Heising, Katie McMillian, Shea Nelson and Jessica Adolfsson recorded points for Penn State.
In net, Jenna Breenneman made 31 saves during the 2-1 loss. She then made 25 saves in the 1-1 tie and 20 saves in the 2-2 tie. Chantal Burke made 24 saves in the 5-4 overtime loss.
All-Time Series
Mercyhurst leads the all-time series 18-3-7. The Lakers hold a 5-0-5 edge in the past 10 games.
Scouting the Nittany Lions
Penn State is coming into the weekend with a 9-9-4, 4-3-1 CHA record. The Nittany Lions swept Lindenwood last weekend, winning 2-1 and 3-2.
Madsen is leading the roster with 14 points. Heising is leading with eight points and is tied for second on the roster with 12 points. Rene Gangarosa is leading with nine assists and has 12 points. Nelson also has 12 points.
In net, Burke has a 9-5-3 record with a 1.57 goals against average and .937 save percentage. Cam Leonard has a 0-4-0 record with a 4.79 GAA and .826 save percentage. Brenneman has a 0-0-1 record with a 2.32 GAA and .889 save percentage.
Burke is ranked sixth in the nation with her 1.57 GAA and .937 save percentage.
Laker Outlook
Mercyhurst is coming into the weekend with a 12-8-2, 6-2-0 CHA record.
Nuutinen is on top of the roster with 13 goals and 25 points. Isbell is leading with 20 assists and is next in points with 24. Dobson has 21 points and Vasko has 19 points.
In net, Blair has a 11-6-2 record with a 2.35 GAA and .910 save percentage.
Jenna Silvonen has a 1-2-0 record with a 2.13 GAA and .903 save percentage and
Leah Klassen has played in one game with a 4.92 GAA and .889 save percentage.
Laker Firsts
Abigail Schauer recorded her first collegiate goal during the game on Friday.
Gabrielle Cox recorded her first collegiate points on Saturday with two assists.
CHA Player of the Week
Robillard was named the CHA Player of the Week for her efforts against Syracuse. She recorded two goals and three assists during the series.
NCAA Third Star of the Wseek
Robillard was also named the NCAA Third Star of the Week.
National Rankings
Nuutinen is ranked 15th in the nation with 0.65 goals per game and is tied for 22nd in the nation with 1.25 points per game.
Isbell is ranked 12th with 0.91 assists per game.
Special Teams
Mercyhurst is ranked eighth in the penalty kill with 88.7 percent and is tied for eighth on the power play going 20.0 percent.
The Lakers are ranked seventh in combined special teams with 54.3 percent.
CHA Standings
T1 – Mercyhurst (12)
T1 – Robert Morris (12)
3 – Syracuse (11)
4 – Penn State (9)
5 – RIT (4)
6 – Lindenwood (0)
Next Up
The Lakers will travel to RIT on Jan. 24-25. Puck drops at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Stay Connected
Keep up with the team by following their social media:
Twitter: @HurstWHockey
Facebook: facebook.com/hurstwhky
Instagram: @HurstWHockey
