Rochester, NY—After 278 days the Mercyhurst Women's Hockey team was back on the ice this afternoon against the RIT Tigers.
After RIT beat sophomore goaltender Jenna Silvonen 12:38 into the game, the Lakers shut down the Tigers on the heels of two goals from freshman Sara Boucher and 23 saves from Silvonen.
"First we feel so fortunate to have a chance to finally play a game, we appreciate everyone's hard work in many different areas who helped make this possible" Head Coach Michael Sisti said about their season opener. "I am extremely proud of how both teams competed today. It was exciting to see our players in a real game and I thought they were very resilient in their effort today" Sisti added.
After the first period Mercyhurst was down 1-0 to the Tigers even though the Lakers had 22 shot attempts compared to just 12 shot attempts from the Tigers.
The Lakers scored their first goal of the 2020-21 season when Boucher netted her first collegiate goal and point when she was in the right place at right time to tap in a rebound after senior Megan Korzack took the initial shot. The puck sat on the edge of the RIT crease after RIT goalie Jessi O'Leary made the first save, Boucher was able to fend of the defender and put it in the back of the net 8:18 in to the second period.
Boucher decided that one goal wasn't enough for her Mercyhurst debut. She parked herself next to the RIT goaltender and took a pass from junior Emily Pinto as she came out of the corner. Boucher made no mistake and netted her second goal of the afternoon.
In net Silvonen, appeared in her 11th game as a Laker to open her sophomore season. She stopped 23 of the 24 shots that came her way from the Tigers.
The Lakers successfully killed off both powerplays to start the season and picked off where they left last season in which they killed 88.6 percent of their penalties and finished tenth in the country in penalty kill.
The Lakers will complete their opening series of the 2020-21 season tomorrow in their home opener at the Mercyhurst Ice Center against RIT with puck drop scheduled for 3:05 PM.
Spectator Policy for 2020-21 Season
Due to the current public health guidelines in the State of Pennsylvania, Mercyhurst University unfortunately will not be able to accommodate any spectators for the start of this season. While we are disappointed to share this news with our loyal supporters, this decision is an important step in continuing to provide a healthy environment for our student athletes, Mercyhurst, and Erie communities. Mercyhurst will continue to remain in communication with local, state, and federal agencies over the course of the season to explore possible fan attendance for this season.
While the Ice Center will be empty to start, we will be providing in depth coverage for you to stay connected with the team via social media and many other initiatives. Fans are encouraged to follow @Hurstwhockey on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and our website for the latest updates. Fans can also watch games online by clicking here. We look forward to having our proud supporters in attendance in the future.
