SYRACUSE, NY -- The Mercyhurst Women's hockey team skated past the Orange of Syracuse University on Friday evening by a score of 3-0. Jenna Silvonen recorded her third shutout of the season for the Lakers.
In the opening period, it was the Lakers who struck first courtesy of Chantal Ste-Croix. The Brampton, Ontario native Ste-Croix redirected a shot from Kristy Pidgeon into the top right corner of the net to put Mercyhurst up 1-0 at the 5:27 mark in the first.
Jenna Silvonen made the start in net for the Lakers. The HCA National Co-Goaltender of the Month for November made 14 saves in the opening period including a couple of diving stops. The Laker's penalty kill unit led by Silvonen held off Syracuse's lone power play opportunity in the first period.
Mercyhurst notched their second goal of the game by way of a shorthanded score, the second shorthanded goal for the Lakers this season. Mercyhurst caught Syracuse on the break as Pidgeon took the puck up the left side of the ice with only one Orange defender there to stop the 3 on 1 break of her,
Sydney Pedersen, and
Alexa Vasko. Pigeon passed the puck off to Pedersen above the crease, she then dumped it off Vasko who slapped a shot on goal that was saved, however Pigeon was there to put back her eighth goal of the season putting the Lakers up 2-0 eight minutes into the second period.
The score would remain 2-0 Mercyhurst entering the second period intermission. Silvonen stopped an additional 12 shots in the second period to keep the Orange scoreless.
In the third period,
Vanessa Upson capped off the scoring for the evening when she put home a rebound off a shot from
Sara Boucher, the goal was the 12th of Upson's rookie campaign which still leads all of Division I freshman.
Liliane Perreault was credited with the secondary assist on the goal extending her CHA leading assist total to 14.
Silvonen finished the contest perfect in between the pipes for the Lakers saving a career-high 41 shots for Mercyhurst.
The Lakers out shot Syracuse 46-41 while blocking an additional 16 shots from the Orange. Mercyhurst and Syracuse will conclude their two-game series tomorrow at the Tennity Ice Center with the opening puck drop slated for 3:00 p.m.
