Erie, PA-- After eight days of not being on the ice, the Lakers will be back on the ice Tuesday as they will take on the Robert Morris Colonials at the Mercyhurst Ice Center at 2:05 PM.
The Lakers and Robert Morris will be facing off for the third time this season. In the first match up of the season after falling into a 2-0 hole the Lakers were able to force overtime receiving goals from Megan Korzack and Alexa Vasko. Overtime did not solve anything as the two teams skated to a 2-2 tie. The next day the Lakers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with Sara Boucher and Vasko both scoring, Mercyhurst was unable to hold on to the lead and ultimately fell 3-2 in overtime.
Laker Overview
The Lakers traveled to State College to take on the 9th ranked Penn State Nittany Lions on January 23d and 24th. The Lakers were unable to pick up a point against the Nittany Lions, as they fell by scores of 2-1 and 4-1 with Chantal Ste-Croix and Rachel Marmen picking up the two Laker goals. Sophomore Ena Nystrøm took the net for five of the six periods at the Pegula Ice Arena, she only allowed two goals and made 54 saves on the 56 shots she saw over the weekend.
16 of the 17 Lakers goals this season have been scored by the Mercyhurst forward group. Leading the way for the Lakers has been Boucher, Boucher was named CHA Rookie of the Week on January 16th. In her rookie season she has posted four goals and two assists for the Lakers.
Korzack also has six points on the season. She has tallied three goals and three assists including an assist against Penn State. In her career Korzack has played in 103 games tallying 31 points. Vasko who was named CHA Defensive Forward of the year in 2019-20 has been getting it done in both the offensive and defensive zones this season. She leads all forwards in blocked shots while also having three goals and an assist. Vasko has also won 130 of her 211 faceoffs which is good for the team lead.
The Laker defense has been one of the best in CHA allowing only 14 goals through the first eight games of the season. By allowing only 14 goals this season, Mercyhurst has allowed the least amount of goals, while on average only allowing 1.75 goals a game which ranks them third in the CHA.
Sophomore Jenna Silvonen has been the main goaltender for the Lakers this season. She has posted a 1.83 Goals Against Average, a .924 Save Percentage while having a 3-2-1 record and recording a shutout.
Ena Nystrøm played in both games against Penn State starting in the first game while allowing just two goals on 34 shots. The next night, Nystrøm came in to start the second period. Nystrøm stopped 22 of 23 shots. Nystrøm came to Mercyhurst this season after playing her freshman year at RPI. She recorded 21 saves on 22 shots in her Mercyhurst debut against RIT on January 6th. Nystrøm is still looking to pick up her first career win despite starting in 23 games at RPI and owning a .918 save percentage in her college career through 26 games.
Scouting Robert Morris
Robert Morris is coming off a weekend sweep of RIT in which they outscored the Tigers 12-0 over the two games. Robert Morris is just one point behind the Penn State Nittany Lions to be at the top of the CHA. The Colonials also received votes in both the USCHO.com and USA Today Poll last week.
The Colonials are averaging 3.17 goals per game while only allowing 1.33 goals per game. On average they are also out shooting their opponents 36.5 to 29.4.
Leading the way this season has been senior Lexi Templeman, she currently leads the team in goals (6) and points (12). Right behind Templeman is junior Michaela Boyle who has tallied 4 goals and 7 assists for the Colonials.
In net for the Colonials, sophomore Raygan Kirk has been the go-to goalie appearing 8 games and owning a record of 6-1-1 while having a .958 save percentage and a 1.36 goals against average. Junior Arielle DeSmet has also appeared in four games while only allowing four goals and stopping 89 of 93 shots that she has saw this season.
Battle on Special Teams
Mercyhurst is currently ranked second in the conference in powerplay goals given up. The Lakers have killed 26 of 28 powerplays while adding a shorthanded goal. Mercyhurst has scored on 3 of their 31 powerplays. Robert Morris has scored on 9 of their 47 powerplay attempts while killing 34 of 39 powerplays.
Up Next
The Lakers will head to Syracuse on February 5th and 6th to take on the Orange for the first time this season after their first two meetings were postponed.
Robert Morris will face Penn State on February 5th and 6th at State College.
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.
