ERIE, Pa. – Junior Lizzy Laird scored twice including the game-winner with 3:06 left in the fourth quarter to get the Mercyhurst field hockey their first victory under new head coach Brittney Randolph by a final of 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Saxon Stadium. 

Opening five minutes FSU with a penalty corner, but were unable to Lakers goalie Gabriella Amico.  Mercyhurst looked to have a chance at the six-minute mark as Hayley Skidmore worked down the left side into the attack area.  However, just as she went to slide the ball past Maggie Haupt it rolled off her stick and the opportunity went by the wayside.  The Bobcats would put the Green and Blue under some late pressure with a couple of penalty corners, fortunately, nothing came out of them. 

Over the first nine minutes of the second quarter neither side could really muster a true offensive chance until the Lakers earned an attacking corner which resulted in some nice passing between Lauren Brock and Skidmore until FSU committed another foul leading to another opportunity.  This time Skidmore got a shot in the circle but rolled it just wide.  After FSU made it 1-0, Leah Rogers had a shot turned away by Haupt in cage. 

Libby Jones took over between the pipes in the third and was immediately forced into action turning away one shot, before denying two more chances off consecutive corners.  Mercyhurst finally would have a crack in the offensive circle with eight minutes gone thanks to a corner of their own which was tapped home by Laird out of the net-mouth scramble to knot the score.  The Lakers were unable to take advantage of back-to-back corners as offerings from Brock and Skidmore bounced wide. 

The visitors spent the opening five minutes of the fourth in the Lakers zone, but staunch defense from the home side only caused Jones to make one stop.  Mercyhurst got an opportunity to break the deadlock at the ten-minute mark with a corner, however the blast from Mia D'Amato went just to the right of goal.  The Lakers would indeed claim their first lead of the Spring with 3:06 left as Laird worked her way down the right side and ripped a shot past Haupt that nicked the post prior to trickling over the goal line. 

Frostburg had the slim edge in shots on the afternoon 13-9.

Lakers Players of the Game
Lizzy Laird and Hayley Skidmore

Thoughts from Coach Randolph
"I am thrilled with the effort of the entire team for maintaining focus and being determined to leave Saxon Stadium with a win today.  With a quick turnaround after yesterday's game we made some changes and ultimately got the job done!  It is an honor to be back at my alma matter as the head coach and help to lead this program I love to great things."

On Deck
The Lakers will take a little bit of a break before returning to action on Saturday, April 10^th at 6pm when they travel down I-79 to take on fellow Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference foe Slippery Rock University.