Erie, PA --- The Mercyhurst University Women's Ice Hockey team will travel to Hamilton, New York this weekend to duel it out with #4 ranked Colgate University. The teams will play a two-game series with the Raiders, game one is slated to start at 6:00 p.m on Friday and game two is set for 3:00 p.m on Saturday.
The last time the two schools met was back in 2019, in that game the two teams tied at 3 goals a piece.
Cap is Back
After sitting out the opener against RIT,
Alexa Vasko made her return to the ice against RPI and the third year captain did not disappoint. Vasko scored three points (1g,2a) in the two games she played against RPI. Vasko is coming off a season in which she scored 14 points (5g,9a) for Mercyhurst. The Lakers are surely glad to have her experience and leadership back in the lineup.
Laker Overview
Mercyhurst is coming into the weekend series on a high note as they recently swept RPI by scores of 2-1, and 2-0. In game one of the series with RPI, the Lakers scored their first overtime winner of the season courtesy of Freshman standout
Vanessa Upson. Upson took the puck on a break and dangled her way around the RPI defense ultimately finding the back of the net. Her goal was highlighted the next morning as #7 on Sportscenter "Top Ten."
In the second matchup against RPI
Jenna Silvonen recorded the first shutout for a Mercyhurst goaltender on the year. Silvonen made 21 saves in the Lakers 2-0 victory on Saturday.
Mercyhurst's Emily Pinto and Marielle Parks scored the other two Laker goals from last weekend. For Pinto, it was the first goal of her senior campaign. As for Parks, she scored her second goal of her young career.
Scouting Colgate
Colgate comes into the two-game series with the Lakers boasting a 2-0-0 record. Colgate is currently the #4 ranked team in the USCHO.COM poll and #6 in the USA TODAY poll. Last season the Raiders finished 15-7-1 and made it to the NCAA Quarterfinals where they lost to Minnesota Duluth, 1-0. Colgate is bringing back their 15 top returning point scorers from a season ago. Danielle Serdachny was the team's top point producer. She netted nine goals and 12 assists to pace the Raiders attack.
Colgate used a combination of freshman Hannah Murphy and sophomore Kayle Osborne in net for their opening series vs. RIT. Murphy stopped all seven of the shots she faced while Osborne saved 12 of 13 shots faced. Last season, Osborne as a freshman started in 22 games for Colgate. Her record was 14-7-1 with a save% of .926.
Up Next
After Mercyhurst, Colgate will travel to Burlington, VT to face off with Vermont University.
The Lakers will come back home to the Mercyhurst Ice Center for a two-game series with the Franklin Pierce Ravens on Oct. 8th and 9th.
