ERIE, Pa – The Mercyhurst women's hockey team returned to play at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Friday evening for the first time in nearly two months. The Lakers used a big 2nd period to propel them past the visiting Sharks of LIU.
In the opening period it was graduate student Alexa Vasko who began scoring for the Lakers just 3:33 into the contest. Vasko flung a puck from behind the LIU net that hit the back of the goaltenders leg and ricocheted in between the pipes. The score was the eighth of the season and 38th of her career at Mercyhurst. Ena Nystrøm started in goal for the Lakers, the junior made saves on all nine of the LIU shots that were put on target in the first period.
The flood gates opened up in the second period as both teams combined for five goals, two from LIU and three for the Lakers. 41 seconds into the period
Sara Boucher gave the Lakers their eighth power play goal on the season when she tipped in a pass from Vasko. The sharks regained some momentum two minutes later when they broke the seal off Nystrøm's net. The goal cut the Lakers lead in half making the score 2-1.
Alexandra Weiss quickly responded for Mercyhurst when the defenseman put home her first goal of the season to give the Lakers the 2 goal advantage again less than a minute after they lost it.
Kristy Pidgeon and Boucher each were credited with assists on the score.
Just three minutes later, another Laker defenseman scored her first goal of the season in
K.K. Thiessen. Thiessen was in the right place at the right time as she slapped home a loose puck that was rebounded from a Sydeny Pedersen shot. Boucher earned her third point of the night on the score as well. The Thiessen goal extended the Mercyhurst lead to 4-1.
LIU capped off scoring the period at the 8:57 mark when Matilda af Bjur placed a perfect shot just past Nystrøm's left shoulder and into the top right corner of the net.
After the scoring onslaught that took place in the second period, neither team could find the back of the net in the third period to bring the final score to 4-2. Nystrøm finished with 31 saves on the night for the Lakers while Boucher and Vasko both put together multi-point performances.
The Lakers and Sharks will return to the MIC tomorrow with the opening puck drop scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
