Erie, Pa – Mercyhurst Women's Soccer gets back on the road this Wednesday, October 19th, to take on Seton Hill in Greensburg, Pa. They are scheduled to follow that with a home game on Saturday, October 22nd against IUP where the Lakers are set to honor their senior class.
1. PSAC West
Gannon has held on to the top spot in PSAC West standings so far as they boast a conference record of 8-1-4. They are followed by Mercyhurst with the same record, but the Lady Knights won their first matchup with the Lakers, so they are currently first. Slippery Rock sits at the third spot with a 4-2-7 conference record, and Seton Hill is fourth at 4-2-6. The Lakers have only three games left in the regular season, as they are scheduled to finish it on October 26th with a rematch against Gannon. That game will likely determine the PSAC West regular season winner.
2. Team Success
The Lakers come in this week with a 9-2-4 overall record. They dominated their opponents last week as they defeated UPJ by a score of 6-0 and beat Cal (Pa.) 2-0. In 15 games played so far by the Lakers, they have scored 24 goals and only allowed eight. Mercyhurst plays with great effort and averages 14 shots per game with 57% of them on target. They have also drawn 100 corner kicks and turned many of them into scoring opportunities. The Lakers turned their game around last week, often capitalizing on scoring opportunities and playing a very aggressive brand of soccer.
3. Individual Leaders
Karah Van Horn leads the Lakers on the offensive side of the pitch with seven goals this season and she is helped by Emily Mijares and Lauren Casey with three goals each. Teagan Mehalko and Taryn Baxter also take a big part in the team's success as they both have two goals and two assists on the season. Moreover, Baxter has been named a PSAC West Athlete of the Week for her efforts on the field this past weekend. Freshman Erika Yancey had a breakthrough game last Saturday as she recorded two goals and led the Lakers to the win over Cal (Pa.). Maddie Elbro has saved 49 shots in 15 games played, allowing only eight goals all year. She recorded two more clean sheets last week for a total of nine and received the PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week award.
4. History Lesson
In the last matchup with Seton Hill, the Lakers defeated their opponents by a score of 3-2. Dani Hartman, Lauren Casey, and Karah Van Horn scored one goal each while Madison Hoover recorded an assist. The Lakers are looking to repeat that performance this Wednesday. Mercyhurst tied in their last game against IUP, 1-1. Lauren Casey scored the lone Laker goal on a great shot to the left. The rematch with IUP is set to be an important challenge as the Lakers are trying to hold on to their chances to win PSAC West.
5. Scouting The Opponents
The Griffins are well-balanced team with a lot of depth. Madison Carr leads the charge for them with six goals and she is helped by Corynna Rotolo with four. Freshman Jessica Molitoris also has an important role on the team as she scored two goals and recorded three assists so far this season. Grace Kenyon does a good job in the Griffin's goal, as she had 46 saves and allowed ten goals this season.
IUP currently sits at the seventh spot in PSAC West Standings with 2-4-6 conference record. The Eagles have scored 17 goals this season and allowed 16. Hannah Scardina leads her team in goals with six as she is followed by Aislinn Meaney with four goals and five assists. Stopping them will be the key to winning on Saturday.
