Erie, Pa. - The Mercyhurst Women's Ice Hockey skated in game two of their weekend series with the Syracuse Orange. Five third period goals pushed the Lakers past the Orange for the teams third straight win.  

How it Happened 

The Lakers got on the board early in the first on a goal by Thea Johansson. Johansson got the Lakers on the board just 4:06 into the first period. The Lakers continued to apply pressure throughout the first period with 17 shots on goal but settled for just one goal in the first period. 

In the second period the Orange went on the power play after an interference penalty on the Lakers. The Orange took advantage of the extra skater and tied the game at one. With the game tied the Orange looked to add on, but Ena Nystrøm stopped the next four shots that came her way and kept the score tied at the end of two.  

Early in the third period Vanessa Upson broke the tie on a power play goal. The Orange took a penalty for boarding which gave the Lakers an advantage. Upson gathered a loose puck in front of the net and was able to find the back of the net. Just four minutes later Upson struck again. After a shot by Sara Boucher was saved, Upson gathered the rebound and fired a shot past the goaltender for a goal. It was now 3-1 Lakers. After a face-off win by the Orange, they took the puck down and scored to make it 3-2. The Orange goal was just 17 seconds after the Lakers took a two-goal lead. In under a minute, the Lakers got that two-goal advantage back. Chantal Ste-Croix came flying down the ice to gather the puck and found a cutting Thea Johansson who got the puck on her stick and beat the goaltender for her second goal of the game. Late in the third period the Orange took a penalty for holding. The Lakers went on the power play and converted. This time it was Megan McKay who found the back of the net. Olivia Cvar took a shot that went wide, but Megan McKay gathered it off the boards and took the shot and scored. 28 seconds later the Lakers scored once again on the power play. A penalty on the Orange for tripping gave the Lakers another power play opportunity. The Lakers moved the puck well all day and it continued when Olivia Cvar found Chantal Ste-Croix for a one timer. Ste-Croix scored giving the Lakers a 6-2 lead.       

Highlights 

Thea Johansson (2G, 1A) had her first multi-goal game since early December against Lindenwood, and it was also her first three-point game since that same game.  

Vanessa Upson (2G, 1A) had her first three-point game since early December against Lindenwood. Upson now has points in three straight games. 

Chantal Ste-Croix and Megan McKay each had a goal and an assist. For Ste-Croix, it was her first goal and multi-point game since late October against Robert Morris. For McKay, it was her first multi-point game since early December against Lindenwood. 

Sara Boucher and Olivia Cvar each had two assists. Boucher now has points in three straight games and brings her point total to 27 on the season. For Cvar, it was her first points since early December against Lindenwood.  

Nystrøm stopped 21 shots and notched her 11th win of the season.  

The Lakers improved to 11-12-1 overall and 7-3 in the CHA.     

Scoring Summary 

P1 | 04:06 | Thea Johansson from Vanessa Upson 

P3 | 03:54 | Vanessa Upson from Sara Boucher and Thea Johansson 

P3 | 07:59 | PP | Vanessa Upson from Sara Boucher 

P3 | 09:03 | Thea Johansson from Chantal Ste-Croix and Megan McKay 

P3 | 18:02 | PP | Megan McKay from Olivia Cvar 

P3 | 18:30 | PP | Chantal Ste-Croix from Olivia Cvar 

Next Up 

The Lakers will hit the road for the first time in 2024 when they travel to Robert Morris next weekend. Puck-drop for Friday's game is set for 3 PM.