St. Charles, Mo. – The Mercyhurst Lakers Women's Ice Hockey team came up just short in a tightly contested game, falling 2-1 to Lindenwood on Saturday afternoon. Despite a strong performance from Sofia Nuutinen, who scored the Lakers' lone goal, Mercyhurst couldn't find an equalizer in the third period. 

How It Happened: 

Lindenwood opened the scoring midway through the first period as Paige Cline netted an even-strength goal at 7:27, assisted by Hannah Dods and Lucie Quarto, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead heading into the second period. 

The Lakers found an answer early in the second period when Sofia Nuutinen scored at 3:31, with an assist from Julia Schalin, leveling the score at 1-1. The teams remained deadlocked until the third period, when Lindenwood regained the lead with a power-play goal from Gigi Pora at 5:42, assisted by Morgan Neitzke and Sydney Rarick. 

Despite late pressure and multiple scoring opportunities, Mercyhurst was unable to tie the game, as Lindenwood held on for the 2-1 victory. 

Notable Performances: 

• Sofia Nuutinen scored her second goal of the season. 

• Julia Schalin added an assist, contributing to Mercyhurst's offensive efforts. 

• Goaltender Magdalena Luggin made 22 saves in the loss. 

Up Next: 

Mercyhurst will return to action next weekend when they face off against Robert Morris in a two-game series as they continue their AHA conference schedule.