University Park, Pa. - The Mercyhurst Women's Ice Hockey team is set for a huge matchup this weekend when they travel to University Park, Pennsylvania for a matchup with Penn State. Puck drop for Friday's game is set for 6 PM.
History Lesson
The Lakers lead the all-time series 25-15-9 dating back to 2012. The Nittany Lions hold a 10-8-4 record at home in this series. The Nittany Lions have won five of the last seven over the Lakers including the CHA championship a season ago. In the first matchup between these two teams this season, the series was split. The Lakers shut out the Nittany Lions 4-0 in game one, and the Nittany Lions turned around and took game two 3-1.
Flashback
This past weekend the Lakers swept RIT to improve to 14-13-1 overall and 10-4 in the CHA. In game one four different Lakers score in a 4-1 win. Sara Boucher, Sofia Nuutinen, Chantal Ste-Croix, and Thea Johansson all scored in the game. Four different players had two points in the win. Ena Nystrøm stopped 21 shots in the win. In game two RIT went up 2-0 at the end of the first period. The Lakers went on to score five unanswered goals to grab a 5-2 win. Mary Kromer, Sara Boucher (2), and Olivia Cvar (2) were the goal scorers in the win. Vanessa Upson, Sydney Pedersen, and Thea Johansson each had two assists. Ena Nystrøm stopped 22 shots, bringing her weekend total to 43.
Stats Leaders
Sara Boucher leads the Lakers in goals with 15, assists with 18, and points with 33. Thea Johansson is second on the team in goals with 13. Sydney Pedersen is second on the team in assists with 16. Vanessa Upson is second on the team in points with 25. The Lakers have 10 players with double digit points and five have 20+ points. Ena Nystrøm is 14-12-1 in net with a .926 save percentage, a 2.26 GAA, 765 saves, and five shutouts
What's At Stake
The Nittany Lions are in first place in the CHA with an 11-3 record in the conference, and the Lakers are in second place in the CHA with a 10-4 record in the conference. The top two seeds in the CHA tournament will host a home playoff series, so the winner will boost themselves into first place and could host throughout the entire CHA tournament.
A Look at the Opponent
The Nittany Lions are 16-11-1 overall and 11-3 in the CHA. The Nittany Lions are currently on a three-game winning streak after taking game two against Syracuse and sweeping Lindenwood this past weekend. Tessa Janecke leads the Nittany Lions in goals with 13, assists with 30, and points with 43. Janecke also leads the CHA in assists, assists per game, points, and points per game. Brianna Brooks is second on the team in assists with 15, and points with 24. Josie Bothun is 10-10-1 in net with a .911 save percentage, 2.32 GAA, 499 saves, and two shutouts.
