UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Mercyhurst Women's Hockey team traveled to No. 6 Penn State this weekend in a rematch of the AHA Championship. Last night's game only saw one penalty for each team. Today, 13 total penalties were given in a heated affair.
Regina Metzler scored her first goal of the season on a late power play as the Nittany Lions outlasted the Lakers 6-1.
No. 15 Mercyhurst (3-5-0, 0-2-0 AHA) began the first period with
Tara Bach in goal, aiming to establish control early on. Despite early defensive efforts, including a save by Bach, No. 6 Penn State (8-0-0, 4-0-0 AHA) got on the scoresheet first. The Lakers responded with an offensive push during a power play opportunity, with shots from
Henlee Mahoney and
Maja Alenius. The period continued with strong defensive plays, such a crucial block from
Makayla Javier. The Nittany Lions took advantage of open ice and netted two 4v4 goals as the first frame ended 3-0.
The second stanza began with the Lakers trying to stay calm defensively.
Magdalena Luggin started between the pipes and delivered multiple saves. Other key defensive plays included blocked shots by
Abby Poitras and
Sophie McKinley. Luggin continued to make saves as the Laker's successfully fended off two Nittany Lion power plays. A period full of defensive efforts on both sides left the score at 3-0.
The final frame was similar to the first, with Penn State extending their lead to six throughout the period. The Laker's offensive efforts were rewarded late in the period when Metzler found the net on a power play, marking her first goal of the season. This one was assisted by
Nayeon Kim and
Julia Perjus. With just 30 seconds left on the clock, both sides let time expire as Penn State won the series with a 6-1 win.
The Lakers will return home for their next series against Connecticut. Puck drop for game one is set for Friday, Oct. 24 at 3:00 p.m.