ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst women's hockey team hosted No. 8/9 UConn at the Mercyhurst Ice Center for their third home series of the season. The Lakers got on the board early with a powerplay goal and had the lead for the first two periods. The Huskies scored on a power play late in the third as this one ended 1-1 in regulation. UConn won the shootout 2-0.
Mercyhurst (3-5-1, 0-2-0 AHA) began the first period with strong offensive pressure, capitalizing on an early power play opportunity.
Berlin Lolacher scored the opening goal just over four minutes in for her second goal of the season. This one was assisted by
Maja Alenius and
Abby Poitras. Following the goal, the Lakers continued to apply pressure with multiple shots. UConn (4-2-1, 0-0-0 Hockey East) also had a power play opportunity later in the period, but
Magdalena Luggin made crucial saves to keep the Huskies out of harm's way. The period concluded with the Laker's ahead 1-0, carrying momentum into the next frame.
The Lakers began the second period with several offensive attempts, including a shot from
Sofia Nuutinen. Midway through the frame, the Lakers successfully killed a power play, with Luggin making several key saves to keep the Huskies scoreless. The period concluded without either team able to capitalize on their opportunities as the Lakers held on to their 1-0 lead.
The third period began with Mercyhurst gaining early momentum by winning the faceoff, but the frame saw a significant shift when UConn capitalized on a power play. Mercyhurst made several attempts to regain the lead, with shots from
Regina Metzler and Nuutinen, but they were thwarted by UConn's netminder. Despite sustained pressure from both sides, including a power play opportunity for the Lakers, neither team could break the deadlock. The period closed with the score remaining tied at 1-1.
The overtime period began with continued pressure from the Huskies. The Lakers' defense was resolute as Nuutinen blocked a shot. Poitras and
Julia Perjus both had opportunities to break the tie with shots on goal, but the UConn netminder saved them both. Luggin had a stellar performance with 37 saves. The period ended without there being a winner.
UConn saved the Laker's first two shootout attempts and scored their first two as they won the shootout 2-0. This results in a tie for both team's records. It does not result in any additional points for a shootout win or loss since it was a non-conference game.
Game two will take place tomorrow, Oct. 25 with a 1:00 p.m. puck drop.
