ERIE, Pa. — Mercyhurst put up a resilient fight on Senior Day at Saxon Stadium, but Rider pulled away in the second half to secure a 5-1 win.

The Lakers opened the match with solid defensive play, highlighted by goalkeeper Rhyden Wheldon's early save and a near-goal from Jen Kemp that struck the post following a penalty corner. Despite the strong start, Rider took a 1-0 lead late in the first quarter.

In the second, Mercyhurst's defense continued to battle. Delaney Lentz came up with a critical defensive save, and Wheldon added a pair of stops to keep the Lakers within reach. Rider, however, added another goal before halftime to take a 2-0 lead into the break.

Rider capitalized early in the third quarter with two quick goals, despite Mercyhurst generating offensive pressure from Catherine Hudak on a penalty corner opportunity. The Lakers continued to push forward, but Rider added a fifth goal before the end of the quarter.

Mercyhurst refused to go quietly. In the fourth, Wheldon and Kemp each made key saves to hold off further damage. The Lakers were finally rewarded for their persistence when Lentz scored her first goal of the season off an assist from Finja Wunner, capitalizing on a late penalty corner to lessen the final score to 5-1.

Up next, the Lakers return home on October 10 at 1 p.m. to face off against Stonehill for their annual Hilinski's Hope-Mental Health Awareness game.