Erie, Pa. – The Mercyhurst Lakers Women's Ice Hockey team secured their spot in the AHA Championship Game with a 5-2 victory over Syracuse in Game 3 of the AHA Semifinals on Sunday afternoon. A dominant third-period performance, highlighted by two goals from Julia Schalin and a hat trick from Thea Johansson, propelled the Lakers past the Orange.
How It Happened:
Syracuse struck first at 4:18 of the opening period when Heidi Knoll capitalized on an even-strength opportunity to put the Orange ahead 1-0. However, the Lakers responded on the penalty kill, as Thea Johansson scored a shorthanded goal at 10:22 off a setup from Vanessa Upson, tying the game 1-1 heading into the first intermission.
Mercyhurst carried its momentum into the second period, taking its first lead of the game at 00:39 when Johansson struck again, this time on the power play, with assists from Megan McKay and Julia Schalin, making it 2-1. Syracuse quickly responded at 1:55, as Jessica Cheung found the back of the net to even the score at 2-2.
The third period belonged to the Lakers, who outshot Syracuse 19-11 and dominated possession. Schalin scored the game-winning goal at 8:47, finishing a feed from Upson and Makayla Javier to put Mercyhurst ahead 3-2.
With Syracuse pressing late, Johansson completed her hat trick with an empty-net goal at 18:53, extending the lead to 4-2. Just 20 seconds later, Schalin sealed the victory with her second goal of the game, assisted by Upson, as the Lakers closed out the 5-2 win.
Notable Performances:
Special Teams:
Up Next:
With the win, Mercyhurst advances to the AHA Championship Game, where they will face #1 Penn State on Saturday at 2 PM in State College. The Lakers will look to capture the conference title and secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
