University Park, Pa. – The Mercyhurst Lakers Women's Ice Hockey team came up short in their bid for the AHA Championship, falling 4-1 to top-seeded Penn State on Saturday afternoon at Pegula Ice Arena. Despite a hard-fought effort and a second-period goal from Regina Metzler, the Lakers were unable to overcome the Nittany Lions, who secured their third consecutive AHA title.
How It Happened:
Penn State wasted no time taking control, opening the scoring just 37 seconds into the game when Maddy Christian found the back of the net off assists from Grace Outwater and Kendall Butze. The Nittany Lions doubled their lead at 14:12 as Brianna Brooks capitalized on a feed from Maddy Christian, giving Penn State a 2-0 advantage heading into the first intermission.
The Lakers responded early in the second period, cutting the deficit to 2-1 when Regina Metzler buried a shot off assists from Marielle Parks and Jade Maisonneuve at 3:36. Mercyhurst gained momentum and pressured Penn State's defense, but goaltender Katie DeSa turned away multiple scoring chances.
Penn State extended their lead late in the second period at 17:53, with Katelyn Roberts scoring to make it 3-1 heading into the final frame.
The Lakers fought to get back into the game, including a power play opportunity midway through the third period, but they couldn't find a way past DeSa. Brooks sealed the victory for Penn State at 18:13, scoring her second goal of the game for a 4-1 final score.
Notable Performances:
