ERIE, Pa.  – The Mercyhurst women's hockey team hosted RMU for their fourth series of the month. Sofia Nuutinen matched a career-high four points on the day as the Lakers rolled over the Colonials, 5-1. This was the team's fourth consecutive win. 
 
Mercyhurst (17-10-2, 13-5-1 AHA) began the first period with strong faceoff performances, securing early possession multiple times. Despite a series of missed opportunities, the Laker's persistent offensive pressure resulted in a power play goal by Nuutinen at 16:23, assisted by Julia Perjus and Julia Schalin. Laker netminder Magdalena Luggin kept Robert Morris (10-15-2, 6-9-2 AHA) off the scoreboard with several key saves, including during a penalty kill. Mercyhurst carried a 1-0 lead into the intermission. 
 
The Lakers started the second period on the offensive, with Nuutinen scoring her second  16:01 to extend the lead to two. Nuutinen was assisted by Abby Poitras and Regina Metzler in a play that capitalized on sustained pressure. The Colonials responded quickly with a goal at 14:12, cutting their deficit to just one. Mercyhurst regained momentum when Sophie McKinley found the back of the net at 6:33, assisted by beautiful passes from Nuutinen and Kate Donegan. Throughout the period, Mercyhurst maintained defensive resilience, aided by key saves from Luggin. The last two minutes of play saw a four-on-four scenario from roughing unsportsmanlike penalties. The period closed with the Lakers holding a two-goal advantage at 3-1.
 
Mercyhurst began the third period with a solid defensive stance, highlighted by Payten Evans blocking an early shot attempt. The team capitalized on a power play opportunity when Perjus scored at 16:11, assisted by Nuutinen and Evans, extending their lead yet again.The Lakers maintained pressure as Jessica Ciarrocchi calmly found the net at 12:06 with an even-strength goal, assisted by Holly VanNetten and Madison Nelson. The team continued to control the pace, effectively defending against Robert Morris's attempts and securing the victory with a final score of 5-1. 
 
Puck drop for game two will take place tomorrow at 1 p.m.