NEWARK, Del.  – The Mercyhurst women's hockey, fresh off a No. 15 ranking in the nation, traveled to Delaware for their final road series of the regular season. The Lakers scored on the powerplay in the first period. The game remained 1-0 up until the third period. They potted three more past the Blue Hens to win their sixth straight game and fifth shutout of the season. Magdalena Luggin made 21 saves in her third shutout on the year. 
 
The first period began with Mercyhurst (19-10-2, 15-5-1 AHA) taking control from the initial faceoff, setting the tone for early dominance. They maintained offensive pressure, resulting in multiple shots on goal. A pivotal moment occurred when Delaware (2-27-0, 1-20-0 AHA) was penalized for hooking, granting the Lakers an power play opportunity. During the power play, Abby Poitras capitalized on the advantage, scoring with assistance from Berlin Lolacher and Maja Alenius at 13:45. This was Poitras' fourth goal of the month. The Lakers' relentless attack and solid defensive stops, including key saves by Luggin, helped the team maintain their narrow lead. The period concluded with the Lakers up 1-0.
 
Mercyhurst initiated the second period with a strong offensive push, winning the opening faceoff and generating multiple shot attempts early on. Despite several efforts by Jessica Ciarrocchi and Poitras, all were saved by Delaware's netminder. The Lakers maintained the offensive pressure throughout the period, highlighted by a power play following a penalty on the Blue Hens, but were unable to convert. Defensively, the Lakers remained resilient, with Luggin making several key saves to keep the Blue Hens off the scoreboard during their power play opportunities. Payten Evans contributed defensively by blocking a shot late in the period. The period concluded with the visitors still in the lead.
 
The Lakers opened the third period by maintaining control with Regina Metzler winning the faceoff and the team sustaining pressure with several shots on goal. At 13:44, Madison Nelson extended the lead to 2-0 with a goal assisted by Avery Norman and Holly VanNetten. This was Nelson's first career goal. Midway through the period, the Lakers continued to manage the game with strong defensive play, successfully killing a penalty and preventing Delaware from converting on the power play. Ciarrocchi scored a tip-in goal at 5:30, with an assist from Alenius and Norman, to make it three-to-zero. As the period progressed, the Lakers kept up the offensive momentum, with Berlin Lolacher netting another goal at 3:27, assisted by Nayeon Kim and Sofia Ljung. Luggin and the Lakers' defense held their shutout as the game concluded with Mercyhurst victorious, 4-0.
 
Puck drop for game two will take place tomorrow at 2 p.m.