With the third straight ACHA national tournament trip looming for the Mercyhurst women's ACHA hockey team, now is a great opportunity to reflect upon the origins of the program, and the first team that laid the foundation for the eventual four-time CHE champion Lakers.
 
In the summer of 2016, Program Director Thomas McKinnon began the process of building the women's ACHA program with a vision of what he believed it could be. When he first started recruiting for the team, there was no locker room, no previous season, and no players to assist in selling the vision of the program. But the vision was there nonetheless, to become a highly competitive program of excellence in not just the classroom, but on the ice as well. McKinnon wanted to create a program that was competitive as well as nurture an environment where the players could have fun through the process. Almost a decade later that vision is now a reality.
 
Since the inception of the program, the Lakers have been able to accomplish:

• CHE League Champions (2020, 2024, 2025, 2026)
• Multiple trips to the ACHA national tournament (2019, 2024, 2025, 2026)
• Invited to the national tournament in 2020 prior to its cancellation due to COVID-19.

 
Coach McKinnon would like to recognize the 13 players that bought into the original vision and chose to attend Mercyhurst and share in what the program has become. If not for that first group, the program would not be where it is today. These players and their families laid the foundation for what the program is today. The Mercyhurst ACHA women's hockey team thank you for your time, effort, and support of our program.
 
The following women helped shape our program during that first year:

• #7 Sara Ochterski – Defenseman
• #9 Katie Hill – Goaltender
• #11 Meghan Roche – Forward
• #13 Kenlee Scott – Defenseman
• #15 Lexi Burton – Forward
• #17 Bridget Bork – Forward
• #18 Frangelica Bautz – Forward
• #27 Hayley Vanderpol – Forward
• #29 Makenna Walp – Goaltender
• #34 Megan Young – Defenseman
• #39 Alexandra LaPietra – Goaltender
• #61 Emily Bauer – Defenseman
• #99 Maddy Kessy – Forward

The Lakers would also like to thank Alexis Webb, Nicolette Tomani, and Sarah Scolnick, who joined the team during the spring semester of 2018.

A thank you is also due to the first group of coaches who helped shape the team into the program we see today; Alec Shields, Logan Rothbauer, and Abby Shaw.
 
When that very first class arrived to campus Coach McKinnon told them; "You are the foundation, our first incoming class! On your shoulders, our program will be built." Upon reflection, nearly 10 years later, that statement is prophetic in nature.
A heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who has shared in our success and helped build this program into what it has become today… a highly competitive program that has fun through the process.