MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – The Mercyhurst women's ACHA team traveled to West Virginia over the weekend in search of their third consecutive CHE title. The Lakers were looking to get past the host Mountaineers in the semifinal on Saturday in order to advance to the championship game on Sunday.
 
In game 1, Katie Spindel started in net for the Blue and Green.
 
In the 1^st period, both teams were evenly matched in terms of shots and overall performance until a West Virginia penalty gave the Lakers on opportunity on special teams at 11:42. The Lakers were unable to capitalize, but freshman forward Olivia Murphy managed to find the back of the net for her 5^th goal of the season at 9:01; receiving a feed from defenseman Ava Whitling. Marina Evert also managed to contribute in the frame, scoring her 22^nd goal of the season at 13:51. The Lakers would earn another power play at 18:44, but were unable to capitalize before the conclusion of the period.
 
In the 2^nd period, the Mountaineers managed to answer with their first goal of the game at 3:16. Senior forward Haylie Petyk capitalized on a Laker net-front battle and scored her 5^th goal of the season with Evert being credited with the assist. The Lakers would go on the penalty kill at 11:04 for tripping, but the Mountaineers were unable to answer. Mercyhurst would have another chance on the power play near the end of the period but were unable to advantage and left the game with a score of 3-1 heading into the final period.
 
In the 3^rd period, both teams would trade early penalties, but neither team would score on the power play. West Virginia pulled their goalie to gain the extra attacker late in the period. Forward Ellie Schau managed to strip a Mountaineer defenseman of the puck off the forecheck and scored her 22^nd goal of the season, sealing a 4-1 semifinal victory for the Lakers.
 
Spindel stopped 50 of 51 shots, earning her 4^th win of the season.
 
The Lakers would move on to play Niagara in the CHE championship game the following day, their 5^th appearance in the last 6 years.
 
In the championship game, Victoria Campana got the start in net for the Lakers.
 
In the 1^st period, both teams battled on both ends of the ice, with Niagara being a force to be reckoned with through the first 10 minutes of the frame. After a period of smart defensive plays and adding more pressure through the offense, Schau was able to score her 23^rd goal of the year at 17:45 after receiving assists from Evert and Petyk. The Lakers would maintain the 1-0 lead as they entered intermission.
 
In the 2^nd period, both teams continued to battle until Evert was able to strip the defender in the neutral zone and score on the breakaway, earning her 23^rd goal of the season. Niagara would also go to the penalty box, but the Lakers were unable to capitalize in the frame.
 
In the 3^rd period, Campana continued to battle in net for the Lakers as they focused on keeping the game at 2-0. While the Lakers were unable to score on the power play in the period, defense kept the Purple Eagles at bay for the remainder of the game.
 
Campana stopped all 39 shots, earning her second shutout of the season.
 
The Mercyhurst Lakers managed to win 2-0 and claim the third straight CHE championship; the first team in league history to reach this feat. The Lakers were also recognized for being the first program in league history to earn four league titles, the first of which came in the 2019-2020 season.
 
The Lakers will travel to St. Louis, Missouri to participate in the ACHA Women's Division 2 National tournament for the third straight year. Play is set to begin Sunday, March 15.