Jan. 6, 2007

Stats

Erie, Pa. - #1 Mercyhurst got an early scare from Cornell Saturday before rallying for a 6-2 victory at the Ice Center. The Lakers, 18-1-1 overall, won their eighth straight and dropped Cornell to 2-14-1.

Despite being outshot 12-6 in the opening period, Cornell put Mercyhurst in a hole as both junior Caeleigh Beerworth and senior Halina Kristalyn found the back of the net. Beerworth's lamplighter came at 9:20 and Kristalyn's, a power play score, came at 18:25. Both came at the expense of Mercyhurst sophomore Courtney Drennen, who played back-to-back complete games for the first time since last season against Yale.

Mercyhurst got itself and the crowd back into the game early in the second when freshman forward Angelica Lorsell cashed her third of the year from in close at 4:44. The Lakers scored three more times before the period ended to take control. Junior winger Jackie Jarrell tied the game with her second of the year about three minutes later. Newcomer Melissa Dianoski scored her first of two on a Mercyhurst power play at 14:11 and senior Ashley Pendleton knocked home her second of the year with a slap shot at 19:40 with the Big Red down a skater. The Lakers outshot Cornell 16-9 in the middle frame.

Despite being assessed six minor penalties in the third, the Lakers closed the scoring with Dianoski's second of the game at 2:26 and senior captain Julia Colizza's tenth of the season at 14:34. Dianoski's marker came just 10 seconds after leaving the penalty box. Cornell had 68 seconds of a two-skater advantage early in the period, but couldn't score. The Lakers outshot Cornell 10-5 in the third and 38-20 for the sixty minutes.

The 2-0 deficit was Mercyhurst's largest since falling behind Dartmouth by a similar count October 21 at the Ice Center. The Lakers bounced back to prevail 5-3.

Drennen improved to 3-0-1 this season and to 12-0-2 for her career. Cornell senior Beth Baronick, who stopped 40 Mercyhurst shots in a 2-1 defeat Friday, saw her record fall to 1-7-1. The Lakers improved to 9-0-1 lifetime against Cornell.

Mercyhurst will resume College Hockey America play next weekend at Wayne State. The Lakers are 2-0 in conference play.