Jan. 8, 2006

Box Score

Providence, R.I. - Mercyhurst got two goals apiece from junior forwards Julia Colizza and Stefanie Bourbeau and limited Providence to just 17 shots in posting a 5-2 win over the Friars Sunday afternoon. Mercyhurst won its sixth straight game and improved to 13-6-1 overall while Providence dropped to 11-7-2.

After a scoreless first period, one in which Mercyhurst had a 15-8 advantage in shots, the Lakers scored three successive goals in the second period to take command. Freshman forward Courtney Unruh scored her second goal of the season and first since mid-October when she beat Providence senior netminder Jana Bugden at 2:12. Junior forward Julia Colizza then scored a pair of goals at 12:02 and 14:01 to stretch the advantage to 3-0. The goals were Colizza's 10th and 11th of the season and stretched her scoring streak to five games. The Friars got back into the game late in the period when senior forward Karen Thatcher, the team's leading scorer, beat Mercyhurst sophomore netminder Laura Hosier. The lamplighter was Thatcher's 11th of the year. The Lakers had an 11-7 advantage in shots in the middle period.

Mercyhurst continued to apply pressure in the third and the hard work paid dividends when junior forward Stefanie Bourbeau scored her 9th and 10th goals of the season at 5:25 and 10:01 to expand the lead to 5-1. Bourbeau, who had a goal and a pair of helpers in a 4-0 win at UConn Saturday, stretched her scoring streak to eight games and her goal-scoring effort to four. Her first goal came on a power play. Following Bourbeau's first goal, freshman Stacey Scott replaced Bugden between the pipes. Scott was removed later in the game for junior Lauren Florio after allowing Bourbeau's second marker. Providence junior defender Kristin Gigliotti scored the Friar's final goal on a late power play to provide the final margin. Mercyhurst held Providence to just two shots in the third period and outshot the Friars overall 37-17.

Mercyhurst played again without the services of sophomore forward Stephanie Jones and freshman forward Valerie Chouinard, who are with Canada's Under-22 team in Germany.

Sunday's win avenged a 3-2 setback to the Friars in Erie exactly one year ago. Mercyhurst now leads the all-time series 3-2-0.

Mercyhurst will return home next Friday and Saturday for College Hockey America games against Wayne State. Friday's game will begin at 7:05 while Saturday's is due to start at 2:05.