Nov. 4, 2005

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst took out four games of frustration against Niagara Friday night as the Lakers opened defense of their College Hockey America (CHA) title with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Purple Eagles.

With a pair of losses to #4 Minnesota and two more to #1 St. Lawrence, all at home, Mercyhurst jumped on NU and junior netminder Allison Rutledge for three power play goals in the game's first 15 minutes. Freshman defender Natalie Payne notched her first collegiate goal at 2:29, junior forward Stefanie Bourbeau followed suit with her third of the year at 11:00, and senior defender Danielle Lansing completed the trifecta at 14:39 with her initial lamplighter of the season. The Lakers had managed only five power play goals in 53 chances (.094) in their first eight games. Junior forward Julia Colizza assisted on all three markers while freshman winger Valerie Chouinard had two helpers and sophomore Danielle Ayearst the other. Sophomore netminder Laura Hosier was the beneficiary of the offensive explosion as Mercyhurst outshot Niagara 17-7 in the opening 20 minutes.

Niagara settled down after that and, although outshot 38-19, prevented further damage. The shutout was the Lakers' second of the season. The first, a 6-0 win at Clarkson, preceded the four-game skid.

Mercyhurst's three power play goal eruption in the first period was the first such occurrence since the Lakers dropped three power play markers on visiting Quinnipiac in both the second and third periods of an 11-1 shellacking October 16 of last year. The Purple Eagles also gave up three power play hits to the Lakers in their last meeting, a 4-1 Mercyhurst verdict last March in the CHA championship game.

Mercyhurst is now 14-4-1 lifetime against the Purple Eagles and 6-0-1 in its last seven contests. The two teams will conclude the weekend series Saturday afternoon at 3:05.