Nov. 5, 2005

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst scored three first period goals for the second straight game and went on to defeat Niagara 5-2 before more than 200 fans at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The Lakers improved to 5-5-0 overall and to 2-0-0 in College Hockey America (CHA). The Purple Eagles fell to 1-4-1 and 0-2-0.

Five players had two-point games for the Lakers, who got the 5th and 6th goals of the season from freshman forward Valerie Chouinard.

Mercyhurst jumped on NU early, scoring twice within a 13-second span in the game's initial two minutes as both junior Ashley Pendleton (power play) and sophomore Stephanie Jones beat Niagara sophomore goaltender Nikki Rudy. Rudy was pulled a few moments later in favor of Friday's starter, Allison Rutledge, but the Purple Eagles could never recover. Chouinard scored what proved-to-be the game winner later in the first period as Mercyhurst went to the dressing room with a 3-0 advantage.

Junior Meagan Smith got Niagara on the board at 5:47 of the middle period, but Chouinard restored the two-goal lead less than a minute later. Niagara closed to within 4-2 at 15:24 of the middle frame on a goal by sophomore Lisa Agozzino but, a mere 31 seconds later, Mercyhurst defender Jill Nugent intercepted a clearing pass and beat Rutledge for the game's final tally.

Mercyhurst outshot Niagara 50-26 and improved its lifetime mark against the Purple Eagles to 15-4-1. Sophomore Laura Hosier squared her record at 5-5 while Rutledge, who allowed the last three Mercyhurst goals, picked up her second setback in as many days.

Mercyhurst will visit Bemidji State and Princeton the next two weekends before returning to the Ice Center to face Yale on December 3 and 4.