ERIE, Pa. - The Providence College women's hockey team was defeated by #3/#4 Mercyhurst College, 4-3 on Saturday, October 28. The two teams will play again on Sunday, October 29 at 1:00 p.m.

In a penalty filled first period, both teams netted a goal to finish the period 1-1. The teams combined for 10 penalties with five on each. Mercyhurst took a 1-0 lead 4:30 into the first period with a four on four goal from Jill Nugent (New Glasgow, N.S.). The goal was asssist by Laker standout Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.) registering her 10th point on the season (5g, 5a). Sonny Watrous (Albuquerque, N.M.) tied the game with her first goal of the season eight minutes through the first period finding an open left side by the goalie. Crisp passing from Kristin Gigliotti (Sauquiot, N.Y.) and Kathleen Smith (Waterloo, Ont.) contributed to the game-tying goal.

Providence jumped out to a 2-1 advantage 42 seconds into the second period when Mari Pehkonen (Tampere, Finland) beat the goaltender to the right side on a feed from Watrous and Smith. Mercyhurst stormed back scoring three unanswered goals to take a 4-2 lead late into the second period. Stefanie Bourbeau (Charlesbourg, Ont.) scored her team-leading seventh goal at 2:33 in the second on a wrap-around that snuck under PC goalie Danielle Ciarletta's (Blaine, Minn.) skate to tie the game at 2-2. Alexandra Hoffmeyer (Grand Blanc, Mich.) gave the Lakers a 3-2 lead when she found the back of the net at 12:10. Danielle Ayearst (Whistler, B.C.) would get credit for Mercyhurst's fourth goal when she crossed the puck that defelcted off of a PC defender and found the back of the net. The Friars pulled within a goal at 4-3 taking advantage of a delay of game penalty on Mercyhurst goalie Laura Hosier (Sharon, Ont.). Gigliotti fired a laser from just inside the blue line with 14 seconds left in the period to tally her fifth goal of the season.

The teams played a scoreless third period with the Lakers holding onto a 4-3 victory. Hosier finished the game with 16 saves for the Lakers. PC goalie, Ciarletta finished with a career-high 45 saves. Mercyhurst outshot the Friars 49-19.

Providence will play a second game with Mercyhurst on Sunday, October 29 at 1:00 p.m.