PROVIDENCE COLLEGE SHUT OUT BY MERCYHURST, 5-0

Providence College senior forward Stephanie DeMars

Providence, R.I. - The Providence College Women's ice hockey team registered a 5-0 loss against No. 10 Mercyhurst University in their home opener on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Schneider Arena. With the non-conference loss, the Friars overall record moves to 1-2-0, while the Lakers overall record improves to 2-2-0.

The Friars trailed 1-0 following the first twenty minutes of play. The eventual game winning goal was scored at 3:50 following a turnover behind the Friars net, Christine Bestland got the puck to the Mercyhurst forward in the slot. Shelby Bram fired a high shot past Friars goaltender sophomore Sarah Bryant (Bethlehem, Pa.), which proved to be enough for the Lakers to get the win.

Mercyhurst added four goals in the middle period each of them a result of special teams play. The first goal of the period was scored, on the power play, at 1:59, with only one second remaining on the penalty clock, by Maggie Rothgery, a result of a 2-on-1 play with Molly Byrne. Byrne would also record an assist on the next goal, a shorthanded tally by Bestland extending the lead for the Lakers to 3-0 at the 3:12 mark of the second period.

The final pair of goals in the second period were both scored while the Friars were killing a five-minute major after freshman Liv Halvorson (Richfield, Minn.) was called for contact to the head. Both goals were scored from outside the right face-off circle by Jenna Dingledein at 10:13 as well as Bestland's second of the game, which came unassisted at 11:21.

The score remained the same after the final 20 minutes of play, thanks in part to the save that sophomore Allie Morse (Cottage Grove, Minn.) made on a penalty shot with 15:24 left to play in the game. Christie Cicero was awarded the penalty shot after being interfered with on a breakaway, the save was one of Morse's 16 saves in the third period.

The Friars registered 31 shots on goal, including 15 in the second period but Mercyhurst netminder Amanda Makela stopped them all to earn her first shutout of the season. All three Providence goaltenders made an appearance in the game with Bryant making 5 saves, senior Nina Riley (Lexington, Mass.) stopping 10 shots during the second period, and Morse's career-best 16 save effort in the final period. In total, the Lakers fired 36 shots on the Providence net over the 60 minutes of play.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow, Oct. 13 at 1:00 p.m. in Schneider Arena to complete the two game series.