The Official Thread of the Mercyhurst Lakers

[camman15]

The play-by-play announcer said that CHA was doing the shootout to stimulate fan interest...

This doesn't make any sense to me,.....I mean, if you, as a goalie, let in a bad goal that causes the tie in the first place, how motivated are you to want to stop anybody with nothing on the line,.....or if you have made over 40 saves in a game and you're fatigued,.....what if it's game one of a 2-game series and your goalie gets hurt in one of these shootouts,.....I guess you can put the back-up goalie in, but because it doesn't count for anything, IMO, it meaningless and almost stupid,.....

[MICZamboni]

This doesn't make any sense to me,.....I mean, if you, as a goalie, let in a bad goal that causes the tie in the first place, how motivated are you to want to stop anybody with nothing on the line,.....or if you have made over 40 saves in a game and you're fatigued,.....what if it's game one of a 2-game series and your goalie gets hurt in one of these shootouts,.....I guess you can put the back-up goalie in, but because it doesn't count for anything, IMO, it meaningless and almost stupid,.....

You wouldn't know fun if it came up and kicked you in the face.

[RStarr]

This doesn't make any sense to me,.....I mean, if you, as a goalie, let in a bad goal that causes the tie in the first place, how motivated are you to want to stop anybody with nothing on the line,.....or if you have made over 40 saves in a game and you're fatigued,.....what if it's game one of a 2-game series and your goalie gets hurt in one of these shootouts,.....I guess you can put the back-up goalie in, but because it doesn't count for anything, IMO, it meaningless and almost stupid,.....
You don’t think this will come in handy for the Hurst in postseason play? True that they don't go into shoot out situations, but being fatigued at the end of 1, 2, 3+ OT's and having to be crafty to find a way to put the puck behind a Shuas or a Vetter is something that many teams in postseason play over the past years have had to deal with. I see it as a win-win situation for the Lakers who will most likely be in postseason play...and we all know the history...


now, seeing the Hurst advance further than the "elite 8", that would be fun. ;)

[RStarr]

Intresting...

according to Princton's GameWatcher, Agosta is playing defense with Scanzano. Payne, Cockell and Lacroix playing forward....

:confused:

[quixote]

Intresting...

according to Princton's GameWatcher, Agosta is playing defense with Scanzano. Payne, Cockell and Lacroix playing forward....

:confused:

Watched the games in person this weekend. Agosta played offense and Payne played defense. Both played very well. :) :) :) :)

[LakersFan]

Two Questions:

What is that status of Hayley McMeekin? She was not listed in the box scores for either Princeton game.

Who starts in goal for the Niagara series? My guess is that we will see both, and the better of the two will start against UNH.

[Radar3535]

I have got a question for Mic (or any other knowledgable Lakers Fan) How would you compare this years team to last at this point? After seeing them play,I have my own ideas but I think too many will try to read between the lines of my comments so I'll keep them to my self.

[MICZamboni]

I have got a question for Mic (or any other knowledgable Lakers Fan) How would you compare this years team to last at this point? After seeing them play,I have my own ideas but I think too many will try to read between the lines of my comments so I'll keep them to my self.

My two cents:

Mercyhurst is younger this year which, IMO, is the reason for the "not as stellar as last year's team" opinion. I do think the younger players are playing better than I expected. Not awesome but definatly holding there own. I am a little disappointed in two veterans so far. Jones isn't the force she used to be but she has such a big upside that any day she can break free. Second, Hosier needs to win the big game. She hasn't yet. Yesterdays 1-0 win is a very good win and hopefully Sisti, by playing both goalies in the series, is challanging Hosier a little bit. My opinion is that Hosier hasn't had to worry about being sat which means she loses a little competitiveness. I think Drennen is a very good athletic type goalie (who has never lost a game in her 3 years) and can get the job done. I agree with Lakersfan in that I think Sisti should play both again this coming weekend against Niagara. I do think he will go with Hosier in the UNH series though.

[Radar3535]

My two cents:

Mercyhurst is younger this year which, IMO, is the reason for the "not as stellar as last year's team" opinion. I do think the younger players are playing better than I expected. Not awesome but definatly holding there own. I am a little disappointed in two veterans so far. Jones isn't the force she used to be but she has such a big upside that any day she can break free. Second, Hosier needs to win the big game. She hasn't yet. Yesterdays 1-0 win is a very good win and hopefully Sisti, by playing both goalies in the series, is challanging Hosier a little bit. My opinion is that Hosier hasn't had to worry about being sat which means she loses a little competitiveness. I think Drennen is a very good athletic type goalie (who has never lost a game in her 3 years) and can get the job done. I agree with Lakersfan in that I think Sisti should play both again this coming weekend against Niagara. I do think he will go with Hosier in the UNH series though.IMHO, I think that is a great assessment! I don't think you can go wrong with either in net. I think they peaked too early last season. Maybe they will hit full stride come tournament time.

[RStarr]

Mercyhurst Sweeps Weekly College Hockey America Awards (http://www.cstv.com/sports/w-hockey/stories/120307aaa.html)

POW: What's her name.. ;)
ROW: Jesse Scanzano
GOW: Laura Hosier

[RStarr]

Sisti Selected for NCAA West Regional Advisory Committee (http://www.cstv.com/sports/w-hockey/stories/120407aae.html)

Joins colleagues from Ohio State, St. Cloud State and St. Michael's College

[MICZamboni]

How about the women's front page story on Mercyhurst?? I would agree maybe 4 or 5 years ago maybe not many people knew that Mercyhurst was in Erie PA, but now? Seriously, if your a women's hockey fan, you know where Mercyhurst College is.

[MICZamboni]

From the Mercyhurst website:

http://hurstathletics.cstv.com/sports/w-hockey/spec-rel/120607aab.html

The Stage is Set - No. 1 New Hampshire at No. 6 Mercyhurst
Lakers and Wildcats tangle Friday night and Saturday afternoon at Ice Center


Dec. 6, 2007
Erie, Pa. -

No. 6 Mercyhurst faces its stiffest tests of the season this weekend when No. 1 New Hampshire visits the Ice Center for games Friday night at 7 and Saturday afternoon at 3. The Lakers, 12-2-2 overall, and Wildcats, 15-2-0, will be meeting for the 9th and 10th times in their all-time series which UNH leads 4-3-1.

The two teams have played only one previous game at the Ice Center - January 11, 2004 - and battled to a 2-2 overtime tie.

New Hampshire owns a 6-game winning streak, second longest nationally. The Lakers have won their last four, all on the road, and will be playing at home for the first time since a 6-1 conference win over Robert Morris on November 30.

New Hampshire was Mercyhurst's first varsity opponent ever. The Lakers, who began play in 1999, lost twice at UNH by scores of 6-0 and 6-1, in mid-October of that year. The teams split a pair of games the following season at Durham: the Lakers won 5-4 in overtime and lost 2-1. After a brief respite, the two teams resumed play in 2003-04 and have met one time each season since then: 2-2 overtime in Erie (January 11, 2004), Mercyhurst 4 at UNH 0 (November 28, 2004), UNH 2-1 at Durham ((January 27, 2006), and Mercyhurst 2 at New Hampshire 1 (November 25, 2006).

Mercyhurst's win last season snapped a 32-game home unbeaten streak for the Wildcats and elevated the Lakers to the No 1 spot in the land.

Fast Facts


• Mercyhurst is 3-4-1 against UNH lifetime, but 2-1-2 in its last five. The Lakers nipped the Wildcats 2-1 at New Hampshire last season to snap UNH's 32-game home unbeaten streak. That game vaulted Mercyhurst into the No. 1 spot in the country, a place it occupied for eleven successive weeks.


• Sophomore Meghan Agosta has a 10-game scoring streak. She leads Division I in shorthanded goals with four. She and Sam Faber of UNH share the top spot with six game-winning goals.


• Freshman Vicki Bendus is 7th nationally in rookie points-per-game with 1.06. Jenn Wakefield of UNH is third at 1.31.


• The Lakers totaled 60 power play goals in 37 games last season. They have 21 so far this season in 16 games - the second most potent power play in the nation. New Hampshire is 4th.


• Mercyhurst has also found the back of the net six times shorthanded. The Lakers had nine shorthanded goals in 2006-07.


• Mercyhurst has killed the last 27 opponent power play chances going back to the Clarkson series. Niagara finished the two games last weekend 0 for 12.


• Senior goalie Laura Hosier has 61 career wins and 18 shutouts. Both are second place to all-time leader Desi Clark with 63 and 24. Hosier is 8th nationally in goals-against-average at 1.56. UNH freshman Kayley Herman is third at 1.02.


• Mercyhurst finished last season +42 in special teams' play. The Lakers are +16 so far this season. UNH is also +16.


• Junior forward Valerie Chouinard has four power play goals this season, tied for first on the team, and 28 in her career. She took over first place all-time recently from Stefanie Bourbeau, who finished her career last March with 25.


• Mercyhurst has outscored its first 16 opponents 22-6, 17-8, and 21-9 period-by-period. New Hampshire has outdistanced its 17 opponents 20-6, 18-7, 28-7, and 1-0.


• Mercyhurst and New Hampshire have played five common opponents: Boston University, Colgate, Maine, Niagara, and Princeton. The Lakers are a combined 10-0 against those teams and have outscored them 45-13. UNH is a combined 7-1 (lost to Princeton 2-1) and has outscored the teams a combined 34-9.


• The teams boast a combined five players who competed at the Four Nations Cup in Leksand, Sweden from Nov. 7-11. Agosta and Chouinard represented Mercyhurst and Team Canada. Jenn Wakefield and Martine Garland also played for Team Canada while Kacey Bellamy played for Team USA.


• Wakefield and Garland missed four consecutive games - vs. Vermont, Boston College, UConn and Princeton. Bellamy missed the latter three games.


• International experience for UNH's incoming class - six of the seven freshmen can boast this achievement - extends to Europe, where sisters Julia and Stefanie Marty competed at the World Championships this past spring for Team Switzerland. The duo also competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics.


• Eight other current Wildcats have competed at national camps in recent years. Garland is a three-time member of the Canadian U-22 Team; Leah Craig and Nicole Goguen, two other seniors, have also skated on that team. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Angela Taylor - UNH's first European player - was a member of the Great Britain National Team from 2001-05.


• The Wildcats own four consecutive Hockey East regular-season titles, two straight league tournament titles and two NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship appearances in as many years. The Lakers own five successive CHA titles (regular season and tournament) and have made postseason play the last three years

[MICZamboni]

This is from the Erie Times News

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071208/HOCKEY03/712080436/-1/SPORTS

Mercyhurst knocks off No. 1
Lakers start fast, hold off UNH for first win vs. top-ranked foe

BY RON LEONARDI
ron.leonardi@timesnews.com [more details]

Junior center Val Chouinard's goal 10 seconds after the opening faceoff jump-started the No. 6 Mercyhurst College women's hockey team to a milestone win Friday night.

The Lakers (13-2-2) earned their first-ever win over a No.1-ranked opponent in the program's nine-year history with a 4-3 victory over New Hampshire before 856 fans at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

"I knew our team would come out with a lot of energy and it was great to be home for the first time in six weeks," Mercyhurst coach Michael Sisti said after watching his team extend its winning streak to five games. "Scoring on the first shift of the game gave us a big jump. UNH has a great team, and I think we handled adversity well and did a lot of things well."

While UNH (15-3-0) carried play throughout much of the game, the Lakers were opportunistic with their chances. Mercyhurst forward Meghan Agosta scored twice.

Each Agosta goal came on superb individual plays, while senior Laura Hosier was sharp in goal, stopping 26-of-29 shots. She missed practice time earlier in the week because of the flu.


Mercyhurst, which hosts the Wildcats today at 3 p.m. at the MIC, had leads of 2-0 after the first period and 4-1 through two periods. UNH scored twice in the third period, the last goal by forward Sam Faber at 17 minutes, 31 seconds to pull the Wildcats within 4-3.

After incurring a five-minute major penalty with 1:55 to play, UNH twice pulled freshman goalie Kayley Herman, but could not get the tying goal.

"In these big games, you have to weather the storm and Hosier played great," Sisti said. "You have to bend and not break and we found a way to get it done. With a young team, we found a way to win a tough game."

New Hampshire entered Friday's series' opener sporting the nation's second-best scoring defense (1.18 goals per game), but the Lakers immediately put the Wildcats in a 1-0 hole.

Off the opening draw, Mercyhurst forward Jesse Scanzano chipped the puck to Chouinard, who beat Herman with a low, tough-angle slap shot from near the right corner.


"I think that shot surprised their goalie," Chouinard said. "We got the puck into their zone and Scanzano was able to chip it along the boards and I was going with speed. When I got to the corner, I shot the puck thinking there might be a rebound. That was a great start for us."

It got better. The Lakers made it 2-0 at 13:12 on Agosta's breakaway goal. Picking up the puck in the neutral zone, Agosta carried it up the left wing, deked Herman on her forehand and slid a backhander between her pads.

"I was actually thinking about taking a slap shot, but I figured I'd use my speed to beat their girl wide, and I saw the opening between the legs and put it there," Agosta said.

"She saw the turnover and she was gone," UNH coach Brian McCloskey said. "She's one step ahead of the rest of the kids. She's maybe the best player in the world for her age, without question. She's special. That's what a great player can do for you."

Agosta, who leads the Lakers with 21 goals and 35 points, wasn't done. She staked Mercyhurst to a 3-0 lead early in the second period.


With UNH on the power play, Agosta stole the puck from a UNH skater along the boards in the Lakers' end, skated up the right side on a 2-on-1 break and scored shorthanded, rifling a top-shelf wrister from the right circle.

"That first goal by Val set the tone for the game," Agosta said. "We knew what we needed to do to come out and prove we were ready for this game and we would do whatever it took to win it."

[RStarr]

"She saw the turnover and she was gone," UNH coach Brian McCloskey said. "She's one step ahead of the rest of the kids. She's maybe the best player in the world for her age, without question. She's special. That's what a great player can do for you."
Coming from a coach that has some of the best proven talent on his team in D1 right now, that says a tremendous amount about Agosta's abilities. Even if you don't follow the Lakers (or know where they hail from :rolleyes:), you know she truly is the real deal when a coach from the number one team in the country with many top notch players says this... :cool:

[RStarr]

USCHO Offensive Player (http://www.uscho.com/potw/)of the Week: Meghan Agosta — Mercyhurst

"Meghan Agosta is the Offensive Player of the Week for the second time already this season, following a three-goal weekend against formerly top-ranked New Hampshire."

[MICZamboni]

Some bad news for the Lady Lakers for this weekends key series with Dartmouth.

'Hurst hurting for Dartmouth series


BY RON LEONARDI
ron.leonardi@timesnews.com [more details]


Mercyhurst College's already thin bench will be another player short for this weekend's two-game series at No. 8 Dartmouth.

The Lakers (13-2-2), ranked No. 5 in this week's USA Today/USA Hockey Division I poll and No. 6 by USCHO.com, play Dartmouth (9-2-1) today at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. in Hanover, N.H.

Today's game originally was scheduled for 2 p.m., but Dartmouth officials agreed to push it back to 3 p.m. because the Lakers encountered flight delays on Friday in Erie and Philadelphia and were not expected to arrive in Hanover, N.H., until 12:30 a.m. today.

Mercyhurst, which is coming off last week's two-game home series split against former No. 1 New Hampshire, will be without senior defender Danielle Ayearst. Coach Michael Sisti said she is recovering from a mild concussion.

Ayearst was injured with 1 minute, 55 seconds left in the 4-3 home victory over New Hampshire on Dec. 7 when she was checked into the left-wing boards from behind by UNH forward Jennifer Hitchcock, who received a five-minute major penalty. Ayearst slammed face-first into the boards.


"I don't really remember how she hit me, I just remember going into the boards," Ayearst said. "I remember turning into the boards to get the puck off the boards and then I took the hit."

Ayearst played in Saturday's 5-2 loss to New Hampshire. After the game, a team doctor determined she was exhibiting signs of a mild concussion.

"It was a 50-50 decision for the doctors and myself for (last) Saturday's game," Ayearst said. "It was a big, important game, so I felt I wanted to play and help my team out any way I can."

Ayearst did not practice Monday or Tuesday and did some light skating Wednesday.

In last week's two-game home series against New Hampshire, the Lakers skated two players short, with senior forward Sherilyn Fraser sidelined with a knee injury and junior forward Hayley McMeekin academically ineligible.


Sisti said Fraser has a partial tear in the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee. She has been cleared to play this weekend, but will only play if she can tolerate the pain, Sisti said.

Dartmouth was picked to finish third in the ECAC preseason coaches poll, behind St. Lawrence and Harvard. Dartmouth has remained a top-10 program despite losing three former Olympians to graduation - forwards Gillian Apps, Cherie Piper and Katie Weatherston - from last year's team.

Dartmouth went 27-5-2 last season, winning the ECAC regular-season and playoff championships. The Big Green advanced to the NCAA tournament but lost 3-2 to Boston College in the opening round.

"They still have some Olympians and some future Olympians on their team," Sisti said. "They're solid, they're a veteran team and I'm sure they know the magnitude of the weekend."

Mercyhurst played six straight games on the road before last week's home series against New Hampshire. The Lakers will play their next four on the road.


"We have to go on the road again, and this is one of those gut checks," Sisti said. "It's been grueling and the team is beat up, but it seems each year we have one or two series where we have to find a way on pride and guts, and I think this is one of those series. Regardless if the players are mentally or physically run down, they have to suck it up for two days and play their best hockey."

[RStarr]

Mercyhurst, which is coming off last week's two-game home series split against former No. 1 New Hampshire, will be without senior defender Danielle Ayearst. Coach Michael Sisti said she is recovering from a mild concussion.

Ayearst was injured with 1 minute, 55 seconds left in the 4-3 home victory over New Hampshire on Dec. 7 when she was checked into the left-wing boards from behind by UNH forward Jennifer Hitchcock, who received a five-minute major penalty. Ayearst slammed face-first into the boards.


"I don't really remember how she hit me, I just remember going into the boards," Ayearst said. "I remember turning into the boards to get the puck off the boards and then I took the hit."
And Sk8happy called Mercyhurst the "dirtiest" team he has seen. Yeah Happy, when you have those thick blue glasses on, its easy to understand why would would say something like that!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:


That picture on the Lakers page really did sum the games up....A UNH player slamming into the back of a Mercyhurst player (not playing the puck) and a UNH player on the floor causing a Laker player to fall.

[MICZamboni]

Here is the article on yesterday's game from the Erie Times News:

Only weather conditions slow Mercyhurst women


HANOVER, N.H.--The Mercyhurst College women's hockey team might have felt sluggish, but Saturday afternoon's result against Dartmouth didn't reflect it.

The fifth-ranked Lakers shut out No. 8 Dartmouth 7-0 at Thompson Arena.

Mercyhurst endured travel delays Friday because of weather. The team didn't arrive in Hanover until 1:15 a.m. Saturday.

The Lakers jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the first period and never looked back.

Meghan Agosta accounted for the first two goals unassisted within 30 seconds of each other, and Geena Prough and Jesse Scanzano also scored.


Valerie Chouinard finished with a goal and two assists for Mercyhurst (14-3-2, 4-0 CHA). Vicki Bendus and Cheyenne Bojeski completed the offense for the Lakers, who got 31 saves from goaltender Laura Hosier.

"It was a huge win with not practicing yesterday (Friday) and having a 19-hour travel day," coach Michael Sisti said. "It was a big road win and the team showed great character. Hopefully, we have some gas left in the tank to do it again (today)."

The Big Green (9-3-1, 7-2) were shut out for the first time since Mercyhurst beat them 1-0 on Oct. 22, 2006.

[Skate79]

What I'm wondering is if Mercyhurst actually got to Hanover at a reasonable hour, how much worse would the final score have been? Yikes!

The Lakers are making a statement; winning in Hanover is tough enough. Shutting them out by such a wide margin gives one pause to reflect on how good the Lakers are vs what this says about Dartmouth.

Of course if the Green win today by a wide margin, we can throw out the weekend as an aberration.