March 6, 2008

Erie, Pa. -

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No. 7 Mercyhurst begins its quest for a sixth straight College Hockey America (CHA) title Friday at 7:00pm when it plays Niagara in the conference semifinals on the Purple Eagles' home ice. The Lakers, 24-7-3 overall, won all four regular season games with Niagara (9-21-4) and lead the all-time series 25-4-2.

Mercyhurst has won the last 17 meeetings between the two teams and outscored Niagara a combined 21-4 this season.

The winner of the Mercyhurst/Niagara game will play the winner of Friday afternoon's Wayne State/Robert Morris contest for the conference championship Saturday night at 7:00pm. Mercyhurst outscored Wayne State by a slim 12-11 margin this season, but lost the season series 1-2-1. Both setbacks were in overtime. The Lakers outscored Robert Morris 19-7 and won all four games.

Fast Facts

• Mercyhurst sophomore forward Meghan Agosta has been named as one of the top-10 finalists for the 2008 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award by the USA Hockey Foundation. It's the second successive honor for the Ruthven, Ontario, native. Last year, she became the first freshman ever to make the Final 3.

• Agosta and junior Valerie Chouinard have been selected to play for Team Canada next month at the women's Word Championships in China.

• Agosta's game-winner Saturday was her 9th of the season and first goal since January 26 when she scored three times in 7-0 win over Quinnipiac. Agosta had missed four games prior to the RMU series because of injury.

• Senior Sherilyn Fraser had her first career game-winning goal Friday against RMU.

• Senior Kristen Erickson's goal Saturday was her first since January 26.

• Junior Natalie Payne had a point in back-to-back games for the first time since mid-January.

• Senior goaltender Laura Hosier picked up her 19th win of the season, and 72nd of her career, last weekend. She is the Mercyhurst career leader in wins. She was selected to participate in the Frozen Four Skills Challenge this April in Denver.

• Junior transfer Hayley McMeekin had a goal in each game last weekend and now has scored a goal in three of her four games since her return.

• Freshman Ashley Cockell's first career power play goal put Mercyhurst ahead to stay in Friday's 5-2 win over RMU.

• Junior Valerie Chouinard (1g, 6a) and freshman Jesse Scanzano (3g, 3a) have four-game scoring streaks.

• Mercyhurst has ten shorthanded goals this season (Agosta 7). The one-season mark of 11 was set in 2004-2005. The Lakers had nine shorthanded goals last year.

• Mercyhurst has scored multiple power play goals in twelve games this season. 33 of the team's 46 have come in those contests.

• Mercyhurst had 60 power play goals in 37 games last season; the Lakers have 46 in 34 games in 2007-08.

• 17 of the 28 power play goals Mercyhurst has allowed this season have come in six games.

• Mercyhurst finished last season +42 in special teams' play. The Lakers are +22 so far this season.

• Junior forward Valerie Chouinard has seven power play goals this season and 31 in her career. She took over first place all-time this season from Stefanie Bourbeau, who finished her career last March with 25.

• Mercyhurst has trailed only five times this season after the first period (2-3-0).

• Mercyhurst outscored Niagara 21-4 this season (8-2, 7-0, and 6-2) and outshot the Purple Eagles 188-98.

• Seven of Mercyhurst's 21 goals against Niagara came from special teams; 4 power play and 3 shorthanded.

• Freshman Vicki Bendus led the Lakers in scoring against Niagara with 5 goals and 6 assists in 4 games. A trio of players including sophomore Meghan Agosta, junior Stephanie Jones, and freshman Jesse Scanzano had seven points. Agosta missed two of the four games.

• Mercyhurst was penalized 32 times for 64 minutes in the four games; Niagara was whistled 17 times for 34 minutes.

• The last time Mercyhurst and Niagara met in the conference playoffs was March 12, 2006, in Detroit when the Lakers prevailed 6-2 in the championship game. The last time the teams met in postseason play at Niagara was March 14, 2004, when Mercyhurst won 3-1 in the championship game.

• Mercyhurst outscored Wayne State by a slim 12-11 margin this season, but lost the season series 1-2-1. The Lakers outscored Robert Morris 19-7 and won all four games.