The women’s ice hockey team battled ferociously last weekend as they took on Colgate University on their home ice. The Lakers played two games but fell short to the Raiders in the end.

During a busy weekend full of Homecoming activities, the Lakers turned their efforts to facing the Raiders and showed improvement in their second game. On the evening of Friday, Sept. 30, both teams started off the game with a tough battle, but the Raiders notched a goal at the 3:19 mark in the first period to take the lead.

A few minutes later, Colgate got a power play, which they capitalized on by scoring again and making the lead 2-0. However, the score does not tell all because at the end of the first period, the stat sheet was in favor of the Lakers as it recorded 13-5 in shots on goal.

The second period told the story of the goalies as neither team scored during that time. Each team had many scoring opportunities, but both goalies met and won this challenge.

Senior goaltender Ena Nystrom had 11 saves in the first and second period to keep Mercyhurst in a steady place. She had her season high, up to this point, in saves this game as she turned away 32 shots throughout the entire game.However, this performance did not last much longer. As the third period was set to play, Col-gate scored on a power play at the 5:03 mark to make the score 3-0.

Within the last nine minutes of the game, Colgate scored two more goals, defeating the Lakers, 5-0.On Saturday, Oct. 1, the Lakers returned to the ice to prove themselves in a battle against the Raiders. A back-and-forth fight that last-ed deep into the third period kept all the fans and visiting alumni engaged and excited. Mercyhurst held strong defensively as Colgate could not find the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes.

The Raiders out-shot the Lakers 11-6 in the first period.The second period was much like the first with the Lakers fight-ing off the many solid scoring opportunities that Colgate had and the three power plays they created. Nystrom recorded 18 saves in the second period alone.

The Raiders started the third period with a goal on a power play. Nystrom got a pad on the puck as it came across the crease, but it had already crossed the line. The Lakers went full out in the last minute by pulling Nystrom to add another skater onto the ice. They fought hard but nonetheless, Colgate found a way to score the final goal of the game in an empty net in the last five seconds.

Nystrom had 36 saves in that Saturday afternoon game which stood out as her seventh time in her Mercyhurst career in which she has more than 30 saves in back-to-back games.

The Lakers will have another chance to defend their home ice next weekend as they take on Clarkson University on Friday, Oct. 7, at 6 p.m. and October 8.