Electric weekend at Hurst Ice Center

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Sydney Dietz, Sports editor

The women’s hockey team highlights the week by finishing with a pair of wins competing at home against Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The Lakers played two games that ended in victory and left fans cheering.

The first game was played at 6 p.m. on Friday Dec. 2. The Lakers won the game with an excellent score of 5-1. Although the Lakers won the game, RIT scored the first goal of the game at 19:29. However, the Tigers could not get the puck into the Lakers net for the rest of the game.

Mercyhurst was not able to score in the first period. During the second period, Burlington, Ontario, native and junior forward, Sara Boucher got her first goal of the game on a power play. This goal happened at 9:11 and tied the two teams. Boucher’s goal was assisted by senior defender Jordan Mortlock and rookie of the week, freshman forward Thea Johansson.

The Lakers took the lead at 14:40 in the second period. Sophomore defender Sydney Pedersen from Milestone, Saskatchewan, got the unassisted goal. After the second period, the score was 2-1 in favor of the Lakers.

During the third period, the scoring streak continued. Boucher earned her second goal of the game at 3:36. This goal was assisted by sophomore forward Venessa Upson with help from freshman forward Riley Johnson.

Soon after, Boucher shot and scored again resulting in a hat trick. This goal happened at 12:02 and was assisted by freshman defender Sami Gendron. At the end of the game, the Lakers celebrated their 5-1 win in hopes for another win the next day.

The second game was at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Lakers hit the ice with energy and power once again. The first period was very action packed for Mercyhurst. The scoring started 29 seconds into the first period when Upson got the puck in the net. Upson’s goal was assisted by Johansson and Pedersen.

Just minutes after, Johansson scored which made the score 2-0 in favor of the Lakers. Boucher and Upson got the assists. The scoring was not over, at 3:32, sophomore forward from Erie, PA, Marielle Parks, scored, adding another goal for Mercyhurst. Park’s goal was assisted by Gendron and senior defender Alexandria Weiss.

Still in the first period, Boucher claimed her fourth goal of the weekend upping the Lakers score to 4-0. The Lakers were not done scoring, junior forward Chantal SteCroix found the net and shot a backhand goal obtaining a fifth goal for the Lakers.

The second period was very defensive for the Lakers. Senior goaltender Ena Nystrøm made three saves and the defense blocked nine shots. In the third period, Boucher got another unassisted goal at 9:42. Boucher was not done scoring, she got her sixth goal of the weekend at 15:00. This goal earned her a second hat trick of the weekend. Boucher’s goal was assisted by freshman defender Megan McKay and Weiss.

After Boucher’s goal, the score was 7-0 in favor of the Lakers. The Tigers eventually scored at 15:38 in the third period. However, despite this goal, the Lakers brought home a win for a second game in a row. It was a very exciting weekend for the Mercyhurst women’s hockey team.

They will hit the ice again this weekend with back to back home games against Princeton University. The first game will be Friday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m. and the second game will be Saturday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m.