Providence, R.I. - The No. 10 Mercyhurst College women's hockey team scored four special team goals and extended its winning streak to five games Saturday with a 5-1 win at Brown. Mercyhurst concluded an eight-game road trip as it improved to 8-4-0 on the season while the Bears dropped to 2-7-1.
Freshman
Kelley Steadman put Mercyhurst ahead early in the first period with her sixth goal of the season. Her even strength goal came against Brown netminder Nicole Stock (2-7-1). The Bears tied the game a bit more than two minutes later when Frances Male beat Mercyhurst senior
Courtney Drennen (1-3-0). The Lakers took the lead for keeps at 7:51 of the first when sophomore
Vicki Bendus notched an unassisted goal with the Lakers down two skaters. That goal, Bendus' third of the year, ended the scoring in the first period, one in which the Bears owned a 13-8 advantage in shots.
Mercyhurst concluded the scoring with three successive power play goals, two in the middle period. Senior
Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst's all-time leader in power play markers, cashed in her third of the year at
2:38 of the second while sophomore
Cassea Schols stretched the lead to 4-1 midway through the second with her first goal of the season.
Steadman collected her second goal of the game with a late third period power play.
Mercyhurst rallied to outshoot Brown 37-27 and increased its unblemished penalty kill to 29 by denying all eight Brown opportunities.
Mercyhurst will take a weekend off before welcoming Syracuse, College Hockey America's newest member, to the Ice Center for games December 5 and 6. The Lakers took a pair from Syracuse earlier this month by scores of 4-1 and 7-1.