ITHACA, N.Y. – The fourth-ranked Mercyhurst College women's hockey team earned its biggest win of the season Tuesday evening, defeating No. 2 Cornell, 4-3, in overtime at Lynah Rink. With the victory, the Lakers move to 7-1-0 on the season and avenge last season's overtime loss to Big Red at the 2010 NCAA Women's Frozen Four.

Junior Bailey Bram took care of all of the offense during the first 60 minutes to post her third career hat trick, and senior assistant captain Jesse Scanzano dealt the final blow in overtime, scoring short-handed with 1:06 elapsed. Senior assistant captain Vicki Bendus dished out assists on three of the four goals to crack the century mark for helpers in a career. She now joins Scanzano, senior captain Meghan Agosta and 2009 graduate Valerie Chouinard as the only players in Mercyhurst history to have 100 assists.

Mercyhurst sealed the win in overtime when senior Cassea Schols knocked the puck out of Laker territory down ice to Scanzano, who picked it up at the blueline and streaked in for the score. It marked the first time the Lakers were ahead in the game after falling behind three times during regulation.

Both teams traded punches to open the game and take a 1-1 score into the first intermission. Cornell got on the scoreboard first when Brianne Jenner found a pass from Rebecca Johnston through traffic and knocked it to the far post with just 5:05 elapsed in the frame. Mercyhurst bounced back shortly after on the power play, as Bram tipped a shot through the legs of goaltender Amanda Mazzotta at the 12:08 mark.

The second period played out much like the first with both teams racing up and down the ice and trading scores to end in another deadlock.

After getting shut down on its first power-play chance, Cornell made the most of its second opportunity when Chelsea Karpenko deflected in a sharp pass from Brianne Jenner from behind the cage with 8:41 remaining in the second. Mercyhurst then evened the slate on Bram's second of the game just over three minutes later. Following a Cornell turnover in its own zone, freshman Christine Bestland took a pass from the blueline and relayed it to Bendus, who then sent it from behind the cage to Bram on the right side for the quick one-timer.

Cornell and Mercyhurst closed out the third period with back-to-back goals during the final eight minutes. Jenner put the home team back out in front with her second of the evening at 7:35, while Bram evened the slate less than a minute later at 6:54.

Against one of the nation's top defensive teams, Mercyhurst outshot its host 28-25 for the game and went 1-for-1 on the power play. The Lakers also held the country's top power-play unit 1-for-5 with the extra skater. Entering the game, Cornell was converting 35.3% of its opportunities.

Junior Hillary Pattenden recorded her seventh win of the season in goal with 22 saves, while counterpart Amanda Mazzotta suffered the loss with 24 stops.

Mercyhurst continues its road swing Saturday, Nov. 6, when it faces Niagara in a 2 p.m. contest at Dwyer Arena.