ERIE, Pa. – Freshman Christine Bestland scored two goals, including the game-winner, and junior Hillary Pattenden posted 16 saves to earn her second shutout of the season, as the No. 4/5 Mercyhurst College women's hockey team defeated Syracuse, 6-0, on Saturday afternoon in a College Hockey America bout at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. The Lakers, completing their fifth series sweep of the season, stretch their record to 16-4-0 on the season and 7-0-0 in league play.

Bestland's two-goal outing highlighted a balanced offense that saw five different Lakers score goals and 10 players total points. Juniors Kelley Steadman and Pamela Zgoda and freshman Lauren Barnes all matched Bestland's point total, with Steadman marking a goal and an assist and Zgoda and Barnes dishing out two helpers.

Seniors Meghan Agosta and Jesse Scanzano and sophomore Lauren Jones each scored once, and seniors Kylie Rossler and Cassea Schols and sophomore Samantha Watt all tallied assists.

Defensively, Pattenden held the Orange scoreless with 16 saves, six of which came during the third period. She also helped kill off seven power plays, including a 5-on-3 late in the game.

The Lakers did most of their damage in the first period, scoring three times.

Bestland opened the stanza when her centering pass from the left circle deflected off the skate of goaltender Jenesica Drinkwater and found its way into the back of the net with just 24 seconds gone off the clock. Agosta and Scanzano then scored back-to-back goals less than a minute apart, with Scanzano deflecting in a shot from Schols on the power play at 14:24, and Agosta netting her 22nd of the season on a short-handed breakaway at the 15:16 mark.

Steadman stretched the score to 4-0 in the second period, sending a shot from between circles over the goaltender's shoulder with 4:25 to play.

After the break, Mercyhurst finished the game off with two goals in the final minute of the third. Bestland made it a five-goal lead on the power play at 19:02, and Jones capped the game with her second of the season at 19:48.

Overall, Mercyhurst outshot Syracuse 42-16 and converted 2-for-8 on the power play. Syracuse saw two of its three netminder play in the game, with Drinkwater suffering the loss with 15 saves in the first period. Kallie Billadeau played the second and third periods and made 21 stops.

Mercyhurst has the next six days off before returning to action against non-conference opponent Brown on Friday, Jan. 14 at Tullio Arena, home of the 2011 NCAA Women's Frozen Four. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.