Freshman forward Valerie Chouinard scored the game-winner and junior forward Julia Colizza assisted on three goals as the No. 5 Lakers defeated visiting Minnesota State Saturday 4-2 before 125 fans at the Erie Civic Center. The victory avenged a 2-0 defeat the day before to put both teams at 1-1.
Mercyhurst scored its first goal of the 2005-06 season when junior forward Stefanie Bourbeau deposited a rebound with just 17 seconds remaining in the opening period. Minnesota State responded just as quickly 17 seconds into the next period. Sophomore forward Amanda Stohr opened her season scoring with an even-strength goal on helpers from freshman Andrea Herold and sophomore Kristina Bunker.
CHA Preseason Player of the Year Samantha Shirley tacked on an even-strength goal at 2:17 and freshman Canadian U-22 standout Valerie Chouinard added a power play marker at 5:50 to put the Lakers up 3-1.
At 10:41 of the second, junior assistant captain Autumn Conway took advantage of an interference penalty on the Lakers and pocketed her first goal of the season, as well as the first power-play goal for the team. That would be as close as MSU would get as Mercyhurst’s Michelle Bonello needed just 33 seconds of an early third-period power-play for a 4-2 lead.
The Mercyhurst defense took over from there, denying the Mavericks on four power-play chances in the game’s final 11 minutes. Laker sophomore goalie Laura Hosier turned aside 29 of 31 shots. Hosier robbed Friday’s offensive star Maggie Fisher of a goal with just under a minute to play. The sophomore stopped the initial shot and the rebound came to Fisher on Hosier’s glove side. Fisher shot the puck, but Hosier dove and gloved the shot.
Junior netminder Laura Brennan took the loss for the Mavericks, stopping 29 of 33 shots faced. Brit Kehler, who earned a shutout yesterday, sat out this round.
There were plenty of power play opportunities again for each team but better success this time. Mercyhurst finished 2-of-7, while the Mavericks finished 1-for-11.
Mercyhurst will now travel to Clarkson for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15. Both games are at 2 p.m. ET. WCHA Conference action begins next weekend for the Mavericks with a visit by North Dakota to All Seasons Arena. The Friday-Saturday series is slated for 7:07 p.m. and 3:07 p.m. CT start times, respectively.
