{"id":25398,"date":"2003-01-09T13:28:50","date_gmt":"2003-01-09T19:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2003\/01\/09\/this-week-in-the-cha-womens-league-jan-9-2003\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:55:21","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:55:21","slug":"this-week-in-the-cha-womens-league-jan-9-2003","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwproxy.uscho.com\/2003\/01\/09\/this-week-in-the-cha-womens-league-jan-9-2003\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week in the CHA Women’s League: Jan. 9, 2003"},"content":{"rendered":"
No. 10 Mercyhurst was the only CHA team to pick up a victory over the weekend as all four teams returned to action with nonconference games.<\/p>\n
The Lakers, who begin a five-game road swing this weekend, extended their unbeaten streak to six games with 5-0 and 6-1 wins over Vermont. Their 15-5-1 record has come thanks to solid all-around play without any superstars.<\/p>\n
Mercyhurst does not have a player averaging a point per game, nor one with more than nine goals through 21 games. With a power play operating at 15.3 percent efficiency, offense hasn’t been the Lakers’ catalyst.<\/p>\n
“We take pride in our own end of the ice and believe in taking care of the defensive zone,” Laker coach Michael Sisti said before the season started.<\/p>\n
\nThe Lakers’ chances of reaching the NCAA Frozen Four are remote, but February contests against No. 1 Harvard and No. 4 Dartmouth give them hope. … Still, a CHA title in the league’s inaugural season is the Lakers’ for the taking.\n<\/div>\n
That defensive effort has been the catalyst. Mercyhurst is allowing just 22 shots per game and sports a goaltending tandem that has a 1.61 goals against average and a .927 save percentage.<\/p>\n
Senior Tiffany Ribble and sophomore Desirae Clark have combined to backstop the nation’s third-best scoring defense and have four shutouts to their credit. Ribble’s 1.53 goals against average ranks second nationally.<\/p>\n
The Lakers’ chances of reaching the NCAA Frozen Four are remote, but February contests against No. 1 Harvard and No. 4 Dartmouth give them hope. A 2-5-1 record versus opponents .500 or better has buried Mercyhurst at 10th in the PairWise Rankings<\/a>.<\/p>\n