Skelly and Klassen Direct Orange at Mercyhurst

Saturday, December 6

Erie, PA

2:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

#9 Mercyhurst

Freshmen Megan Skelly (left) and Kylie Klassen (right) have been red-hot for the Orange as of late. Skelly tallied a three-point weekend and leads SU in points (14) while Klassen notched her second powerplay goal in the last four games.

12/6/2008 6:04:27 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Box Score | Season Statistics

ERIE, PA. – Freshman forward Megan Skelly (Taber, Alberta) flexed her muscle once again on Saturday afternoon, scoring a goal in her second consecutive game in a 9-2 loss at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

Skelly added an assist later on in the game at No. 9-ranked Mercyhurst. The first-year forward notched her team-leading eighth goal of the season and sustained her Orange points lead with 14, overall. Heading into the weekend series, Skelly was the leading point scorer amongst all freshmen in the CHA. Nationally, Skelly was tied for 16th in goals per game amid all freshmen skaters. She was also tied for 48th in country in goals per game (0.46 gpg).

Freshman defenseman Kylie Klassen (Winkler, Manitoba) has come on strong as of late, securing her second powerplay goal in the last four games, drawing even with Skelly for the team-lead in extra-man markers with two. Klassen's powerplay blast ended Mercyhurst’s string of 41 consecutive penalty kills.

First-year winger Lisa Mullan (Victoria, British Columbia) received credit for her team-best ninth assist of the year on Klassen's tally while senior defenseman Nikki Leone (Trenton, Ontario) offered her fourth assist of the season, seventh point overall.

Junior goaltender Lucy Schoedel (Ithaca, N.Y.) made her 15th uninterrupted start of the season, facing a barrage of Lakers' attempts all afternoon. Schoedel, the target of 50 shots, turned aside 41 in three periods of play. The third-year netminder broke the 400-save mark on Saturday and has prevented 425 total shots this season. She has allowed 4.11 goals per game in and has stopped 88.4 percent (425-of-481) of the shots she's faced in 15 games.

Sophomore co-captain Stefanie Marty (Nussbaumen, Switzerland) challenged Mercyhurst's goaltender with a team-high four shots, apiece.

Skelly's goal turned out to be the initial lamplighter in Erie just 3:14 into the first period. SU's points' leader was assisted by Leone on the first goal of the game.

Mercyhurst responded with eight unanswered goals. Cassea Schols opened up the onslaught at 14:47 of the first period in shorthanded fashion. Jess Jones and Vicki Bendus scored an even strength and powerplay marker, respectively, to close out the first 20 minutes with a 4-1 advantage.

Meghan Agosta profited from a Marty tripping call at the 7:05 mark of the second period and Ashley Cockell reciprocated at 17:29 with another powerplay tally after freshman Jessica Frump (Saugus, Calif.) was whistled for roughing.

Mercyhurst piled onto its 6-1 lead after two periods when Jesse Scanzano beat Schoedel for the Lakers' fourth and final extra-man goal of the day at 3:23 of the third period. Agosta interjected with her second goal at 7:45, but Klassen's six-on-five tally at 16:37 got one more on the board for the Orange.

Bailey Bram tacked on a late goal with just two second remaining in the contest to settle the 9-2 score.

The Orange will take a long, four week break before returning to the Tennity Ice Pavilion in 2009. Syracuse closed out the first half of its inaugural season on Saturday and looks to start fresh on Friday, January 9 at 7pm. The Orange will host Robert Morris for the second two-game series between the two schools this season.