No. 5/4 Mercyhurst Downs Syracuse, 6-2

Friday, February 10

Erie, PA

3 p.m.

Syracuse University

9-19-3, 0-6-3CHA

#5 Mercyhurst

20-6-2, 6-1-2CHA

Syracuse

Mercyhurst

Brittney Krebs scored her first collegiate goal on Friday

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

2/10/2012 5:23:40 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Box Score | Season Stats

ERIE, Pa. – #Brittney Krebs' first collegiate goal and 37 saves from Kallie Billadeau# were not enough as No. 5/4 Mercyhurst scored the opening four goals of the game to down the Syracuse ice hockey team (9-19-3, 0-6-3) on Friday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Ice Center, 6-2. Margot Scharfe also scored her for the Orange with her team-leading 12th goal of the season while Molly Byrne had a goal and three assists for the Lakers (20-6-2, 6-1-2). The teams will faceoff tomorrow afternoon in the series finale at 2:00 p.m.

Mercyhurst held a steady 43-20 edge in shots against the Orange for the game, and was 1-of-4 on the power play. Syracuse was 1-of-3 on the man advantage, scoring a power play tally for the third straight game.

Molly Byrne gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead exactly midway through the first period as she netted her sixth goal of the season off a feed from Caroline Luczak that beat Billadeau for the score.

With SU in the box late in the first period on a hooking infraction, senior Jess Jones potted her 12th of the season as she beat Billadeau following a pass from Kelley Steadman.

Mercyhurst's potent offense, ranked second in the nation with 4.74 goals per game, continued to find the net in the second period with two goals in less than a minute, starting with Bailey Bram's 25th of the season from Lauren Jones. Christine Bestland would make it 4-0 Lakers with her 20th of the season on an unassisted effort.

The Orange would get into the act with 3:47 left in the middle stanza as Krebs buried her first career goal with the Orange on the power play. After Megan Skelly hit Taylor Metcalfe with a pass at the point, Metcalfe sent the puck along the blue line to her partner, and Krebs blasted a shot past Mercyhurst goaltender Hillary Pattenden (18 saves) for the goal.

Syracuse built on its momentum following the Krebs goal by cutting the deficit to two just 14 seconds into the third period as Scharfe took a pass from Caitlin Roach and beat Pattenden.

The Lakers brought their lead back up to three with 11:12 left in regulation as Jill Szandzik scored her fourth of the season off a feed from Steadman, and Bestland closed the scoring with her second of the game six minutes later to close the scoring.