No. 5/4 Mercyhurst Sweeps SU, 3-1

Saturday, February 11

Erie, PA

2 p.m.

Syracuse University

9-20-3, 0-7-3CHA

#5 Mercyhurst

21-6-2, 7-1-2CHA

Syracuse

Mercyhurst

Holly Carrie-Mattimoe leads the Orange with 13 goals this season

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

2/11/2012 3:48:54 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Box Score | Season Stats

ERIE, Pa. – Sophomore goaltender Kallie Billadeau made 44 saves for the Orange, but No. 5/4 Mercyhurst (21-6-2, 7-1-2) scored early in the first period before adding two more goals in the third to skate to a 3-1 victory against the SU ice hockey team (9-20-3, 0-7-3) on Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Holly Carrie-Mattimoe scored her team-leading 13th goal of the season for the Orange, which will have a week off before traveling to Niagara for the season finale on Feb. 24-25.

For the second straight night, the Lakers held a considerable edge in shots, generating 47 attempts on goal to Syracuse's 24. Neither team, however, could convert on the power play as SU went 0-for-2 and Mercyhurst 0-for-4.

Mercyhurst wasted no time in taking a 1-0 lead in the contest as freshman Shelby Bram potted her seventh goal of the season just 1:03 into the game off a pass from Christine Bestland and Jess Jones.

Billadeau, who faced 18 shots in the opening frame, would keep the Orange in the game with another 12 stops in the second period as the Lakers peppered the Minnetonka, Minn. native with shots from all angles. Nearly half of Billadeau's saves for the night came with the Lakers on the power play (16 saves).

The Mercyhurst offense would break through once again late in the third period as Bestland scored her third goal of the weekend off a feed from Vaila Higson. Bram was also credited with an assist on the goal. The Lakers would take a commanding 3-0 lead just 66 seconds following the Bestland tally as Kelley Steadman scored her 29th goal of the season with a rocket past Billadeau following a dish form Jones.

Syracuse would get on the board as Carrie-Mattimoe made it a two-goal game with 2:17 left in regulation as she collected a pass from Kaillie Goodnough and fired a shot past Laker goaltender Hillary Pattenden (23 saves) for the score.