Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey
Encyclopedia
The Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey team is the hockey team that represents the Mercyhurst College
Mercyhurst College
Mercyhurst College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA.-History:On September 20, 1926, Mercyhurst College opened its doors just a few blocks away from the city's southern boundary. It was founded by the Sisters of Mercy of the Erie Diocese, who were led by Mother M. Borgia...

 in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

. The program started in 1999 and Michael Sisti has been the only coach in the history of the program. From 2000 to 2002, the Lakers were part of the Great Lakes Women's Hockey Association. While in the Great Lakes Women’s Hockey Association, the Lakers qualified for the GLWHA twice (in 2001, and 2002). The Lakers were regular season champions in 2000-01 and 2001–02, and won the playoff championships in 2002. Starting in the 2002-03 season, the Lakers joined the College Hockey America
College Hockey America
College Hockey America is a women's college ice hockey conference in the United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The conference is currently made up of four women's teams in New York and Pennsylvania....

 conference.

Season by season results

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

Records as of July 31, 2009.
Season GP W L T Finish NCAA Playoffs
1999-2000 29 23 6 0
2000-01 33 14 16 3
2001-02 33 24 8 1
2002-03 34 25 8 1 First
2003-04 36 26 6 4 First
2004-05 37 28 7 2 First NCAA Quarterfinals
2005-06 37 23 8 6 First NCAA Quarterfinals
2006-07 37 32 2 3 First NCAA Quarterfinals
2007-08 37 26 8 3 First NCAA Quarterfinals
2008-09 37 31 6 0 First NCAA Championships, Runner-Up

History

On March 19, 2005, Desi Clark of Mercyhurst set an NCAA single game record with most saves in one game. Clark stopped 78 shots against the Harvard Crimson.

Following the 2005-06 season, Mercyhurst recruited the college's first Olympic gold medalist in Meghan Agosta
Meghan Agosta
Meghan Agosta is a women's ice hockey forward, currently playing for Mercyhurst College. Agosta played for the Canada women's national ice hockey team. She has represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning gold medals at both...

 (from Hockey Canada). In addition, the Lakers recruited Katariina Soikkanen of the Finnish National team, as well as Angelica Lorsell and Johanna Malmstrom who played for the Swedish National Team. The Lakers also had four players on the roster who played on the Canadian Under-22 Team. Mercyhurst had two CHA First Team selections in 2006-07, one second team choice, the Player and Rookie of the Year, and four members of the All-Rookie Team. In addition, Agosta would be the first ever freshman to be a top three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.

Mercyhurst defeated host team Niagara 4-2 in the 2007 CHA semifinals. Afterwards, they defeated Wayne State 2-1 on overtime in the CHA championship match. Meghan Agosta was honoured as the tournament MVP and the club had three All-Tournament Team selections: senior forward Stephanie Jones, senior goaltender Laura Hosier, and junior defender Natalie Payne. Eight players (freshmen or first-year transfers are not eligible) were named to the conference All Academic Team. Senior captain Stephanie Jones was the CHA's student athlete of the year. Agosta was an AHCA First Team All-American and a three-time USCHO.com Offensive Player of the Week.

During the 2007-08 season, Meghan Agosta tied Krissy Wendell
Krissy Wendell
Krissy Wendell is an American women's ice hockey player. During the 2004-05 season, Krissy Wendell set an NCAA record for most shorthanded goals in one season with 7. After graduating from Minnesota, she had the career record for most shorthanded goals in a career with 16...

’s record for most shorthanded goals in one season with 7. By the end of the 2008-09 season, Agosta would tie Wendell’s career mark with 16 shorthanded goals.

In 2008-09, the Lakers went 16-0 in conference play last season en route to their seventh-straight CHA Title. From 2002 to 2009, the Lakers were 74-3-5 in the regular season against CHA competition and 14-0 in the postseason.

During the 2009-10 season, the Lakers started the season with a record of 19 wins, 1 loss and 3 ties (Conference Record, 6-0-1). They were the top ranked team in the USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine poll for 14 consecutive weeks and were the unanimous choice with all 19 first-place votes eight times. Their only loss came in an October home split with Minnesota-Duluth. On March 13, 2010, Vicki Bendus
Vicki Bendus
Vicki Bendus is a hockey player for the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey program. She was the winner of the 2010 Patty Kazmaier Award, awarded to the top player in women's NCAA hockey. She was also selected for the Canadian national women's team that will compete in the 2010 Four Nations Cup....

 scored the 50th career goal of her career in the win over the Boston University Terriers. She was the 8th Laker to have at least 50 goals in a career.

For the first time, a Mercyhurst player won the Patty Kazmaier Award
Patty Kazmaier Award
The Patty Kazmaier Award is given to the top woman college ice hockey player in the United States. The award is presented during the women's annual ice hockey championship, the Frozen Four...

 in 2010. Vicki Bendus was given the honour. It marked the fourth-straight year a Laker has been a top-three finalist. For the season, Bendus helped the Lakers to a 30-3-3 record and their second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four. She led the NCAA with 28 goals and 37 assists for 65 points.

As the Lakers went 6-1-0 in October 2010, freshman Christine Bestland scored four goals, including two in a 7-3 defeat of the Robert Morris Colonials. In addition, she had six assists. In her first game as a Laker, she scored a goal. She registered points in five of the seven games played and finished the month with a plus/minus rating of +13. For her efforts, she was recognized as College Hockey America’s Rookie of the Month. On February 4, 2011, Meghan Agosta
Meghan Agosta
Meghan Agosta is a women's ice hockey forward, currently playing for Mercyhurst College. Agosta played for the Canada women's national ice hockey team. She has represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning gold medals at both...

 became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women's hockey history with three goals and one assist in Mercyhurst College's 6-2 win over Wayne State in Erie, Pa. Meghan Agosta was featured in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

s Faces in the Crowd
Faces in the Crowd
Faces in the Crowd is a long-running segment from Sports Illustrated. Starting in the January 9, 1956 issue, the segment was originally titled These Faces in the Crowd. The predecessor to These Faces... was a segment called Pat on the Back. It differed in that it did not just focus on unknown or...

 feature in the February 21, 2011 issue (as recognition of becoming the all-time NCAA scorer).

On February 25, 2011, Agosta scored her 151st career goal to become all-time leading goal scorer in NCAA history. She accomplished this in a 6-2 victory over the Robert Morris Colonials women’s ice hockey program at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. She surpassed Harvard's Nicole Corriero
Nicole Corriero
Nicole Corriero was a 3-time All-American ice hockey forward for the Harvard Crimson. Corriero tied former Crimson player Jennifer Botterill's record for most points in one NCAA game with ten. She accomplished the feat on November 7, 2003 versus the Union Dutchwomen...

, who set the record at 150 during the 2004-05 season. The goal was scored on the power play at 15:18 of the second period with the assist going to Bailey Bram. She later added her 152nd goal in the third period. In 2011, Agosta was named CHA Player of the Year as well as a First Team All-CHA selection, marking the fourth time in her career she captured both accolades. In April 2011, Kelley Steadman
Kelley Steadman
Kelley Steadman is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She play also for the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockeyprogram.-Playing career:...

 became the first player from Mercyhurst College to make the US Women's National ice hockey team.

Playoffs

The Lakers have made the NCAA playoffs from 2005-2009. In 2005, Mercyhurst lost at Harvard 5-4 in a triple-overtime match. In April 2005, Michael Sisti was named Division I Women's Coach of the Year. The Lakers qualified for the second consecutive year in 2006 but suffered a 2-1 defeat to Wisconsin 2-1 in double overtime in Madison. The Lakers hosted its first-ever Division I NCAA playoff game on March 9, 2007. The Lakers lost in the Quarterfinals for the third straight year. The club lost to Minnesota Duluth 3-2 in overtime. In 2008, Mercyhurst traveled to Duluth to face the Bulldogs in the opening round and bowed 5-4. The Lakers had leads of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 in the third but could not hang on. UMD won the national championship a week later with a 4-0 win over Wisconsin.

The Lakers have won or tied (2007–08) eight regular season conference championships, two in the Great Lakes Women's Hockey Association (GLWHA) and the last six as a member of College Hockey America (CHA). He guided Mercyhurst to GLWHA and CHA playoff championships the last seven years and a Division I top ten ranking throughout most of the previous seven seasons.

Players

CJ Ireland was one of the first players of the Lakers women’s hockey program that began in 1999. She was team captain from 1999–2003 and played in every one of the Lakers' 129 games. Her team's four-year win loss record was 86-38-5. In her senior season, the Lakers were 25-8-1. This was the Lakers' first season in College Hockey America (CHA). She scored 43 goals and set a record for most goals scored in one season by a Lakers player (since broken). At season’s end, her accomplishments were featured in Sport's Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd
Faces in the Crowd
Faces in the Crowd is a long-running segment from Sports Illustrated. Starting in the January 9, 1956 issue, the segment was originally titled These Faces in the Crowd. The predecessor to These Faces... was a segment called Pat on the Back. It differed in that it did not just focus on unknown or...

 section (week of April 13). Ireland graduated as the career leader in goals, assists, and points. In addition,was recognized as the 2003 Mercyhurst College Female Student Athlete of the Year.

Current roster

Number Name Height Position Shoots Class
1 Kelci Lanthier 5-5 G Fr.
2 Samantha Watt 5-10 D Fr.
4 Pamela Zgoda 5-6 D R So.
6 Johanna Malmstrom 5-8 D L Sr.
7 Jessica Christofferson 5-8 F Fr.
8 Melissa Lacroix 5-9 D R Jr.
9 Kelley Steadman 5-11 F R So.
10 Lauren Jones 5-7 F Fr.
11 Vicki Bendus 5-1 F R Jr.
13 Bailey Bram 5-7 F L So.
15 Anna Johnson 5-11 D L So.
16 Kylie Rossler 5-6 F R Jr.
19 Stephanie DeSutter 5-9 D L Fr.
20 Meghan Corbett 5-6 F R So.
21 Ashley Cockell 5-8 D R Jr.
22 Jess Jones 5-4 F L So.
23 Jesse Scanzano 6-0 F R Jr.
27 Julie Hersey 5-8 F R So.
28 Cassea Schols 5-9 D R Jr.
30 Hillary Pattenden 5-6 G L So.
35 Stephanie Ciampa 5-6 G Fr.

Career scoring

  • This is an incomplete list.
    Player GP Goals Assists Points
    Meghan Agosta 100 119 98 217
    Valerie Chouinard 106 65 74 139
    Jesse Scanzano 74 40 62 102
    Stephanie Jones 72 31 42 73
    Vicki Bendus 74 22 51 73

Notable players

  • Meghan Agosta
  • Vicki Bendus

  • Bailey Bram
  • Valerie Chouinard
  • Laura Mosier

  • Nicole Nelson
  • Ashley Harper
  • Hillary Pattenden
  • Jesse Scanzano


Players with international experience

  • Meghan Agosta
    Meghan Agosta
    Meghan Agosta is a women's ice hockey forward, currently playing for Mercyhurst College. Agosta played for the Canada women's national ice hockey team. She has represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning gold medals at both...

    , Team Canada
  • Vicki Bendus, Team Canada, Canadian Under-22 team (2007–08)
  • Stephanie Jones, Team Canada, European Air Canada Cup in (2004–2008)
  • Laura Hosier, Team Canada, Canadian Under-22 team (2007–08)
  • Jesse Scanzano, Team Canada, Canadian Under-22 team (2009)

Award winners

  • Meghan Agosta, 2009 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top Three Finalist
  • Meghan Agosta, 2009 Frozen Four All-Tournament Team
  • Meghan Agosta, 2009 CHA Player of the Year
  • Meghan Agosta, 2009 CHA Three Star Player of the Year
  • Meghan Agosta, 2009 All-CHA First Team
  • Meghan Agosta, 2009 CHA All-Tournament Team
  • Vicki Bendus
    Vicki Bendus
    Vicki Bendus is a hockey player for the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey program. She was the winner of the 2010 Patty Kazmaier Award, awarded to the top player in women's NCAA hockey. She was also selected for the Canadian national women's team that will compete in the 2010 Four Nations Cup....

    , 2008 CHA Rookie of the Year
  • Vicki Bendus, 2008 CHA All-Rookie Team
  • Vicki Bendus, 2010 winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award
  • Bailey Bram, 2009 CHA Rookie of the Year
  • Bailey Bram, 2009 CHA All-Rookie Team
  • Bailey Bram, 2010 nominee for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award
  • Bailey Bram, CHA Player of the Month (Month of October 2011)
  • CJ Ireland, Mercyhurst Senior Athlete of the Year (female)
  • Stephanie Jones, CHA All-Tournament Team
  • Stephanie Jones, CHA Student Athlete of the Year
  • Stephanie Jones, Bill Smith Award (an in-house honor for meritorious service on-and-off-the ice)
  • Hillary Pattenden, 2009 All-CHA Second Team
  • Hillary Pattenden, 2009 CHA All-Rookie Team
  • Hillary Pattenden, 2009 CHA All-Tournament Team
  • Hillary Pattenden, CHA Player of the Month (Month of October 2011)
  • Ashley Pendleton: CHA Defensive Player of the Week (Week of January 27, 2004)
  • Ashley Pendleton: 2004 CHA All-Rookie Team
  • Ashley Pendleton: 2005 CHA All-Conference First Team
  • Ashley Pendleton: 2006 First Team All-CHA
  • Ashley Pendleton: 2007 First Team All-CHA
  • Jesse Scanzano
    Jesse Scanzano
    Jesse Scanzano is a Canadian ice hockey forward for the Mercyhurst College Lakers. She grew up in Montreal, Quebec and played for the Montreal Axion women's ice hockey team and participated in the 2005 Esso Women’s Nationals She was selected fifth overall in the 2011 CWHL Draft...

    , 2008 CHA All-Rookie Team
  • Jesse Scanzano, 2010 nominee for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award

All-Americans

  • Meghan Agosta
    Meghan Agosta
    Meghan Agosta is a women's ice hockey forward, currently playing for Mercyhurst College. Agosta played for the Canada women's national ice hockey team. She has represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning gold medals at both...

    , 2009 RBK Hockey/AHCA First Team All-American
  • Meghan Agosta
    Meghan Agosta
    Meghan Agosta is a women's ice hockey forward, currently playing for Mercyhurst College. Agosta played for the Canada women's national ice hockey team. She has represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning gold medals at both...

    , 2011 First Team All-America selection
  • Vicki Bendus, 2010 Women's RBK Hockey Division I All-America First Team
  • Jesse Scanzano, 2010 Women's RBK Hockey Division I All-America Second Team

Statistical leaders

  • Meghan Agosta, NCAA leader, 2006-07 season, Game winning goals, 11
  • Meghan Agosta, NCAA leader, 2006-07 season, Goals per game, 1.09
  • Meghan Agosta, NCAA leader, 2006-07 season, Short handed goals (tied), 6
  • Meghan Agosta, NCAA leader, 2007-08 season, Short handed goals, 7
  • Meghan Agosta, NCAA leader, 2007-08 season, Goals per game, 1.21
  • Meghan Agosta, NCAA leader, 2008-09 season, Game winning goals, 10
  • Meghan Agosta, NCAA leader, 2009-10 season, Assists per game, 1.16
  • Meghan Agosta, NCAA leader, 2008-09 season, Goals per game, 1.29
  • Vicki Bendus, NCAA leader, 2009-10 season, Short handed goals (tied), 5
  • Bailey Bram, NCAA leader, 2009-10 season, Short handed goals (tied), 5
  • Valerie Chouinard, NCAA leader, 2006-07 season, Power play goals, 17
  • Desirae Clark, NCAA leader, 2004-05 season, Goals against average, 1.25
  • Hillary Pattenden, NCAA leader, 2008-09 season, Goalie winning percentage, .889
  • Hillary Pattenden, NCAA leader, 2009-10 season, Goalie winning percentage, .871
  • Tiffany Ribble, NCAA leader, 2002-03 season, Save percentage, .932
  • Tiffany Ribble, NCAA leader, 2002-03 season, Goals Against Average, .932
  • Jesse Scanzano, NCAA leader, 2009-10 season, Shorthanded goals, 4
  • Jesse Scanzano, NCAA leader, 2009-10 season, Points per game, 1.97
  • Jesse Scanzano, NCAA leader, 2009-10 season, Assists per game, 1.36

USCHO honors

  • Laura Hosier, 2004-05 All USCHO.com Rookie Team
  • Michael Sisti, USCHO.com Coach of the Year

All-time coaching records

Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
1999–2009 Michael Sisti 10 252–75–23 .882
Totals 1 coach 10 seasons 352–75–23 .882

Lakers players in professional hockey

Player Team League
Valerie Chouinard Montreal Axion
Montreal Axion
The Montreal Axion were a National Women's Hockey League team located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Axion represented Quebec at the 2005 Esso Women's Nationals...

 
NWHL
National Women's Hockey League
The National Women's Hockey League was a women's ice hockey league. This League was in service between 1999 and 2007.-History:The NWHL superseded the old Central Ontario Women's Hockey League in 1998-99. After the old COWHL dropped down to three teams in 1997-98, the new league expanded to...

Ashley Pendelton Brampton Thunder
Brampton Thunder
The Brampton Canadettes-Thunder is an ice hockey team in the Canadian Women's Hockey League. The Canadettes-Thunder play its home games at the Powerade Centre in Brampton, Ontario.-Team history:...

 
CWHL
Canadian Women's Hockey League
The Canadian Women's Hockey League is one of two major women's ice hockey leagues in Canada. The league was founded in 2007. The league currently has six ice hockey teams: three in Ontario, one in Quebec, one in Alberta and one in Boston, Massachusetts....

Jesse Scanzano Montreal Axion
Montreal Axion
The Montreal Axion were a National Women's Hockey League team located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Axion represented Quebec at the 2005 Esso Women's Nationals...

 
NWHL
National Women's Hockey League
The National Women's Hockey League was a women's ice hockey league. This League was in service between 1999 and 2007.-History:The NWHL superseded the old Central Ontario Women's Hockey League in 1998-99. After the old COWHL dropped down to three teams in 1997-98, the new league expanded to...


See also

  • Mercyhurst Lakers men's ice hockey
    Mercyhurst Lakers men's ice hockey
    The Mercyhurst Lakers men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I College ice hockey program that represents Mercyhurst College. The Lakers are a member of Atlantic Hockey. They play at the Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. -External links:*...

  • List of college women's ice hockey coaches with 250 wins (Michael Sisti ranks seventh on all-time list)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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