PSAC leading tackler Ian Wild (90 stops total) is out with a shoulder injury. Photo by Jack Hanrahan/Erie Times-News

If losing five straight games isn’t enough, Mercyhurst College (3-6, 1-5)  is dealing with a rash of injuries heading into Saturday’s PSAC West finale at Clarion (2-7, 2-4).

Senior linebacker Ian Wild (shoulder) – Missed last week’s 28-21 loss at Slippery Rock. Got hurt against California (Pa.) Won’t play Saturday.

Senior safety Bryant Kimball (neck) – Was injured last week.

Senior defensive end Dan Kruper (foot) – Missed last two games.

Sophomore nose guard Dustin Galich (concussion) – Missed last game.

Sophomore kicker Steven Wakefield (knee) – Hurt in Cal game. He kicked, but didn’t punt at Slippery Rock.

These injuries are the most recent ones. The Lakers lost  starting fifth-year senior quarterback Travis Rearick to a season-ending knee injury against Gannon. The Lakers haven’t won a game since.

The long wait is over.

It’s been more than a year since Mercyhurst College and Erie were awarded host rights to the NCAA Division I women’s hockey championship tournament — the Frozen Four.

Practices started more than seven months ago, games shortly thereafter. Fall fell, winter did its worst and, come Sunday — championship game day — spring will drop in.

Four teams withstood all that opponents and circumstance threw at them to arrive at Tullio Arena for today’s semifinals. Boston College takes on Wisconsin at 5 p.m. Boston University faces Cornell at 8 p.m.

Nearly 4,000 weekend passes had been sold as of Thursday. Thousands more fans will watch the games live, and free, at www.ncaa.com.

Here’s the Frozen Friday report:

Erie Times-News

News from Thursday’s practice and media sessions.

Photos of all four teams from Thursday’s practices.

Adieu, 87: Meghan Agosta has one more chance to add to her lengthy legacy.

A look back in photos at Meghan Agosta’s career at Mercyhurst College.

Boston U., Boston College study in contrasts.

Wisconsin team profile (last in a series on the Frozen Four qualifiers).

The Frozen Four can have a lingering effect on girls hockey in host cities.

Frozen Four teams claimed nine of the 12 spots on the ACHA All-America teams.

Boston College

BC and BU shared a flight to Erie.

Get in-game tweets from a BC angle.

Boston University

The Frozen Four is a first for the Terriers.

Listen to the game.

Cornell

Big Red hope Tullio Arena ice is nice.

Cornell’s one of three Eastern teams in an event that’s been dominated by programs from the Midwest.

Wisconsin

Follow the Badgers in a gameday live blog.

Get in on Wisconsin fan events in Erie.

Brianna Decker video.

Alex Rigbsy’s Thursday diary entry.

Hilary Knight could score 50 goals this season.

The upperclassmen set the tone for the Badgers.

Sophomore goalie wins Elite 88 award.

Check the Erie Times-News and www.GoErie.com/frozenfour all weekend for tournament news.

The NCAA Division I women’s Frozen Four — as if you didn’t know — takes place Friday and Sunday at Tullio Arena. Boston College meets Wisconsin Friday at 5 p.m. in the first semifinal, followed by Boston University vs. Cornell at 8 p.m. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m.

Bone up on all current news at GoErie.com/frozenfour, get real-time updates at www.twitter.com/goeriehockey and check out news and features from around the country right here:

Boston College

Eagles profile (Erie Times-News)

Mary Restuccia keys offense (Boston Herald)

Eager for Erie (The Heights)

Boston University

Terriers profile (Erie Times-News)

BU rises to title shot (Boston Herald)

BU women skate to forefront (Boston Globe)

Cornell

Big Red profile (Erie Times-News)

Cornell savors second chance (Ithaca Journal)

Wisconsin

Badgers don’t lack for motivation (Wisconsin State Journal)

Fan events set for Frozen Four (uwbadgers.com)

Wisconsin’s terrorizing trio (uscho.com)

Badgers confident, ready (Wisconsin State Journal)

How it works: Every day we’ll post a photo of a former college athlete from the Erie Times-News archive. You guess who it is, then check back the next day for the answer and another Old School athlete photo.

Feb. 14:

Gary Hall, 1989-90 Mercyhurst College hockey.

Today’s Old School Athlete:

How it works: Every day we’ll post a photo of a former college athlete from the Erie Times-News archive. You guess who it is, then check back for the answer and another Old School athlete photo.

Jan. 24:

Mid-1980s Gannon club hockey player Larry DeNobile.

Today’s Old School Athlete:

College sports with a northwestern Pennsylvania slant:

• Congratulations to Edinboro women’s basketball coach Stan Swank, who earned his 400th career victory Monday when the Scots defeated Alderson-Broaddus 86-35 at McComb Fieldhouse.
• Swank’s big win came days after Mercyhurst College women’s hockey coach Michael Sisti won his 300th career game. He’s hoping for 301 tonight when his No. 4-ranked Lakers play host to No. 2 Cornell, the team that knocked them out of the 2010 Frozen Four.

Elsewhere:

• Andrew Church, a Penn State redshirt freshman, went 2-2 and brother David Church, a freshman, went 3-2 at the Floyd “Shorty” Hitchcock Memorial Classic wrestling tournament.
• Gannon’s women’s swim team knocked off Division I Canisius 154.5-86.5 Saturday with help from McDowell graduates Jackie Rzymek and Sarah Anderson.
• Villa Maria graduate Kayla McBride and No. 11 Notre Dame take on No. 16 Georgetown tonight at 7 in a game that can be seen on CBS College Sports.
• General McLane graduate Kat Zimmerly, an Ohio Wesleyan senior, was named NCAC indoor track and field distance runner of the week.
• Pitt-Bradford senior Kyle Lewis, a North East graduate, earned a Scholar All-East Region Honorable Mention award from the National Soccer Collegiate Athletic Association. He captained the Division II UPB men’s soccer team.
• Edinboro offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Yurcich will take a similar position at Shippensburg.
• Cathedral Prep graduate John Hill won the 200 freestyle for Dartmouth in its swim meet against Penn.
• Harbor Creek graduate Brittany DiSanti and McDowell graduate Kelsey Herbst were Pitt’s performers of the meet at Saturday’s Maryland quad.
• Allegheny College first baseman Matt Stahl is a d3baseball.com preseason Division III All-American.

Erie Times-News photographers have been at a multitude of events since the winter college sports seasons started. Take a turn through gallery after gallery of cool images:

Men’s basketball

Street View: D’Youville at Penn State Behrend Jan. 5

West Chester at Gannon Jan. 4

Shippensburg at Edinboro Jan. 3

Wayne State at Gannon Dec. 30

Seton Hill at Gannon Dec. 29

Urbana at Edinboro Dec. 19

Urbana at Gannon Dec. 18

Davis & Elkins at Mercyhurst College Dec. 11

Mansfield at Mercyhurst College Dec. 6

Cedarville at Gannon Nov. 26

Thiel at Edinboro Nov. 23

Penn State Behrend practice Nov. 12

Gannon practice Oct. 17

Women’s basketball

Street View: Millersville at Gannon Jan. 3

Gannon practice Nov. 15

Wrestling

Clarion vs. Edinboro Dec. 21

Ohio State at Edinboro Dec. 12

Wrestle-offs Oct. 29

Women’s hockey

Mercyhurst College practice Sept. 29

Men’s hockey

U.S. Under 18 National Development Team at Mercyhurst College Oct. 24

Queens College at Mercyhurst College Oct. 4 6

Mercyhurst College practice Oct. 3

Watch for more photo galleries throughout the winter and spring.