Mercyhurst junior forward Christine Bestland was named to the All-USCHO third team for totaling 28 goals and 72 points this season. She reached 50-goal, 100-assist and 150-point marks this season. Lindenwood freshman goaltender Nicole Hensley was the only other player from a College Hockey America school to earn USCHO honors. She was named to the all-rookie team.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Mercyhurst women’s hockey team returned to the site of its last Frozen Four game – University of Minnesota’s Ridder Arena.
This experience wasn’t any better. The Lakers fell behind 13 seconds into their NCAA Division I semifinal matchup with Boston University. They never recovered on the way to a season-ending 4-1 loss Friday night that ended Mercyhurst’s hopes at the program’s first national championship.
Instead, the third-seeded Terriers (28-5-3) will play for the title Sunday at 4 p.m. against defending champion Minnesota at Ridder Arena. The host Golden Gophers (40-0-0) beat No. 4 Boston College 3-2 in overtime in the opening semifinal to extend their winning streak to 48 straight games.
The Terriers, which have won 10 straight games, have reached the title game for the second time in the past three seasons. They beat Cornell in the semifinals before losing to Wisconsin 4-1 in the championship game at Erie Insurance Arena.
Mercyhurst (29-7-1) finished the season one win shy of matching the most single-season wins in program history. Mercyhurst avoided the shutout on Christie Cicero‘s 14th goal of the season with 1:53 left in the game. Christine Bestland and Vaila Higson assisted on the goal.

NCAA Women’s Frozen Four schedule
at Ridder Arena – Minneapolis, Minn.
Semifinals – Friday
No. 1 Minnesota 3, No. 4 Boston College 2 (OT)
No. 3 Boston University 4, Mercyhurst 1
Championship game – Sunday
Minnesota (40-0-0) vs. Boston University (28-5-3), 4 p.m.
Note: The title game will be streamed live on NCAA.com.

SUMMARY

Boston Univ. 4, Mercyhurst 1
Mercyhurst 0 0 1 — 1
Boston Univ. 1 1 2 — 4
1st Period — 1. BU, Jenelle Kohanchuk 24 (Poulin, Fratkin), :13. Penalties — Bestland (M) tripping, 4:41; Lefort (B) slashing, 8:08.
2nd Period — 2. BU, Isabel Menard 16 (Warren), 1:00. Penalties — Cicero (M) body checking, 3:03; Dingeldein (M) roughing, 5:14; Warren (B) roughing, 5:14; Lefort (B) elbowing, 11:40; Dingeldein (M) roughing, 11:40; Stoneburgh (B) 5-min. grasping the facemask, 11:40; Byrne (M) body checking, 14:21.
3rd Period — 3. BU, Kathryn Miller 2 (Kohanchuk), 3:02. 4. BU, Marie-Philip Poulin 18 (unassisted), 9:57. 4. Mercyhurst, Christie Cicero 14 (Bestland, Higson), 18:07. Penalties — BU, too many players on the ice, 12:26; Fratkin (B) interference, 15:44.
Shots on goal — Mercyhurst, 6-11-11—28; BU, 12-16-4—32.
Goaltenders — Mercyhurst, Stephanie Ciampa 19-2-0 (32 shots, 28 saves); BU, Kerrin Sperry 24-4-3 (28 shots, 27 saves).
Power plays — Mercyhurst (0-5), BU (0-2).

NCAA Women’s Frozen Four schedule
at Ridder Arena – Minneapolis, Minn.
Semifinals – Friday
No. 1 Minnesota (39-0-0) vs. No. 4 Boston College (27-6-3), 6 p.m.
Mercyhurst (29-6-1) vs. No. 3 Boston University (27-5-3), 9 p.m.
Championship game – Sunday
Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.
Note: All three games will be streamed live on NCAA.com. WMCE-FM/88.5 will broadcast Mercyhurst’s game tonight and Sunday’s championship game (if the Lakers advance).

Frozen Four teams at a glance
Mercyhurst Lakers (29-6-1)
Coach: Michael Sisti, 14th season (363-98-30)
Players to watch: Jr. F Christine Bestland (28 goals, 41 assists, 69 points), Sr. G Stephanie Ciampa (19-1-0 record, 1.37 goals-against average, .937 save percentage, 4 shutouts), Fr. F Jenna Dingeldein (14-27-41), Fr. F Emily Janiga (19-21-40), So. D Molly Byrne (8-24-32)
Frozen Four facts: Has reached the Frozen Four for the third time (2009-10, 2013) during a NCAA-record nine straight appearances in the national playoffs, but has never won a national championship. … Has a 1-2 Frozen Four record, with the lone win coming against Minnesota in the 2009 semifinals. … Lost to Wisconsin in the 2009 title game. … Lost to Cornell in the 2010 semifinals at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, site of this weekend’s Frozen Four. … Has a 4-7 record in the NCAA playoffs. … Has a 4-2 all-time record against Boston University, tonight’s semifinal opponent, including a 4-2 national quarterfinal loss in Boston in their last meeting (March 12, 2011).
Outlook: The Lakers are decided underdogs as the only unseeded team in the field. But is this the year they claim their first national title?

No. 3 Boston University Terriers (27-5-3)
Coach: Brian Durocher, 8th season (158-92-37)
Players to watch: Jr. F Marie-Philip Poulin (17 goals, 34 assists, 51 points), Jr. G Kerrin Sperry (23-4-3 record, 2.19 goals-against average, .914 save percentage, 4 shutouts), Sr. F Isabel Menard (15-29-44), Sr. F Jenelle Kohanchuk (23-20-43), Fr. F Sarah Lefort (23-19-42)
Frozen Four facts: Has reached the Frozen Four for the second time and the NCAA playoffs for the fourth straight time in the program’s eight-year history. … Reached the Frozen Four in 2011 at Erie Insurance Arena (beat Cornell 4-1 in the semifinal, but lost 4-1 to Wisconsin in the title game. … Lost to Cornell 8-7 in overtime in the 2012 quarterfinals. … Tied a school record for wins in a season. … Poulin was named to the Canadian Women’s National Team that will play in the IIHF Women’s World Championship next month in Ottawa, Ontario. … Menard transferred from Syracuse, Mercyhurst’s College Hockey America rival, after her sophomore season.
Outlook: The Terriers have another shot at the national title that slipped away in Erie two years ago. Mercyhurst stands in their way.

No. 1 Minnesota Golden Gophers (39-0-0)
Coach: Brad Frost, 5th season (145-36-16)
Players to watch: Jr. F Amanda Kessel (44 goals, 53 assists, 97 points), Sr. G Noora Raty (36-0-0 record, 0.88 goals-against average, .959 save percentage, 17 shutouts), Fr. F Hannah Brandt (31-49-80), Sr. D Megan Bozek (20-35-55), Fr. F Maryanne Menefee (16-19-35)
Frozen Four facts: Have won three national championships (2004, 2005, 2012) in nine trips to the Frozen Four (2002-06, 2009-10, 2012). … Was led in 2012 by Jen Schoullis, a Girard native who now plays for the Boston Blades (CWHL) and the United States National Team. … Has a 47-game winning streak. … Needed three overtimes to beat WCHA rival North Dakota in the quarterfinals. … Has all three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which honors the national player of the year (Bozek, Kessel and Raty). … Has won 21 games by shutout. .. Has outscored opponents 207-31. … Lost in the semifinals in the Frozen Four’s last trip to Ridder Arena in Minneapolis in 2010.
Outlook: The Golden Gophers are the clear favorite to win the natioal title on their home ice. They also have all the pressure on their shoulders.

No. 4 Boston College Eagles (27-6-3)
Coach: Katie King Crowley, 6th season (119-61-34)
Players to watch: So. F Alex Carpenter (32 goals, 37 assists, 69 points), Sr. D Blake Bolden (6-23-29), Fr. F Haley Skarupa (24-27-51), Sr. G Corinne Boyles (22-4-1 record, 1.79 goals-against average, .927 save percentage, 3 shutouts), So. F Emily Field (15-29-44)
Frozen Four facts: Has reached the Frozen Four for the third straight season. … Lost to Wisconsin in the semifinals the past two seasons – 3-2 in 2011 at Erie Insurance Arena and 6-2 a season ago in Duluth, Minn. … Enjoying the best season in program history, headlined by an offense that set a school record with 4.36 goals per game. … Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East Association semifinals, but rebounded with a 3-1 NCAA quarterfinal win against Harvard last weekend. … Has a 1-4-1 all-time record against Minnesota, their Final Four opponent.
Outlook: The Eagles never have won a Frozen Four game. But a win over the defending champs could vault them to their first national title.

- Victor Fernandes

The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team will face Cornell Saturday at 1 p.m. in their NCAA Division I quarterfinal game at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y. All four games in the opening round will be played Saturday. Harvard (24-6-3) and fourth-seeded Boston College (26-6-3) will join the Lakers (28-6-1) and second-seeded Big Red (27-5-1) in playing at 1 p.m. Clarkson (28-9-0) travels to No. 3 Boston University for a 3 p.m. game, while top-seeded and defending champion Minnesota (38-0-0) hosts North Dakota (26-11-1) at 5 p.m.
In other news, the Lakers swept College Hockey America’s weekly honors. Junior forward Christine Bestland was named player of the week for totaling two goals and three points in wins against Robert Morris and Syracuse that clinched the program’s 10th conference title in the past 11 years. Senior Stephanie Ciampa earned top goaltender honors for stopping 45-of-47 shots in the two games. Jenna Dingeldein had a goal and three points to earn top rookie honors.

NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament schedule
Quarterfinals – Saturday
Harvard (24-6-3) at No. 4 Boston College (26-6-3), 1 p.m.
Mercyhurst (28-6-1) at No. 2 Cornell (27-5-1), 1 p.m.
Clarkson (28-9-0) at No. 3 Boston University (26-5-3), 3 p.m.
North Dakota (26-11-1) at No. 1 Minnesota (38-0-0), 5 p.m.
Semifinals*
March 22 at Ridder Arena – Minneapolis, Minn.
UND-Minnesota winner vs. Harvard-BC winner, 6 or 9 p.m.
Mercyhurst-Cornell winner vs. Clarkson-BU winner, 6 or 9 p.m.
Championship game*
March 24 at Ridder Arena – Minneapolis, Minn.
Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.
* Streamed live on NCAA.com

The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team are one win away from reclaiming the College Hockey America tournament championship.
Lauren Jones snapped a scoreless early in the second period, and the top-seeded Lakers held on with a strong defensive effort, in a 2-1 semifinal win against defending champion and fourth-seeded Robert Morris Friday afternoon at Mercyhurst Ice Center.
The Lakers (27-6-1) will face the winner of today’s 4:30 p.m. semifinal between Syracuse and Rochester Institute of Technology in Saturday’s 3 p.m. title game. Christine Bestland scored into an empty net for the Lakers. Brandi Pollock scored for the Colonials (15-15-3), which ended Mercyhurst’s nine-year run as CHA champion in the championship game a season ago.

Syracuse 2, RIT 1 (OT)
At Mercyhurst Ice Center, Sadie St. Germain scored 10 minutes, 8 seconds into overtime to secure second-seeded Syracuse’s spot in the title game. Fourth-seeded RIT (16-16-5) snapped a scoreless tie on Kim Schlattman‘s goal 6:32 into the second period. But the Orange (20-14-1), which outshot the Tigers 45-23, forced the extra period on Allie LaCombe‘s power-play goal with 12:15 left in regulation.

- Victor Fernandes

College Hockey America tournament schedule
Semifinals – Today
at Mercyhurst Ice Center
No. 1 Mercyhurst 2, No. 4 Robert Morris 1
No. 2 Syracuse (19-14-1) vs. No. 3 Rochester Institute of Technology (16-15-5), 4:30 p.m.
Championship game – Saturday
at Mercyhurst Ice Center
Mercyhurst (27-6-1) vs. Syracuse-RIT winner, 3 p.m.
Note: Champion doesn’t earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I tournament.

SUMMARY

Mercyhurst 2, Robert Morris 1
Robert Morris 0 0 1 — 1
Mercyhurst 0 1 1 — 2
1st Period — None. Penalties — Fergus (R) tripping, 7:03; Carlson (R) body checking, 14:56.
2nd Period — 1. Mercyhurst, Lauren Jones 14 (DeSutter, Chippy), 7:22. Penalties — Byrne (M) cross checking, 14:46; Bram (M) slashing, 15:12; Byrne (M) cross checking, 17:01.
3rd Period — 2. Mercyhurst, Christine Bestland 27 (Dingeldein, DeSutter), 19:10 (en). 3. RMU, Brandi Pollock 2 (Joslin), 19:35. Penalties — Fergus (R) hooking, 7:04; Luczak (M) body checking, 11:00; Collias (R) high sticking, 13:33.
Shots on goal — RMU, 7-11-8—26; Mercyhurst, 11-7-7—25.
Goaltenders — RMU, Kristen DiCiocco 13-13-3 (24 shots, 23 saves); Mercyhurst, Stephanie Ciampa 18-1-0 (26 shots, 25 saves).
Power plays — RMU (0-4), Mercyhurst (0-4).
Referees — Adam Bell, Rich Jebo. Linesmen — John Quigley, Rob Sauda.
Attendance — 825.

Three stars
* Stephanie Ciampa, Mercyhurst (25 saves) ** Lauren Jones, Mercyhurst (goal) *** Kristen DiCiocco, RMU (23 saves)

No. 9 Mercyhurst University (26-6-1) vs. Robert Morris (15-14-13)
Syracuse (19-14-1) vs. Rochester Institute of Technology (16-15-5)
When: Today, 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m.
Where: Mercyhurst Ice Center
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), www.hurstathletics.com (live statistics)
What to expect: Mercyhurst begins its quest for a 10th College Hockey America tournament championship in the last 11 years with a healthy lineup. Junior F Christie Cicero (severe concussion, sprained neck) rejoined the lineup Feb. 23 against RIT. … The Lakers can capture their 12th conference title in the last 13 years, dating back to the 2000-01 season in the Great Lakes Women’s Hockey Association. … Win or lose, the Lakers learn if they will make a NCAA-record ninth straight NCAA Division I tournament appearance when the eight-team field is unveiled Sunday at 6 p.m. on NCAA.com. … Mercyhurst lost the first three regular-season meetings with defending CHA champion Robert Morris before posting a 9-1 home win Feb. 9. … The Lakers swept all four respective meetings with Syracuse and RIT. … Junior F Christine Bestland finished the regular season ranked fourth nationally with 40 assists, fifth with 66 points and ninth with 26 goals. She also tied for second with 10 power-play goals and tied for eighth with six game-winning goals. … Sophomore Ds Molly Byrne and and Vaila Higson were tied for fifth among all defensemen with 31 points apiece. … F Emily Janiga is third among all freshmen with 40 points, one spot ahead of F Jenna Dingeldein (39 points). … Senior G Stephanie Ciampa ranks second with a .944 winning percentage (17-1-0), fourth with a 1.40 goals-against average, tied for seventh with a .935 save percentage and tied for eighth with four shutouts. … RMU needed two wins last weekend over Lindenwood, including a three-overtime victory in the opener, to reach the semifinals. … RIT, which beat Penn State twice by one goal last weekend, looks for a CHA championship in its first season in the league and at the D-I level. … Syracuse reached the title game two of the last three years.

- Victor Fernandes

The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team had two players honored by College Hockey America on Thursday.
Junior forward Christine Bestland was named the conference’s player of the month for February after producing11 goals and 14 points in eight games to increase her season totals to 26 goals and 66 points in 33 games. Senior Stephanie Ciampa was named goaltender of the month after posting a 6-0-0 record, 1.87 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. She had a 17-1-0 record, 1.40 goals-against average and .935 save percentage this season.

Rochester Institute of Technology (14-13-5, 7-6-5 CHA) at No. 9 Mercyhurst University (24-6-1, 15-3-0)
When: Friday, 3 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where: Mercyhurst Ice Center
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), www.hurstathletics.com (live statistics)
What to expect: Mercyhurst enters the final weekend of the regular season already having clinched a 12th straight College Hockey America regular-season championship and top seed in the upcoming conference tournament. The Lakers and second-seeded Syracuse will have byes in next weekend’s first round, which features the other four teams in best-of-three series for the first time in CHA history. The Lakers will host the semifinals and title game March 8-9. … Mercyhurst swept a season-opening, two-game series from CHA newcomer RIT, 6-2 and 7-0, in Rochester, N.Y., Sept. 28-29 behind junior F Christine Bestland‘s three goals and seven points. … RIT needs one win to secure a winning record in its first NCAA Division I season. The Tigers, which will have home-ice advantage in a first-round playoff series, need one point to earn the third seed. They lead Robert Morris and Lindenwood by four points with two games left. Penn State has clinched the sixth seed. … Bestland ranks third nationally with 39 assists and fifth with 63 points. She’s also tied for second with nine power-play goals and tied for sixth with six game-winning goals. … Sophomore D Molly Byrne is tied for fourth among all defensemen with 30 points. Sophomore D Vaila Higson has moved into the top 10 with 27 points. … F Emily Janiga is third among all freshmen with 39 points, one spot ahead of F Jenna Dingeldein (35 points). … Senior G Stephanie Ciampa ranks second with a .938 winning percentage, fifth with a 1.39 goals-against average, seventh with a .935 save percentage and tied for sixth with four shutouts.

- Victor Fernandes

No. 9 Mercyhurst University (22-6-1, 13-3-0 CHA) at Syracuse (18-11-1, 12-3-1)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where: Tennity Ice Pavilion – Syracuse, N.Y.
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), www.hurstathletics.com (live statistics)
What to expect:Mercyhurst can clinch their 11th straight College Hockey America regular-season championship – and 10th outright title – with a sweep of this two-game series. The Lakers lead the Orange by one point with four games left in the regular season. … Mercyhurst split a series with Robert Morris last weekend, while the Orange swept a series from Rochester Institute of Technology by 2-1 scores to extend their winning streak to eight games. … The Orange won six of those games by one goal, including the past four outings. They haven’t lost since Jan. 15 (8-1 at Cornell). … The Lakers swept a two-game series from Syracuse, 1-0 and 4-1, Jan. 11-12 at Mercyhurst Ice Center. … Mercyhurst is unbeaten against Syracuse (20-0-1), with the only blemish being a 1-1 tie Jan. 7, 2012. … The Lakers slipped to ninth from seventh in USCHO.com’s Division I poll this week. They remain seventh in the Ratings Percentage Index and PairWise Ranking, which are used to determine the eight-team field in the upcoming NCAA Division I playoffs. … Junior F Christine Bestland ranks fifth nationally with 61 points and fourth with 2.10 points per game. She also ranks among the national leaders in goals (23), goals per game (0.82), assists (38), assists per game (1.31), power-play goals (nine) and game-winning goals (six). … Sophomore D Molly Byrne is tied for fourth among all defensemen with 28 points and 0.97 points per game. … Freshman F Emily Janiga is third among all rookies with 37 points and 1.28 points per game, one spot ahead of F Jenna Dingeldein (35 points, 1.21 per game). … Mercyhurst senior Stephanie Ciampa (13-1-0 record, 1.24 goals-against average, .941 save percentage, four shutouts) and Syracuse junior Kallie Billadeau (14-6-0, 1.35, .947, six shutouts) are two of the nation’s top goaltenders. … The Orange have relied on the nation’s eighth-best scoring defense (1.93 goals per game). They are only 16th in scoring offense (2.80 goals per game).

- Victor Fernandes

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. – The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team felt right at home at Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena.
Behind a potent offense left by Christine Bestland’s six points and Jenna Dingeldein‘s two goals, the No. 6 Lakers dominated Lindenwood from start to finish in a 10-0 College Hockey America win Friday afternoon in a game that was initially scheduled for Mercyhurst Ice Center.
A water main break Thursday forced Mercyhurst officials to close the school and send students home through the weekend. But the change of venue didn’t bother the Lakers (18-4-1, 9-2-0 CHA), which have won all seven career meetings with the Lions by a combined 47-3 score.
Bestland assisted on all three first-period goals on her way to six assists. Her fourth assist, on Dingeldein’s second goal, sparked a three-goal second period. Bestland also assisted on the final two of the Lakers’ four third-period goals to give her 95 career assists. She also reached 150 career points in the game. Shelby Bram added three assists, while Caroline Luczak had her first career goal and an assist. Molly Byrne added a goal and assist for the Lakers, which outshot the Lions 48-17.
Amanda Makela (eight saves) and Julia DiTondo, which made nine saves in her collegiate debut, combined on the shutout. Taylor Fairchild made 36 saves for the Lions (2-22-1, 2-8-1). The two teams conclude the weekend series today at 2 p.m. at Erie Insurance Arena.