Former Mercyhurst hockey players Meghan Agosta-Marciano and Bailey Bram earned roster spots on the Canadian National Women’s Team that will compete for gold in the IIHF Women’s World Championship April 2-9 in Ottawa, Ontario.
They are joined on the team by Laura Fortino, Brianne Jenner and Lauriane Rougeau, who were on the Cornell team that lost to the Lakers in the NCAA Division I quarterfinals this past weekend. Boston University junior Marie-Philip Poulin, who faces Mercyhurst Friday in the Frozen Four semifinals, also is on the team.

ITHACA, N.Y. – Mercyhurst women’s hockey coach Michael Sisti spent only a few moments in the dressing room before overtime.
He knew his Lakers played well for the first 60 minutes against Cornell, the nation’s second-ranked team. He simply reminded them of that.
“I wanted them to play fearless and confident and let it all hang out,” Sisti said. “I don’t know what they said after I left.”
The team’s message was simple – stay focused and positive. “We knew why we were working hard,” said freshman forward Jenna Dingeldein, who scored her 15th goal of the season 4 minutes, 49 seconds into the extra period Saturday at Lynah Rink to seal a 4-3 win in the NCAA Division I quarterfinals and earn a spot in next weekend’s Frozen Four at the University of Minnesota’s Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.
Mercyhurst (29-6-1) will face third-seeded Boston University (27-5-3), a 5-3 quarterfinal winner against Clarkson Saturday, in Friday’s semifinals at either 6 or 9 p.m. The Lakers, which avenged a 4-0 loss to Cornell Jan. 29 in Ithaca, will play in the national semifinals for the third time in the program’s history and for the first time since losing 3-2 in overtime to Cornell at Ridder Arena in 2010.

- Victor Fernandes

NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament schedule
Quarterfinals – Saturday
Mercyhurst 4, No. 2 Cornell 3 (OT)
No. 4 Boston College 3, Harvard 1
No. 3 Boston University 5, Clarkson 3
North Dakota (26-11-1) at No. 1 Minnesota (38-0-0), 5 p.m.
Semifinals*
Friday at Ridder Arena – Minneapolis, Minn.
UND-Minnesota winner vs. Boston College (27-6-3), 6 or 9 p.m.
Mercyhurst (29-6-1) vs. Boston University (27-5-3), 6 or 9 p.m.
Championship game*
March 24 at Ridder Arena – Minneapolis, Minn.
Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.
* Streamed live on NCAA.com

SUMMARY

Mercyhurst 4, Cornell 3 (OT)
Mercyhurst 1 0 2 1 — 4
Cornell 0 2 1 0 — 3
1st Period — 1. Mercyhurst, Gina Buquet 6 (Hendrikx, Bestland), 8:34. Penalties — Brown (C) cross checking, 12:33; Byrne (M) tripping, 13:00; Woods (C) tripping, 19:02.
2nd Period — 2. Cornell, Brianne Jenner 35 (Fortino, Rougeau), 12:21 (pp). 3. Cornell, Jess Brown 3 (Richardson), 19:00. Penalties — Byrne (M) hooking, :47; DeSutter (M) delay of game, 10:56; Byrne (M) interference, 11:55; Gagliardi (C) interference, 14:44; DeSutter (M) unsportsmanlike conduct, 15:28; Fulton (C) unsportsmanlike conduct, 15:28; Dingeldein (M) cross checking, 16:12; Campbell (C) roughing, 16:12; Rougeau (C) body checking, 19:08.
3rd Period — 4. Mercyhurst, Stephanie DeSutter 8 (Bestland, Dingeldein), 7:29. 5. Mercyhurst, Caroline Luczak 3 (Welch), 18:47. 6. Cornell, Jillian Saulnier 10 (Jenner), 19:04. Penalties — Gagliardi (C) body checking, :08; Chippy (M) body checking, 12:12; Richardson (C) body checking, 16:16.
Overtime — Mercyhurst, Jenna Dingeldein 15 (Kilroy, DeSutter), 4:49. Penalties — None.
Shots on goal — Mercyhurst, 16-11-5-2—34; Cornell, 7-11-10-4—32.
Goaltenders — Mercyhurst, Stephanie Ciampa 20-1-0 (32 shots, 29 saves); Cornell, Lauren Slebodnick 24-6-1 (34 shots, 30 saves).
Power plays — Mercyhurst (0-6), Cornell (1-4).
Referees — Katie Guay, Tom Quinn. Linesmen — Bridget Waitkus, Bob Sloper.
Attendance — 2,327.

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

NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament schedule
Quarterfinals – Friday or Saturday
North Dakota (26-11-1) at No. 1 Minnesota (38-0-0), Saturday at 5 p.m.
Harvard (24-6-3) at No. 4 Boston College (26-6-3), Saturday at 1 p.m.
Mercyhurst (28-6-1) at No. 2 Cornell (27-5-1), TBD
Clarkson (28-9-0) at No. 3 Boston University (26-5-3), Saturday at 3 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 gained one spot in the latest USCHO.com Division I poll, which was released Monday. The Lakers (2-0-0), which swept a season-opening series with College Hockey America newcomer Rochester Institute of Technology this past weekend, passed Northeastern (0-0-0) for the ninth spot with 34 voting points.
Defending national champion Minnesota (2-0-0) retained the No. 1 spot after sweeping Colgate by a combined 18-0 score this past weekend. Cornell (0-0-0) and Boston College (0-0-0) moved up one spot to second and third, respectively, despite not playing any games. Wisconsin fell to fourth from second after a win and tie against unranked Minnesota State-Mankato. North Dakota (0-0-0), Boston University (0-0-0), St. Lawrence (0-0-0) and Minnesota Duluth (0-0-0) rounded out the top 10.
Quinnipiac (0-0-0), which hosts Mercyhurst Friday and Saturday, made the honorable mention list with two points.

The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team will begin the 2012-13 season ranked 10th in the USCHO.com Division I poll, which was released Monday. The Lakers begin the season Saturday with an 3 p.m. exhibition game against Stoney Creek (Ontario) at Mercyhurst Ice Center. The regular season begins Sept. 28 at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Defending national champion Minnesota tops the list after receiving all 15 first-place votes, followed by Wisconsin, Cornell, Boston College and North Dakota. Boston University stands sixth, ahead of St. Lawrence, Minnesota Duluth, Northeastern and the Lakers. Robert Morris, which snapped Mercyhurst’s nine-year run as College Hockey America Tournament champion a season ago, received one vote in the poll.

The Mercyhurst women’s team earned the eighth and final seed in the NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament.

That means a quarterfinal matchup against top-ranked Wisconsin (31-4-2), the defending national champion, on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. The sixth-ranked Lakers (23-7-3) learned their fate during the NCAA’s webcast Sunday night.

Wisconsin won the 2011 national title with a 4-1 win against Boston University last March at Tullio Arena.

Meanwhile, Girard native Jen Schoullis and second-seeded Minnesota (31-5-2) begin their quest for a national title on Saturday at 5 p.m. against No. 7 North Dakota (22-11-3).

The quarterfinals earn berths in the Frozen Four, which will be held March 16 and 18 at Amsoil Arena in Duluth, Minn. Here’s the schedule for next weekend’s quarterfinals and the rest of the tournament:

Quarterfinals – Saturday

No. 5 St. Lawrence (24-9-4) at No. 4 Boston College (23-9-3), 1 p.m.

No. 6 Boston University (23-13-1) at No. 3 Cornell (29-4-0), 2 p.m.

No. 7 North Dakota (22-11-3) at No. 2 Minnesota (31-5-2), 5 p.m.

No. 8 Mercyhurst (23-7-3) at No. 1 Wisconsin (31-4-2), 8 p.m.

Semifinals

March 16 at Amsoil Arena – Duluth, Minn.

Wisconsin-Mercyhurst winner vs. BC-SLU winner, 6 or 9 p.m.

Minnesota-North Dakota winner vs. Cornell-BU winner, 6 or 9 p.m.

Championship game

March 18 at Amsoil Arena – Duluth, Minn.

Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.

- Victor Fernandes

ITHACA, N.Y. – The No. 5 Mercyhurst women’s hockey team had a chance to earn a key win.

But a disastrous third period dashed the Lakers’ hopes. Third-ranked Cornell scored four goals in the final 20 minutes to hand the Lakers a 5-1 non-conference loss at James Lynah Rink on Tuesday night.

Hayleigh Cudmore scored her second goal of the season 6 minutes 5 seconds into the third to spark the Big Red’s decisive four-goal outburst in a 7½-minute span. Goals from Erin Barley-Maloney, Catherine White and Brianne Jenner sealed Cornell’s first victory in four home games against Mercyhurst (19-6-2).

The teams played evenly in the first two periods. Cornell held a 17-15 edge in shots. They traded goals late in the first period. Mercyhurst’s Kelley Steadman opened the scoring on the power play with her 27^th goal of the season at the 18:05 mark. Cornell responded 35 seconds later on Rebecca Johnson’s goal.

But Cornell (22-3-0) outshot the Lakers 23-5 in the third to finish with a 40-20 advantage in shots and earn a third straight win. The Big Red have won 12 of their last 13 games since a 5-2 loss to the Lakers at Mercyhurst Ice Center on Dec. 3. Cornell won two of three meetings against the Lakers this season.

Hillary Pattenden stopped 35-of-40 shots in a losing effort for the Lakers, which are 1-2-1 in their last four games. Cudmore, Jenner and Johnston had a goal and assist apiece for Cornell. Lauren Slebodnick stopped 19-of-20 shots in net to improve her record to 12-1-0. Mercyhurst returns to College Hockey America action with a two-game home series against Syracuse on Friday and Saturday.

SUMMARY

Cornell 5, Mercyhurst 1

Mercyhurst  1  0  0  —  1

Cornell  1  0  4  —  5

1^st Period — 1. Mercyhurst, Kelley Steadman 27 (J. Jones, Byrne), 18:05 (pp). 2. Cornell, Rebecca Johnston 23 (Jenner), 18:40. Penalties — Bestland (M) tripping, 7:21; Byrne (M) roughing, 8:51; Cicero (M) tripping, 13:33; Ogilvie (C) tripping, 14:45; Young (C) tripping, 17:29.

2^nd Period — None. Penalties — Saulnier (C) hooking, 2:53; Bestland (M) tripping, 16:54; Barley-Maloney (C) interference, 19:16.

3^rd Period — 3. Cornell, Hayleigh Cudmore 3 (Campbell), 6:05. 4. Cornell, Erin Barley-Maloney 6 (Karpenko, Gagliardi), 9:56 (pp). 5. Cornell, Catherine White 12 (Cudmore), 11:43. 6. Cornell, Brianne Jenner 13 (Johnston, Fortino), 13:43. Penalties — DeSutter (M) hooking, 8:59; Szandzik (M) high sticking, 12:56.

Shots on goal — Mercyhurst, 8-7-5—20; Cornell, 8-9-23—40.

Goaltenders — Mercyhurst, Hillary Pattenden 15-6-1 (40 shots, 35 saves); Cornell, Lauren Slebodnick 12-1-0 (20 shots, 19 saves).

Power plays — Mercyhurst (1-4), Cornell (1-6).

Karlee Overguard scored two goals and Cornell’s top-ranked defense, led by sophomores Laura Fortino and Lauriane Rougeau held the nation’s highest-scoring offense to 24 shots on goal, as the No. 2 Big Red handed No. 4 Mercyhurst a 3-0 loss in front of 968 at Mercyhurst Ice Center Tuesday night.

The Lakers (18-5-0) were shut out for the first time since a 5-0 loss to Wisconsin in the 2009 NCAA Division I championship game. They failed to score in a regular-season game for the first time since a 1-0 defeat against Minnesota on Oct. 21, 2005. Cornell (18-1-0) avenged its only loss of the season, 4-3 in overtime at home Nov. 2, and extended its winning streak to 13 straight games.

Hillary Pattenden made 29 saves for the Lakers.

- Victor Fernandes

What: No. 2 Cornell (17-1-0) at No. 4 Mercyhurst College (18-4-0)

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Mercyhurst Ice Center

On the air: www.americaone.com (Internet video), www.wmce.com (Internet radio)

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Jr. G Hillary Pattenden (16-4-0 record, 2.32 goals-against average, .895 save percentage, 3 shutouts), Sr. F Meghan Agosta (24 goals, 33 assists, 57 points), Sr. F Vicki Bendus (15-23-38), Sr. F Jesse Scanzano (14-21-35), Jr. F Bailey Bram (11-21-32), Fr. F Christine Bestland (14-16-30)

Cornell – Jr. F Rebecca Johnston (13-14-27), Fr. F Brianne Jenner (14-12-26), Jr. F Catherine White (9-11-20), So. D Laura Fortino (5-11-16), So. D Lauriane Rougeau (3-11-14), Jr. F Chelsea Karpenko (9-11-20)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers complete their non-conference schedule with a chance to sweep Cornell in the regular season for the second straight season. … They handed the Big Red their only loss of the season, 4-3 in overtime, on Nov. 2 in Ithaca, N.Y. That avenged a 3-2 OT loss at the 2009 NCAA Women’s Division I Frozen Four in March. … The Lakers have won 12-of-14 meetings in the all-time series (12-1-1). … They are 4-2 against higher-ranked teams since 2008. … Agosta, the nation’s top scorer, leads Division I’s best offense (5.73 goals per game) against the No. 1 defense (0.83 goals per game). … Bram recorded a career-high six points in Saturday’s 12-0 win against Brown. … Bram and Bendus combined for 16 points in the two-game series against Brown – their first games since winning gold with Canada at MLP Cup in Switzerland. … Agosta and Johnston were teammates on the gold medal-winning Canadian National Team at the Vancouver Olympics last winter. … Agosta has points in 20-of-21 games, but she was scoreless in the win against Cornell. … Bestland has nine goals and 18 points in her last 11 games.

Cornell – Fortino and Rougeau lead a defense that has allowed two goals or fewer in 17-of-18 games. … Junior G Amanda Mazzotta (13-1-0, 0.92, .953, 4 SO) has missed the last four games with an injury, according to Cornell’s website. Fr. G Lauren Slebodnick (3-0-0, 0.26, .986) has played well in her place. … The Big Red surrendered a season-worst four goals in the loss to Mercyhurst. … The Big Red also score 4.39 goals per game. … Jenner ranks third nationally in rookie scoring. … The Big Red have trailed in two games this season. … They are 7-0-0 on the road.

Up next: at Robert Morris (Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.)

– Victor Fernandes