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

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

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

No. 5 Mercyhurst (8-1-1, 2-0-0 CHA) at Lindenwood (0-6-0, 0-0-0)
When: Today, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m.
Where: Lindenwood Ice Arena – Wentzville, Mo.
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), www.lindenwoodlions.com (live audio and statistics)
What to expect: Mercyhurst returns to College Hockey America action after playing eight straight non-conference games. … The Lakers posted 6-2 and 7-0 wins against CHA newcomer Rochester Institute of Technology Sept. 28-29. Now they face Lindenwood, which plays in its first-ever CHA games. … Mercyhurst won all four non-conference meetings with the Lions a season ago by a combined 37-3 score. … Lindenwood lost their first six games – two apiece against Minnesota State, Ohio State and Wisconsin from the WCHA – by a combined 34-6 score. The Lions finished 8-21-0 a season ago as a first-year NCAA independent team, but they were 0-18 against D-I opponents. … The Lions face their seventh and eighth games of the season against a team that has been nationally ranked this season. … Mercyhurst plays six of the next eight games on the road. … Lakers junior F Christine Bestland leads NCAA Division I with 18 assists and ranks third with 28 points. … Freshman F Emily Janiga (nine goals, 18 points) ranks fifth in scoring.

- Victor Fernandes

The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team captured two of College Hockey America’s three monthly honors for October.
Junior forward Christine Bestland was named player of the month after totaling 28 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 10 games. She leads NCAA Division I in assists and ranks third in scoring. Meanwhile, freshman forward Emily Janiga was named rookie of the month after amassing nine goals and 18 points in 10 games. She ranks fifth in the nation in scoring.

College Hockey America officials handed out the first player of the week awards of the season Monday. The Mercyhurst University women’s team captured all three honors.
Junior forward Christine Bestland was named player of the week, while senior Stephanie Ciampa and freshman forward Emily Janiga earned goaltender and rookie of the week, respectively.
Bestland had three goals and four assists in a season-opening sweep of CHA newcomer Rochester Institute of Technology, which put her over the 100-point mark in her career. Ciampa recorded her first career shutout in a 17-save effort against the Tigers Saturday. It was her first start since a 7-2 win against Lindenwood on Dec. 15, 2011. Janiga had the first three goals and two assists of her career, as well as her first hat trick, in those two games.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team didn’t start fast this time around.
The 10th-ranked Lakers didn’t score in the first period after scoring twice in the opening 18 seconds in Friday’s season opener.
But the Lakers responded strong in the final two periods of a 7-0 College Hockey America win against Rochester Institute of Technology Saturday afternoon in front of 630 at James Ritter Memorial Ice Arena. Mercyhurst (2-0-0, 2-0-0 CHA) swept the season-opening series from the Tigers (0-2-0, 0-2-0), which are in their first season as a NCAA Division I program.
Freshman Emily Janiga provided the offensive spark with the first three goals and four points of her collegiate career. She snapped a scoreless tie 8 minutes, 15 seconds into the second period, and scored again 5 minutes later. She also assisted on Shelby Bram‘s goal that opened a 3-0 lead with 1:13 left in the period.
Janiga capped her first career hat trick 6:31 into the third. Christine Bestland scored twice in the period – her second and third goals of the season – and added two assists for a four-point outing. Kelsey Welch, one of three transfers from Niagara, scored her first goal as a Laker. Fellow transfers Jenna Hendrikx and Kaleigh Chippy had an assist apiece. Molly Byrne and Vaila Higson each had two assists for the Lakers, which went 3-for-9 on the power play after failing on all eight chances Friday.
Senior goaltender Stephanie Ciampa stopped all 17 shots she faced for her first career shutout in her sixth career start. The Lakers head to Hamden, Conn., next weekend for a two-game non-conference series at Quinnipiac.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team welcomed Rochester Institute of Technology to the big time harshly Friday night in front of 1,055 fans at Frank Ritter Memorial Ice Arena. The Lakers scored twice in the first 18 seconds and four goals in the opening period on the way to handing the Tigers a 6-2 loss in their first NCAA Division I game.
The 10th-ranked Lakers (1-0-0, 1-0-0 College Hockey America) scored six unanswered goals before RIT (0-1-0, 0-1-0), which moved to D-I after winning the D-III national championship a season ago, scored twice in the second period.
Christie Cicero scored eight seconds into the game on an assist from Christine Bestland. Cicero returned the favor 10 seconds later, as she set up Bestland for a 2-0 Lakers’ lead. Jenna Hendrikx, one of three transfers from the now-defunct women’s program at Niagara, scored the first of her two goals 8:13 into the first. Molly Byrne capped the onslaught 6:29 later.
Shelby Bram and Hendrikx scored early in the second for the Lakers, which produced offensively despite failing on all eight power-play chances. Carly Payerl and Katie Hubert scored for the Tigers, which went 1-for-8 on the power play.
Bestland had two assists in her three-point outing while Cicero had two points. Freshman Jenna Dingeldein had her first two career points, both assists, in her collegiate debut. Kathy Donohue, a Rochester native, and Emily Janiga, also recorded their first collegiate point on assists. Sophomore goaltender Amanda Makela (19 saves on 21 shots) earned the win in her second career start. The Lakers and Tigers complete the weekend series today at 2 p.m. in Rochester.

The Mercyhurst women’s hockey team has gained from the loss of a College Hockey America rival for the second straight year.
The Lakers have added senior forwards Jenna Hendrikx and Kelsey Welch and junior forward Kaleigh Chippy from Niagara, which folded its program in March in the wake of the athletic department’s restructuring plan. The trio ranked among the Purple Eagles’ top four scorers this past season with a combined 23 goals and 54 points. Last summer, the Lakers added graduating senior defenseman Jill Szandzik and rising senior forward Gina Buquet from Wayne State, which folded its program after the 2010-11 season.
The newest transfers headline Lakers coach Michael Sisti‘s 12-player recruiting class for the 2012-13 season. They are joined by nine freshmen – forwards Jaclyn Arbour, Hannah Bale, Jenna Dingeldein, Kathy Donohue, Emily Janiga, and Maggie Rothgery; defensemen Lauren Kilroy and J’nai Mahadeo; and goaltender Julia DiTondo.
DiTondo, a native of Kenmore, N.Y., who played for the Nichols School and the Buffalo Bisons’ Tier I program, will compete with senior Stephanie Ciampa and sophomore Amanda Makela for the chance to replace Hillary Pattenden, a four-year starter in goal.
Mahadeo, a native of Airdrie, Alberta, played for the prestigious Edge School in Calgary, Alberta. Kilroy joins the Lakers from the North American Hockey Academy in Stowe, Vt., by way of her hometown of Cypress, Calif.
Sisti recruited two forwards apiece from western New York – Donohue (Rochester) and Janiga (East Aurora) – and Ontario – Bale (Oakville) and Dingeldein (Toronto). Donohue joined Kilroy at the North American Hockey Academy, while Janiga played with DiTondo at Nichols.
Arbour, a native of South Seatauket, N.Y., played for the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid, N.Y. Her grandfather, Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour, led the NHL’s New York Islanders to four straight Stanley Cup championships from 1980-83.
Rothgery, a native of Elyria, Ohio, played for the Ohio Flames Under-19 team. The Lakers’ season begins Sept. 22 with an exhibition game against the Stoney Creek (Ontario) Sabres at Mercyhurst Ice Center.