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

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

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 claimed all three of College Hockey America’s weekly awards Monday. Sophomore defenseman Vaila Higson was named player of the week for totaling four points in a sweep of Rochester Institute of Technology this past weekend. Senior Stephanie Ciampa was named goaltender of the week for stopping a combined 38-of-41 shots in the two wins. Forward Jenna Dingeldein was named rookie of the week after contributing a goal and four points against RIT.
In other news, Mercyhurst (26-6-1) remained ninth in the latest USCHO.com Division I poll, which was released Monday. The Lakers earned 38 voting points. Minnesota (34-0-0) stayed No. 1 while Cornell (23-5-1) slipped past Boston College (25-5-3) for the second spot.
Boston University (23-5-3) and Clarkson (26-8-0) completed the top five. The final five were Wisconsin (21-9-2), Harvard (20-5-3), North Dakota (23-10-1), Mercyhurst and Northeastern (21-10-2).

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.

The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team was special on special teams Friday night.
The ninth-ranked Lakers scored four power-play goals on five chances, and were a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, on their way to a 6-3 win against Providence at Mercyhurst Ice Center. Molly Byrne scored both of her goals with the man advantage and added an assist for a three-point outing.
Christie Cicero scored twice for the Lakers (4-0-1). Jenna Hendrikx, Jenna Dingeldein and Christine Bestland had two assists apiece.
The two teams meet again Saturday at 2 p.m. at MIC.

SUMMARY

Mercyhurst 6, Providence 3
Providence 0 2 1 — 3
Mercyhurst 0 3 3 — 6
1st Period — None. Penalties — Chippy (M) body checking, 3:02; Hanrahan (P) holding, 15:18.
2nd Period — 1. Mercyhurst, Molly Byrne 2 (Dingeldein, Bestland), 2:01 (pp). 2. Mercyhurst, Vaila Higson 1 (Luczak, Dingeldein), 2:44 (pp). 3. Providence, Molly Illikainen 2 (Anderson), 16:33. 4. Mercyhurst, Byrne 3 (Bestland, Hendrikx), 19:00 (pp). 5. Providence, Rebecca Morse 1 (Romanchuk), 19:25. Penalties — Anderson (P) interference, :53; Vella (P) interference, 1:17; DeSutter (M) holding, 7:04; DeSutter (M) interference, 10:44; Cohen (P) holding, 17:15; Byrne (M) slashing, 19:44.
3rd Period — 6. Mercyhurst, Emily Janiga 6 (Hendrikx, Byrne), 4:19 (pp). 7. Providence, Allison Micheletti 1 (Groth, Vella), 14:08. 8. Mercyhurst, Christie Cicero 2 (Buquet), 17:02. 9. Mercyhurst, Cicero 3 (Bram), 19:48 (en). Penalties — Morse (P) tripping, 3:36; Dingeldein (M) roughing, 5:02; Cicero (M) cross checking, 14:17.
Shots on goal — Providence, 8-11-8—27; Mercyhurst, 9-14-16—39.
Goaltenders — Providence, Sarah Bryant 1-1-0 (38 shots, 33 saves); Mercyhurst, Amanda Makela 2-0-1 (27 shots, 24 saves).
Power plays — Providence (0-5), Mercyhurst (4-5).
Attendance — 750.

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.