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 are College Hockey America tournament champions again.
The Lakers exploded for four goals in the third period of a 4-1 title-game win against Syracuse in front of 1,127 fans Saturday at Mercyhurst Ice Center. But will the program’s 10th conference championship in the past 11 years serve as the last positive moment of the Lakers’ season?
Mercyhurst (28-6-1) learns its NCAA Division I Tournament fate today at 6 p.m. during a webcast on NCAA.com. Lakers coach Michael Sisti said “it would be a crime if we are left out. I think 100 percent we should be in the tournament, and we shouldn’t be the eighth seed either.”
The Lakers hope for one of five at-large spots into the eight-team field, since CHA won’t earn an automatic bid until the 2014-15 season. The other three spots belong to the champions of ECAC Hockey, Hockey East Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
“Anything can happen,” said senior goaltender Stephanie Ciampa, who earned tournament MVP honors after stopping 45-of-47 shots in the top-seeded Lakers’ two wins, including 19-of-20 against the second-seeded Orange (20-15-1). “I think we’re in good enough shape.”

- Victor Fernandes

CHA All-Tournament team
MVP: Stephanie Ciampa, Mercyhurst (45 saves on 47 shots)
Goaltender: Ciampa
Defense: Stephanie DeSutter, Mercyhurst (2 assists)
Defense: Brittney Krebs, Syracuse (2 assists)
Forward: Christine Bestland, Mercyhurst (2 goals, assist)
Forward: Lauren Jones, Mercyhurst (goal, 2 assists)
Forward: Sadie St. Germain, Syracuse (GWG in semifinal)

College Hockey America tournament schedule
Semifinals – Friday
at Mercyhurst Ice Center
No. 1 Mercyhurst 2, No. 4 Robert Morris 1
No. 2 Syracuse 2, No. 3 Rochester Institute of Technology 1 (OT)
Championship game – Saturday
at Mercyhurst Ice Center
Mercyhurst 4, Syracuse 1
Note: Champion doesn’t earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I tournament.

SUMMARY

Mercyhurst 4, Syracuse 1
Syracuse 0 1 0 — 1
Mercyhurst 0 0 4 — 4
1st Period — None. Penalties — Bestland (M) body checking, :12; Scharfe (S) tripping, 5:15; Janiga (M) interference, 11:14; Johnson (S) hooking, 12:36.
2nd Period — 1. Syracuse, Shiann Darkangelo 16 (Krebs), 19:59 (pp). Penalties — LaCombe (S) tripping, 2:00; Jones (M) hooking, 5:09; Hendrikx (M) cross checking, 6:57; Renault (S) interference, 10:27; DeSutter (M) hooking, 12:41; Piacentini (S) hooking, 13:01; Higson (M) indirect contact to the head – cross checking, 14:03; Hosoyamada (S) hooking, 15:10; Byrne (M) cross checking, 18:51.
3rd Period — 2. Mercyhurst, Molly Byrne 8 (Bestland, Dingeldein), 4:41. 3. Mercyhurst, Caroline Luczak 2 (Jones, Buquet), 6:33 (pp). 4. Mercyhurst, Christine Bestland 28 (Jones), 9:32 (sh). 5. Mercyhurst, Christie Cicero 13 (unassisted), 18:45 (en). Penalties — Piancentini (S) tripping, 4:41; Chippy (M) hooking, 8:16; Goodnough (S) hooking, 9:32; Welch (M) hooking, 11:44.
Shots on goal — Syracuse, 4-9-7—20; Mercyhurst, 10-7-14—31.
Goaltenders — Syracuse, Kallie Billadeau 16-9-0 (30 shots, 27 saves); Mercyhurst, Stephanie Ciampa 19-1-0 (20 shots, 19 saves).
Power plays — Syracuse (1-9), Mercyhurst (1-7).
Referees — Timothy Holtz, Brian Skursky. Linesmen — Jason Leisten, Dorsey Dick.
Attendance — 1,127.

Three stars
* Christine Bestland, Mercyhurst (SH goal, assist) ** Stephanie Ciampa, Mercyhurst (19 saves) *** Caroline Luczak, Mercyhurst (GW goal)

Joe Kimball, Mercyhurst University’s director of athletics, announced at a news conference Tuesday that men’s hockey Rick Gotkin and women’s coach Michael Sisti have signed four-year contracts that will keep them with their respective NCAA Division I programs through the 2015-16 season.
Gotkin also confirmed that his Lakers have been invited to play an outdoor game against Ohio State in December 2013 at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
“It’s an exciting day at Mercyhurst University, especially for our two hockey programs,” Kimball said.
Gotkin and Sisti still had one year left on three-year deals. Yet their new contracts, which replace those previous deals, allow them to maintain the continuity at the top of their programs that prospective student-athletes and their families search for during the recruiting process.
“When you look a kid in the eye and they ask if you’re going to be here, you’ve got the feeling you’re going to be here,” said Sisti, who heads into his 14th season as women’s coach after spending his first six years at Mercyhurst as Gotkin’s assistant. “But it’s nice to have it on paper, so you can look them in the eye back and say, ‘I’m definitely going to be here.’ It helps them feel good about the process.”
The first outdoor hockey game in school history also would serve as a great recruiting tool. Ohio State faced rival Michigan this past January in front of 25,864 fans at Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians baseball team, in the first outdoor college hockey game in Ohio.
“It’s a great reflection of our program from top to bottom,” Gotkin said. “I think people realize we have a big-time program.”
The game isn’t official yet, said Gotkin, who received the invitation from OSU officials this past weekend. The schools await confirmation from the Indians. Mercyhurst and OSU already are scheduled to play a two-game weekend series in Columbus Dec. 13-14, 2013. Gotkin said the Dec. 14 game would move to Progressive Field.

- Victor Fernandes

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.

PITTSBURGH – The Mercyhurst women’s hockey team had two long streaks end Saturday.

Could another long streak end today?

The Lakers’ nine-year stranglehold on the College Hockey America Tournament championship ended Saturday with a 3-2 title-game loss to host Robert Morris in front of 584 fans at Island Sports Center.

The top-seeded and sixth-ranked Lakers’ defeat also snapped their 11-year streak of conference titles that dated back to the 2000-01 season, when they played in the Great Lakes Women’s Hockey Association.

Now the Lakers’ hopes for an eighth straight NCAA Tournament berth rests in the hands of the Division I selection committee. The eight-team field is unveiled today at 6:30 p.m. at NCAA.com. But after Saturday’s game, the Lakers’ thoughts were on how they lost to the second-seeded Colonials (19-9-4).

Mercyhurst (23-7-3) outshot RMU 47-15 and totaled 118 overall shots. But Colonials goaltender Kristen DiCiocco made 45 saves while her teammates blocked 50 shots. Twenty-one shots missed the net.

“What are you going to do?” Lakers coach Michael Sisti said of his team’s statistical dominance.

RMU recorded seven of their 15 shots while building a 2-0 first-period lead. Katelyn Scott scored her first goal of the season 3 minutes, 41 seconds into the game. Then Thea Imbrogno scored at the 11:39 mark.

Mercyhurst sliced its deficit in half on Jess Jones’ power-play goal with 3:54 left in the second. But RMU regained a two-goal lead at 3-1 on Brianna Delaney’s goal with 28 seconds left in the period.

Bailey Bram scored 27^th goal of the season with six seconds left for the Lakers. But they weren’t able to score the equalizer to force overtime. Instead, the Colonials and coach Paul Colontino, a former student, player and coach at Mercyhurst, secured the first conference title in the program’s seven-year history.

Sophomore Christine Bestland and senior Pamela Zgoda were named to the all-tournament team.

The CHA champion doesn’t receive an automatic bid to the national playoffs, because NCAA rules require a minimum of six teams in a conference. CHA has four teams, including Niagara and Syracuse.

However, Sisti said he believes his Lakers “have clearly done enough” to earn a berth. He pointed to their 23 wins, CHA regular-season championship and two-game sweeps of St. Lawrence and Providence.

No. 10 St. Lawrence (24-9-4) won the ECAC Hockey title with a 3-1 win Saturday against No. 3 Cornell (29-4-0). Providence (16-16-4) faces Boston University today for the Hockey East Association title.

Mercyhurst also split two games at fourth-ranked Boston College (23-9-3) and lost two of three against Cornell. Sisti said Wisconsin (31-4-2), which lost in the semifinals of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs on Friday, and Cornell will earn berths despite not winning their conference titles.

Sisti figures Saturday’s loss cost his team a top-four national seed and home-ice advantage in next weekend’s NCAA quarterfinals. Yet he said, “I’d like to think we’re going to be playing next week. I think we deserve (a berth). What’s tough now is that it’s up to the committee.”

Lindenwood University has applied to join College Hockey America, a five-team NCAA Division I conference that includes Mercyhurst College, for the 2012-13 season, the league announced Wednesday.

“The directors have accepted the application of Lindenwood University for admission into the CHA,” commissioner Robert DeGregorio said in a prepared statement. “We will begin the process for admission, which will include a campus visit as soon as possible.”

Lindenwood, located in St. Charles, Mo., enters its first Division I women’s hockey season in 2011-12 as an independent after winning four ACHA club national championships in the past six years. The Lions open the season Sept. 23 at defending national champion Wisconsin. They face Mercyhurst four times this season – Oct. 28-29 at home and Dec. 14-15 at Mercyhurst Ice Center.

Lindenwood would be the sixth team in the CHA, which recently admitted Penn State for the 2012-13 season. The league also includes Niagara, Robert Morris and Syracuse. A six-team league would make the CHA eligible for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Mercyhurst coach Michael Sisti said. But a decision hasn’t been made on whether the league would earn that bid in 2012-13 or wait two years.

Delaney Collins, a member of Canada’s National Women’s Team since 1999, has been hired as the assistant coach for the Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team, as announced by Mercyhurst Director of Athletics Joe Kimball earlier today.

She will take over the spot vacated by Louis Goulet, who was promoted to associate head coach last month. The associate position was previously held by Paul Colontino, who is now the head coach at conference-rival Robert Morris. With the hiring at Mercyhurst, Collins is also taking this time to announce her retirement from Hockey Canada.

“I will always be thankful for the memories I have from my years with Team Canada, and for the friends I have made,” said Collins in a statement to Hockey Canada. “Thank you to my teammates, coaches, and everyone who has supported me over the years. I look forward to the next stage of my career, to be able to teach the game as a coach using the experience I have gained in a Team Canada jersey.”

“I am very excited about the prospect of coaching the Lakers and I look forward to sharing my experiences with Team Canada to grow and develop young hockey players,” continued Collins. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work in a hockey program of this magnitude and to express my passion for the game.”

A member of Canada’s National Women’s Team since 1999, Collins has played in five International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) championships, winning gold in 2000, 2004, and 2007; and silver in 2005 and 2008. She also appeared in six 3 Nations/4 Nations Cups from 2000-2007. In March of this year, she was invited to the Canadian National Women’s Team selection camp to determine the final roster for the 2011 IIHF Women’s World Championships. All told, Collins played 95 games in a Team Canada jersey and sits among the top ten in scoring by a defenseman, recording 39 points (eight goals, 31 assists).

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome Delaney into our program,” said Mercyhurst head coach Michael Sisti, who has won 313 games since starting the program in 1999. “She comes from a great hockey family and has been an elite athlete playing at the highest levels of women’s hockey for over a decade. Her pride and competitiveness fits perfect with the standards of our program.”

“It was awesome to see her excitement to take on the challenges of this position,” Sisti continued. “Our program was built by our past and present player’s passion, commitment, pride, and the constant pursuit of excellence. Delaney has all these intangibles and tons of experience playing and training with some of the best players in the world.”

A native of Pilot Mound, Manitoba, Collins was a member of the Calgary Oval X-Treme in the Western Women’s Hockey League (WWHL) from 2005-2009, having led the team to the WWHL Championship in 2007. She averaged nearly a point-per-game for Calgary, scoring 48 points (10 goals, 38 assists) as a defenseman in 52 games. She also added five points in six career playoff games, scoring a goal and two assists in Calgary’s 2007 Championship season.

Prior to that, Collins played two seasons (2003-2005) at the University of Alberta, leading the Pandas to the 2004 CIS Championship. She was named an All-Canada West and CIS First-Team All-Canadian both seasons. Additionally, she was a member of the 2005 CIS National Championship All-Star Team. During her tenure, the Pandas went 63-1-0, and a perfect 40-0-0 in conference play. Collins made an immediate impact in her first season, scoring 36 points in 13 games. After winning the title on March 14, 2004, Collins scored three goals in the World Championship for Team Canada, leading them to gold with a 2-0 win over Team USA.

Collins also won gold medals at the 2001, 2003, and 2007 Esso Women’s National Championships as a member of Team Alberta. She also won bronze in 2000. In 1998, Collins played for Concordia University, winning the CIAU Championship and she was named to the CIAU All-Canadian Team. Also in 1998, she was a member of Canada’s gold-medal winning National Women’s Under-22 Team at the Christmas Cup. Collins started her career, playing in the Western Shield as a member of the Notre Dame Hounds.

In 2007, Collins was named the Manitoba Female Athlete of the Year.

“It is an honor for me to be named the assistant coach with the Mercyhurst College women’s hockey program,” added Collins. “They have a winning tradition and I am looking forward to working with coach Sisti and the entire team.”

“Delaney has dedicated the last 12 years of her life to Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, and we are sad to see her step away from the international game,” said Kalli Quinn in a release from Hockey Canada. Quinn serves as the director of female national teams for Hockey Canada. “We wish her the best of luck with the next step in her career and look forward to working with her in the future to continue to grow the women’s game.”

- From Mercyhurst College news release

The Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team and head coach Michael Sisti have released the details of the schedule for the upcoming 2011-12 season.

The Lakers will play 31 regular season games and will have four exhibition dates, beginning nearly one month from today – September 17 against Wilfrid Laurier at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Highlights of the schedule include three games (two at home) against back-to-back Frozen Four participant Cornell University, and a pair of games at national semifinalist from a year ago, Boston College.

The Lakers are coming off a 29-6 season, in which they won their 10^th consecutive conference championship, and advanced to the NCAA Division I tournament for the seventh consecutive season. The Lakers saw their season come to a close when they were defeated in the round of eight at Boston University.

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Former University of New Hampshire All-American and Patty Kazmaier finalist, Kelly Paton, has been hired as the volunteer assistant coach for the upcoming 2011-12 Mercyhurst College women’s hockey campaign, as announced today by Mercyhurst Director of Athletics Joe Kimball.

Paton will handle a number of duties both on and off the ice for the Laker coaching staff.

“We are excited to add Kelly to our staff.  Kelly has great enthusiasm to join our program and will be able to work well with our players,” said head coach Michael Sisti. “She had a tremendous playing career and a great knowledge of the game.  We are looking forward to the upcoming season and providing our players with the building blocks needed to achieve success in all areas of their lives.”

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