Mercyhurst University senior goaltender Stephanie Ciampa has been named College Hockey America goaltender of the month for November, the league announced today. She had a 3-0-0 record, in which she stopped 56-of-57 shots for a 0.33 goals-against average and .982 save percentage as well as posted two shutouts. She has a 9-0-0 record this season with saves on 151-of-160 shots. Her .948 save percentage ranks fourth in NCAA Division I.

Mercyhurst (0-2-1, 0-1-0 AHA) at Sacred Heart (0-4-1, 0-2-1)
When: Today, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Today at Northford Ice Pavilion – Northford, Conn.; Saturday at Webster Bank Arena – Bridgeport, Conn.
On the air: www.americaonesports.com (live stream), www.sacredheartpioneers.com (live statistics)
What to expect: Officials at Sacred Heart moved tonight’s game from Milford Ice Pavilion, located in Connecticut’s coastal town of Milford, reportedly because the effects of Hurricane Sandy knocked out power at the rink. Northford is 20 miles northeast of Milford. Saturday’s game remains in the coastal city of Bridgeport at Webster Bank Arena, home of the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. … Mercyhurst returns to Atlantic Hockey Association play after taking last weekend off. The Lakers haven’t played since losing 7-3 and tying 3-3 at nationally ranked Ferris State two weeks ago. … They continue a season-opening stretch of 11 straight road games. Six of the last eight games are against conference teams. … They swept both games from the Pioneers, 9-1 and 3-1, at Mercyhurst Ice Center a season ago. … The Lakers opened AHA play with a 2-1 loss at Niagara Oct. 13. … Sacred Heart lost 7-1 at Bentley Oct. 16 before losing once and tying once against Army two weeks ago. … The Pioneers lost 6-3 last Saturday against NCAA Division I newcomer Penn State, which features former Lakers Taylor Holstrom and Nate Jensen.

- 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.

Former Mercyhurst University goaltender Hillary Pattenden was the No. 1 overall pick and one of three former Lakers selected in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League draft Tuesday.
Girard native and forward Jen Schoullis was Boston’s fourth-round selection.
Pattenden went first to Team Alberta, the first goalie ever to go No. 1 and the second straight season a Mercyhurst player has been selected in the top spot. Montreal drafted NCAA career scoring leader Meghan Agosta first in 2011.
Forward Bailey Bram was selected by Brampton in the second round and forward Kelley Steadman went to Boston in the fourth round
Pattenden, 21, is the first NCAA goaltender to earn 100 career victories. She is a native of Surrey, British Columbia.
Schoullis, 23, completed her playing career with Minnesota this past spring, winning the NCAA championship. She was among Division I’s scoring leaders and played prominent minutes for Team USA in international tournaments.
Bram, 21, played for Canada at the Women’s World Championship this year. She scored 201 career points for Mercyhurst including 68 as a senior.
Steadman, 22, led Mercyhurst with 33 goals as a senior. She played for the United States in the 2011 world championship.
The season is scheduled to start in October. Montreal is the defending Clarkson Cup champion.

- From staff reports

The Mercyhurst University men’s hockey team has faced daunting schedules in the past. The 2012-13 season won’t be any different.
The Lakers, which finished 20-16-4 and reached the Atlantic Hockey Association Tournament’s final four in 2011-12, opens the season Oct. 6 with an exhibition game at Mercyhurst Ice Center against Wilfrid Laurier, from Waterloo, Ontario. Then they begin the regular season Oct. 13 at AHA rival Niagara – the first of 11 straight road games. They head to Ferris State, NCAA Division I’s runner-up a season ago, for games Oct. 19-20, followed by trips to Sacred Heart (Nov. 2-3), Rochester Institute of Technology (Nov. 9), Bentley (Nov. 23-24) and Air Force (Nov. 30) for AHA games as well as to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Nov. 16-17 for a non-conference series.
Mercyhurst finally plays its first regular-season home games Dec. 7-8 against AHA foe American International before heading to Clarkson for a game Dec. 15. The Lakers also play at Maine Jan. 4-5. They play seven of their 14 home games in February. The regular season ends March 1-2 with a home-and-home conference series against Robert Morris. The AHA Tournament begins March 8.

Mercyhurst men’s 2012-13 schedule
(all times p.m.)
Date Opp. Time
October
6 vs. Wilfrid Laurier# 7:05
13 at Niagara* 7:05
19 at Ferris State 7:05
20 at Ferris State 7:05
November
2 at Sacred Heart* 7:05
3 at Sacred Heart* 7:05
9 at RIT* 7:05
16 at RPI 7
17 at RPI 7
23 at Bentley* 7:05
24 at Bentley* 7:05
30 at Air Force* 9:05
December
7 vs. AIC* 7:05
8 vs. AIC* 7:05
15 at Clarkson 7
18 vs. Canisius* 7:05
January
4 at Maine^ 7:07
5 at Maine 7:07
11 vs. Holy Cross* 7:05
12 vs. Holy Cross* 7:05
18 at Connecticut* 7:05
19 at Connecticut* 7:05
25 vs. Canisius* 7:05
26 at Canisius* 7:05
February
1 vs. Army* 7:05
2 vs. Army* 7:05
5 at Robert Morris* 7:05
8 vs. Air Force* 7:05
9 vs. Air Force* 7:05
15 vs. RIT* 7:05
16 vs. RIT* 7:05
22 at Niagara* 7:05
23 vs. Niagara* 7:05
March
1 at Robert Morris* 7:05
2 vs. Robert Morris* 7:05
8-10 AHA Tournament first round TBA@
15-17 AHA Tournament quarterfinals TBA@
22 AHA Tournament semfinals TBA&
23 AHA Tournament final TBA&
# Exhibition game
* Atlantic Hockey Association game
^ at Portland, Maine
@ at higher-seeded team
& at Blue Cross Arena – Rochester, N.Y.

The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team won’t wait long to play College Hockey America’s newest teams in the 2012-13 season.
The Lakers, which finished 23-8-3 and ranked eighth nationally in 2011-12, opens the regular season at NCAA Division I newcomer Rochester Institute of Technology Sept. 28-29. The Lakers face Penn State, another first-year D-I program, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at Mercyhurst Ice Center. They travel to St. Charles, Mo., to play Lindenwood, a second-year D-I team, Nov. 2-3. Mercyhurst won all four meetings with the Lions last season by a combined 30-3 score. Mercyhurst begins the season with four straight road games, including a doubleheader at Quinnipiac Oct. 5-6, after playing an exhibition game against Stoney Creek (Ontario) Sept. 22 at MIC.
The Lakers end October with a five-game homestand against Providence Oct. 12-13, Clarkson Oct. 19-20 and Minnesota State-Mankato Oct. 26-27. Two games against Boston College Jan. 18-19 at MIC headlines a season-high, six-game homestand. The Eagles reached the NCAA Frozen Four the past two seasons. The regular season ends at home Feb. 23 against RIT. The CHA Tournament begins March 1 with a new best-of-three series format in the first round. The highest-seeded teams will host those series, as well as the semifinals and final March 8-9.

Mercyhurst women’s 2012-13 schedule
(all times p.m.)
Date Opp. Time
September
22 vs. Stoney Creek# 5
28 at RIT* 7
29 at RIT* 2
October
5 at Quinnipiac 7
6 at Quinnipiac 1
12 vs. Providence 7
13 vs. Providence 2
19 vs. Clarkson 7
20 vs. Clarkson 3
26 vs. Minnesota-Mankato 7
27 vs. Minnesota-Mankato 1
November
2 at Lindenwood* 7
3 at Lindenwood* 1
16 at Yale 7
17 at Yale TBA
30 vs. Penn State* 7
December
1 vs. Penn State* 2
7 at Robert Morris* 7
8 at Robert Morris* 3
January
4 vs. Durham# 7
11 vs. Syracuse* TBA
12 vs. Syracuse* 2
18 vs. Boston College 7
19 vs. Boston College 2
25 vs. Lindenwood* TBA
26 vs. Lindenwood* TBA
29 at Cornell 7
February
1 at Penn State* 2
2 at Penn State* 2
8 vs. Robert Morris* TBA
9 vs. Robert Morris* 2
15 at Syracuse* 7
16 at Syracuse* 2
22 vs. RIT* 3
23 vs. RIT* 2
March
1-3 CHA Tournament first round TBA
8 CHA Tournament semifinals TBA
9 CHA Tournament final TBA
# Exhibition game
* College Hockey America game

Check out this College Hockey News story on college hockey possibly moving closer to trading full shields for half-visors.

Millcreek Township native Bryan Sienerth has chosen to attend the USHL Combine over the Erie Otters’ orientation camp this weekend, his father, Rick, confirmed Friday.
“We felt that he needed the exposure to keep all of his hockey options open,” Rick Sienerth said in a text message, referring to USHL Futures Draft, the draft for 1996-born players, which will be held Tuesday. “He is only 16, so NCAA eligibility is still very important. And since the USHL is the Tier I league (in the United States), that keeps (eligibility) intact. We opted to keep that door open.”
Sienerth, a Cathedral Prep sophomore who played for the Pittsburgh Hornets’ U16 team this past season, has received interest from Division I programs at Harvard, Merrimack and Notre Dame.
He could be selected in the draft, Rick Sienerth said. He has been contacted by several USHL clubs. The Otters chose him in the 13th round of the OHL Priority Selection April 7.
He plans to attend the Otters’ main camp in August, Rick Sienerth said.

Erie Otters center Dane Fox stands 46th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, which was released Monday. Five teammates join him on the list, including first-tim selection Luke Cairns. The veteran center is considered No. 189 among North American skaters after not appearing on Central Scouting’s preliminary and midterm lists.
Right wing Connor Brown (No. 110 from No. 85 in the midterm rankings) as well as defensemen Adam Pelech (No. 120 from No. 54), Troy Donnay (No. 122 from No. 115) and Liam Maaskant(No. 195 from No. 134) slipped down the list.
Former Otters winger Chris Marchese, now with Windsor, stands at No. 122. Center Drake Caggiula, the Otters’ third-round pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Selection, appears at No. 185. Caggiula, who played for Stouffville in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League this season, has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at North Dakota.
Sarnia’s duo of right wing Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk rank first and fourth, respectively, followed by Ottawa defenseman Cody Ceci (sixth), Kitchener center Radek Faksa (seventh) and London defenseman Olli Maatta (eighth). Belleville’s Malcolm Subban (first), Saginaw’s Jake Paterson (third) and Kitchener’s Frank Palazzese (ninth) rank among the top 10 North American goaltenders.
The NHL draft takes place June 22-23 at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Check out the the complete rankings by clicking on the link.