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.

Hillary Pattenden had a perfect start to her season Friday night.

Mercyhurst College’s senior goaltender stopped 20 shots on the way to her 10^th career shutout in the Lakers’ season-opening 4-0 win against Quinnipiac at Mercyhurst Ice Center.

Bailey Bram’s short-handed goal 9 minutes, 44 seconds into the game was the only offensive support Pattenden needed in the battle of nationally ranked teams.

Kelley Steadman and Christine Bestland had a goal and assist apiece for the eighth-ranked Lakers (1-0-0). Lauren Jones added a goal while freshman Caroline Luczak and Wayne State transfer Gina Buquet recorded their first points with the Lakers.

Victoria Vigilanti made 30 saves for the No. 9 Bobcats (0-1-0). The teams meet today at 4 p.m. at MIC.

What: Wayne State (8-15-1, 1-8-1 CHA) at No. 5 Mercyhurst College (20-5-0, 9-0-0)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.

Where: Mercyhurst Ice Center

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

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Sr. F Meghan Agosta (27 goals, 38 assists, 65 points), Jr. G Hillary Pattenden (18-5-0 record, 2.33 goals-against average, .898 save percentage, 3 shutouts), Sr. F Vicki Bendus (16-27-43), Sr. F Jesse Scanzano (16-26-42), Jr. F Bailey Bram (11-23-34)

Wayne State – Jr. G Delayne Brian (8-15-1, 2.55, .925, 4 SO), So. F Julie Ingratta (9-9-18), Jr. D Jill Szandzik (3-14-17), Jr. F Alyssa Baldin (10-6-16), So. F Gina Buquet (5-7-12)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – Agosta, the nation’s leading scorer and second-leading goal scorer, needs five goals to surpass Nicole Corriero’s NCAA career record of 150 goals set at Harvard from 2002-05. Agosta needs four points to break three-time Olympic medalist Julie Chu’s national record of 250 set at Harvard (2002-05, 2006-07). Agosta needs one power-play goal to reach 50 and break a tie with New Hampshire’s Jennifer Hitchcock (49 from 2005-08). … The Lakers play two of their final three home games in the regular season. … They swept the Warriors 2-0 and 5-2 in Detroit Nov. 19-20 to improve their record in the all-time series to 44-2-3, including 12 straight wins. … They have won four straight by a combined 18-4 score since a 3-0 home loss to No. 2 Cornell Jan. 18. … Pattenden has allowed one goal in the past three games and has a shutout streak of 142 minutes, 34 seconds. She has five shutouts this season. … She needs two wins to break Laura Hosier’s program record of 74 career victories set from 2004-08. … Freshman F Christine Bestland (18-20-38) ranks fourth nationally in rookie scoring. … Agosta (player), Pattenden (goaltender) and Bestland (rookie) earned College Hockey America honors for January. … Junior F Jess Jones (9-11-20) recorded her 100^th career points – the 12^th player in program history to reach that mark – last weekend at Niagara.

Wayne State – The Warriors, who are tied for last in the conference, are winless in nine of their last 10 games (1-8-1). … They have scored three goals or more in six of their eight wins. They have scored two goals or fewer in 14 of their 15 losses and the one tie, including five shutout defeats. … The Warriors play on the road for the first time since in the New Year. They played six straight home games. … Coach Jim Fetter, Lakers coach Michael Sisti’s former assistant, has a 117-117-23 record at Wayne State.

Up next: at Syracuse (Feb. 11, 7 p.m.; Feb. 12, 2 p.m.)

– Victor Fernandes

What: No. 4 Mercyhurst College (7-2-0, 1-0-0 CHA) at Wayne State (5-5-0, 1-1-0)

When: Today, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.

Where: City Sports Arena – Detroit

On the air: www.wsuathletics.com (Internet radio)

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Jr. G Hillary Pattenden (7-2-0 record, 2.18 goals-against average, .903 save percentage, 1 shutout), Sr. F Meghan Agosta (10 goals, 9 assists, 19 points), Sr. F Vicki Bendus (6-12-18), Sr. F Jesse Scanzano (3-9-12), Fr. F Christine Bestland (4-8-12)

Wayne State – So. F Julie Ingratta (6-5-11), Jr. F Alyssa Baldin (7-2-9), Jr. D Jill Szandzik (1-8-9), Jr. F Lauren Ragen (4-2-6), Jr. G Delayne Brian (2-6-1, 2.34, .935)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers return to College Hockey America action after a two-week layoff since losing to CHA rival Niagara in a non-conference game Nov. 6. … The Lakers’ two losses occurred in the final game before a two-week break. Two weeks after an Oct. 16 loss at Bemidji State, they beat Robert Morris 7-3 at home. … Junior F Bailey Bram (7-9-16) has been hospitalized the past few days with an undetermined ailment, coach Michael Sisti said. She will miss tonight’s game, as will sophomore D Samantha Watt (concussion). … Freshman F Christie Cicero (leg) has been practicing, but Sisti is unsure if she will play. … Agosta and Bendus, who rank among NCAA Division I’s top scorers, rejoin the lineup after winning gold with their native Canada at the Four Nations Cup in St. John’s, Newfoundland, last weekend. They missed the loss to Niagara. … The Lakers have won 10 straight against the Warriors and 42-of-47 in the all-time series (42-2-3). … Sisti (289-80-26 career record) needs 11 wins to become the sixth NCAA women’s coach to reach 300.

Wayne State – The Warriors begin a four-game home stand after playing the last eight games on the road. … They have won three of their last four. … They split a season-opening, two-game series with Bemidji State, a team that split with the Lakers in October, and shut out St. Cloud State, which lost to the Lakers. Wayne State also battled then-No. 4 Minnesota in a 1-0 road loss … The doubleheader benefits CHA’s Skate for the Cure event, which benefits the America Cancer Society. … Coach Jim Fetter was Sisti’s assistant from 2000-03.

Up next: vs. Colgate at Tullio Arena (Nov. 27, 2 p.m.)

ORONO, Maine – Senior captain Meghan Agosta scored three goals as the third-ranked Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team defeated Maine, 5-2, in a non-conference tilt Saturday afternoon in Orono, Maine.
With the win, the Lakers improve to 3-0 on the season and extend their road unbeaten streak to 35 games dating back to a 3-2 OT loss to Wayne State Feb. 23, 2008 in Detroit, Mich.
Agosta led the offense for the third straight game, scoring three times to mark her first hat trick of the season and 12th of her career.
Senior assistant captain Vicki Bendus and junior Kelley Steadman each scored once as the offense found the back of the net five times on 74 shots. Overall, the Lakers outshot the Black Bears 74-22.
Mercyhurst pounced on the Black Bears early on, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Steadman and Agosta at 2:11 and 12:58.
Maine cut the deficit in half with its first of two goals by Jennie Gallo at the 6:36 mark of the second period. However, after the ensuing faceoff, the Lakers restored their two-goal advantage as Agosta tickled the twine less than a minute later at 7:33, taking a 3-1 score into the third period.
Both teams closed out the game with three goals in the third. Mercyhurst pushed its advantage to 5-1 with back-to-back goals. Agosta completed her hat trick with just 26 seconds elapsed off the clock, while Bendus scored the team’s fifth goal at 9:22. Maine’s Gallo netted her second of the game with just under six minutes to play.
Junior Hillary Pattenden recorded the win in goal with 20 saves over a span of 60 minutes. Brittany Ott, on the other hand, shined with 69 stops despite allowing five goals, one of which came on the power play. Mercyurst finished the game 1-for-13 with the extra man, while Maine ended at 2-for-9.
Both teams close out the series on Sunday, Oct. 10, with a 1 p.m. contest at Alfond Arena.

- From Mercyhurst news release

(in order of predicted finish)

Mercyhurst Lakers

2009-10 record: 30-3-3, 14-1-1 CHA

Coach: Michael Sisti, 12^th season (281-78-26)

Players to watch: Sr. F Meghan Agosta (41-37-78 in 2008-09), Jr. G Hillary Pattenden (29-3-3 record, 1.60 goals-against average, .921 save percentage, 3 shutouts in 2009-10), Sr. F Vicki Bendus (28-37-65), Sr. F Jesse Scanzano (20-45-65), Jr. F Bailey Bram (29-27-56)

Outlook: Agosta, who took last season off to prepare for her native Canada’s run to Olympic gold in Vancouver, rejoins a team that returns 18-0f-20 players. A ninth straight conference title is a certainty. With the NCAA Division I Women’s Frozen Four set for Tullio Arena in March, the program’s first national title is within reach, too.

Syracuse Orange

2009-10 record: 18-17-1, 8-8-0 CHA

Coach: Paul Flanagan, 3rd season (27-33-4)

Players to watch: So. F Isabel Menard (15-22-37), Sr. F Stefanie Marty (16-15-31), So. F Holly Carrie-Mattimoe (9-18-27), Sr. D Ashley Cockell (21-22-43 with Mercyhurst), Sr. F Julie Rising (16-15-31)

Outlook: The third-year Orange return 14 players from a team that posted the first winning record in program history and reached the conference championship game. They also added Cockell, a Mercyhurst transfer who finished fifth on the Lakers in scoring last season.

Wayne State Warriors

2009-10 record: 9-18-4, 5-10-1 CHA

Coach: Jim Fetter, 7th season (109-102-22)

Players to watch: Jr. F Alyssa Baldin (9-11-20), So. F Julie Ingratta (6-9-15), F Gina Buquet (6-8-14), Jr. D Jill Szandzik (3-9-12), G Delayne Brian (5-10-3, 2.52, .912)

Outlook: Fetter, a Mercyhurst assistant under Sisti from 2000-03, leads a team with 17 returnees into what should be a rebound season for the Warriors.

Niagara Purple Eagles

2009-10 record: 12-14-5, 7-6-3 CHA

Coach: Chris MacKenzie, 1st season (0-0)

Players to watch: Sr. G Jenni Bauer (12-14-5, 2.25, .915), So. Jenna Hendrikx (14-10-24), So. F Kathleen Bortuzzo (3-8-11), Jr. F Caitlin Jenkins (5-5-10)

Outlook: MacKenzie, a former standout on the men’s team who graduated in 2000, is the second coach in program history. He spent the past eight seasons as an assistant at UMass-Lowell.

Robert Morris Colonials

2009-10 record: 11-24-1, 3-12-1 CHA

Coach: Nate Handrahan, 5th season (46-88-7)

Players to watch: Jr. F Brianna Delaney (14-17-31), Sr. F Sara O’Malley (18-12-30), Sr. F Maria Stoa (3-15-18), So. F Jennifer Kindret (9-8-17), Sr. G Daneca Butterfield (9-17-1, 3.02, .901, 2 SO)

Outlook: The Colonials have a veteran team back this season, led by Delaney and Butterfield. But they have much ground to make up in the conference.

- Victor Fernandes

HAVERHILL, Mass. - The College Hockey America coaches have voted who they believe will take the regular0season crown for the 2010-11 season.  Last year’s tournament champion and NCAA Frozen Four Semifinalist, Mercyhurst, which collected 16 points and four first-place votes, is this season’s top choice, as selected by the coaches.

The Lakers prevailed over Syracuse in the CHA Tournament, 3-1, to garner their tenth straight conference crown. Mercyhurst defeated Boston University in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament, before falling to Cornell in the national semifinals, 3- 2 in overtime, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Syracuse, last year’s tournament runner-up has been chosen second by the coaches.  The Orange earned the last first-place vote and totaled 13 points.  Following Syracuse is Niagara, which collected 10 points, followed by Robert Morris (7 points) and Wayne State (4 points).

Exhibition contests kick off the start of the CHA season on Saturday as Wilfrid Laurier travels to Erie to face Mercyhurst at 2 p.m, while Wayne State makes the trek to Toronto to face York at 7 p.m.  The regular season will start the following weekend with all five institutions in action in non-conference matches.  Mercyhurst will host St. Cloud State, while Niagara will take on Quinnipiac.

Robert Morris faces Providence, as Wayne State will drop the puck against Bemidji State.  All four of those series will be a two-game series.  Syracuse will play a single game on Oct. 1, as the Orange will host Northeastern.

The 2011 Tournament will take place in Syracuse, N.Y. at Tennity Rink with the first round taking place on March 4.  The semifinals will be the next night on March 5, with the championship game o March 6.

- From CHA news release

2010-11 College Hockey America Preseason Coach’s Poll

(First Place votes)

1.                        Mercyhurst (4)                        16

2.                        Syracuse (1)                        13

3.                        Niagara                        10

4.                        Robert Morris                        7

5.                        Wayne State                        4

Vicki Bendus (Contributed/Mercyhurst College)

The Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team will play 32 games during the 2010-11 season, including a home-and-home series against 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Frozen Four opponent Cornell and a regular-season contest against perennial power Wisconsin.

“As always, we have a very tough road ahead of us,” said head coach Michael Sisti, who released the details of the schedule Monday evening. “Playing a schedule like this helps us compete against the teams in our league and prepares us for a deep run in the playoffs.”

Twelve opponents representing all four women’s hockey conferences will face the Lakers this season. Four teams hail from ECAC Hockey, three from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and one from the Hockey East Association (HEA), in addition to the four teams that are scheduled from the Lakers’ conference, College Hockey America (CHA). Altogether, the Lakers own a combined 164-33-12 record against opponents on their schedule.

The schedule will be one of the toughest the team has ever faced, with 18-0f-32 games taking place on the road, including six against teams that were ranked in the top 10 last season. Fourteen games and one exhibition are set for the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

Mercyhurst opens the year with its first three games at home, beginning with an exhibition contest against Canadian university Wilfred Laurier on Sept. 25. The season officially opens with a two-game series against St. Cloud State on Oct. 1-2.

The Lakers then play eight of their next nine games on the road, starting with back-to-back weekend series at Maine (Oct. 8-9) and Bemidji State (Oct. 15-16). After a home game against Robert Morris (Oct. 29), the Lakers travel to Cornell (Nov. 2) and Niagara (Nov. 6) before opening CHA play at Wayne State (Nov. 20-21).

Returning from Detroit, Mercyhurst welcomes Colgate (Nov. 27) and Niagara (Dec. 3-4) to Erie for its first home games in almost a month. A pair of road contests at St. Lawrence await to close out the first half of the season on Dec. 10-11.

After the winter break, Mercyhurst stays on the road for its first two games of the new year, taking part in the 2011 Easton Holiday Showcase in St. Cloud, Minn. The Lakers face host St. Cloud State on Jan. 1 and Wisconsin on Jan. 2, their first meeting with the Badgers since the 2009 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four title game.

Home series against Syracuse (Jan. 7-8) and Brown (Jan. 14-15) and a game against Cornell (Jan. 18) welcome the Lakers back home and prepare them for their fourth four-game road trip of the season to close out the month of January.

Mercyhurst wraps up the final month of the regular season with a visit from Wayne State (Feb. 4-5) and a trip to Syracuse (Feb. 11-12) before hosting Robert Morris on Feb. 25.

The 2011 CHA Championship Tournament will be hosted by Syracuse on Mar. 3-5 at the Tennity Ice Pavilion in Syracuse, N.Y. Mercyhurst will host the 2011 Women’s Frozen Four on March 18-20 at Tullio Arena.

- From Mercyhurst College news release, staff reports

Teams at a glance

No. 1 Mercyhurst (27-2-3, 14-1-1 CHA)

Players to watch: G Hillary Pattenden (26-2-3 record, 1.62 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, 5 shutouts), F Vicki Bendus (26 goals, 34 assists, 60 points), F Jesse Scanzano (19-37-56), F Bailey Bram (25-24-49), F Jess Jones (19-25-44)

Fast facts: The Lakers have won all seven championships since the CHA began in 2002. … They won their final seven wins by a combined 36-6 score since their lone CHA loss (2-1 to Niagara Jan. 30). … Scanzano and Bendus finished first and second in NCAA Division I with 1.93 and 1.88 points per game, respectively. Bram was tied for third (1.69). … Scanzano led the nation in assists (1.28 per game). … All three led the nation’s top-ranked offense (4.75 goals per game). … They also led a penalty kill that set a NCAA record with 20 short-handed goals. … The Lakers had the CHA’s top seven scorers.

No. 2 Niagara (12-13-5, 7-6-3 CHA)

Players to watch: F Jenna Hendrikx (13-9-22), G Jenni Bauer (11-12-5, 2.16, .919), F Jennifer MacLean (9-11-20), F Frances McPhail (5-9-14),

Fast facts: The Purple Eagles were the only CHA team to beat Mercyhurst this season. … Hendrikx was one of the conference’s top freshmen. … The Purple Eagles tied their best-ever finish in the conference (second) and posted their highest win total since 2004-05. … They last reached the title game in 2006.
No. 3 Syracuse (17-16-1, 8-8-0 CHA)

Players to watch: F Isabel Menard (14-20-34), F Julie Rising (16-15-31), F Stefanie Marty (14-15-29), G Lucy Schoedel (17-16-1, 2.40, .916), F Holly Carrie-Mattimoe (9-16-25)

Fast facts: The second-year Orange look for their first tournament win. … Schoedel played in all but 29 minutes, 15 seconds this season. … Marty returned after leading her native Switzerland to fifth place in the Vancouver Olympics. … Menard, Rising and Marty finished among the CHA’s top 10 in scoring.

No. 4 Wayne State (9-17-4-, 5-10-1 CHA)

Players to watch: G Delayne Brian (5-9-3, 2.39, .915, 3 SO), F Alyssa Baldin (8-11-19), F Katrina Protopapas (13-3-16), F Julie Ingratta (6-9-15)

Fast facts: The Warriors lost to Mercyhurst in the last three title games. … Coach Jim Fetter was Michael Sisti’s assistant from 2000-03. … The Warriors snapped a nine-game winless streak (0-8-1) with a season-ending 4-1 win at Robert Morris on Saturday.

No. 5 Robert Morris (10-23-1, 3-12-1 CHA)

Players to watch: F Sara O’Malley (18-12-30), F Brianna Delaney (13-16-29), F Maria Stoa (3-14-17), G Daneca Butterfield (8-16-1, 2.99, .903)

Fast facts: The Colonials recorded all three of their conference wins in the past two weeks. … They finished last in the conference with 23 goals scored and 53 goals against. … O’Malley and Delaney rank among the CHA’s top scorers. … O’Malley tied the school single-season record in goals.

- Victor Fernandes

CHA Tournament schedule

at City Sports Center Arena, Detroit

Quarterfinal – Thursday

No. 4 Wayne State vs. No. 5 Robert Morris, 3 p.m.

Semifinals – Friday

No. 1 Mercyhurst vs. WSU-RMU winner, 4 p.m.

No. 2 Niagara vs. No. 3 Syracuse, 7 p.m.

Championship game – Saturday

Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.