Number-one ranked Mercyhurst College scored four of the last five goals of the game, and excelled on the specialty teams to hand the #4-ranked Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team a 6-3 loss before 1,211 fans at Mercyhurst Ice Arena in Erie, PA on Friday night.

At 15-5-2 overall, Clarkson, which saw a four-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) come to an end, suffered its first loss since November 28. The Lakers (17-1-2), who ran their current unbeaten streak to 12 games (10-0-2), will host the Golden Knights again on Saturday in a 2:00 p.m. contest.

Seniors Dominique Thibault (L’Orignal, ONT) and Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT) and junior Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) scored for the Green and Gold.

Mercyhurst outshot the Knights 43-31. Junior Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY) made a career-high 37 saves in defeat. Clarkson was 1-of-9 on the power play, while the Lakers were 4-of-6 with the man advantage.

Clarkson scored first to open the game between two of the nation’s best women’s hockey programs. Thibault tallied her team-high 13th goal of the season off an assist from sophomore Kali Gillanders (Kyle, SASK) at 3:40, but Mercyhurst came back with a pair of power-play markers to take the lead. Ashley Cockell scored at 10:29 and Bailey Bram connected at 16:48.  Selina, the Knights’ captain, answered with a power-play goal with 1:23 remaining in the period with Thibault and Waldie assisting to make it 2-2 through the opening 20 minutes.

The Lakers took control in the second frame, outscoring Clarkson 3-1 to grab a 5-3 lead through two periods.

Vicki Bendus scored on the power play, unassisted, just 18 seconds into the period to put the home team on top 3-2. Mercyhurst connected for its fourth straight power-play goal at 6:49 with Jesse Scanzano finding the back of the net. Bram tallied her second goal of the night and 18th of the season at 8:13 to give the Lakers a 5-2 lead.

Waldie put a temporary halt to Mercyhurst’s scoring with her 11th goal of the season with six seconds left in the second. Sophomore Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) and senior Tegan Schroeder (Lumsden, SASK) assisted.

Jess Jones sealed the win for the Lakers with a shorthanded marker at 18:47 of the third.