ERIE, PA – The RIT women's hockey team (13-14-3, 8-5-2 CHA) showed some resiliency in a 5-2 loss to No. 10 Mercyhurst (19-7-3, 12-3-1 CHA ) on Saturday afternoon from Mercyhurst Ice Center.  Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning) scored a goal and assisted on another, as she now has at one point or more in seven of the last 10 games.
 
Maugeri scored the first Tiger goal early in the second following an RIT power play. Her linemate Erin Zach (Elmira, Ontario/Cambridge Fury) along with Lindsay Grigg (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Hornets) assisted on the score. Later on in the second, Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) would add a beautiful top shelf, backhanded goal from in close, off a pass from Maugeri.
 
For Mercyhurst it was Kaleigh Chippy who opened the scoring with a first period goal just 1:54 into the game. Kathy Donohue would also score for the Lakers, while Jenna Dingeldein added two goals of her own before a Jaclyn Arbour empty netter sealed the victory.
 
In net for RIT Brooke Stoddart (Elmvale, Ontario/Elmvale) got the start and made a career high 37 saves. Mercyhurst goalkeeper Amanda Makela faced just 16 shots in the win, while making 14 saves.
 
The Mercyhurst offense was too much for RIT to overcome as they outshot the Tigers 42-16. The RIT penalty kill unit struggled, allowing three goals to the Lakers on five chances.
 
For the second straight night Mercyhurst would open up the scoring, as Chippy netted the first goal of the game just 1:54 into the game. RIT would hold its ground for most of the period after that until a costly penalty led to a goal by Dingeldein and a 2-0 Mercyhurst lead.
 
A late first period penalty by the Lakers would give the Tigers some momentum heading into the second. Coming out of the first break the RIT offense came to life on the power play and generated some great shots in the crease. Although the penalty was killed off the offensive pressure stayed active and eventually Maugeri found a Zach centering pass and buried it into the left side of the net past Makela.
 
Mercyhurst would not let up though and with 12:59 remaining in the period Donahue would score off a 2-on-1 rush with teammate Christine Bestland, as her shot trickled through the legs of Sotddart and give the Lakers a 3-1 lead.
 
With under four minutes to go in the second McCrea added a second RIT goal right over Makela's right shoulder, to cut the deficit back to one, and looking to rally.
 
In the third though Dingeldein would score her second goal of the game just 4:25 into the period to put the game a little further out of reach for the Tigers.  That goal would prove to be more than enough to hold on as the Lakers slowed the RIT offensive attack from there and added an empty netter with less than two minutes remaining.
 
With the loss RIT falls to 1-7-0 all-time against Mercyhurst, as they wrapped up 2013-14 regular season series, going 1-3-0 against the Lakers.
 
The Tigers have just four games remaining in the regular season all of which are crucial CHA contests. Next weekend they welcome No. 9 Robert Morris to Ritter Arena for a two game set on Friday and Saturday. Both games are slated for a 2 p.m. start, as RIT looks to gain some ground on the Colonials who currently hold second place in the CHA standings.