ERIE, PA – The RIT women's hockey team could not come back from three second-period goals just 2:48 apart, as Mercyhust (1-5-1, 1-0-0 College Hockey America) took advantage of a controversial no-goal call minutes earlier to beat the Tigers (3-5-0, 0-2-0 College Hockey America), 5-0 at the Mercyhurst Ice Arena on Friday evening.
 
Sarah Robello, Rachael Smith, and Megan Whiddon scored the quick goals for the Lakers, who won their first game of the season. Sarah Hine and Hannah Bale netted third period goals to finish the scoring. Sara McDonnell stopped all 11 shots she faced in the victory.
 
Carly Payerl (Kitchener, Ontario/Resurrection Catholic) had five shots to lead the Tigers, who had a season-low 11 shots, and were held scoreless for the first time this season. Brooke Stoddart (Elmvale, Ontario/Elmvale) made a season-high 32 saves in goal.
 
After a scoreless first period, the Tigers had a chance to strike first in the second frame, when Brinna Dochniak (Marine on St. Croix, MN/Stillwater) took a shot from the left faceoff circle. That puck hit McDonnell square in the chest as she tried to wrap up the puck. The Mercyhurst goaltender did not corral the puck, as it dribbled out and Darcy Henderson (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) alertly sank in the ensuing shot into the open goal. Unfortunately for RIT, the officials waved it off, citing an inadvertent whistle prior to the rebound.
 
Minutes later, the Lakers seized control of the game, as Jenna Dingledin fed Robello who took a high shot inside the right faceoff circle, just hitting the glove of Stoddart, trickling into the net.
 
Just a minute later, Mercyhurst scored again as Robello tried to fool Stoddart, who initially kick-saved the shot to her right. Stoddart couldn't corral the rebound, as Robello's second attempt slid right by for the goal.
 
The Lakers got the third goal 1:21 later, when Whiddon, off a Jillian Skinner feed, beat Stoddart to the left from in front of the net, ending the quick Mercyhurst flurry. 
 
In the third period, Hine took advantage of the power play, as the Tigers were called for slashing. Getting a feed from Smith, Hine fired a shot to the left from the right faceoff circle, beating Stoddart. Five minutes later, Bale finished the scoring, getting a feed from Smith, beating Stoddart between the legs from in front of the net.
 
"I thought we had a good first period," said Bruce B. Bates Women's Hockey Coach Scott McDonald.  "We were playing our game, and we had Mercyhurst frustrated. In the second period we had a really tough call go against us, and it switched momentum in the game. But we have to be better than that to not crumble under pressure and adversity."
 
The Tigers will play game two of the weekend series with the Lakers on Saturday, with the opening faceoff to begin at 1 p.m.