ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (6-26-2, 4-14-2 CHA) wrapped up the 2016-17 regular season by falling 4-0 to visiting Mercyhurst University (15-17-2, 11-8-1 CHA) at the Gene Polisseni Center Saturday afternoon on Senior Day.
 
Before the game, the Tigers honored seniors Cassie Clayton (Pickering, Ontario/PEAC School), Lindsay Stenason (Oakville, Ontario/Appleby College), Brooke Stoddart (Elmvale, Ontario/Elmvale), Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton), Taylor Thurston (Kanata, Ontario/All Saints Catholic), and Caitlin Wallace (Brantford, Ontario/Assumption Collegiate).
 
Despite the loss, the Tigers will be the No. 5 seed in the 2017 College Hockey America Tournament, which begins Thursday, March 3 at HARBORCENTER in Buffalo, N.Y. RIT will take on No. 4 seed Penn State in the second first round game on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
 
Eleven different players had at a point for the Lakers. Jillian Skinner, Sarah Hine, Samatha Fiesler, and am Isbell scored for the Lakers, who will be the No. 3 seed in the 2017 College Hockey America Tournament and face No. 6 Lindenwood in the opening game on Thursday, March 2 at HARBORCENTER .

Mercyhurst goaltender Sarah McDonnell made 20 saves for the shutout. Brooke Stoddart (Elmvale, Ontario/Elmvale) made 29 saves on 32 shots in the losing effort for the Tigers.
 
Mercyhurst out-shot RIT, 33-20, including 15-2 in the third period. Mercyhurst was 0-for-2 on the power-play, while RIT was 0-for-1.
 
"I can't say enough about what our seniors mean to this program," said Bruce B. Bates Women's Hockey Coach Scott McDonald. "They have accomplished so much in their four years and are tremendous ambassadors for this program and great student-athletes."
 
Neither team scored in the opening period, as both teams fired eight shots on goal.
 
The Lakers appeared to get on the board first less than five minutes in, as Jennifer MacAskill redirected a shot past Stoddart while crashing the net, but McDonald challenged the ruling on the ice and after video replay, it was determined that there was goaltender interference, negating the goal.
 
RIT had a few good chances on a scramble in front of Lakers net, with McDonnell making a big save on Kandice Sheriff (Brampton, Ontario) off a rebound chance in close.
 
The Lakers would score twice in a span of 2:38 early in the second period to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
 
Skinner would fire a shot through traffic that eluded Stoddart over the glove 4:21 into the period to open the scoring. Just 2:38 later, Hine would finish a nifty passing play from Michelle Robillard and MacAskill in tight for her ninth goal to make it 2-0.
 
RIT would have a flurry of chances late in the period, as McDonnell would make consecutive saves on Claudia Black (Newmarket, Ontario/St. Maximilian Kobe), Stone, Mallory Rushton (Amherst, Nova Scotia/New Hampton Prep), and Wallace. Rushton's shot went off McDonnell and then the crossbar.
 
Fieseler scored with 8:48 left to make it 3-0, while Isbell tallied an empty-netter with 6.8 seconds left in regulation.
 
Mercyhurst leads the all-time series between the two schools, 18-4. The Lakers won the regular season series 3-1. Last night, Isbell scored the game-winning goal early in the third period in Mercyhurst's 3-2 win. The two teams split a weekend series earlier in the season at Mercyhurst on Jan. 13-14, with the Lakers winning game one, 5-2 and RIT taking game two, 4-0. Wallace had four points in that series, while Tori Haywood (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary's Catholic) added three. Terra Lanteigne (Hatchet Lake, Nova Scotia/Charles P. Allen) made 37 saves in the 4-0 shutout win.

Follow www.ritathletics.com for more postseason information as it comes available.