ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (4-26-3, 1-18-0 CHA) fell to College Hockey America rival Mercyhurst University, 3-0 at the Gene Polisseni Center on Friday afternoon.

Vilma Tanskanen and Sarah Hine had a goal and assist apiece for the Lakers, while Sam Isbell tallied the eventual game-winner. Goaltender Kennedy Blair was strong in net, turning aside all 21 shots for her fourth shutout of the season.

Goaltender Jenna de Jonge (Abbotsford, British Columbia/George Elliot) was excellent in defeat for the Tigers, stopping 37 of 40 shots. Kendall Cornine (Kinnelon, NJ/Morristown Beard) led the Tigers offense with six shots on goal.

Mercyhurst out-shot RIT, 40-21. The Lakers were 0-for-3 on the power-play, but scored a shorthanded goal. The Tigers were 0-for-4 on the power-play, but did generate eight shots on those chances.

"We had some really good looks, and had our chances, but could not get any puck luck today," said Bruce B. Bates Women's Hockey Coach Scott McDonald.

Neither team scored in a briskly played opening period with just 11 face-offs. Just 2:45 into the contest, Tori Haywood (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary's Catholic) fired a shot from the slot that eluded Blair, but clanged off the crossbar and out. Mercyhurst's Vilma Tanskanen did the same a few minutes later, firing a shot from the right circle past de Jonge, but off the left post and out.

De Jonge made a nice glove save on Brooke Hartwick from the slot just past the halfway mark of the period. Kendall Cornine (Kinnelon, NJ/Morristown Beard) had a great chance on a power-play with four minutes left in the period from in close turned aside by Blair.

Despite several big saves from de Jonge in the second period, the Lakers would score twice in a span of 3:18 to take a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of play.  

Isbell opened the scoring just past the halfway mark of the period, as she came in on an odd-man rush and ripped a rocket of a shot from the right side off the crossbar and in for her sixth goal of the season.

Hime would make it 2-0 moments later, taking a feed from Tanskanen and sliding a shot from in close past de Jonge for her third goal of the season.

Blair had to make two big saves to keep Mercyhurst in the lead, first on Haywood and then on Brooke Baker (Saline, MI/Saline) after the rebound popped loose.

Tanskanen gave Mercyhurst a 3-0 lead with a shorthanded goal, her team-best 14th tally of the season, with 10:46 left in regulation. She chipped a puck off the boards to Hine in the neutral zone, creating a 2-on-1 rush. Tanskanen beat the defender to the net and finished off a perfect feed from Hine to beat de Jonge for the goal.

Blair did the rest to secure the shutout over the final 10 minutes. She slid across to rob Cornine on a wrap-around attempt and with about five minutes left, made a tremendous save on Darcy Henderson (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas), who was left all alone in front.

RIT and Mercyhurst will wrap up the regular season Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. from the Polisseni Center. The Tigers will honor seniors Lauren Carroll (Carlisle, Ontario/Oakville Hornets) and Henderson prior to the game.