ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (9-10-4, 5-4-0 CHA) scored three third period goals to rally and defeat Mercyhurst University (9-10-3, 6-3-0 CHA), 4-2 from the Gene Polisseni Center Friday evening. RIT extended its winning streak to four games with the victory.
 
Ellie Larson (Hutchinson, MN/Hutchinson Tigers) and Mallory Rushton (Amherst, Nova Scotia/New Hampton Prep) scored 36 seconds apart early in the third period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. From there, goaltender Terra Lanteigne (Hatchet Lake, Nova Scotia/Charles P. Allen) was sensational, turning aside all 23 shots she faced in the third period, as Mercyhurst attempted 45 total shots in the frame.
 
With Mercyhurst goaltender Kennedy Blair pulled for the extra attacker, Kathryn Kennedy (Hamilton, Ontario/) put the game away for the Tigers, calmly firing in a shot from 130-feet away to seal the win.
 
Kennedy enjoyed her second consecutive multiple-point effort, with a goal and an assist in the win. Logan Land (Turkey Point, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic) also scored a second period goal for the Tigers. Lanteigne, the national leader in saves, added 39 more to her total.
 
Emma Nuutinen scored a goal and added an assist for the Lakers, while Samantha Fiesler also tallied. Blair made 28 saves in the loss.
 
Mercyhurst out-shot RIT, 41-32. The Tigers were 1-for-8 on the power-play, while Mercyhurst was 0-for-4. The Lakers did fire 17 shots on net during their four power-play chances.
 
"I thought we really stepped up our game tonight and Terra (Lanteigne) was outstanding in net for us," said Bruce B. Bates Women's Hockey Coach Chad Davis. "We are really starting to gain more confidence as a team and it is showing in our play. I really liked our intensity."
 
RIT had several great chances in the opening period, but could not solve Blair, as Mercyhurst led 1-0 after 20 minutes of play.
 
Just 13 seconds in, Kendall Cornine (Kinnelon, NJ/Morristown Beard) fired a loose puck from the slot off a turnover that Blair smothered.
 
The Lakers opened the scoring 5:23 into the game, as Maggie Knott caused a turnover behind the net and got the puck to Vilma Tanskanen, who in turn, sent a pass to Nuutinen in the slot. Nuutinen one-timed the feed past Lanteigne for her team-best 12th goal of the season.
 
RIT continued to press on later in the period, as they were awarded a full two minutes of a 5-on-3 power-play. Brittney Gout (Caledon, Ontario/Brampton Canadettes) had a great chance from the slot that went off the left post and out. Right as the power-play ended, Blair made a tremendous save in front on Madison Farrand (Potomac, MD/Winston Churchill). Later in the period, Blair robbed Tori Haywood (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary's Catholic) in front with a dazzling glove save.
 
The Tigers would tie the game at 1-1 just 4:08 into the second period, as Kandice Sheriff (Brampton, Ontario/) stole a pass in her own zone, came flying through the neutral zone on a 2-on-1 and feathered a perfect backhand pass to Land, who was able to score on the tap in for her third goal of the season.
 
Mercyhurst would retake the lead with 5:11 left in the period, as Fiesler took a feed from Nuttinen in the high slot and whistled a shot through traffic and past Lanteigne for her third goal of the year.
 
Larson tied the game at 2 for RIT, 4:20 into the third period, taking a feed from Gout and firing a low slap shot from the top of the slot through traffic and past Blair for her fifth goal of the season.
 
Just 36 seconds later, Tori Haywood (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary's Catholic) helped force a turnover at the RIT blue line, springing Rushton on a rush up the ice. Rushton cut to the middle and slid a shot between the legs of Blair for her fourth goal of the season, which proved to be the game-winner.
 
Mercyhurst peppered the RIT net the rest of the way, but Lanteigne was brilliant, making save after save over the final 15 minutes of regulation.
 
Mercyhurst leads the all-time series between the two schools, 22-5-0. The two teams will also play a pair of games at the Mercyhurst Ice Center to close out the regular season on March 1-2.
 
RIT and Mercyhurst will conclude the weekend series at noon on Saturday from the Polisseni Center. All fans in attendance will receive free popcorn.