Senior defender Jenn Jeffrey’s late second-period goal snapped a 1-1 tie and Mercyhurst withstood 15 Bemidji State shots in the third period to earn a 2-1 win over the visiting Beavers Saturday at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.
The win improved Mercyhurst’s record to 2-0 and was its second successive one-goal win over BSU to complete the weekend sweep. Bemidji State dropped to 0-2.
The teams traded first-period scores. Mercyhurst senior team captain C.J. Ireland got the Lakers on the board first at 8:39. Bemidji State senior forward Lill Raynard then scored the Beavers’ first goal of the season on the power play at 19:56.
The teams remained deadlocked until Jeffrey’s tally in the second.
Mercyhurst senior goaltender Tiffany Ribble picked up her second win of the season by stopping 23 of 24 BSU shots. BSU senior netminder Bre Dedrickson stopped 27 of 29 in taking the loss.
Bemidji State had a two-person advantage for 1:29 early in the third, but couldn’t get the equalizer. Ribble made several excellent stops in the third to protect the one-goal lead.
Mercyhurst will entertain the Connecticut next Saturday and Sunday at the Ice Center. The meetings will be the first-ever between the schools in women’s hockey.
