Mercyhurst rallied from a two-goal first period deficit to upset Brown 5-3, Sunday at the Ice Center. The victory improved Mercyhurst’s record to 23-8-1 while the Bears dropped to 17-7-2.
Brown started senior forward Kristy Zamora in goal and the Bears responded by getting first-period goals from sophomore defender Katie LaFleur (3:28) and junior defender Cassie Turner (19:45, power play) in taking a 2-0 lead while holding Mercyhurst to just four shots.
Sophomore Katie Germain took over the goaltending chores in the second period and not long thereafter, Turner was given a major penalty (4:09) and a game misconduct for checking from behind. Mercyhurst seized the opportunity, getting power-play goals from junior forward C.J. Ireland (4:51) and freshman forward Sara McDonald (8:04) to tie the game.
Brown regrouped and took a 3-2 lead when freshman winger Kerry Nugent scored an even-strength goal at 12:10. But the Lakers squared things again when freshman forward Chrissy Yule converted another power-play chance at 17:52 of the middle period.
The game remained tied at 3-3 until late in the third when McDonald scored at 17:32 to give Mercyhurst its first lead. McDonald then finished her hat trick with an empty-net goal at 19:20.
Brown outshot Mercyhurst 30-26 as Mercyhurst freshman goaltender Desi Clark stopped 27 shots in picking up her 12th win of the year against three setbacks. Germain’s record dropped to 9-4-0.
The win over Brown was the Lakers’ first in three tries, as Brown defeated Mercyhurst 1-0 in Rhode Island last year and won Saturday’s game 4-2.
