No. 8 Women's Hockey Rebounds with Big Win Over No. 5/6 Mercyhurst

Sunday, December 16

Hanover, N.H.

1:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

MERCYHURST

Cunningham Repeats as ECAC Hockey Player of the Week

No. 8 Women's Hockey Rebounds with Big Win Over No. 5/6 Mercyhurst

12/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

Box Score

HANOVER, N.H. - After a tough loss on Saturday, the Dartmouth women's hockey team got a hat trick and six points from sophomore Jenna Cunningham (Medicine Hat, Alta.) to take the final game in a two-game series with a 6-4 win over Mercyhurst.

With the win, head coach Mark Hudak became the third coach in Dartmouth program history to collect 100 wins. Hudak reached the milestone in 146 games coached, which is only one behind former coach and standout Judy Parish Oberting, who made it to 100 wins in 145 games.

The Lakers (14-4-2) picked up where they left off on Saturday with a power play goal from Geena Prough two minutes into the game. Prough received a nice pass from Melissa Dianoski from behind the net and pushed it past junior goaltender Carli Clemis (Taber, Alta.).

Dartmouth (10-3-1) evened the score on Cunningham's first of the afternoon on the power play with 9:48 left in the period. Cunningham got a pass from sophomore Sarah Parsons (Dover, Mass.) and fired the puck top shelf on the glove side for the score.

Meghan Agosta, who had two goals yesterday, put Mercyhurst back on top with a power play goal, 4:22 into the second period. After two saves from Clemis, Stephanie Jones collected the puck and slid a pass to Agosta who was just above the crease and she fired it home. Jones led the Lakers with three assists on the afternoon.

The Big Green would come back with goals from Cunningham and junior Maggie Kennedy (West Hartford, Conn.). Cunningham's second of the game came with 8:07 on the clock. She was able to avoid the defense and beat Mercyhurst goaltender Laura Hosier inside right post to tie the game at 2-2. Kennedy would give Dartmouth its first lead of the game two minutes later as she beat Hosier glove side and just underneath the crossbar. Kennedy finished the game with two goals and an assist for three points.

With 13:00 remaining in the game, Kristen Erickson knotted the score once again as she beat Clemis to the glove side from the right circle. Kennedy, however, would add a nice shorthanded goal 1:21 later as she intercepted a clearing pass, put a shot on net that was blocked and collected the puck and beat Hosier to put the Big Green on top 4-3.

Junior Shannon Bowman (Leamington, Ont.) added her fourth of the season on the power play to give Dartmouth some insurance as the Big Green led 5-3 with 3:44 left in the game.

Bowman's goal loomed large as Sherilyn Fraser cut the lead to 5-4 with 55 seconds remaining, but Cunningham tallied the hat trick with an empty net goal to finish off the 6-4 win. For Cunningham, she set a new career-high with six points as she factored in every goal scored by Dartmouth.

Clemis made 25 saves, including nine in the first and thrid periods, to earn her eighth win of the season. Hosier had an equally impressive game with 23 saves, with 11 coming in the second period.

Dartmouth and Mercyhurst combined for six power play goals with each team getting seven chances on the man advantage.

The Big Green will return to action at Thompson Arena after a long Christmas break to face Colgate on Friday, January 4, with the face-off coming at 7 p.m.