GAME NOTES

GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University women's hockey team (8-15-1, 1-8-1 CHA) will hit the road for the first time since New Year's Eve to take on Mercyhurst College (22-5-0, 11-0-0 CHA) this weekend at the Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Pa. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday and 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Wayne State hosted Syracuse last weekend, skating to 1-1 tie on Friday before losing, 3-1, on Saturday. Mercyhurst swept Niagara on the road with a pair of shutouts, 2-0 on Saturday and 3-0 on Sunday.

Four weeks remain in the regular season until the 2011 College Hockey America Tournament, March 4-6 in Syracuse, N.Y.


BEHIND THE BENCH
Jim Fetter is 117-117-23 in his eighth season at the helm of the WSU women's hockey program. He is a three-time College Hockey America (CHA) Coach of the Year and was named Women's Division I Coach of the Year by the American Hockey Coaches Association in 2008.

Michael Sisti has a career record of 304-83-26 in his 12th season at Mercyhurst. He became the seventh head coach all-time to reach 300 wins following the Lakers' 12-0 victory Jan. 15 against Brown.


THROUGH THE YEARS
Wayne State trails Mercyhurst, 2-44-3, in the all-time series dating back to 2000. The Warriors have lost 12 straight to the Lakers since a 3-2 overtime win at WSU on Feb. 23, 2008.


IN THE POLLS
Mercyhurst and Wayne State were predicted to finish in first and fifth place, respectively, by the CHA head coaches in the 2010-11 preseason poll. The Lakers, who made it to the NCAA Frozen Four each of the last two seasons, are also ranked fourth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Division I national poll and fifth in the USCHO.com national poll.


SCOUTING MERCYHURST
Since sweeping the Warriors in the first series Nov. 19-20 in Detroit, the Lakers are 13-3-0 including five shutout victories. Mercyhurst has won four straight heading into this weekend, sweeping Robert Morris and Niagara on the road over the last two weeks.

The top scoring team in the country at 5.33 goals per game, Mercyhurst boasts two of the top five scorers in the nation, including senior forward Meghan Agosta, who leads NCAA Division I with 38 assists and 65 points. Agosta is a three-time All-American and was the MVP for women's ice hockey in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Senior forward Vicki Bendus (16-27--43) is tied for fourth in the nation with 1.95 points per game. Classmate Jesse Scanzano has 42 points including 16 goals, and forward Christine Bestland (18-20--38) ranks fourth among rookies in Division I at 1.41 points per game.

Junior Hillary Pattenden has started 25 games this season between the pipes and has put together a 2.09 goals-against average with a .905 save percentage.


LAST TIME OUT
On the fifth annual Doc Andrews Alumni Night at the City Sports Center, Wayne State and Syracuse skated to a 1-1 tie on Friday. The teams were scoreless through the first two periods until Jill Szandzik's power-play goal at 2:04 of the third. Wayne State's lead was short-lived, however, as Isabel Menard tied it at 4:37.

The Warriors, who had not played to overtime in a school-record 28 games, had a 5-0 advantage in shots on goal and two power-play chances in the extra period, but were unable to find the game-winner.

Wayne State ultimately finished 1-for-9 on power plays, while Syracuse went 0-for-5. Contributing significantly to each squad's penalty killing success were goaltenders Kallie Billadeau and Delayne Brian, who racked up 33 and 31 saves, respectively.

The shot totals were close by the end of the game, 34-32, despite the fact that Wayne State had a 10-1 advantage in shots after 20 minutes, while Syracuse out-shot WSU, 19-2, in the second period.

During a 5-on-3 early in the third, Szandzik scored her third of the season on a wrist shot from the right wing with helpers from Micheline Frappier and Alyssa Baldin, who were among a large crowd of players battling for possession in front of Billadeau. Two minutes later, an outlet pass from Julie Rising found Menard, who skated in past two Warriors and made a move to her backhand to beat Brian and make it a 1-1 game.

The Warriors lost Saturday's rematch with the Orange, 3-1. Down by two with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, Frappier scored a power-play goal to cut WSU's deficit in half. Brian was pulled with 1:18 to go, but a short-handed empty-netter by Menard sealed the Warriors' fate.

Brian and Jenesica Drinkwater totaled 26 and 25 saves, respectively, in a penalty-laden contest, as the Warriors and Orange combined for 20 minor penalties.

Following the second scoreless first period of the weekend, Ashley Cockell scored a power-play goal with a slap shot from the point off a rebound at 7:32. Just 39 seconds later, Stefanie Marty took a long pass from Caitlin Roach and beat Brian with a wrister from the right wing at 8:11.

Frappier's goal, her fourth of the season, came when she knocked in a rebound off a shot from Julie Ingratta. Adrianna Pfeffer also assisted on the play at 16:11.


WARRIORS MOVING UP RANKS
With her goal Friday, Szandzik claimed sole possession of sixth place all-time at WSU in goals by a defenseman (8), passing Laura MacKenzie (1999-2000) and Melissa Wenzel (2000-04). With 17 points this season, fourth-most in school history, Szandzik surpassed her own 2008-09 single-season mark for points by a blueliner.

Baldin took sole possession of sixth place in career CHA points (23), passing Kelly Zamora (2001-05).

With 757 saves this season, Brian has the second-highest total in program history. Two weeks ago against Quinnipiac, she moved up from fifth place, surpassing Valery Turcotte (647; 2007-08), Anna VanderMarliere (653; 2002-03), and Turcotte again (677; 2006-07). The school record for saves in a season is 935, set by VanderMarliere in 2000-01.

Brian has eight wins this season, tied for sixth-most in program history. She also has the fifth-highest single-season total in minutes played (1433:37), passing VanderMarliere (1324:38; 2002-03) and Turcotte (1324:39; 2005-06). She is 25:21 away from eclipsing VanderMarliere's 2003-04 mark (1458:57) for fourth.


ALUMNI REUNION
Several former WSU women's hockey student-athletes returned to the ice at the City Sports Center for a special Alumni Game following Saturday afternoon's game between WSU and Syracuse.

Playing for the Red Team were Jessica (Snelgrove) Stanich, Chelsea Burnett, Katrina Protopapas, Katrina Kleinschmit, Melissa Boal, Sam Poyton, and Amanda Hungle. On the Green Team were Natalie Payne, Laura (Monk) Weisman, Becky Sonn, Emily Berzins, Kim (Spaulding) Shaw, Peyton (Patterson) Kieleszewski, and Tina Vanderhoeven. Lindsey Park was also in attendance but did not skate.

Goaltenders for the Alumni Game were current WSU assistant coach (and former Niagara goaltender) Allison Rutledge and WSU equipment manager Jim Campbell.


LOOKING AHEAD
The Warriors will play their final home series of the season Feb. 11-12 against Robert Morris. A trip to Niagara and an idle weekend precede the CHA Tournament.


WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
The Warriors are 11-9-28 all-time in OT games … WSU's 34 shots on goal Friday were a season-high ... Pfeffer has five assists and seven points this season, both career-highs … the Warriors are 0-12-0 this year when their opponent scores first.