DETROIT - The Wayne State University women's hockey team (3-5-2, 0-2-0 CHA) allowed three goals in each of the first two periods against top-ranked Mercyhurst College (9-1-0, 2-0-0) in a 7-2 loss on Saturday afternoon at the City Sports Center.

Lauren Ragen (Grosse Ile, Mich./Connecticut Polar Bears) and Katrina Protopapas (Chatham, Ont./Bluewater Hawks) each scored a goal in the second period, but the Warriors were unable to overcome the flurry of offense from the Lakers in the first period, as they scored three times in a span of 2:32.  Jesse Scanzano's game-winner at 15:02 was her first of three goals in the game.

Jess Jones and Kelley Steadman each scored twice for Mercyhurst, which has won each of the last eight meetings with Wayne State.

At 12:30 of the opening period, Jones put in a rebound off a shot from Melissa LaCroix to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead.  Mercyhurst doubled its lead at 14:42 as Steadman buried a wrist shot over the glove of Lindsey Park (Thornhill, Ont./Toronto Jr. Aeros).

Ragen's second goal of the season 35 seconds into the second period made it a 3-1 game, but Scanzano responded with a power-play tally at the 4:33 mark.

Protopapas, who has scored all six of her goals this season on the power play to lead the nation in that category, collected a loose puck in front of Hillary Pattenden and put in a short shot at 8:01 to cut WSU's deficit to 4-2.  Julie Hebert (Chelmsford, Ont./Aurora Jr. Panthers) and Julie Ingratta (Markham, Ont./North American Hockey Academy) assisted on the play.

Steadman intercepted a pass in the WSU zone and skated in on Delayne Brian (Winnipeg, Man./Notre Dame Hounds) for the unassisted tally at 9:00 of the second.  Jones made it 6-2 with her second goal of the game on a 5-on-3 power-play at 17:54.

In the waning seconds of the third, Scanzano earned her hat trick with a goal from Vicki Bendus and Jones.

Shots on goal favored Mercyhurst slightly, 29-25.  Pattenden totaled 15 of her 23 saves in the third period to improve to 9-1-0 on the year.

Park (1-4-0) stopped eight shots in just over 15 minutes before giving way to Brian, who made 14 saves.

Wayne State will hit the road for three series to close out the 2009 calendar year, beginning Nov. 12-13 at Wisconsin, the defending national champion.