COLLEGE HOCKEY AMERICA WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS FOR GAMES THROUGH MONDAY, December 19

College Hockey America Players of the Week

Bailey Bram - Mercyhurst

Senior, Foward, Ste. Anne, Manitoba

Bram had three goals and five assists in two mid-week victories over Lindenwood on Wednesday and Thursday. Bram reached six points for the third time this season during Wednesday’s 9-0 victory over the Lady Lions, scoring two goals and adding four assists in the win. On Thursday, Bram scored a goal and an assist during the first period before leaving the game with a minor injury. She leads the country in scoring at the holiday break with 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points in 18 games (2.67 per game).

College Hockey America Goaltender of the Week

Hillary Pattenden - Mercyhurst

 Senior, Surrey, British Columbia

On Wednesday night, Pattenden became the all-time winningest goaltender in NCAA history, picking up her 92nd career victory with a 9-0 win against Lindenwood. She surpassed former Wisconsin goaltender, and current U.S. Olympian Jessie Vetter with the victory. Pattenden was not tested often, stopping just 10 shots for her fifth shutout of the season and 17th of her career. She improved to 12-4 this season.

College Hockey America Rookie of the Week

Vaila Higson - Mercyhurst

Freshman, Foward, Grande Prairie, Alberta 

Higson had the best two-game stretch of her young career, scoring a goal and an assist in each of the two wins over Lindenwood on Wednesday and Thursday. They were the first multi-point games of her career and were just her second and third goals of the season. She entered the games with just six points (one goal, five assists) in her first 16 games. She took 13 shots on goal and was a +5 in the two games.

College Hockey America Team Notes

MERCYHURST: Mercyhurst concluded the 2011 portion of the regular season with 9-0 and 7-2 victories over Lindenwood on Wednesday and Thursday in Erie. On Wednesday night, senior goaltender Hillary Pattenden became the all-time winningest goaltender in NCAA Division I history as she picked up her 92nd career win, surpassing former Wisconsin goaltender and current U.S. Olympian Jessie Vetter in the process. She stopped 10 shots in the win, which was also her fifth shutout of the season and 17th of her career. For the third time this season, senior Bailey Bram had a six-point outing, finishing with two goals and four assists. She leads the nation at the holiday break with 48 points (21 goals, 27 assists) in 18 games (2.67 per game). Freshman Vaila Higson had the first multi-point games of her career, scoring a goal and an assist in each of the two games against the Lions. Senior Kelley Steadman also had a goal and an assist in each of the two games, extending her scoring streak to six games. Sophomore Christine Bestland had one goal and two assists in each of the wins as well, and is sixth in the country in scoring with 39 points (2.17 per game). On Saturday, Mercyhurst scored five goals in the first 9:02 and cruised to a 7-2 victory. Junior Stephanie Ciampa started in goal and stopped 20-of-22 to improve to 2-0-0 on the season. Junior Jessica Christofferson had just the second multi-point game of her career on Thursday, picking up two assists. She had two points last season in a 12-0 win against Brown. Junior Lauren Jones had two goals in Wednesday’s game and has already tied her career-high with eight goals this season. The Lakers are now off until January 6 and 7 when they travel to CHA-rival Syracuse. They will be the first conference games of the season for the Lakers.

NIAGARA: The Niagara women’s hockey team is now 7-9-5, 0-0-0 in CHA play…The Purple Eagles are now off until Jan. 13, when they take on Mercyhurst in a home-and-home series, beginning in Erie, Pa. at 7 p.m…The Purple Eagles return home on Jan. 14 to take on Mercyhurst in a 2 pm matinee before the men’s hockey team takes on Army later that evening…Sophomore forward Jessica Hitchcock had a three-game point scoring streak snapped during Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Clarkson…At the end of the 2011 portion of the schedule, Hitchcock leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and 16 points…Kelsey Welch, Jenna Hendrikx and Kaleigh Chippy are all tied for the team’s lead in assists with seven…Three out of Niagara’s next four games will be on the road, as they take on Mercyhurst in a home-and-home series and then head to Syracuse for a pair of games…Niagara will be on the road for six of its remaining 12 regular season contests, with just three games at Dwyer Arena between Dec. 12 and Feb. 3…The final 12 games of the season for Niagara are all against CHA foes.

ROBERT MORRIS: Robert Morris had the past week off as it is currently in a stretch in which it will have 19 consecutive days without games, its longest stretch of the season … RMU finished the first half of its season at 11-2-2, the best 15-game start in program history, and is fifth nationally in winning percentage … The Colonials rank third nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 1.53 goals per game … Freshman Rebecca Vint (Caledon, Ontario / Brampton Junior Thunder)  ranks ninth nationally in goals per game with 14 scores in 15 contests. Vint is also tied for third nationally in points per game among rookies, averaging 1.6 per outing … Junior Kristen DiCiocco sits fifth nationally in goals against average with her 1.59 mark and ninth nationally in save percentage, stopping 93.5 percent of shots … Robert Morris will next be in action Friday, Dec. 30, when it takes on nationally ranked Bemidji State in the annual RMU Hockey Showcase -- for the second straight season, the Colonials will play the game in the CONSOL Energy Center, the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Robert Morris and the Beavers will conclude the series the following evening to wrap up the 2011 calendar year.

SYRACUSE: The Syracuse ice hockey team sits at 8-11-1... Carrie-Mattimoe is tied for 46th in the nation in goals per game (0.45), and leads the team with nine goals and five assists this season … She also has four power play goals this season, which is tied for 16th in the nation and tied for third in the CHA … Kallie Billadeau made 23 saves in goal to backstop the Orange ... The Orange’s seven freshmen (Jordyn Burns, Shiann Darkangelo, Nicole Ferrara, Kaillie Goodnough, Casey Hirsch, Julie Knerr and Allie LaCombe) had two points last weekend, and have 56 of SU’s 130 points (43.1%) … Syracuse has won 52% of its faceoffs taken this season (590-of-1140), led by Shiann Darkangelo’s 57.2% performance (211-of-369) … The Orange’s power play production has increased during the past two weekend with three goals on the man advantage in the last four games: SU is operating at 12% (11-of-92) on the power play this season … SU will be off until Jan. 2 when the Orange travels to Colgate at 7:00 p.m.