COLLEGE HOCKEY AMERICA WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS FOR GAMES THROUGH MONDAY, February 19, 2012

College Hockey America Players of the Week

Jill Szandzik - Mercyhurst

Senior, Defenseman, Warren, Michigan 

Szandzik registered three goals helping Mercyhurst win its 12th consecutive regular season conference championship with a win and a tie against Robert Morris over the weekend. Szandzik recorded her first-ever multi-goal game in Friday’s 3-0 win over the Colonials, scoring the Lakers’ first and second goals of the game. It was her third game-winning goal of the season and her first non-overtime winner of the year. She then scored another goal in Saturday’s 4-4 tie at Robert Morris. She entered the weekend with four goals through the first 29 games of the year, but now has a career-high seven after her two-game series with the Colonials. 

College Hockey America Goaltender of the Week

Hillary Pattenden - Mercyhurst

Senior, Surrey, British Columbia   

On senior night at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on Friday, Pattenden stopped all 25 Robert Morris shots in a 3-0 Laker victory. It was her sixth shutout of the season - a personal-best - and the 18th shutout of her illustrious career. The win was her 19th victory of the year, and the 99th of her career - one shy of becoming the first goaltender in NCAA history to reach 100 career wins. On Saturday, Pattenden stopped 32-of-36 Robert Morris shots, helping the Lakers play to a 4-4 tie in Pittsburgh. For the weekend, Pattenden stopped 57-of-61 Colonial shots (.935 save percentage).

Freshman, Forward, St. Leon, Manitoba 

Grenier finished the weekend with two assists as the Lakers went 1-0-1 against Robert Morris over the weekend. Both of Grenier’s helpers came in Saturday’s 4-4 tie at Robert Morris, marking just the second multi-point game of Grenier’s career. The freshman assisted on Mercyhurst’s first two goals on Saturday and the two points allowed her to reach double figures in scoring this season. She has three goals and seven assists, becoming the 13th player on this year’s roster to reach double digits.

Co-College Hockey America Rookie of the Week

Rebecca Vint - Robert Morris

Freshman, Foward, Caledon, Ontario 

Vint tallied a goal and an assist in Robert Morris’ thrilling comeback tie against nationally-ranked Mercyhurst this past Saturday. Vint’s 13th multi-point game of the season extended her single-season school records in points (42), goals (21) and assists (21). Vint ranks fourth nationally in points per game among rookies and also leads the CHA and ranks among the top 10 nationally in game-winning goals.

College Hockey America Honor Roll

Dayna Newsom, Robert Morris (Junior, Foward, Oakville, Ontario) - Newsom notched one of the biggest goals of her career Saturday as she recorded the game-tying score with just 3:09 remaining in regulation to rally Robert Morris to a tie against No. 5/6 Mercyhurst. The junior picked up a puck in the neutral zone and produced an incredible individual effort as she carried the puck by herself for about 10 seconds. She skated into the offensive zone and then circled behind the net before flipping a backhand into the cage. Newsom had also provided an assist on RMU’s third goal, notching her second multi-point game of the season, the eighth of her career and her first ever in CHA play.

College Hockey America Team Notes

MERCYHURST: Mercyhurst clinched its 12th consecutive regular season conference championship by taking three of a possible four points against Robert Morris over the weekend. Mercyhurst is now 30-1-1 lifetime against Robert Morris. The Lakers improved to 22-6-3 overall on the season and 8-1-3 in conference play and will enter the CHA tournament as the #1 seed on March 2 and 3. Mercyhurst’s 22 victories this season marks the 11th consecutive season that the Lakers have won at least 20 games and the 12th time in the 13-year history of the program. However, the 22 victories marks the second-fewest win total in program history. The 2000-01 Lakers went 14-16-3 in its first season of playing a full Division I schedule. Friday night’s game in Erie marked senior night for the Lakers, as six players were playing their final regular season home game of their careers - defensemen Jill Szandzik and Pam Zgoda, forwards Kelley Steadman, Bailey Bram, and Jess Jones, and goaltender Hillary Pattenden. Appropriately, the seniors did a majority of the work on Friday night as the Lakers won 3-0. Pattenden earned her sixth shutout of the season - a career-high - with a 25-save performance, while Szandzik and Steadman combined for all three goals. Szandzik scored Mercyhurst’s first two goals of the contest for her first career multi-goal game. It was her third game-winner of the season, but her first non-overtime winner of the year. She had scored overtime game-winners at Boston College and at home against Niagara. Steadman scored the other goal in the win - her 30th goal of the season. In fact, of Mercyhurst’s eight points on Friday night, the only non-senior to register a point was freshman Vaila Higson. On Saturday, the Lakers by two goals on two different occasions, only to see the leads slip away. Mercyhurst had to settle for a 4-4 tie with the Colonials. Steadman scored two goals, giving her 32 for the season. Of her 32 goals, eight came against Robert Morris in their four meetings. Szandzik and Bailey Bram had the other goals for the Lakers. Szandzik finished the weekend with three goals after having scored four through the team’s first 29 games. Pattenden stopped 57-of-61 shots over the weekend and sits on 99 career victories, one shy of becoming the first goaltender to reach 100 career wins. Senior Bailey Bram leads the team with 26 goals and 40 assists for 66 points. Her 2.38 points per game this season is second in the country. Senior Kelley Steadman leads the team with 32 goals. Her 1.03 goals per game average leads the nation. She also leads the country with 12 power play goals and is tied for the nation’s lead with four shorthanded goals. Sophomore Christine Bestland has a career-high 55 points this season, setting personal bests with 22 goals and 33 assists. Senior Jess Jones has a career-high 34 assists and has tied a career-high with 46 points this season. Bram is one point shy of becoming the fourth player in Mercyhurst history to record 200 points for her career. She would join Meghan Agosta (303), Jesse Scanzano (225), and Valerie Chouinard (200) on the list. Freshman Kristine Grenier had two assists on Saturday, marking her second career multi-point game. Her two assists gave her 10 points this season, becoming the 13th player on this year’s roster to reach double figures. Mercyhurst will be the #1 seed in the CHA tournament and will await next weekend’s results between Syracuse and Niagara to see who they will play in the semifinals. If the playoffs started today, Mercyhurst would play Syracuse in the semis.

NIAGARA: Niagara had the week off, staying at 9-14-8 overall, while 2-5-3 in CHA play…The Purple Eagles need one point this coming weekend to clinch the third seed in the CHA postseason and a semifinal matchup with Robert Morris…Niagara hosts Syracuse this weekend, going 1-0-1 against them earlier in the season.

ROBERT MORRIS: Junior Dayna Newsom (Oakville, Ontario / Oakville Ice) notched one of the biggest goals of her career as she recorded the game-tying score with just 3:09 remaining in regulation to rally Robert Morris to a tie against No. 5/6 Mercyhurst Saturday in each team’s regular-season finale … Robert Morris was often down in Saturday’s contest, but it proved it was never out. Mercyhurst opened up a two-goal lead within the first 10 minutes and also led 3-1 late in the second period, but the Colonials orchestrated a multi-goal comeback to draw even … Newsom had also provided an assist on RMU’s third goal, notching her second multi-point game of the season, the eighth of her career and her first ever in CHA play … Saturday’s game marked the second time in the last three meetings between these teams in which Robert Morris produced a late rally to earn at least one point. The Colonials again proved they could match up with one of the nation’s top teams as the shot count was nearly identical. In fact, RMU’s 36 shots Saturday were the most the Lakers have allowed to a CHA opponent since Robert Morris began its women’s program … Sophomore Thea Imbrogno (Etobicoke, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) matched Newsom’s multi-point effort with a goal and an assist. With the pair of points, she moved into sole possession of second place in single-season points at RMU and also moved into a tie for second in single-season assists. It marked the 10th multi-point game of the season for Imbrogno and the 17th of her career … Freshman Rebecca Vint (Caledon, Ontario / Brampton Junior Thunder) joined Newsom and Imbrogno by also tallying a goal and an assist. Vint’s 13th multi-point game of the season extended her single-season school records in points (42), goals (21) and assists (21) … While RMU put up four scores, it may not have come away with a point had it not gone a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill against the nation’s best power play … In its road finale Friday, RMU dropped a 3-0 decision to the Lakers to open the series as the hosts scored a pair of power-play goals.

SYRACUSE: The Syracuse ice hockey team (9-20-3, 0-7-3 CHA) went 0-2-0 at No. 5/4 Mercyhurst two weeks ago, dropping a 6-2 game on Friday before the Lakers completed the sweep with a 3-1 win on Saturday afternoon … On Friday, Brittney Krebs scored her first collegiate goal for the Orange and Kallie Billadeau made 37 saves in goal, but could not overcome a 4-0 second period deficit … Margot Scharfe also scored for SU on Friday with her 12th goal of the season … Scharfe is tied for 10th in the conference with 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) this season, and tied for seventh in goals … The Lakers continued to pepper Billadeau in the second game of the series on Saturday as the SU sophomore goaltender made 44 saves, but Mercyhurst scored early in the first period and late in the third to down SU, 3-1 … Holly Carrie-Mattimoe scored her team-leading 13th goal of the season for the Orange … Carrie-Mattimoe is tied for the team points lead with Scharfe (13 goals, 10 assists, 23 points) …  The Orange’s seven freshmen (Jordyn Burns, Darkangelo, Nicole Ferrara, Goodnough, Casey Hirsch, Julie Knerr and Allie LaCombe) have 81 of SU’s 192 points (42.2%) … Syracuse has won 51% of its faceoffs taken this season (953-of-1871), led by Darkangelo’s 55% performance (322-of-588) … The Orange heads to Niagara for the final two games of the regular season this weekend … With a sweep, Syracuse would secure to No. 3 seed in next weekend’s CHA Tournament.

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