ERIE, PA. - Lindenwood Women's Hockey bounced back from Friday night's loss defeating the Mercyhurst Lakers by a final score of 5-2. 11 different skaters picked up at least one point in the victory on Saturday afternoon as the Lions were led offensively by Michaela Paulinyova and Ellie Muscedere who each scored one goal and added an assist in the contest. 

Lindenwood wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the first period as the Lions scored 18 seconds into the game on Quinlyn Borner's first career goal. Off the opening faceoff, Grace Rentmeester controlled the puck along the left side boards in the nuetral zone and was able to get around the Laker defender. As Rentmeester was approaching the Laker goaltender, she sent a centering pass to Borner who was gliding down the ice all by herself. Borner gathered the puck and fired a wrist shot into the back of the net to give LU the early 1-0 advantage. The lead would not last for very long however as Mercyhurst scored immediately following the goal scored by Borner to tie the game at one. 

Later in the first, Lindenwood grabbed the lead again by scoring two goals over the final 10 minutes of the opening period. Ellie Muscedere gave the Lions the lead back off assists from Silje Gundersen and Michaela Paulinyova as Paulinyova was able to send a pass through the middle of the Laker defensive zone that found Muscedere who was all alone near the left faceoff circle. Muscedere beat the Laker goaltender to the far right post to give Lindenwood a 2-1 lead with 10:06 to go. A few minutes later, Tatiana Blichova won a faceoff in the Mercyhurst defensive zone that went off the stick of Zsofia Pazmandi. Blichova gathered the puck in traffic and found Paulinyova in the middle of the ice to put Lindenwood up by two at 3-1. The lead lasted for the remainder of the period as the Lions recorded 12 shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes of play. Silje Gundersen led the Lions in the shots on goal department with three. 

The second period saw Mercyhurst score the lone goal of the period on the power play to cut the deficit to one at 3-2 with 15:33 to go. The Lakers headed back to the power play later in the period, but Lindenwood was able to kill off the penalty to hold on to their one goal lead after Tatiana Blichova and Pusle Dyring-Andersen had two key blocks during the Laker power play. Despite only having five shots in the period, Lexington Secreto came through for Lindenwood making 14 saves including 11 in a row to end the frame. Molly Henderson put the Lions up by two as she scored on a rebound off the stick of Dyring-Andersen in the third period, and Hannah Dods added an empty net goal with 1:23 to go to solidify Lindenwood's sixth win of the season and fourth win in the AHA. 

The Lions will be back in action after the new year when they will host Mercyhurst on January 2 and 3 at Centene Community Ice Center. Lindenwood is currently in fifth place in the AHA with 12 games remaining in the regular season.