On Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Ice Center, the Penn State women’s hockey squad suffered a 3-0 defeat against RV Mercyhurst in Atlantic Hockey America action, which brought their eight-game winning streak to a close.
- First-year goaltender Morgan Stickney stopped 18 shots in the loss, matching Mercyhurst goaltender Lexington Secreto save-for-save.
- Shot Volume Shifts: Mercyhurst outshot Penn State 21-18, marking the first time the Nittany Lions were outshot since Syracuse managed a 30-21 edge on Oct. 10.
- Special Teams Discrepancy: Penn State failed to convert on a crucial five-minute power play in the third period as Secreto turned aside all three shots on goal.
Penn State successfully killed off an interference penalty midway through the first period to keep the game scoreless. Mercyhurst broke the deadlock when Henlee Mahoney opened the scoring with just over two minutes left in the opening frame, giving the Lakers a 1-0 lead and an 8-7 advantage in shots on goal heading into the first intermission.
During the first 10 minutes of the second period, rookie netminder Morgan Stickney turned away five shots to ensure Penn State remained within striking distance. After a period of 4-on-4 action, Sophie Erlam of Mercyhurst capitalized on a power play at 16:36 of the second frame to push the advantage to 2-0. The Lakers outshot the Nittany Lions 9-4 in the middle frame.
Penn State killed off another interference penalty early in the third period, during which junior captain Grace Outwater put a shorthanded shot on goal. Mercyhurst goaltender Lexington Secreto stopped all three Penn State shots during a five-minute power play opportunity for the Nittany Lions.
| Period | Mercyhurst Shots | Penn State Shots | Goals (Mercyhurst) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 2nd | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 3rd | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| Total | 21 | 18 | 3 |
Mercyhurst’s Mariia Polozkova added an empty-net power-play goal at 18:19 of the third period to seal the 3-0 win. Penn State outshot Mercyhurst 7-4 in the final period, but Secreto and Stickney finished with 18 saves apiece.
The defeat snaps Penn State’s eight-game winning streak. It also marks the first time the Nittany Lions have been shut out since a 2-0 loss to No. 11/12 Cornell at the Ice Breaker Tournament during the 2024-25 season.
Penn State’s previous loss to Mercyhurst was a 4-3 overtime defeat in Erie on Jan. 10, 2026. Its previous regulation loss to the Lakers was a 3-2 home defeat on Feb. 9, 2025.
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