ERIE, Pa. - The Robert Morris University women's hockey team erased deficits of 3-0 and 5-3 Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Ice Center to earn a point and a 5-5 draw against the Lakers.

The draw moves them to 16-10-4 overall, as well as 10-4-2 in CHA play.

Natalie Marcuzzi posted a career-best four point night, scoring twice and adding a pair of assists.  Jaycee Gebhard also had a pair of helpers, while Lexi Templeman, Anjelica Diffendal, and Michaela Boyle recorded goals.

Arielle DeSmet made 28 saves in relief of Raygan Kirk between the pipes for RMU.

Another slow start in Erie had the Colonials fighting an uphill battle almost from the drop of the puck Saturday, as RMU conceded three goals over the opening frame to put themselves firmly behind the eight-ball at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

Maggie Knott picked up right where she left off on Friday, burying her second goal of the series just 3:14 into the opening period, taking advantage of a Boyle interference minor to bury the opening goal on the man advantage off a nice feed from K.K. Thiessen.

The Colonials nearly evened it up on their own power play 90 seconds later, however efforts from Templeman and Gebhard missed their mark.  A big block by Sam Isbell on a Curlett slapper towards the end of the power play kept it 1-0.

Isbell doubled up the Laker lead halfway through the period, getting loose behind the Robert Morris defense and fishing off a quick shot on a breakaway past Kirk to make it a 2-0 advantage for the Lakers, leading to a goalie swap for RMU that saw Arielle DeSmet take over between the pipes.

The Colonials searched for a foothold to begin the comeback, however minors on Curlett and Boyle kept them on the penalty kill and prevented them from establishing any consistent forecheck.

A rough first got even worse for RMU as Summer-Rae Dobson made it 3-0 with 31 seconds left in the opening frame to give the Lakers a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the locker rooms.

Mercyhurst kept the pressure up to start the second, peppering DeSmet with successive chances from Michele Robillard and Knot off of an offensive zone draw.

Searching desperately for a response, RMU finally started to chip away at the lead six minutes into the second after Diffendal potted her seventh goal of the year, finishing off a Marcuzzi feed to beat Jenna Silvonen and cut the Mercyhurst advantage to 3-1.

Marcuzzi's career day continued on the very next shift, as the senior broke into the zone off the face-off and beat Silvonen to make it a one goal game.

After facing a seemingly insurmountable gap in the first, RMU suddenly found themselves with all the momentum as things neared the halfway point of the game. That momentum included an all-out commitment on defense, as Diffendal and Curlett came up with big shot blocks on an extended shift in the defensive zone.

Mercyhurst would gain back some breathing room after Dobson scored her second of the game on the power play, however the Colonials continued to fight back.  A late goal by Templeman with under a minute left in the second made it 4-3 and set up a do-or-die scenario as the Colonials entered the final frame.

It would have been easy to fold after a fifth Mercyhurst goal made it a two goal game once again 1:52 into the third, however RMU buckled down and kept pushing, needing a pair to have a shot at overtime and earning at least a point.

A big face-off win by Gebhard in the offensive zone set up a chance for Marcuzzi, who put her initial shot wide before collecting the loose puck and stashing it behind Silvonen to once again make it a one-goal gap.

With both teams desperate for a goal, emotions started to boil over as the physicality ramped up.  A major penalty and game misconduct on Rachel Marmen on a check from behind to Templeman gave RMU one final, golden opportunity to equalize.

It would be all the Colonials needed.  Boyle's eleventh power play goal sent the game into overtime as RMU finally completed the comeback they had been chancing since the first period.

Both squads would get a chance to win it on the man advantage in overtime, however neither could cash in.   The Lakers survived a Knott tripping minor, while RMU was forced into desperation to keep the puck out in the dying moments of the game after a Boyle body contact minor put them down a man in the final seconds.

A few big shot blocks and a desperation save from DeSmet helped Robert Morris hang on and come away with a point.