MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU women's hockey team continues its six-game homestand this weekend, welcoming Mercyhurst to the Clearview Arena for a two-game Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) series. The opener is scheduled for Friday, November 7 at 3:00 PM, with the series concluding on Saturday, November 8 at 3:00 PM. Both contests will stream live on FloHockey, featuring play-by-play from Gero von Dehn and analysis from Bob Kennedy.
RMU LATELY
RMU (5-7-0, 3-3-0 AHA) looks to bounce back after a tough weekend against No. 6 Penn State, dropping both matchups by identical 4-0 scores. Despite the results, the Colonials received strong performances in net. Senior
Maggie Hatch stopped 34 shots in the opener, while sophomore
Lucy Phillips posted a season–high 42 saves in game two.
Through 12 games, sophomore forward
Jessica MacKinnon has paced the offense and remains one of the top point–producers in the conference. She leads RMU in goals (5), assists (8) and points (13), while also carrying a team–best +7 rating and two game-winning goals.
Morgan Giannone and
Alaina Giampietro have also been consistent scoring threats with five goals apiece.
On the blue line,
Shayne Desjardins delivered a standout defensive effort against Penn State, blocking 18 shots in the series alone. She now sits at 45 blocks on the season. In goal, Hatch has earned three wins, including a shutout, and holds a .920 save percentage. Phillips owns two wins with one shutout to go along with a .911 save percentage.
MILESTONE WATCH
Two veteran forwards are closing in on career scoring milestones this weekend. Giannone, from Oakville, Ontario, enters the series with 48 career points on 24 goals and 24 assists. Giampietro, a Strongsville, Ohio native, follows closely with 46 career points, including 27 goals and 19 assists. Both could reach the 50–point plateau during the homestand.
ALL–TIME VS. MERCYHURST
The longtime AHA foes meet again with RMU looking to shift momentum in the series. The Colonials are 22-58-5 all–time against Mercyhurst since their first meeting in 2005. The Lakers claimed all four matchups last season, but the programs split the 2023–24 series with two wins each. A notable highlight in recent history came during the 2023–24 postseason, when Hatch recorded her first career playoff shutout with a 36–save performance in Erie.
SCOUTING THE LAKERS
Mercyhurst (5-6-1, 2-2-0 AHA) enters the weekend riding the wave of a sweep over Delaware by scores of 3-2 (OT) and 4-0. The Lakers are currently receiving votes in the CollegeHockeyInc. and USCHO national polls.
Redshirt freshman Julia Perjus has powered the offense early, leading the Lakers with seven goals, two game–winners and nine points. First–year forward Nayeon Kim has sparked Mercyhurst's playmaking game, registering a team–high seven assists, while Perjus, Kim, and Sofia Nuutinen share the team lead at +6. Defensively, Makayla Javier and Abby Poitras have each posted 27 blocked shots. Sophomore Magdalena Luggin has been the primary starter in net, recording three wins and a shutout with a .913 save percentage. Freshman Tara Bach in limited action has secured two shutouts in three starts with a .930 save percentage.
UP NEXT
RMU wraps up its homestand next weekend with a non–conference series against RPI. Game one is scheduled for Friday, November 14, followed by game two on Saturday, November 15. Both games are set for 3:00 PM and will be streamed live on FloHockey.
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