Rachel Griepsma

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Lisett Calderon (So., Chicago, Ill./Fenwick) earned Player of the Game honors for recording six goals as Mercyhurst College handled Gannon University 16-6 in the third round of the 2011 CWPA Women's Eastern Championship at Indiana University's Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

The loss finishes Gannon's participation in the championship as the Golden Knights finish 11th in the 11-team bracket.  Mercyhurst will meet Brown University at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 1 with the winner of the Lakers-Bears game placing ninth and the loser finishing 10th in the final tournament standings.

For Gannon the opening moments of the game were deceiving as the Golden Knights ran out to a 3-0 lead in the first period courtesy a natural marker by Kelly Steininger (So., Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) at 3:58 along with a five-meter penalty shot and an even-strength marker by Molly Andrews (Jr., Tustin, Calif./Tustin) at 3:14 and 1:28, respectively.

The lead was erased in less than four minutes during the second period as Calderon started a nine-goal barrage by Mercyhurst to turn the tide of the game in a hurry.

Calderon opened the scoring for the Lakers at 5:57 to register the first of five goals she would bury in the period.  Following even-strength and man-up goals by Laura Perez (Jr., Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) at 4:47 and 4:10 to tie the game at 3-3, Calderon put Mercyhurst in front to stay with her second score of the period at 3:43. 

Rebecca Wright (Fr., Lindsay, Ontario/Lindsay Collegiate) and Calderon proceeded to take turns scoring as Wright connected on shots at 3:11 and 1:37, while Calderon finished passes at 2:39, 1:14 and 39 seconds to make it a 9-3 game prior to the halftime intermission.

The margin expanded to seven goals in the dawning moments of the third period as Rachel Griepsma (Sr., Lindsay, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas) converted on a scoring opportunity before Gannon responded to end the run.

Steininger found the back of the cage a 1:35 to make it 10-4, but the Lakers were not done puncturing the netting. Kimberly Goodhart (Jr., Reading, Pa./Reading) and Griepsma chipped in skipshots at 1:22 and five seconds, while Griepsma also added a power-play goal with 35 seconds left in the period to make it a 13-4 game through three periods of play.

Mercyyhurst expanded the lead to 15-4 before the midway point of the fourth period as Wright contributed her third and fourth good shots of the early evening (6:19, 4:57).

Following a man-up goal by Emily Sullivan (Fr., Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) to move the Golden Knights back to within 10 of the Lakers at 15-5 with 4:25 to play, Calderon completed her six marker day with a low shot that sailed just inside the left post for the Lakers' final goal of the day.

Sullivan finished out the scoring at 1:58 with her second man-up goal in approximately 2 1/2 minutes for the 16-6 final score. 

In goal, Hope Rozelle (Jr., San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) made nine saves to pick up the victory for Mercyhurst. Gannon split time in cage between Libbie Guina (Jr., Houston, Texas/Clear Brook) and Janelle Bartman (So., Darien, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) as the duo combined for seven stops.

Mercyhurst Goals: Lisett Calderon (6); Rebecca Wright (4); Rachel Griepsma (3); Laura Perez (2); Kimberly Goodhart

Gannon Goals: Emily Sullivan (2); Kelly Steininger (2); Colleen Harriger; Molly Andrews

Saves: Mercyhurst - Hope Rozelle (9) ; Gannon - Libbie Guina (2, 16 minutes), Janelle Bartman (5, 16 minutes)

Exclusions: Mercyhurst - 9 ; Gannon - 10

Advantage Opportunities:  Mercyhurst - 3-for-10 ; Gannon - 2-for-9

Sprints: Mercyhurst - 3-for-4 ; Gannon - 1-for-4

Cards: None

Officials: Humberto Navarro, Eddie Ajuz