SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — The Union College women's hockey team heads on the road to Erie this weekend to take on Mercyhurst University in a non-conference matchup.

About the Dutchwomen:

• Union had off last weekend, after tieing with in-state opponent RIT by a 2-2 tally on Tuesday, November 19.
• In the tie to RIT, senior Megan Ryan scored her first of the season to start the game off, and first-year Carmen Merlo scored the first of her career on a breakaway. RIT scored twice after the two Union goals to make it a tie game.
• Union split its last weekend series, falling to Princeton 7-2 on Friday, 11/15, and earned their first win over Quinnipiac in team history by a 4-2 tally on Saturday 11/16 at Messa Rink.
• In the loss to Princeton, sophomores Grace Heiting and Katie Sonntag scored for the Dutchwomen, with Heiting's goal being the only goal in the first period. First-year goaltender Bella McKee saved 36 shots on goal.
• The Dutchwomen started Saturday's game strong as well, scoring the only goals of the first and second periods, courtesy of Sonntag and a short-handed goal from senior Cheyenne Harris. Harris' goal was her first of the season.
• While the Bobcats scored two goals in the third, two empty-net goals scored by seniors Rachel de Perio and Katelynn Russ secured the win for the Dutchwomen.
• McKee saved 38 shots on Saturday to earn her first career win at Messa Rink.
• With the tie with RIT, the Dutchwomen currently have a 2-9-2 (.231) overall record on the season, and sit at eighth in ECAC Hockey with a 2-3-0 (.400) record against conference foes.

About the Lakers:

• The Lakers were also off last weekend before hosting Union. Their last game action was a weekend series at #5 Clarkson in Potsdam. They lost both games in the series by a combined score of 6-2.
• Mercyhurst is led in scoring by a pair of seniors. Emma Nuutinen leads the team in goals (9) and points (18), while Sam Isbell leads in assists (12).
• Goaltending duties for the Lakers have mainly belonged to junior Kennedy Blair, who has started 12 games this season. Freshman Jenna Silvonen has seen action in two games in relief for Blair.
• Mercyhurst is currently undefeated at home so far, posting a 6-0-0 record at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. 
• With their undefeated record in conference play, the Lakers sit at first place in the CHA, tied with Robert Morris. The overall record for the Lakers currently sits at 7-4-1 (.625).

The Series with Mercyhurst:

• Friday's meeting between Union and Mercyhurst is the 3rd all-time meeting between the two foes, with Union sitting at 0-2-0 historically.
• The two teams last played last season on November 26, 2018, where Union took a 5-2 loss here in Schenectady.

Milestone Watch:

• Russ is one point away from hitting 50 points for her career, after scoring a goal in the win over Quinnipiac. Russ has played in 113 games in her career for Union.
• Senior Haley Shugart played in her 100th career game versus Quinnipiac.

Warning, Tough Road Ahead:

• ECAC foes Cornell, Clarkson, and Princeton are all in the top-10 in votes for the current USCHO.com poll.
• The next time the Dutchwomen will face an ECAC Conference opponent will be on December 6th and 7th, which is a road trip to Saint Lawrence and Clarkson.
• Harvard is also receiving votes in the current edition of the poll, with 10.

Welcome to the Show:

• Merlo, Leah Herrfort, Emily King, and Emma Michalicka join the pack of forwards that return a core group from last year. Olivia Groulx adds to the defense corps, and McKee adds experience to the crease for the Dutchwomen.
• All six first-year players have seen a significant amount of action, and Groulx, Herrfort, Merlo, and King have already scored their first career goals.