Eleven games into the season the Mercyhurst Lakers are 5-6-0 (CHA 5-2-0). They are 25th in goals for per game, at 2.18, and are 6th worst in goals against per game, averaging 3.45 against. The power play is 21st in the nation at 16.07%, and the penalty kill hovers around 80%. They sit atop the CHA rankings, leading by a point over Robert Morris and having played one more game than Robert Morris as well.
Last year the Lakers averaged 2.54 goals per game, 2.00 against, had a power play of 12.82%, and the penalty kill came in at 86.78%.
Whether it's too early to compare stats like the above to last year, I really don't know. But I do know that coming into this weekend the Lakers had won five out of their last six, and if they swept the 1-6-1 Lindenwood Lions on the road, they probably would have been ranked tenth in the country, possibly helped their pairwise ranking, and definitely would have brought momentum into next week's non conference match up versus #6 Cornell.
The Lakers dropped game one against the Lions though, and so the outlook changes. Today they will work to earn a split and bring home two league points from the weekend. If the Lakers can earn a split, their road trip to Lindenwood will have gotten the same results as last year's.
Last year the Lakers dropped game one 3-2, then demolished Lindenwood 6-1 the next day. Over four games last year the Lakers outscored Lindenwood 16-5. It's that goal differential that suggests the Lakers really are the better team. Watching yesterday though, it wasn't the case. The shots were in Mercyhurst's favor, but Lindenwood scored on their chances when the Lakers did not. The Lakers failed to keep former Mercyhurst player Nicole Guagliardo off the scoresheet. She had a goal and an assist, playing an inspired game, that included one play where she skated through several Hurst players and getting yet another scoring chance.
In the first period the Lakers controlled the play, outshooting Lindenwood 13-8, but also appeared satisfied with just keeping the puck in the Lions zone, at a ho hum pace of play. When Guagliardo got the go ahead goal for Lindenwood, I thought it might spark the pace of play to a level Lindenwood couldn't maintain. To no avail. In the second period some sloppy play in the Lions zone led to a Lions two on one and goal. At that point it's a two nothing deficit against a team with a capable goalie, on the road, without your leading goal scorer. The Lakers could not dig their way out and fell to 3-1 in the third, and 4-1 with the eventual empty net goal.
It was a bad outing for the Lakers, and all they can do is move forward. Inconsistent play is a feature of college hockey (it is even a feature of NHL hockey). But good teams are consistent at playing near the top of their ability game in and game out, and the more consistent you are at that, the closer you get to great.
In thinking of teams that are ranked in the top ten, one can think they destroy the best teams week in and week out. They don't, really. Mostly, good teams show up and beat most the teams that are on their schedule, regardless of circumstances. The Lakers are still learning how to do that.
The Lions and Lakers meet again today at 1:30. Yesterday Laker fans were hoping for a departure from last year's result of a split. Today, we'd be happy to get one.
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