ERIE, Pa. – The Saint Anselm College women's ice hockey team was blanked by Mercyhurst University, 3-0, in its season-opening contest.

The Hawks move to 0-1-0 on the young season while the Lakers, who are receiving votes in both the USCHO.com and USA Hockey national polls, go to 1-0-0. The teams will conclude their two-game series on Saturday, Sept. 24 from Erie, Pa. The opening puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Senior alternate captain Allie Kelley (East Berne, N.Y.) turned aside 36 of 39 shots on goal for the Hawks while Ena Nystrøm stopped all 13 shots on goal she faced in the net for Mercyhurst.

Mercyhurst wasted no time getting on the board as Liliane Perreault found the back of the net just 2:03 into play when she fired a wrist shot that beat Kelley from the right faceoff circle into the left half of the goal.

Saint Anselm responded with a pair of shots less than a minute later as junior Brinna Martin (St. Michael, Minn.) fired a shot that went just wide of the net in a two-on-one. Sophomore Tyra Turner (Andover, Minn.) managed to keep the puck in the attacking end and drove to the goal, putting a shot on Nystrøm that was turned aside.

In the opening 20 minutes of play, the Lakers held a 12-3 edge in shots on goal.

Mercyhurst added a pair of goals in the second period that were just 32 seconds apart as Kylee Mahoney netted the second goal of the tilt before Vanessa Upson pushed the score to 3-0 at 6:58 of the second period.

Freshman Brooklyn Pancoast (Helena, Mont.) fired a team-high two shots on goal in the second frame but Mercyhurst held a 15-5 advantage in shots on goal in the period.

Neither squad managed to find the twine in the final period as Kelley stopped all 12 Lakers shots on goal. Nystrøm answered with five saves in the third frame to post her 13-save shutout.

Junior Claire Weber (Marshfield, Mass.) led the Hawks with two shots on goal in the third period. Turner closed the contest with a team-high three shots on target.

Saint Anselm was scoreless in six power play chances while the Lakers did not convert on either of their two power play opportunities.

Freshman Ella Ridge (Chicago, Ill.) and Pancoast made their collegiate debuts in the season opener.