NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Holy Cross women's hockey defeated Merrimack 4-2 Friday evening to earn its fourth straight win over the Warriors.

The Crusaders saw four different players, and three defensemen, score goals on the night. Mary Edmonds, Antonia Matzka, and Emma Lange all picked up their first goals of the season, while Kailey Langefels scored her second.

Holy Cross controlled a good portion of the game as they only allowed 19 shots on goal, outshooting Merrimack 27-19. After allowing the Warriors 10 shots in the opening frame, the Crusaders would only all nine more for the remainder of the game.

Jada Brenon played well, stopping 17 shots and making a few big saves along the way. None were bigger than when she denied the Warriors' Courtney Maud with two minutes remaining. There seemed to be an open net for the Merrimack senior, but Brenon was able to get her right pad just high enough to preserve the 3-2 lead. Lange scored shortly thereafter to seal the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
1-0 HC (1^st, 4:37, EV): Early in the first, Langefels took the puck in her defensive zone and brought it all the way to the other end. She used a bit of traffic to beat the Warrior netminder for her second goal of the season.
1-1 MC (1^st, 11:34, EV): Merrimack's Megan Ferguson tied the game midway through the first.
2-1 HC (1^st, 15:26, PP): Edmonds scored the Crusaders' first power play goal of the season when she was able to flick one in from the slot.
2-2 MC (1^st, 16:49, EV): Just over a minute later the Warriors tied the game again, this time thanks to Sam Lessick.
3-2 HC (2^nd, 19:29, EV): Matzka gave Holy Cross the lead with seconds remaining in the second period when she sent in a wrist shot from just above the left faceoff circle.
4-2 HC (3^rd, 19:24, EN): Lange secured the win with a strike from the center line that found its way into the empty net.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Bailey Bennett, Bryn Saarela, Allison Attea, Mille Sirum, and Lilly Feeney all recorded assists on the night.
• Brenon also picked up an assist on Langefels goal, the first of the junior goaltender's collegiate career.
• Head coach Katie Lachapelle missed tonight's game due to an inconclusive test result. Per the Hockey East Return to Play Protocol Manual, she was not allowed to be on the bench due to a third negative result on the week not being able to be confirmed in time. Associate head coach Meredith Roth served as the acting head coach. Additional testing will take place with the hope of clearing Lachapelle to return for Saturday's game.

UP NEXT:
Holy Cross hosts Merrimack tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m., for the second game of the home-and-home series.