2011–12 CHA women's ice hockey season

The 2011–12 College Hockey America women's ice hockey season marked the continuation of the annual tradition of competitive ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

among College Hockey America

College Hockey America

College Hockey America is a women's college ice hockey conference in the United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The conference is currently made up of four women's teams in New York and Pennsylvania....

members.

Offseason

May 27: CHA member Wayne State University have announced that sponsorship of the women's ice hockey program has been dissolved. The decision was attributed due to continuing reductions in the state of Michigan appropriations for higher education. The Wayne State Warriors
Wayne State Warriors
The Wayne State Warriors are the represent Wayne State University, located in Detroit, Michigan. The university is a member of the NCAA at the Division II level, WSU competes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for all sports except fencing, which competes in the Midwest...

recorded an all-time CHA mark of 48-59-7 (.452) in nine seasons, tying for the CHA regular-season title in 2007-08.
June 13: Mercyhurst Lakers assistant coach Paul Colontino has left the club to become head coach of the Robert Morris Colonials. He is the third head coach in Colonials history, after the resignation of Nate Handrahan, who left to assume the head coaching position at Ohio State.
Sept. 6: Robert DeGregorio, Commissioner for College Hockey America (CHA), announced that the Penn State Nittany Lions have been accepted into the CHA. The Nittany Lions will officially join the conference starting with the 2012-13 season.

Wayne State transfers

Player	Position	New team
Gina Buquet	Forward	Mercyhurst Lakers
Cari Coen	Forward/Defense	St. Cloud State Huskies
Jill Szandzik	Defense	Mercyhurst Lakers

CIS

Date	CHA team	Opponent	Location	Time	Score	Lakers scorers
9/17/2011	Mercyhurst	Wilfrid Laurier University (Exhibition)	Erie, Pa.	4 p.m.	10-2	Bailey Bram (3), Kristine Grenier (3), Shelby Bram, Christine Bestland, Gina Buquet, Candice Styles

September 17, 2011: Senior Bailey Bram registered a hat trick to go with her three assists, as the Lakers trounced the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's ice hockey
Laurier Golden Hawks women's ice hockey
The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's hockey team represented Wilfrid Laurier University in Canadian Interuniversity Sport. The Golden Hawks play their home games at Sunlife Financial Arena and are a a member of the Ontario University Athletics conference....

program by a 10-2 tally. Her sister, Shelby Bram scored one goal while freshman Kristine Grenier also registered a hat trick in the match. Kelley Steadman
Kelley Steadman
Kelley Steadman is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She play also for the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockeyprogram.-Playing career:...

contributed with four assists.

PWHL

Date	CHA team	Opponent	Location	Time	Score	Lakers scorers
9/24/2011	Mercyhurst	Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres	Erie, Pa.	4 p.m.	6-0	Kelley Steadman, Christine Bestland, Christie Cicero, Jess Jones, Caroline Luczak, Kristine Grenier
9/25/2011	Mercyhurst	Toronto Jr. Aeros	Erie, Pa.	12 p.m.	5-1	Caroline Luczak, Shelby Bram, Christine Bestland, Kelley Steadman, Christie Cicero

September 24, 2011: Sophomore Christine Bestland notched five points as the Lakers defeated the Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres of the PWHL by a 6-0 score. The Lakers scored four goals within a five and a half minute time span late in the second period.
September 25, 2011: Freshman Caroline Luczak notched a goal, while registering three assists as the Lakers defeated the Toronto Jr. Aeros of the PWHL
Provincial Women's Hockey League
The Provincial Women's Hockey League is an amateur women's ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada that was founded in 2004. It is considered to be the highest level of young women's amateur ice hockey in Ontario, and is sanctioned by Hockey Canada and the Ontario Women's Hockey Association.-Teams...

.

September

September 14: The Lindenwood Lady Lions ice hockey
Lindenwood Lady Lions ice hockey
The Lindenwood Lady Lions women's ice hockey team represents Lindenwood University located in St. Charles, Missouri. The Lady Lions currently participate in the NCAA Division I competition as of the 2011-12 season with no conference affiliation, making the program one of two Independent NCAA...

program officially submitted an application to join College Hockey America
College Hockey America
College Hockey America is a women's college ice hockey conference in the United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The conference is currently made up of four women's teams in New York and Pennsylvania....

(CHA) for the 2012–2013 season.
In the Mercyhurst Lakers season opener on September 30, 2011, Bestland was named the game's First Star in a 4-0 shutout over the nationally ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats. Bailey Bram scored the game winning goal (it was the 61st goal of her career). Goaltender Hillary Pattenden earned her 13th career shutout (and 81st career win) while Bailey Bram scored the game winning goal.

October

October 1, 2011: Bailey Bram played in her 100th career game for the Mercyhurst Lakers. Bram would be held pointless as the Lakers would lose the game by a 1-0 tally to Quinnipiac. It was Quinnipiac's first victory over Mercyhurst in twelve regular season matches.
October 7-8: Robert Morris freshman Katie Fergus accumulated three points in her NCAA debut with one goal and two assists. Against the Lindenwood Lions, she got her first-collegiate point fewer than nine minutes into the opening period. Later in the game, she scored her fist goal as the Colonials were on the penalty kill. In the second game versus Lindenwood, she earned her first multi-goal game. Fergus became one of just two freshmen in Colonials history to register multi-point performances in the first two games of a season. Fergus finished the series versus Lindenwood by scoring three goals and two assists five points. In addition, she had eight shots to complement a +5 plus/minus.
October 8, 2011: Brianna Delaney registered the sixth three-point game of her career at Robert Morris. With the achievement, she tied the Colonials all-time record for career points. The 24th-career multi-point game of her career increased her point total to 97. The total now equals the record that Sara O'Malley set during the 2010-11 campaign.
October 27-28: The series versus the Lindenwood Lady Lions ice hockey
Lindenwood Lady Lions ice hockey
The Lindenwood Lady Lions women's ice hockey team represents Lindenwood University located in St. Charles, Missouri. The Lady Lions currently participate in the NCAA Division I competition as of the 2011-12 season with no conference affiliation, making the program one of two Independent NCAA...

program marked the first time that Lindenwood hosted an NCAA Division I opponent in their home arena. Mercyhurst would win the October 28 match by a 7-0 tally, in which Lakers freshman Shelby Bram would score her first career NCAA goal. The October 29 contest saw Mercyhurst emerge as the victor in a 14-0 whitewash. Kelley Steadman
Kelley Steadman
Kelley Steadman is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She play also for the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockeyprogram.-Playing career:...

would score four goals and notch an assist, while Jess Jones would earn a hat trick. The Bram sisters (Shelby and Bailey) each earned two goals.

Players of the week

Week	Player of the week
October 3	Jenna Hendrikx, Niagara
October 10	Christine Bestland, Mercyhurst
October 17	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst
October 24	Rebecca Vint, Robert Morris
October 31	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst
November 7	Erica Owczarczak, Niagara
November 14	Kylie St. Louis, Robert Morris Kelsey Thomas, Robert Morris
November 21	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst
November 28	Christine Bestland Christine Bestland Christine Bestland is an ice hockey player for the Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey program. Prior to Mercyurst, Bestland was involved with Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence.-Playing career:... , Mercyhurst
December 5
December 12

Defensive players of the week

Week	Player of the week
October 3	Hillary Pattenden, Mercyhurst
October 10	Kallie Billadeau, Syracuse
October 17	Hillary Pattenden, Mercyhurst
October 24	Abby Ryplanski, Niagara
October 31	Kallie Billadeau, Syracuse
November 7	Abby Ryplanski, Niagara
November 14	Courtney Vinet, Robert Morris
November 21	Sarah Moses, Niagara
November 28	Kristin DiCiocco, Robert Morris
December 5
December 12

Rookies of the week

Week	Player of the week
October 3	Delaney Middlebrook, Niagara
October 10	Katie Fergus, Robert Morris
October 17	Rebecca Vint, Robert Morris
October 24	Allie LaCombe, Syracuse
October 31	Shelby Bram, Mercyhurst
November 7	Kalli Funk, Niagara
November 14	Courtney Vinet, Robert Morris
November 21	Molly Byrne, Mercyhurst
November 28	Shelby Bram, Mercyhurst
December 5
December 12

Player of the month

Month	Player of the month
October 2011	Bailey Bram, Mercyhurst Lakers Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey The Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey team is the hockey team that represents the Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania. The program started in 1999 and Michael Sisti has been the only coach in the history of the program. From 2000 to 2002, the Lakers were part of the Great Lakes Women's...

Defensive Player of the month

Month	Player of the month
October 2011	Hillary Pattenden, Mercyhurst

Rookie of the month

Month	Player of the month
October 2011	Rebecca Vint, Robert Morris Colonials