The Mercyhurst Lakers made it to the 2025 AHA Championship but fell to Penn State University in the Championship Finals for the third consecutive season. The team did not qualify for the 2025 NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year.
This was head coach Michael Sisti's 26th season. He signed a contract extension on September 27, 2024. At the time of the signing, Sisti had the second most wins among Division I coaches, with 570 wins.
Alexandria Weiss and Scott Spencer were added to the coaching staff as assistant coaches, joining Trey Flesch. Spencer was most recently the Head Coach of the Chinese Women's National Team and has won two gold medals with the Chinese hockey program. He was previously an assistant coach with Mercyhurst most recently in the 2021–22 season. Weiss is a former Laker defenseman who spent four years with the Lakers before transferring to Syracuse University for her final year.
Vanessa Upson, a senior, was named the captain for the season. She served as an assistant captain for the previous two seasons and was named the national rookie of the year in the 2021–2022 season. Megan McKay and Sydney Pedersen join Mary Kromer as assistant captains.
This was the first season the Lakers played in the newly formed Atlantic Hockey Association. In the preseason poll, the Lakers were voted to finish second in the AHA.
Departures Departed players from the previous season. Player Position Nationality Reason Sara Boucher Forward Graduate transfer to University of New Hampshire Olivia Cvar Forward Graduation Sami Gendron Defense Transfer to Syracuse University Riley Johnson Forward Transfer to Adrian College Grace Nelles Forward Graduate transfer to University of Vermont Sofia Skriver Forward Joined SHL Ena Nystrøm Goaltender Graduation (joined SDHL)
Incoming
Player Position Nationality Notes Ashley Mandeville Defense Played with Bishop Kearny Selects Julia Schalin Forward Played with Kiekko-Espoo of Auroraliiga Julia Perjus Forward Played with MoDo Hockey of the SDHL Regina Metzler Forward Played with the Hungarian National Team Jorden Mattison Goaltender Graduate transfer from University of Maine Magdalena Luggin Goaltender Played with the Austrian National Team Avery Norman Forward Captain of the Nepean Wildcats
Standings
Roster
As of June 28, 2026
Schedule As part of the agreement between the AHA and FloSports, conference games were streamed on on the FloHockey platform.
!colspan=12 style=""| Exhibition
!colspan=12 style=""| Regular Season
!colspan=12 style="background:#0a2351; "| AHA Tournament
Awards and honors
Weekly AwardsPlayerAwardDate AwardedRef. Jorden Mattisen AHA Goaltender of the WeekNovember 18, 2024 Julia Schalin AHA Rookie of the Week Vanessa Upson AHA Forward of the Week November 25, 2024 Marielle Parks AHA Forward of the WeekDecember 2, 2024 Makayla Javier AHA Defenseman of the Week Magdalena Luggin AHA Goalie of the Week Vanessa Upson AHA Forward of the WeekJanuary 6, 2025 Megan McKay AHA Defenseman of the Week Sofia Nuutinen AHA Forward of the Week January 13, 2025 Thea Johansson AHA Forward of the WeekJanuary 20, 2025 Mary Sweetapple AHA Defenseman of the Week Megan McKay AHA Defenseman of the Week Julia Schalin AHA Rookie of the Week February 10, 2025 Mary Sweetapple AHA Defenseman of the Week February 17, 2025 Makayla Javier AHA Defenseman of the WeekMarch 3, 2025 Magdalena Luggin AHA Goalie of the Week Julia Schalin AHA Rookie of the Week
Monthly AwardsPlayerAwardMonthRef. Jorden Mattison AHA Goaltender of the MonthNovember Julia Schalin AHA Rookie of the Month Vanessa Upson AHA Forward of the MonthJarnuary Megan McKay AHA Defenseman of the Month Julia Schalin AHA Rookie of the Month Vanessa Upson AHA Forward of the MonthFebruary Julia Schalin AHA Rookie of the Month
Annual Awards & HonorsPlayerAward Vanessa Upson All-AHA First Team Megan McKay All-AHA Second Team Julia SchalinAHA All-Rookie Team Magdalena Luggin Julia Schalin AHA Rookie of the Year Marielle Parks AHA Individual Sportsmanship Award Mercyhurst Lakers Team Sportsmanship Award
Players drafted into the PWHL
Players Drafted into the PWHLYearRoundPickPlayerTeam 2025 5 38 Vanessa Upson Minnesota Frost
References
External Links Official Website