ST. CHARLES, Mo. (Interstat) — The Lindenwood Lions will host the Mercyhurst Lakers in a women’s NCAA Division I hockey game Thursday at Centene Community Ice Center in St. Charles, Mo. Lindenwood enters with a 4-2 record, while Mercyhurst is 3-3.

Mercyhurst is coming off a 5-2 home win over Syracuse in its most recent game. Mariia Polozkova led the Lakers with two goals and one assist on six shots on goal. Berlin Lolacher added a goal and an assist, and Halle Duchene had three assists. Polozkova, a player to watch for Mercyhurst, has three goals and three assists with 22 shots on goal over her past six games. She has points in three of those contests.

Lindenwood is coming off a 3-1 win at Delaware in its most recent game. Ebba Ridderstolpe made 13 saves on 14 shots to earn the win. Michaela Paulinyova had a goal and an assist, and Tiril Arntzen added an assist. Ridderstolpe, a player to watch for Lindenwood, has two wins in her recent appearances, including a 15-save shutout in a 7-0 win at Post. She stopped 13 of 14 shots in the Delaware victory.

The Lions have won four of six games this season, with losses at Delaware and Merrimack. Lindenwood also has wins at Merrimack and Delaware, plus two wins at Post. Mercyhurst opened the season with two wins over RPI, then dropped two games at Minnesota-Duluth and split a home series with Syracuse. The Lakers’ most recent victory came against Syracuse, and they will look to carry that momentum into the Thursday matchup.

Mercyhurst’s schedule after this series includes two games at Connecticut, two home games against Assumption, two games at Delaware, two home games against Penn State and a trip to Robert Morris. Lindenwood will follow with two games at Penn State, two at Minnesota, two home games against Robert Morris, two home games against Syracuse and a game at RIT.

The teams will meet again the following day. Mercyhurst will rely on Polozkova’s scoring touch and a balanced attack that produced five goals in its last game. Lindenwood will counter with Ridderstolpe in net and a lineup that has scored at least three goals in four of six games. The Lions have allowed two goals or fewer in four games, while the Lakers have allowed three or more goals in four of six contests. Mercyhurst has scored 12 goals and allowed 12, while Lindenwood has scored 19 and allowed 10.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Lindenwood 4, Mercyhurst 3.