June 28, 2006

ERIE, Pa. - Mercyhurst College women's ice hockey coach Michael Sisti announced that forward Meghan Augusta (Ruthven, Ontario), a gold medal-winning member of the 2006 Canadian Olympic team, will continue her hockey career with the Lakers.

"Mercyhurst Hockey has come a long way in a short period of time and we have accomplished many great things," Coach Sisti commented. "Today we take another huge step forward in our quest to establish ourselves as one of the best programs in the country. As we welcome Meghan Agosta to the Mercyhurst Family, we add one of the best pure goal scorers in the world. As Meghan outlined her goals academically, socially, and athletically I know Mercyhurst was a perfect match. This is a great day for all our alumni, faculty, administration, student-athletes, and coaching staff to feel proud of our hockey program and school."

Agosta was the youngest player on Team Canada, but managed a hat trick in a shutout victory over Russia in a game played on her 19th birthday. She was part of Canada's "Kid Line" along with Gina Kingsbury and Katie Weatherston. She scored three goals and added an assist for four points as she helped Canada to the gold in Torino, Italy. Her goal-scoring total was the 11th best at the Olympics and her points put her 23rd at the games.

During Olympic qualifying, she tied for the team scoring lead with 29 points in 31 games with Hayley Wickenheiser. Agosta scored 19 goals and had 10 assists during the qualifying contests.

She was named to the 2005 World Championship Team as an alternate but did not play.

Agosta was the leading scorer at the 2005 Women's Under-18 Hockey Challenge, where she helped Team Ontario win the gold medal. She scored the winning goal to clinch the gold medal with Team Ontario at the 2003 Canada Winter Games and was named MVP of her high school boys' hockey team in 2003-04.

Prior to the Olympics, her most significant international experience to date came at the 2004 Four Nations Cup. She had one goal as Canada won the tournament.

Agosta will get to know several of her teammates this summer, when she competes with Team Canada at the FIRS World Inline Championships. Also on the Canadian Inline Team are current Lakers Jackie Jarrell, Julia Colizza and Michelle Bonello.

She also builds the Lakers recruiting class to six, joining Alexandra Hoffmeyer, Angelica Lorsell, Johanna Malmstrom, Ashley Palangi and Katariina Soikkanen.

"Meghan will join a team that is well respected across the country and extremely deep with talented players from all over the world," Sisti commented. She will be able to provide us with one of the games most dangerous threats."

In total, Agosta has won three gold medals, one at the Three Nations Cup, one at the Four Nations Cup and the other at the Torino Ice Tournament.

Agosta scored the winning goal for Team Canada at the 2004 World Inline Hockey Championship to win gold.

Sisti continued, "We could not be more excited to welcome Meghan and her family to Mercyhurst. Our staff has done a great job recruiting Meghan and Maria Lewis put in countless hours helping educate Meghan on all the great things Mercyhurst can do for Meghan. We are proud to have a gold medalist join our team, but we are much more impressed with the Meghan as a person and how well we expect her to interact with our community."

Agosta is the daughter of Nino and Char Agosta. Meghan has two sisters, Kara and Jade, and a brother Jeric.

"The entire Mercyhurst women's hockey program, our coaches and student-athletes could not be more excited about Meghan's decision to attend Mercyhurst and continue her hockey career," Sisti said.

Mercyhurst finished the 2005-06 season at 23-8-6 overall and won the College Hockey America title for the fourth straight year. The Lakers advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals, where they fell to the eventual national champions from Wisconsin. Mercyhurst was the only opponent to score on the Badgers during the NCAAs before falling in double overtime. The Lakers ended the season ranked No. 6 in the final USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll.