Robert Morris (0-3-0) vs. Clarkson (3-0-1)
Friday / Saturday, October 19 / 20, 2007, 7:35 p.m. / 2:05 p.m.
RMU Island Sports Center ? Pittsburgh, Pa.
Top Story - The Robert Morris University women's ice hockey team returns home to host Clarkson University for a two-game series at the RMU Island Sports Center this weekend. The Colonials take on the Golden Knights in search of their first win of the season after dropping two hard-fought contests to two-time defending national champion and #1-ranked Wisconsin, 3-0 and 3-1, their last time out.
Series Statistics - This weekend's series marks the first time the Colonials have faced the Golden Knights at the RMU Island Sports Center. RMU is a lifetime 0-3-0 against Clarkson with all three losses coming at the Cheel Arena, falling 6-0 in their inaugural season while dropping two heartbreakers last season, 3-1, and 1-0.
Scouting Clarkson - Off to their best start in school history, the Clarkson Golden Knights take their four-game unbeaten streak to the RMU Island Sports Center this weekend. In their past four games, Clarkson has outscored their opponents 18-3 while converting seven of their last 25 (.280) extra-man opportunities.
Opening up the season at the Cheel Arena, Clarkson took on CHA foes Wayne State and Niagara for a couple of two-game series'. Against Wayne State, Clarkson controlled every fathom of the game including the scoreboard, downing the Warriors by the scores of 7-1 and 7-0. The following weekend, the Golden Knights shutout Niagara, 2-0, in game one but slipped up in the second game earning a 2-2 tie. The 3-0-1 record was impressive enough to earn them a few votes in this week's USCHO.com polls.
The Clarkson roster is young, but impressive. Sophomore Genevieve Lavoie leads the offensive core with ten points, built up of four goals and six assists while sophomore Britney Selina is second on the team with eight points. Both players are averaging a point a game.
On defense, the Golden Knights sport their youth with freshman Eve Grandmont-Berube between the pipes. Grandmont-Berube has played three games this season, compiling a 2-0-1 record with both wins coming shut-out fashion. She has a .951 save percentage while her goals against average is a staggering 0.55.
On the Internet - All Robert Morris men's and women's hockey home games can be heard live on the internet by visiting www.sports.yahoo.com. Gero Von Dehn returns for his fourth season of play-by-play while Bob Kennedy will provide color commentary.
Head Coach Nate Handrahan (2nd Season; Niagara '00) - Head coach Nate Handrahan enters his second season as leader of the Robert Morris University women's ice hockey team. Taking control of the helm in 2006-07, Handrahan devised a complete turnaround of the program from its inaugural season in 2005-06. The new Colonials took the community by storm, as the team reinvented many aspects of its game as proved evidenced by their overall record, statistics and their players.
Handrahan's guidance and leadership took the team to new heights in its second season of intercollegiate play. The squad more than doubled its 2005-06 record by finishing the season with an 11-22-2 mark, compared to the first season's 5-24-2 record. The revived offense under Handrahan exploded on the ice, scoring a combined 205 points, an improvement by more than 116 points. The defense proved strong in shutting down opponents, allowing 116 goals compared to the previous year's 131.
The former Niagara stand out's tutelage of his players was the most evident as the team grew as a whole throughout the season. Several players came to achieve at exceptional levels including the emergence of goaltender Brianne McLaughlin, who developed into one of the premier net-minders in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey.
Before taking over the women's ice hockey program, Handrahan, under head coach Derek Schooley, served as an assistant coach with the RMU men's ice hockey team. In his duties, he assisted in the day-to-day operations of the team as well instructing on and off the ice. In his two years with the team, Handrahan helped the program to an 8-21-4 mark in its inaugural season and a 12-20-3 record in its second season.
A 2000 graduate of Niagara University, Handrahan returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2001 under Dave Burkholder. Handrahan's duties included off-ice training, scouting, game film review, and coaching the team's defensemen. Niagara earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2004 after winning the College Hockey America Tournament, marking Handrahan's second trip to the NCAA postseason.
During his collegiate career, Handrahan played in every game for the Niagara Purple Eagles over four years, leading them to a No. 6 seed in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. The former defenseman, who played under current UMass-Lowell head coach Blaise MacDonald, was a two-time All-ECAC West selection and holds the Niagara record for most consecutive games played (129). Handrahan earned the team's “PAW” award in 1997-98 and the “Unsung Hero Award” in the Purple Eagles playoff season of 1999-2000. He finished his career with 13 goals and 66 assists for 79 points.
Following the 1999-2000 season, Handrahan was signed by the Roanoke Express of the East Coast Hockey League, where he played the remainder of the 2000 season and the 2000-2001 season.
Handrahan and his wife, Nicole, have two daughters, Haylee and Mara and are expecting a third in February. He and his family reside in Aliquippa, Pa.
Big Time - Junior goaltender Brianne McLaughlin has been named the College Hockey America Defensive Player of the Week for the week of October 8. This is the second time this season that McLaughlin has been honored by the CHA as she was named to the 2007-08 Preseason All-CHA Team a week ago.
McLaughlin kept the Colonials in every game against the top two teams in the country, No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 2 Mercyhurst. McLaughlin limited each team to three goals or less while totaling 127 saves with a 2.68 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage. Against Mercyhurst, McLaughlin allowed two goals on 41 shots for a .951 save percentage. In game one against Wisconsin, she allowed three goals while making 47 saves for a .940 save percentage. The following day, she allowed three goals with 41 saves for a .931 save percentage.
McLaughlin by the Numbers - As the 2007-08 women's ice hockey season progresses, so does the stats for the Colonials' Brianne McLaughlin. The junior goaltender ranks among some of the best in Division I women's ice hockey. McLaughlin's .941 save percentage is tenth in the country, behind notables Jesse Vetter of Wisconsin (.951) and Genevieve Turgeon of Maine (.942). In the category of overall goaltending leaders, McLaughlin sits in the 21st spot with a 127 saves made and a 2.68 goals against average. Kim Martin of Minnesota-Duluth owns the #1-ranking with 78 saves on 78 shots, compiling a perfect 1.000 save percentage and a 0.00 goals against average. Players have to play at least 33% of their team's minutes to considered for the rankings
Offensive Woes - Putting the puck in the back of the net hasn't been easy for the Colonials this season. Through three games RMU has mustered only one goal on 136 shots for a mere .066 scoring percent. Robert Morris' lone goal came in game two of the Wisconsin series as sophomore Mallory Giambra denied the Badgers a second shut-out with a power-play goal from the blue-line.
RMU against the ECACHL - Clarkson is the first of four ECACHL opponents the Colonials face this season. In the past, Robert Morris hasn't been treated kindly from its neighbors of the north compiling a 3-12-1 record against the ECACHL. RMU's three wins all came during the 2006-07 season with two victories coming in a sweep of Union College at the RMU Island Sports Center and a come-from-behind victory at Rensselaer to split a two-game series.
Skate for the Cure - In light of the overwhelming success, the Robert Morris University women's ice hockey team and College Hockey America are proud to sponsor the second annual Skate for the Cure event this season.
Robert Morris hosts the St. Cloud State Huskies of the WCHA on Saturday, Oct., 27, at 3:05 p.m. at the RMU Island Sports Center for the 2007-08 Skate for the Cure game sponsored by My Way Mobile Storage and in association with Lanxess, Fina Promotions, Cost Cutters and Clearview Federal Credit Union. Each guest in attendance will receive a breast cancer awareness giveaway courtesy of RMU sponsors and has a chance to receive a special giveaway from the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
The event, led by the schools of College Hockey America including Mercyhurst College, Wayne State University, Niagara University and Robert Morris University, gives the players, coaches and staff a chance to inform their local and surrounding communities of the impact that breast cancer poses to many women in their everyday lives. Each school dedicates one game from their regular-season schedule as their Skate for the Cure game, where all of the proceeds collected for the event. At the end of the season, all four schools pool the collected funds together to make a donation to a foundation, chosen by College Hockey America, at the end of the annual CHA Women's Championship Tournament.
Home Sweet Home - The women's ice hockey team will have all the luxuries of the RMU Island Sports Center for the next six of seven games. The Colonials kick off a four-game homestand beginning with Clarkson this Friday night before wrapping up with a series against St. Cloud State next weekend. After that, the Colonials take a short trip up I-79 to face the #2 Mercyhurst Lakers in a College Hockey America Showdown before returning back home to take on Sacred Heart.
Multi-Sports Athletes- The Robert Morris women's ice hockey team knows how to make the most of their free-time away from the ice...on the other Colonial playing fields. Juniors Megan Picinic and Morgan Beikirch all are dual-sport athletes at Robert Morris University.
Picinic, when she's not playing forward for head coach Nate Handrahan, is out on the diamond playing for coach Coleman and the softball team while Beikirch likes to get a good round of 18 in as she plays for par and coach Stone with the women's golf squad.
State Championship or Bust - Head coach Nate Handrahan has a couple players that know something about lengthy winning streaks. Freshmen Dy-anna Stewart and Maria Stoa helped engineer a 57-game winning streak as members of Eden Prairie's women's ice hockey team en route to a 2006 Minnesota State Championship.
Mile High to Motor City- Before coming to Robert Morris to play hockey, freshman Whitney Pappas relocated once before to play the game. Moving from the untraditional hockey area of Colorado, Pappas took her game to the booming area of Detroit, Michigan, where she played her senior season with Belle Tire in pursuit of Division I opportunities.
Two is Always Better- The Riley sisters are the first set of twins to play a sport for the Colonials since the Aloi sisters, Natalie and Nicole, played softball and graduated from Robert Morris in 2001.
Last Time Out- The Robert Morris University women's ice hockey team dropped a pair of hard fought contests to the two-time defending national champion and #1-ranked Wisconsin last week at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisc.
In the first game, RMU fell by a score of 3-0 while junior Brianne McLaughlin played lights-out, making 47 saves on 50 shots while allowing three goals.
In the midst of all the pre-game celebration with the unveiling of the 2007 National Championship banner, the Colonials played their best game in the short all-time series against the Badgers, holding them to only three goals for the game. Wisconsin took the advantage late in the first period when junior Erika Lawler took a feed in front of the net to put the home team up, 1-0 at 16:22.
The Badgers held the edge in shots for the game, 50-11, with 38 coming in the second and third period.
The Robert Morris defense played superb, holding the Badgers scoreless for almost 20 minutes until a few mental mistakes gave Wisconsin a five-on-three power-play late in the second. Jinelle Zaugg capped off the extra-man opportunity, scoring on a one-timer in front of net to give Wisconsin a 2-0 lead at the 16:53 mark.
Just as the first two periods played out, Wisconsin would go on to score another goal at the 16-minute mark in the third. Mallory Deuce sealed the win with her third goal of the season and extended Wisconsin's unbeaten streak to 29 games, one shy of tying the record set by New Hampshire in 2006.
For the Colonials, this was the first time in the history of the program that they have held a top-10 nationally ranked team to five goals or less. Robert Morris was 0-1 on the power-play for the game while Wisconsin finished 1-5.
In game two, sophomore Mallory Giambra scored the first goal of the season for the Robert Morris University women's ice hockey team as they fell victim to a 3-1 setback to the undefeated Badgers.
Giambra's goal came late in the third period when the Colonials went on their fifth of six power-plays of the game. Closing in near the blue-line, Giambra sent a slap-shot past Wisconsin's net-minder Jessie Vetter at the 16:14 mark. Assists were credited to Sophomore Jessica Riley and Junior Alissa Dorman. The goal allowed by the Badgers was their first in over 236 minutes of play dating back to their 4-1 national championship victory over Minnesota-Duluth on March 18, 2007.
For the game, Robert Morris displayed another tough performance against the #1 Badgers, holding them to three goals for the game. Wisconsin built their lead over the game with two scores coming in the first period and one in the second while holding them scoreless in the third. For the Colonials in goal, McLaughlin was sensational again, making 41 saves on 44 shots and allowing only three goals for the third game in a row. RMU was out-shot, 44-14 while converting one of their six power-play opportunities for the game.
