Pittsburgh, Pa. ? Nov. 28, 2008 ? The Robert Morris University Colonials, led by third-year head coach Nate Handrahan, overpowered the Maine Black Bears in a 4-2 win on Friday afternoon at the Robert Morris Island Sports Center in the third annual Skate for the Cure event. The win was a complete team effort as nine different players recorded points in the win.
The Robert Morris University Colonials earned the upper hand in the first period with a score by junior Jacki Gibson (Burlington, Ontario / Burlington Barracudas) at 9:17 in the first period. Defensive pressure by senior Kathryn Traynor (Toronto, Ontario / Toronto Jr. Aeros) caused a turnover by the Black Bears in the offensive zone. Senior Samantha Ullrich (St. Louis, Mo. / Team Illinois U-19) grabbed the loose puck and passed it off to Gibson who triggered off a shot just inside the blue line. The biscuit slid through Black Bear goalie Genevieve Turgeon's five hole for the score.
The Colonials increased their lead to two at 8:14 in the second period. Junior Chelsea Walkland (Pittsford, N.Y. / Rochester Edge) fired a shot from 10 feet off the net. Turgeon made the save, but Walkland grabbed her own rebound and tapped it in for the goal. Sophomore Kylie Rossler (Regina Saskatchewan / Regina Rebels) and Gibson contributed the assists.
Five minutes later, the Black Bears cut into the Colonial lead with a goal by junior Jenna Ouellette. Junior Lexie Hoffmeyer sent the puck to junior Taryn Peacock, who passed the puck across the ice to Ouellette, who was waiting by the left corner of the net. The junior Black Bear found an opening and sent the puck to the back of the net. The second period ended with the Colonials leading 2-1.
The Colonials quickly increased their lead in the third period, scoring back-to-back goals at 3:08 and 7:36. The Maine Black Bears gave the Colonials a helping hand in their first third-period goal, as a Black Bear misplayed the puck into her own goal. Junior Jordan Riley (Hamilton, Ontario / Stoney Creek Sabres) was credited with the goal.
Freshman Brianna Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / NCCP Raiders) captured her seventh goal of the season off assists from senior Kristen Miles (London, Ontario / London Devilettes) and sophomore Sara O'Malley (Guelph, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks). The rookie was tripped by a Black Bear and ended up on her stomach with a Maine player on top of her sliding towards the net, but still got her stick on the puck to pop it in for the score.
Maine answered back with an odd-man rush with freshman Myriam Croussette capturing the goal. Sophomore Jennie Gallo and senior Vanessa Vani added the helpers.
Despite defeating the Maine Black Bears by a two-goal difference, the Colonials were outshot 42 to 23. Senior RMU netminder Brianne McLaughlin (Sheffield Village, Ohio / Ohio Flames) captured another remarkable performance with 40 saves, a .952 save percentage and a 2.00 GAA for her sixth win. Turgeon tallied 14 saves for the Black Bears, while Maine's replacement goalie Candice Currier added five saves. Both teams converted on a power-play opportunity, with the Colonials going one of five and the Black Bears going one of four.
Robert Morris returns to the RMU Island Sports Center tomorrow to face the Black Bears in game two of the series with another 2:05 start time. All proceeds earned in today's and tomorrow's contest will be donated to a foundation for breast cancer research.
