Box Score Pittsburgh, Pa. - The Robert Morris University women's hockey team opened the scoring against No. 10 Providence, but the Friars came back to take the lead and held on for a 5-2 victory Saturday afternoon at the RMU Island Sports Center.
With the Providence victory, the teams split the season-opening series after the Colonials collected a 5-4 win Friday night.
Junior Brianna Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / NCCP Raiders) led the Colonials with two points while senior Sara O'Malley (Guelph, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) and sophomore Cobina Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / Ottawa Senators) both put home goals for the Colonials. Senior goaltender Daneca Butterfield (Kronau, Saskatchewan / Notre Dame Hounds) collected a game-high 44 saves in her season debut.
After a scoreless, penalty-free first period, the Delaney sisters combined on a goal for the second time in as many days. For the second day in a row, it was Brianna feeding assisting younger sister Cobina as RMU drew first blood at 12:50 of the second period.
The Friars did not wait long to respond and would proceed to go on a scoring spree, collecting three goals in the final six minutes of the second period, to take a two-goal lead into the locker room.
A fourth Friar goal near the midpoint of the third appeared to put the game out of reach, but the Colonials kept battling. After earning a power play with 2:33 left, Robert Morris pulled Butterfield to gain the extra attacker. The strategy paid off as O'Malley deposited a loose puck in front after freshman Thea Imbrogno (Etobicoke, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) got behind the defense and fired off an initial attempt.
Despite RMU's best attempts, the Colonials could not pull any closer as the Friars put home an empty-net tally to set the final margin.
Robert Morris will continue its season-opening six-game homestand next weekend as tenth-ranked Ohio State travels to Pittsburgh to face off with the Colonials. The teams will meet Friday at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday at 2:05 p.m.
