Box Score Pittsburgh, Pa. - Ohio State collected a pair of goals in the opening and closing periods to down the Robert Morris University women's hockey team in the series opener between the teams Friday night at the RMU Island Sports Center.
The Buckeyes scored once on the power play in each period and added two even strength goals.
Junior Brianna Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / NCCP Raiders) scored for the Colonials as freshman Brandi Pollock (Virden, Manitoba / Westman Wildcats) recorded her first collegiate point by collecting the assist. With the goal, Delaney has now recorded a point in five consecutive games for RMU dating back to the end of last season.
Laura McIntosh opened the scoring for Ohio State 10:57 into the first period with a wrist shot from the left as Hokey Langan and Teal Bishop collected assists. The Buckeyes doubled their advantage when Natalie Spooner put home a puck on the doorstep after it was redirected to her feet.
The Colonials got on the scoreboard at 7:47 of the second after winning the puck in their defensive zone. Pollock was able to free the puck from a slew of bodies near the boards and send it along to Delaney. Delaney carried it down the left side through center ice and across the blue line before sending a wrister past the Buckeye netminder to pull the Colonials within one. Though RMU could not manage to tie the score, the Colonials controlled the second frame as they held Ohio State to a mere three shots over the 20 minutes of play.
Robert Morris came out very fast in the third and appeared poised to tie the game as RMU attempted seven shots before Ohio State even managed to pull the trigger once. The Colonials' best shot to even it up came when Delaney drilled one from the left circle that beat the goalie but clanged off the right post and away from further danger.
Ohio State collected itself as Spooner registered two third-period goals, the first of which came on the power play, to ice the game for the Buckeyes.
Sophomore Dayna Newsom (Oakville, Ontario / Oakville Ice) and senior Sara O'Malley (Guelph, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) tied with Delaney for the team lead with three shots on goal apiece. Sophomore Kristen DiCiocco (Niagara Falls, Ontario / Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres) collected a game-high 26 saves for RMU.
Robert Morris and Ohio State have a quick turnaround as the teams will hit the ice early Saturday afternoon to close the two-game set. The puck is slated to drop at 2:05 p.m.
