Box Score Troy, N.Y. - Senior assistant captain Brianna Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / NCCP Raiders) tallied a first-period assist to break the Colonials' all-time record for career points as the Robert Morris University women's hockey team drilled host RPI, 5-1, Friday evening at Houston Field House to win for the fourth time in five chances this season.
Delaney's record-breaking point was the 98th of her career, along with being her program-record 53rd assist, as she notched the signature moment just 6:12 into the first, not long after winning a faceoff in the offensive zone.
While Delaney was busy putting up new career marks, one of her rookie teammates seemed intent on rewriting the record book herself one day. Freshman Rebecca Vint (Caledon, Ontario / Brampton Junior Thunder) actually exceeded her already blistering scoring pace by collecting a season-best four points Friday on the strength of two goals and two assists. Vint's effort, her fourth multi-point performance and third multi-goal effort in five games this season, allowed her to become just the second Colonial in program history to tally at least four points in a road game.
On most nights, sophomore Thea Imbrogno's (Etobicoke, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) three points would have been the leading total, but she had to settle for second Friday with her goal and two assists. It was Imbrogno's second three-point game of the young season, the 10th multi-point outing of her career and the 14th consecutive regular-season game in which she has notched a point.
Senior captain Paige Pietrangelo (Niagara Falls, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) recorded her second-career goal in the early portion of the second period to give the defenseman the second point of her season. Fellow blueliner Jamie Joslin (Richmond Hill, Ontario / Aurora Panthers) captured yet another assist in the 2011-12 campaign to record her sixth point in five games this season.
RPI had a chance to take the lead right away as it was granted a power play fewer than four minutes in, but Robert Morris was up to the task. Junior goalie Kristen DiCiocco (Niagara Falls, Ontario / Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres) came up big in the early going by making six saves while the RMU skaters also blocked four attempts during the man-advantage.
RMU used this momentum to soon give itself the lead. Delaney won a faceoff back to Imbrogno who soon located Vint unmarked on the back door, and the rookie put the visitors up, 1-0. Fewer than two minutes later, Vint again found the scoring column when she ripped a quick shot from the left side courtesy of Imbrogno and Joslin to give Robert Morris a two-goal lead after a period.
After scoring twice in the first period, Vint began setting up her teammates in the final two frames. She assisted on Pietrangelo's score at the 2:07 mark of the second as the senior's blast from the top of the circle rang true.
RPI got its lone goal of the game just over six minutes later as the Engineers scored on a 5-on-3 power play. The Colonials have only conceded three even-strength goals in five games this season.
Junior Kelsey Thomas (Hamilton, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) lit the lamp with under 14 minutes remaining in the third, all but sealing the deal for RMU as Vint once again added the assist. Imbrogno's goal in the final minute completed the scoring.
Robert Morris went 3-for-9 on the power play Friday while holding the Engineers to a 1-for-9 total.
DiCiocco posted a game-best 31 saves as she stopped at least 30 shots for the fifth time in her career. Defensemen Kathryn Stack (Edmonton, Alberta / Edmonton Thunder) and Kylie St. Louis (Windsor, Ontario / Southwest Wildcats) helped keep some shots from even reaching DiCiocco as the duo led the squad with six and five blocked shots, respectively.
RMU will search for the series sweep Saturday when the squads get together for a rematch. The opening puck drop is set for 4:00 p.m.
