Box Score Wentzville, Mo. - Junior Kelsey Thomas (Hamilton, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) and sophomore Kylie St. Louis (Windsor, Ontario / Southwest Wildcats) both shattered their previous career highs in points as the duo led the Robert Morris University women's hockey team to a 6-2 victory over host Lindenwood Saturday evening at the Lindenwood Ice Arena.
Thomas provided a goal and four assists to become just the fourth Colonial in school history to tally a five-point game and the first ever to do so away from home. Thomas, who had never previously registered more than two points in a game, whistled past the 20-career assist mark with her effort. She also extended her career-best point streak to five games while also becoming just the fifth RMU student-athlete to notch a four-assist game.
St. Louis recorded two goals and an assist to collect her first-career multi-point game. Her two scores were not only her first of the season, but they were actually double that of her career goal total entering the contest.
Robert Morris' six scores marked its second-highest road goal total in program history while its 59 shots are its second-best single-game total in history and its best ever on the road as the Colonials fired at least 18 shots in all three periods for the first time in program history. Four of RMU's six scores came via the power play, which tied the Colonials' single-game record for power-play scores and also marked a new high for a road contest.
Freshman Rebecca Vint (Caledon, Ontario / Brampton Junior Thunder) assisted on a goal late in the second period to extend the point streak to begin her career to nine games, now the second-longest overall streak in school history. Vint's blazing start now has her with 18 points in her first nine games as she also registered an assist for the fifth straight outing. She also topped the squad Saturday with a game-high 10 shots, marking just the fifth time ever that a Colonial hit double digits in shots in a single game.
Freshman Katie Fergus (Oakville, Ontario / Burlington Jr. Barracudas) and junior Dayna Newsom (Oakville, Ontario / Oakville Ice) each tallied a multi-point effort Saturday as the former put home a goal and added an assist while the latter contributed a pair of helpers. It was Fergus' third multi-point performance while it marked the first such occasion this season for Newsom.
RMU, playing in the state of Missouri for the first time in program history, did not wait around Saturday as Fergus struck for the game's opening goal fewer than 140 seconds into the evening. St. Louis and Thomas added the assists for the rookie's tally.
The Colonials kept the pressure on, firing 11 of the game's next 12 shots, before two of the participants from the first score worked to double the lead. St. Louis made it 2-0 RMU courtesy of Thomas and Newsom just before the midway mark of the first. The assist was Newsom's first of the 2011-12 season.
However, Lindenwood would soon turn the tables as it controlled the second half of the opening frame. The Lady Lions cut the deficit to one less than a minute later and then evened the contest with a power-play goal from Alison Wickenheiser with 2:02 to play in the first.
After heading into the first intermission tied for the first time this season, Robert Morris again scored early in the second and never let up as it dominated the remainder of the proceedings.
St. Louis' second goal in fewer than 12 minutes edged the Colonials back out in front as Thomas and Fergus added the helpers with the former factoring in her third-consecutive score for the visitors.
The Lady Lions were given chances to pull even once again, but the Colonial penalty-kill unit was up to the task as it held Lindenwood off the board despite two chances during the middle portion of the second stanza.
With Robert Morris holding a slim 3-2 edge, junior Courtney Langston (Warrensburgh, Mo. / Shattuck St. Mary's), playing in her home state for the first time at Robert Morris, gave the fans something to remember as she scored at the 14:48 mark, courtesy of Newsom, to extended the advantage to two.
RMU was again forced to go shorthanded fewer than 40 seconds after its fourth goal, but the Colonials were able to keep the Lady Lions' power play scoreless for the third time in the period. Not long after completing the kill, Thomas continued her stellar night by lighting the lamp herself as she scored with 1:20 left in the frame. Junior defenseman Jamie Joslin (Richmond Hill, Ontario / Aurora Panthers) and Vint delivered the assists with Joslin's representing her eighth point in nine games from the blue line.
For the third straight period, Robert Morris found the twine within the first three minutes as junior Cobina Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / Ottawa Senators) cracked the scoring column just 2:34 into the third as Thomas was once again responsible for the assist. The goal extended Delaney's point streak to four games.
RMU would proceed to outshoot the Lady Lions 17-5 for the balance of the contest although the margin did not change.
Junior goalie Kristen DiCiocco (Niagara Falls, Ontario / Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres) recorded the win between the pipes for RMU as she went the distance to move to 6-1-1 on the season.
Senior captain Paige Pietrangelo (Niagara Falls, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) registered a game-high +2 plus/minus while senior assistant captain Kathryn Stack (Edmonton, Alberta / Edmonton Thunder) blocked a game-high four shots.
RMU moved to 7-1-1 on the season, its best nine-game start in program history.
Robert Morris won 46 of 67 faceoffs as Newsom led the way by winning 12 of the 15 draws she contested.
Robert Morris moved to 3-0 against the Lady Lions this season and will look to complete the season sweep when the clubs wrap up the series Sunday afternoon. First puck drop is set for Noon (1 p.m. ET).
