Box Score Detroit, Mich. - The Robert Morris University women's hockey team took an early lead and never trailed, but the Colonials were forced to settle for a 4-4 tie with Wayne State after a late Warrior rally Friday evening in College Hockey America (CHA) action at the City Sports Center.
The Colonials used brilliant offensive play on special teams throughout the contest as RMU went 3-for-6 on the power play and also registered its first shorthanded goal of the season. It marked the first time since February 2007 that Robert Morris had scored at least three power play goals away from home.
Freshman Thea Imbrogno (Etobicoke, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) and senior Maria Stoa (Bloomington, Minn. / Eden Prairie) led the Colonial offensive effort as each contributed a multi-point performance.
Imbrogno, the reigning CHA Rookie of the Week, recorded a goal and an assist to extend her point streak to five games while tallying her second consecutive multi-point performance. The multi-point effort for Stoa, courtesy of two assists, was her first of the season and the 10th of her career.
After killing off the game's first power play fewer than five minutes in, Robert Morris cashed in on its first extra-man opportunity. Sophomore Cobina Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / Ottawa Senators) put RMU up at the 7:11 mark as Stoa and junior Paige Pietrangelo (Niagara Falls, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) provided the helpers. It was the third career point for Pietrangelo and the first since the defenseman's rookie campaign.
Wayne State did not take long to respond as the Warriors tied the game at one when Veronique Laramee-Paquette found the back of the net fewer than three minutes later. The situation appeared to grow worse for RMU when it was soon forced to play a skater down, but the Colonial penalty-kill corps delivered something special.
Junior assistant captain Kathryn Stack (Edmonton, Alberta / Edmonton Thunder) scored her first career shorthanded goal at the 12:57 mark to put RMU back on top. Sophomore Jamie Joslin (Richmond Hill, Ontario / Aurora Panthers) and Stoa added the helpers. It was the first shorthanded goal on the road for Robert Morris since Nov. 6, 2009 when assistant captian Sara O'Malley (Guelph, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) tallied one in a 3-1 victory at defending national champion Wisconsin.
RMU outshot the Warriors 6-1 over the remaining minutes of the first but was unable to add to its one-goal edge after 20 minutes.
Wayne State was granted a power play in the opening minutes of the second and proceeded to tie the game, 2-2, exactly three minutes into the frame. The Colonials would respond briskly to a Warrior goal for the second straight time to retake the lead.
Imbrogno scored a power-play goal at the 6:05 mark as freshman Kylie St. Louis (Windsor, Ontario / Southwest Wildcats) and sophomore Kelsey Thomas (Hamilton, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) added the assists. It was Thomas' 25th career point and helped her surpass her point total from a season ago.
After RMU killed off a Wayne State power play during the middle portion of the stanza without allowing a shot on net, O'Malley pushed the lead to two with a goal at the 14:06 mark on which Imbrogno and junior Brianna Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / NCCP Raiders) assisted.
Robert Morris killed off another Warrior power play in the closing minutes of the second to take a 4-2 edge into the third. RMU came out strong early in the third as it fired each of the first five shot attempts.
However, Wayne State refused to go away, and the Warriors scored two late goals, including the game-tying tally on the power play with just 38 seconds left, to force overtime.
Overtime provided each team with a chance to win as both received power-play chances, but this time neither side could take advantage, and RMU tied its second straight game.
With the goal, O'Malley became the first RMU player in history to hit the 90-point plateau and is just one goal shy of becoming the first Colonial to record 50 scores in a career.
With her assist, Delaney moved into a tie for fourth in single-season school history in points and a tie for third in single-season history for assists.
It also marked the first time in program history that Robert Morris had at least 10 players collect a point in a game against a current CHA opponent.
The two teams will take to the ice again Saturday afternoon with the season series hanging in the balance. First puck drop is set for 2:05 p.m.
