Pittsburgh, Pa. - The Robert Morris University women's hockey team and No. 4/5 Mercyhurst each tallied a single even-strength goal Friday evening, but the Lakers took better advantage of their power-play chances as the visitors took a 4-2 decision in College Hockey America (CHA) action at the RMU Island Sports Center.

Senior assistant captain Brianna Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / NCCP Raiders) recorded the lone goal of the third period to become just the second Colonial in program history to notch 50 career goals. The goal also represented her 20th point of the season, which made her the first student-athlete in school history to post four 20-point campaigns.

While Delaney racked up her program-leading 113th point Friday, one of her rookie teammates was busy getting her first. Freshman Maddie Collias (Roseville, Mich. / Belle Tire) rammed home a bouncing rebound in front of the cage to open the scoring and get on the score-sheet for the first time in her career.

Freshman Rebecca Vint (Caledon, Ontario / Brampton Junior Thunder) provided the primary assist on Collias' score to collect her team-leading 29th point of the season. With the helper, Vint moved into a tie for sixth in single-season points at RMU and is now just four away from breaking the school record in that category.

After Robert Morris took the first two shots of the game, freshman Katie Fergus (Oakville, Ontario / Burlington Jr. Barracudas) deflected a shot from the point that rattled off the crossbar before ricocheting out of further danger for the Lakers.

RMU was determined to get on the scoreboard first, though, and the hosts soon found the net. Sophomore Thea Imbrogno (Etobicoke, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) played the puck from the corner to the side of the goal mouth. Vint tried her luck with a backhanded attempt, which was saved but not corralled by the Laker goaltender. Collias took advantage, pouncing on the loose puck to find the twine.

Just 30 seconds after the Colonials struck, Mercyhurst was awarded its first power play and used it to even the proceedings when a Laker shot redirected off of a Colonial stick and into the RMU net.

The Lakers soon received a terrific chance to take the lead when they were given 3:27 of consecutive power-play time, including a 33-second 5-on-3, during the middle portion of the first frame. However, the Colonial penalty kill was up to the task as it blocked five shots during the opportunities to keep the game tied. Mercyhurst was once again on the power-play in the period's final minute, but the Robert Morris defense again kept the Lakers at bay to keep the game knotted up at the first intermission.

The Lakers jumped out on top early in the second as they used a 2-on-1 rush to take the lead at the 3:16 mark. Even though Robert Morris outshot Mercyhurst during the second stanza, it was the visitors' attempts that found their way through everything as the Lakers would tack on two power-play goals to take a commanding 4-1 lead after 40 minutes of action. RMU held Mercyhurst to just one even-strength shot during the second frame.

Delaney tried to rally Robert Morris as she got momentum back in the Colonials' corner with a strong individual effort near the opening of the third. After juniors Kelsey Thomas (Hamilton, Ontario / Hamilton Hawks) and Cobina Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / Ottawa Senators) both battled for the puck in the corner along the boards, Brianna Delaney roofed a wrist shot top shelf as she was falling to the ice courtesy of a hook by a Laker stick.

While RMU was able to keep Mercyhurst off the board in the third period, the hosts could get no closer as their comeback was partially impeded by having to kill off two more Laker power plays down the stretch.

Imbrogno's 15th assist of the season moved her into a tie for sixth in career helpers and also into the top 10 in single-season points.

Thomas' helper stretched her point streak to four games while also allowing her to become the 15th Colonial in program history to register 25 career assists.

Cobina Delaney's assist was her 11th of the season, tying her career high, and also moved her into the top 10 in career points. It also marked the sixth time in her career and the fourth time this season that Cobina assisted on a goal for her elder sister.

Brianna Delaney won 17 of the 26 faceoffs she contested while senior assistant captain Kathryn Stack (Edmonton, Alberta / Edmonton Thunder) posted a game-high four blocked shots.

Friday's contest marked the first half of the first-ever home-and-home series in RMU program history. The Colonials will look to avenge Friday's setback when they pay a return visit to Mercyhurst Saturday evening. The opening puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.