Box Score Niagara University, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University women's hockey team tied its program record for longest unbeaten streak within league play Sunday evening by coming away with a 2-2 draw at Niagara to take the season series between the clubs in College Hockey America (CHA) action at Dwyer Arena.
While the Colonials tied one team school record, freshman Rebecca Vint (Caledon, Ontario / Brampton Junior Thunder) continued to break other individual marks. Vint tallied assists on both RMU scores to break the Colonials' single-season assist record just two days after resetting the single-season goals record. She broke the assist mark at 6:32 of the third when she notched her 20th helper of the season. Vint's 12th multi-point game of 2011-12 also allowed her to become the first Colonial to notch a 40-point season.
Robert Morris remains in second place and trails Mercyhurst by two points as it approaches the conclusion of the regular season. Coincidentally, the Colonials and Lakers will meet in a home-and-home series next weekend with the CHA regular-season championship on the line.
Like Vint, sophomore Thea Imbrogno (Etobicoke, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) also registered a multi-point effort Sunday to finish the weekend series with five points. Imbrogno put home the game's opening goal and added a primary assist to move into a tie for second in single-season points with 32. Imbrogno, who now has 61 points in 61 career games, surpassed her assist total from her rookie campaign with her third-period helper and also moved into a tie for fifth in single-season goals. The multi-point outing was the ninth of the season for Imbrogno and the 16th of her career.
Junior Courtney Langston (Warrensburgh, Mo. / Shattuck St. Mary's) notched her sixth-career goal to put RMU ahead in the third period, but Niagara was able to mount a late comeback to force a tie.
Senior assistant captain Brianna Delaney (Stittsville, Ontario / NCCP Raiders) notched an assist on Imbrogno's goal to collect her fourth season with at least 25 points. In the process, Delaney extended her program records in points and assists to 118 and 67, respectively.
Robert Morris was often playing shorthanded Sunday as it was forced to face eight Niagara power plays, but the Colonials responded admirably and went a perfect 8-for-8 on the night. That effort continued a theme for RMU as it has now killed off all 20 power plays it has faced against the Purple Eagles this season and has killed off 90% of opposition power plays within league play overall.
Similar to Friday's contest, Robert Morris jumped out of the gates and absolutely dominated the first 10 minutes of play. RMU took each of the game's first 15 shot attempts before its 16th one, off the stick of Imbrogno, was on target at 8:40 of the opening frame.
The Colonials' offense was slowed in the second half of the frame as it spent the majority of it killing off Niagara power plays. Robert Morris remarkably killed off 5:08 of power-play time, including 52 seconds of 5-on-3 action, in a span of just 5:31 late in in the first period while holding Niagara to only one combined shot, maintaining its lead after one frame.
The first half of the second stanza was relatively even, but the complexion of the game changed when both squads were whistled for penalties right near the game's midpoint that forced the teams to play 4-on-4. Niagara took advantage of the extra space on the ice as Kathleen Bortuzzo evened the game at the 11:15 mark.
RMU again had to kill off multiple power plays in the second half of the period as the visitors killed off two separate two-minute advantages in just 5:18 to keep the game knotted, 1-1, heading into the final frame.
Langston gave the Colonials the lead in the third, but Niagara continued to battle. RMU kept the hosts scoreless on two more two-minute power plays, but the Purple Eagles came through in the game's final minutes.
Niagara evened the contest, 2-2, on an extra-attacker goal with 1:07 remaining to force overtime.
RMU outshot the Purple Eagles, 3-1, in the extra session but was unable to crack through.
With Sunday's effort, RMU has only lost three road games in 15 outings this season. The Colonials again sacrificed their bodies to help their cause as they fell just shy of blocking at least 20 shots for the 14th time in their past 26 games.
Robert Morris had advantages in both shots (29-24) and faceoffs (41-33) on the evening.
The Colonials will conclude the regular season Friday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 18, against Mercyhurst. If RMU can claim all four points, it will win the regular-season title while if it could collect three it would finish in a tie with the Lakers and would have won the regular-season series. Friday's contest in Erie, Pa. will commence at 7:05 p.m.
