Box Score Erie, Pa. - In need of at least one point to keep its hopes for the No. 1 seed in the league tournament alive, the Robert Morris University women's hockey team dropped its road finale to No. 5/6 Mercyhurst, falling 3-0, Friday evening in College Hockey America (CHA) action at the Mercyhurst Ice Center.
Despite the defeat, the Colonials will still enter the postseason as the second seed, which will mark their highest positioning in a conference tournament.
It was the two programs' first meeting since a Jan. 21 affair in which Robert Morris ended the Lakers' 28-game conference unbeaten streak with a thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind victory, but the visitors could not duplicate the magic Friday. A large key to RMU's success in that January victory was its penalty-kill unit, which produced a perfect 7-for-7 mark against the Mercyhurst power play. However, the Lakers, owners of the nation's best power play, converted on 2-of-6 chances Friday, which helped them take control of the contest.
Robert Morris continued a season-long theme of giving up its bodies to help the cause as the Colonials blocked 20 shots on the evening. It marked the 14th time in its past 27 games, and the fifth occasion in its past 10 league games, that RMU blocked at least 20 attempts by the opposition.
Jill Szandzik scored a power-play tally 5:04 into the first to put the Lakers on top 1-0, a margin they would carry into the first intermission.
The Colonials came out strong in the second as they fired nine of the frame's first 12 shot attempts after killing off the remaining portion of a Laker power play. RMU was unable to break through, though, and Mercyhurst doubled its lead late in the second.
The final period was dead even in shots as each side took 12, but Mercyhurst tacked on another man-advantage tally to complete the scoring.
Junior Kristen DiCiocco (Niagara Falls, Ontario / Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres) notched 35 saves to register her 11th career 30-save performance. She also tied her career high for most saves in a CHA contest.
The Colonials finished their road schedule with a 10-4-2 mark and are one of just seven schools nationally to amass a double-digit road win total thus far this season. All of the other six such teams are nationally ranked.
The setback for Robert Morris marked just the second time it has been shut out in its past 72 games.
Junior defenseman Jamie Joslin (Richmond Hill, Ontario / Aurora Panthers) and freshman Maddie Collias (Roseville, Mich. / Belle Tire) tied for team-high honors with four shots apiece.
RMU and Mercyhurst will conclude the home-and-home series Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7:05 p.m. as each team plays its regular-season finale. The Colonials will honor their three seniors before the opening faceoff in a brief ceremony.
