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No. 10 Robert Morris (16-3-1, 8-1-1 CHA) vs. St. Lawrence (6-9-1, 5-2-1 ECAC)
Saturday, December 4, 2014 / 84 Lumber Arena – Pittsburgh, Pa. / 7:05 PM
Sunday, December 5, 2014 / 84 Lumber Arena – Pittsburgh, Pa. / 3:05 PM

Top Story – Robert Morris returns from its holiday break this weekend as they host the St. Lawrence Saints in a non-conference series at 84 Lumber Arena. At 16-3-1, the Colonials are off to their best start in school history, surpassing the 11-4-2 mark the 2011-12 team set prior to the new year. RMU is ranked 10th in both the USCHO.com and USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine polls and carries a nine-game unbeaten streak into this weekend's match-up with the Saints.



Series vs. St. Lawrence – Robert Morris hasn't fared well against St. Lawrence in its history, as the Colonials are 0-4-0 all-time against the Saints. RMU traveled to Canton, N.Y. for a two-game series with No. 9 St. Lawrence on Oct. 24-25, 2008 and was swept by the combined score of 10-1. The Colonials earned another crack at the Saints the following season at 84 Lumber Arena, but fell 3-2 and 6-3.

Scouting St. Lawrence – Despite an overall record of 6-9-1, St. Lawrence currently sits in a tie for fifth in the ECAC with a conference mark of 5-2-1. This weekend's series against Robert Morris will be the Saints' sixth against a nationally-ranked opponent; St. Lawrence is 0-6-1 against those teams, with their lone non-loss coming in a 1-1 tie at Quinnipiac. The Saints also have spent five weeks in the 'receiving votes' section of the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Women's College Hockey Poll, including three straight weeks from Nov. 12-26. Senior defenseman Mel Desrochers leads St. Lawrence in assists (12) and points (18), and is in a three-way tie for goals (6) with classmate Rylee Smith and freshman Brooke Webster. Junior goaltender Carmen McDonald is the Saints' primary goaltender, as she sports a 6-4-1 record, a goals-against-average of 2.08, and a save percentage of .933 going into this weekend's series.

Last Time Out – Robert Morris was last in action on the first weekend of December, when they closed off the first half of their 2013-14 schedule against RIT. In a battle of the CHA's (then) top two teams, the Colonials swept the Tigers to move to 16-3-1 before the holiday season.

In the first meeting, RMU nabbed a 2-1 victory thanks to goals by Thea Imbrogno and Brittany Howard.

At the 7:12 mark of the first period, Imbrogno batted in a Howard rebound on the power play to give the Colonials an early lead. RIT would draw even with RMU early into the second frame with a goal on a two-on-one advantage.

With five minutes and change remaining in the same period, the Colonials went a five-on-three power play. As the penalty was being announced, Howard gathered a pass from Imbrogno and rifled a slap-shot over the shoulder of the Tiger goaltender to put RMU back in front.

The Colonials then held down that lead for the last 25 minutes thanks to Jessica Dodds. Dodds made nine of her 18 saves in the third period.

The rubber match saw RMU come back twice to earn a 4-2 victory.

After a scoreless first period, RIT would capitalize on a power play to make it 1-0. However, the Colonials stormed back with a goal of their own 52 seconds later as Howard redirected a shot from Kristen Richards.

The Tigers answered again with 4:45 remaining in the second period, but RMU came right back as Maeve Garvey forced a turnover and scored unassisted. The freshman forward then lit the lamp for a second time midway through the final frame, as she forced another turnover before rifling one past the goaltender.

With 19 seconds remaining, Richards would set the final mark with an empty-netter from the blue line.

Dodds made a career-high 27 saves in the victory.

Staying Power – Robert Morris made the Top 10 of the last four USCHO.com and USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine polls, slotting in at 10th. The Colonials cracked the national rankings for the first time on Nov. 25.

RMU received 23 points in the Dec. 16 USCHO.com Poll and 28 in the Dec. 17 USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine rankings, surpassing the respective 19 and 25 points from the previous polls.

The Colonials now sit 10 and 11 points out of ninth, which is held by Quinnipiac. RMU travels to Hamden, Conn. to take on the Bobcats on Jan. 17-18.

Robert Morris has been recognized by a national poll nine weeks in 2013-14. The Colonials were in both rankings' 'receiving votes' categories for four straight weeks prior to cracking into the Top 10, and earned two votes in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Poll after a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Junior Aeros in exhibition play.

Selected for Sochi – Former Colonial goaltender Brianne McLaughlin was selected for the U.S. women's national team that will compete in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games next month in Sochi, Russia.

This is McLaughlin's second Olympic appearance, as she was part of the 2010 U.S. team that won silver in Vancouver. The netminder has won gold medals in the 2011 and 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Women's Championships, and took home silver in the 2012 competition.

McLaughlin was a four-time All-CHA selection for Robert Morris from 2005-09 and still holds numerous program records, including the top spot in shutouts (8), saves per game (31.74), and saves (3,809) - the latter of which also being an NCAA record.

Know Your Enemy – Because Robert Morris hasn't played St. Lawrence since the 2009-10 season, the majority of the Colonials' roster is unfamiliar with the Saints.

The lone player that has seen St. Lawrence in her career is senior captain Kristen Richards. Richards played the Saints twice when she was at Niagara University, but didn't register a point in either game.

Jocey Kleiber, RMU's current Director of Hockey Operations, also played in those contests.

I'll Take the Saturday Special – The Colonials have enjoyed Saturdays moreso than Friday evenings in this early season, as they have won all eight games played on the weekend's first day.

Robert Morris has used Saturdays as bounce-back days this year, with three of those seven weekend wins coming after a Friday loss.

The Colonials did this in their opening series against RPI, as they outlasted the Engineers in overtime to win 3-2, and then picked up a big 3-0 victory against No. 7/8 Boston University following a 5-2 loss the night before. RMU also came back from a 2-0 defeat to Mercyhurst with a 3-2 victory to split the series.

The Colonials also have clinched four sweeps on Saturdays, as they beat Bemidji State 3-0 on Oct. 12, Vermont 6-4 on Oct. 26, Lindenwood 3-1 on Nov. 16, and RIT 4-2 on Dec. 7.

RMU is scoring an average of 3.4 goals per game on Saturdays, while allowing just 1.5 goals per game. On Fridays, the Colonials average just 2.4 goals per game and give up 2.0.

A Golden Win – Paul Colontino earned his 50th win on Dec. 7 against RIT, making him the second Robert Morris head coach to reach that mark in the program's young history.

Colontino sits two wins shy of tying the career record for wins with 52. That mark is held by Nate Handrahan, who coached the Colonials from 2006-11.

RMU averaged 9.5 wins a season prior to Colontino's arrival.

Quick Learning Curve – Robert Morris has gotten off to its best start in program history, and part of that has to do with some individual performances that rank among the nation's best.

Freshman forward Brittany Howard leads all freshmen in goals (12), assists (16), and points (28), and ranks tied for eighth, tied for ninth, and seventh in those respective categories, nationally. Howard also leads the nation in game-winning goals with five.

Fellow classmate Jessica Dodds leads the nation in winning percentage (.964), and ranks seventh in goals-against-average (1.49). Both of those marks, as well as her save percentage (.932) and shutouts (3) are best among freshmen.

Returning to the Ice – College hockey is one of the only sports that feature an extended break in the middle of its regular season. In its history, Robert Morris has gone 4-12 in its first series of the new year, but two of those victories have come in the last three seasons.

After sweeping Sacred Heart to kick off the second half of the 2006-07 season, the Colonials went three seasons without a win in their first January series. The streak ended on Jan. 8, 2011 as RMU defeated UConn, 3-1, behind goals from Brianna Delaney and current assistant captain Thea Imbrogno. Imbrogno notched another goal in a 3-2 win at Providence to open up the second half of the 2011-12 campaign.

Imbrogno and Rebecca Vint are the only two current Colonials who have registered multiple points in opening series of the regular season's second half. Anneline Lauziere, Kylie St. Louis, and Leah Carlson have also each registered a point in January openers.

Road Warriors – Playing away from your home confines is tough in any sport, but Robert Morris has excelled outside 84 Lumber Arena this season. The Colonials are 6-0-1 on the road, with just a tie on Nov. 22 against Syracuse as their only non-victory away from the Steel City.

RMU has swept two teams in their home arenas, beating Bemidji State (2-1, 3-0) in early September and Penn State (4-0, 6-0) on the week of Halloween.

On the road, the Colonials have averaged 2.86 goals per game and have allowed just 0.57 goals per game. In comparison, RMU has averaged 2.85 goals per game and allowed 2.23 goals per game at home.

Welcome to the 100 Club – Thea Imbrogno made history on Nov. 29, as she became the second Colonial to reach the 100-point barrier.

Imbrogno notched her 99th point with a goal in RMU's 2-1 win at Syracuse on Nov. 23, but was held without a point the following game at Ohio State. However, with less than nine minutes remaining in the second period of the Colonials' game against Maine, Imbrogno found Brittany Howard for a goal and hit the triple-digit mark.

The senior assistant captain notched two more assists in the 4-2 victory and added a goal and assist in the next series against RIT, moving her career point total to 104. Imbrogno now sits 17 points out of first place in the RMU record books, which is held by Brianna Delaney (2008-12).

Record Watch – Senior assistant captain Thea Imbrogno ranks in the career top five in Robert Morris program history for points, goals and assists. 20 games into 2013-14 season, Imbrogno ranks second in career points and career assists. Imbrogno also ranks fourth in career goals scored with 46. If she finishes the year similar to her previous three seasons, then she could end up threatening at the top marks in all of those categories.

Imbrogno also holds spots in the same categories for single season performance. She worked her way into the single-season record books after an impressive sophomore campaign. Imbrogno ranks second in single-season points, tied for fourth in single-season goals scored and second in single-season assists.

Junior forward Rebecca Vint reset the single-season record book last season as a freshman, and added onto that with a successful sophomore campaign. 20 games into the 2013-14 season, Vint ranks fourth in career points, and third in goals and assists. She also holds the program's single-season records in points, goals, and assists, and cracked the top five in points (third) and goals (tied for fourth) after her second season.

If Imbrogno breaks Brianna Delaney's career marks in her senior campaign, Vint could topple them in her final season as a Colonial in 2014-15.

Career Points
121 – Brianna Delaney (53g, 68a)
104 – Thea Imbrogno (46g, 58a)
97 – Sara O'Malley (52g, 45a)
95 – Rebecca Vint (47g, 48a)
75 – Kelsey Thomas (32g, 43a)
75 – Kristen Miles (43g, 32a)

Career Goals
53 – Brianna Delaney
52 – Sara O'Malley
47 – Rebecca Vint
46 – Thea Imbrogno
43 – Kristen Miles

Career Assists
68 – Brianna Delaney
58 – Thea Imbrogno
48 – Rebecca Vint
45 – Sara O'Malley
43 – Kelsey Thomas

Looking Back – Robert Morris has played three times on Jan. 4 and once on Jan. 5, compiling a record of 1-3 in those games.

The Colonials' lone win came in 2007 when they defeated Sacred Heart, 5-1. RMU put away the Pioneers early, scoring three times within 1:30 of the first period. Megan Picinic, Morgan Beikirch, and Alissa Dorman each lit the lamp for the Colonials before Sacred Heart could dent the scoreboard.

Dorman finished the game with two goals, while Mallory Giambra notched three assists in the victory. Heather Rossi stopped 15 of 16 shots.

RMU would play on Jan. 4 the following year as they traveled to Quinnipiac. In a 3-1 loss, Picinic notched the lone Colonial goal on the power play with 41 seconds remaining. Brianne McLaughlin made 28 saves.

Last season saw RMU host RIT on Jan. 4-5. The Colonials dropped both games by a score of 2-1, despite scoring the first goal in each contest. Cobina Delaney and Kelsey Thomas were that weekend's goal scorers, while Kristen DiCiocco stopped 35 of 39 shots in the series.