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No. 8 Robert Morris Colonials (20-4-2, 8-1-1 CHA) @ Lindenwood Lions (2-20-2, 2-9-1 CHA)
Friday, January 31, 2014 / Lindenwood Ice Arena – Wentzville, Mo. / 8:00 PM
Saturday, February 1, 2014 / Lindenwood Ice Arena – Wentzville, Mo. / 3:00 PM

Top Story – No. 8 Robert Morris completes a six-game road trip this weekend as the Colonials travel to the Show Me State to take on Lindenwood in College Hockey America play. RMU broke a school record for single-season wins last Friday with its 20th, but a 14-game unbeaten streak was snapped the following day against in-state rival Mercyhurst. The Colonials still hold a two point edge over the Lakers in the CHA standings and are four points ahead of third-place RIT.



Series vs. Lindenwood – The Colonials are 9-3-0 all-time against Lindenwood, sweeping them in November during the teams' first meeting. In the first contest, Mackenzie Johnston scored her first career goal with 47 seconds remaining to lift RMU over the Lions, 3-2. The rubber match lacked the same drama as the Colonials scored in each period en route to a 3-1 victory.

Scouting Lindenwood – Lindenwood comes into this weekend's match-up sporting a record of 2-20-2, but earned both of its victories in CHA play vs. Penn State and at Syracuse. The Lions also skated to a tie at home against RIT the weekend before taking on RMU at 84 Lumber Arena. Leading the team in points is junior forward Kendra Broad, who has compiled 10 (4 goals, 6 assists) on the year. Junior defenseman Katie Erickson and senior forward Jocelyn Slattery pace Lindenwood in goals with five a piece, while sophomore Nicole Hensley is the Lions' mainstay in net with a goals-against-average of 3.37 and a .917 save percentage. Hensley leads the nation in saves with 819 and set an NCAA single-game record with 90 stops in Lindenwood's 2-1 triple overtime loss to the Colonials in the 2013 CHA Quarterfinals last season.

Last Time Out – Robert Morris continued its six-game road trip this past weekend as the Colonials traveled up-state to Erie to take on their biggest rival Mercyhurst in a crucial CHA series.

RMU earned a special win in the opening game, defeating the Lakers 3-1 to pick up its 20th victory on the campaign. The 20 wins are the most in program history for a single season.

After a scoreless first period, the Colonials broke through with a dominant second frame. Less than three minutes into the period, Mackenzie Johnston kicked off the scoring, batting in a rebound off a shot from classmate Maeve Garvey for her first goal since Nov. 15.

Six minutes later it was Rebecca Vint who broke through on a penalty kill, gathering a pass on a breakaway from Thea Imbrogno before lighting the lamp for her 14th goal of the season.

With six minutes left in the frame, Johnston struck again as she found the puck in a scrum and pushed it past Mercyhurst goaltender Julia DiTondo to make it 3-0.

The score remained 3-0 for the rest of the second period and most of the final frame, but the Lakers spoiled Jessica Dodds' shutout bid late with a power play goal. Despite the late blemish, Dodds picked up the 17th win of her rookie season with 22 saves.

RMU's 14-game unbeaten streak came to an end in the rubber match, as the Lakers used a dominant first period to beat the Colonials, 5-3.

Mercyhurst picked up two goals in the last ten minutes of the opening frame to jump out to a 2-0 lead, but Vint's power play tally nine minutes into the second period pulled RMU within one.

The Lakers answered with two power play goals within 24 seconds of each other - one of which coming on a 5-on-3 - but Vint pulled the Colonials back to a two-goal deficit with her second power play score of the game.

Mercyhurst made it 5-2 ten seconds into the third period, but Vint completed the hat trick with yet another power play tally early in to the final frame. That's all RMU could muster, however, as the loss gave the team its second split of the season with the Lakers.

Dodds stopped 31 of 36 shots in the loss.

Against the Elite – In Robert Morris' first series against a Top 10 foe as a nationally-ranked team, the Colonials proved to be successful, going 1-0-1 at Quinnipiac.

The series against the Bobcats was the third time RMU faced a team this season that was ranked (at the time) in either the USCHO.com or USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Top 10. The Colonials took on No. 8/7 Boston University on Oct. 18-19, 2013, dropping the first game 5-2, before rebounding to take the rubber match, 3-0. On Nov. 8-9, 2013, RMU linked up with in-state rival No. 9 Mercyhurst. The Colonials fell in the opener 2-0, but used a three-goal first period to split the two-game set with a 3-2 victory.

Last season, RMU played a total of seven games against ranked foes - five of which coming against the Lakers. In those games the Colonials compiled a record of 3-3-1.

Under Paul Colontino, Robert Morris has posted a mark of 8-9-3 in games against nationally-ranked teams. Before Colontino took over in 2011-12, the Colonials had compiled a 5-48-1 record versus teams inside the Top 10.

Climbing the Top 10 Ladder – For the eighth-straight week, Robert Morris found itself in both the USCHO.com and USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine polls.

The Colonials slotted in at No. 8 in both rankings. This week RMU received 52 points from USCHO and 73 from USA Today / USA Hockey magazine, trailing No. 7 Boston College by 15 and 10 points, respectively..

Behind the Colonials in both polls is No. 9 Quinnipiac. RMU holds advantages of 23 points in the USCHO.com rankings and 39 points in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Poll.

Prior to their first appearance in the national Top 10, the Colonials spent four consecutive weeks in both polls' 'receiving votes' category.

Bracketology – The Pairwise Rankings attempt to mimic the method used by the NCAA Selection Committee to determine participants for the eight-team NCAA Division I women's hockey tournament. The criteria that PWR uses include record against common opponents, record against teams under consideration, head to head competition, and the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).

According to the latest version of the rankings, the Colonials are currently in as the sixth team. RMU trails Clarkson by .0073 in the RPI.

Know Your Enemy – In their third year as a Division I program, Lindenwood has matched up with Robert Morris a total of 12 times - the most its faced a team in its D1 history.

In those 12 games, Rebecca Vint has done the most damage to the Lions defense, tallying 16 points (9 goals, 7 assists). Vint had a pair of two-goal games during her freshman season against Lindenwood and scored in five of six meetings with the Lions in 2012-13.

Not too far behind her is classmate Katie Fergus, who has compiled 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) against Lindenwood. Like Vint, Fergus did a lot of her damage during her freshman campaign, notching the only multi-goal game of her career in a 7-2 win over the Lions on Oct. 8, 2011.

Streaks and Trends – Despite the Colonials' nation-best 14-game unbeaten streak being snapped at the hands of their in-state rivals last Saturday, RMU still has some streaks and trends in play this weekend at Lindenwood.

The team itself has scored three or more goals in six of the last eight games, after turning the trick 12 times before the new year.
Rebecca Vint is on a personal 10-game point streak (10g, 9a), raising her total from 11 to 30 during that time frame. The junior forward has also scored a goal in five of the last six games (8g).

Anneline Lauziere has tallied a point in the last four games (2g, 3a) and in six of the last seven contests (3g, 5a). The senior defenseman has more points (8) during this seven-game stretch than what she has compiled in a full season (6 - 2012-13).

Thea Imbrogno is on a three-game point streak (1g, 5a) and has registered a point in five of her last six games (2g, 7a), and seven of the last nine (3g, 11a).

A Popular Crowd – Mackenzie Johnston was the recipient of this week's CHA Rookie of the Week award after scoring two goals in RMU's 3-1 win over Mercyhurst last Friday.

Johnston becomes the sixth Colonial to win a CHA weekly honor this season, joining classmates Jessica Dodds and Brittany Howard, along with upperclassmen Kristen Richards, Courtney Vinet, and Rebecca Vint.

The six different honorees are behind Syracuse for the most in the conference, but RMU leads the CHA with 17 awards altogether.

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 8-1-2 on the road, with a loss last Saturday at Mercyhurst and ties on Nov. 22 against Syracuse and Jan. 14 at Quinnipiac as their only non-victories 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 3.09 goals per game and have allowed just 1.09 goals per game. In comparison, RMU has averaged 2.93 goals per game and allowed 2.07 goals per game at home.

Two's More Fun Than One – Rebecca Vint's two-goal effort in a 5-1 win at Quinnipiac on Jan. 15 was just one of six Colonial multi-goal performances this season.

Leading the team in this department is both Vint and Maeve Garvey. Vint added her second multi-goal game with a hat trick in a 5-3 loss at Mercyhurst this past weekend, while Garvey tallied two goals in a 4-3 win over Vermont on Oct. 25, 2013 and in a 4-2 victory against RIT on Dec. 7, 2013.

The most notable multi-goal performance this season is Brittany Howard versus Maine. The rookie forward registered all four RMU goals in a 4-2 win over the Black Bears.

Anissa Gamble (Oct. 26, 2013 vs. Vermont) and Kristen Richards (Nov. 1, 2013 at Penn State) also have recorded multi-goal performances for the Colonials - Gamble's being the first two goals of her career.

I'll Take the Saturday Special – The Colonials have enjoyed Saturdays moreso than Friday evenings in this early season, as they've compiled a record of 10-1-0 on the weekend's first day.

Robert Morris has used Saturdays as bounce-back days this year, with three of those ten 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 3.55 goals per game on Saturdays, while allowing just 1.82 goals per game. On Fridays, the Colonials average just 2.33 goals per game and give up 1.83.

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.

Record Watch – Last weekend at Mercyhurst, junior forward Rebecca Vint made history as she moved into the top spot all-time for career goals, surpassing Brianna Delaney's mark of 53. Vint tallied four goals on the weekend to bring her total to 55. Vint also ranks third all-time in points and assists, and holds the program's single-season records in points, goals, and assists.

Senior assistant captain Thea Imbrogno ranks in the career top five in Robert Morris program history for points, goals and assists. 26 games into 2013-14 season, Imbrogno ranks second in career points and career assists. Imbrogno also ranks fourth in career goals scored with 48. 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 fifth in single-season goals scored and tied for second in single-season assists.

Freshman forward Brittany Howard has also entered the program record books 26 games into her rookie campaign. Howard is currently tied for third in single-season assists and tied for fifth in single-season points.

Career Points
121 – Brianna Delaney (53g, 68a)
113 – Thea Imbrogno (48g, 65a)
107 – Rebecca Vint (55g, 52a)
97 – Sara O'Malley (52g, 45a)
75 – Kelsey Thomas (32g, 43a)
75 – Kristen Miles (43g, 32a)

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

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

Single-Season Points
44 – Rebecca Vint – 11-12
36 – Thea Imbrogno – 11-12
33 – Rebecca Vint – 12-13
32 – Brianna Delaney – 08-09
32 – Brittany Howard – 13-14

Single-Season Goals
22 – Rebecca Vint – 11-12
18 – Brianna Delaney – 08-09
18 – Sara O'Malley – 09-10
17 – Rebecca Vint – 13-14
16 – Rebecca Vint – 12-13
16 – Thea Imbrogno – 11-12

Single-Season Assists
22 – Rebecca Vint – 11-12
20 – Thea Imbrogno – 11-12
20 – Brittany Howard – 13-14
19 – Brianna Delaney – 10-11
18 – Brianna Delaney – 11-12

Looking Back – The Colonials have played on Feb. 1 just once in the program's history, but fell in that contest.

Last season RMU hosted Syracuse in the first game of a two-game set on Feb. 1. A late goal from Cobina Delaney pulled the Colonials close, but they ultimately fell to the Orange, 3-2.

Syracuse dented the scoreboard first with a goal 8:33 into the game, but RMU pulled even four and a half minutes later when Thea Imbrogno scored off passes from Rebecca Vint and Ashley Vesci.

The Orange answered with two goals in the first three minutes of the second period, but Delaney made it a one-goal game with five minutes and change remaining in the game. Despite the tally, the Colonials couldn't pull into a tie with Syracuse and dropped the first game of the series.

Kristen DiCiocco made 29 saves in the loss.