Box Score

Pittsburgh, Pa. – Robert Morris University women's hockey freshman goaltender Jessica Dodds (London, Ontario / London Jr. Devilettes) registered her fourth shutout of the season this afternoon as the Colonials defeated the St. Lawrence Saints, 3-0.

No. 10 Robert Morris (18-3-1) extended their unbeaten streak to 11 games and earned their seventh straight victory. The seven-game winning streak is currently tied for the best mark in NCAA Division I women's hockey.

For the second-straight game, it was junior forward Rebecca Vint (Caldeon, Ontario / Brampton Junior Thunder) that opened the scoring. After senior assistant captain Thea Imbrogno (Etobicoke, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) forced a turnover in the Colonials' defensive zone, she passed it up to freshman forward Brittany Howard (St. Thomas, Ontario / Burlington Jr. Barracudas) skating up the ice. Howard then gave it to Vint, and the two passed it back-and-forth to each other a few times before the junior fired it in from in front of the crease. The goal was Vint's 11^th of the season and also moved her into sole possession of third place in career points with 98.

A little more than two minutes after the goal, RMU faced their first penalty kill of the game as senior assistant captain Brandi Pollock (Virden, Manitoba / Westman Wildcats) sat in the penalty box for an interference call. Dodds held the St. Lawrence (6-11-1) offense in check, however, stopping four shots before Pollock returned to the ice.

After registering a secondary assist on the first goal, Imbrogno tallied one of her own 7:37 into the second period. Pollock passed it up to Howard, who then found the senior forward skating down the left side of the ice. Imbrogno lifted the puck top-shelf, sneaking over Saints goaltender Carmen MacDonald's right shoulder to extend the Colonial lead to 2-0.

A few minutes later, it was St. Lawrence back on the attack, hoping to pull within one. However, Dodds stood tall once again, making two spectacular saves – including one from her back – to keep the Saints off the scoreboard.

The 2-0 score would hold for the remainder of the second period and most of the third. With 3:49 remaining in the game, St. Lawrence pulled MacDonald to get an extra skater on the ice. However, just like yesterday's contest, that strategy backfired as junior forward Katie Fergus (Oakville, Ontario / Burlington Jr. Barracudas) gathered a pass from sophomore forward Ashley Vesci (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Lawrence Academy [Mass.]) and rifled the puck into an open net. Freshman forward Rikki Meilleur (St. Adolphe, Manitoba / Shaftesbury Titans) registered her first career point on the goal with a secondary assist.

Prior to this weekend's series, RMU had scored just two empty-net goals on the season, but that number doubled against the Saints.

For the third-straight game, Dodds set a new career-high in saves. The two-time reigning College Hockey America (CHA) Goaltender of the Month stopped 32 shots – half of those coming in the second period. The freshman is now 15-0-1 on the season.

With two assists, Howard moved into RMU single-season record books. The freshman forward now is tied for third with Brianna Delaney (2010-11) with 19 and sits just three away from the school record of 22, set by Vint in her freshman campaign (2011-12). Howard also is tied for fifth in single-season points with Delaney (2009-10) after tallying her 30^th and 31^st.

The victory also moves head coach Paul Colontino into a tie for first in career wins with his 52^nd.

Robert Morris is off next weekend before finishing up non-conference play with a series at No. 9 Quinnipiac. The first game with the Bobcats is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17.