Pittsburgh, Pa. –
Robert Morris University women's hockey junior assistant captain
Ashley Vesci registered the first multi-goal game of her career as the Colonials defeated Northeastern University this evening, 3-2, from 84 Lumber Arena.
Robert Morris (3-6-0, 0-0-0 CHA) received multi-point performances from both Vesci and sophomore forward
Maeve Garvey, who collected the other Colonial goal and dished out an assist on the junior's second tally. Northeastern (1-2-2, 0-0-0 WHEA) outshot RMU, 41-24, with 39 of those shots turned away from sophomore goaltender
Jessica Dodds.
The two teams played a scoreless opening frame, with Dodds making 11 of her 39 saves in the first 20 minutes.
Vesci opened up the scoring with 5:27 remaining in the second period following a holding penalty on the Huskies' Paige Savage. The junior assistant captain gathered a pass from sophomore defenseman
Mikaela Lowater near the right boards, and fired a shot that found the smallest of holes under the left arm of Northeastern goaltender Chloe Desjardins. Senior assistant captain
Maddie Collias picked up the secondary assist on the goal.
Less than a minute later, Garvey scored to make it 2-0. Freshman forward
Katherine Murphy forced a turnover in the offensive zone and found the sophomore in front of her. Garvey ripped a shot right underneath the crossbar for her second goal of the season and the 10th of her career.
It was Vesci again just two minutes into the final stanza as she rifled a wrist shot past Desjardins from the left faceoff dot. Garvey picked up the lone helper on the play as her forced turnover kept the play alive in the Colonial offensive zone.
The Huskies would come barking back a little more than two minutes later as Lauren Kelly scored off a pass from Denisa Krizova. With 5:46 remaining in the frame, Krizova found the loose puck in the middle of a traffic jam, slotting one home to cut the RMU lead to a single goal.
Northeastern continued to ramp up the pressure in the final minutes and gained a prime opportunity with 11 seconds left as senior defenseman
Kelsey Gunn was called for roughing. Despite the six-on-four advantage, sophomore forward
Mackenzie Johnston won the ensuing faceoff, pushing the puck back to Lowater, who cleared it out of the zone to preserve the victory.
Dodds' 39 saves marks a season-best and is the second highest total of her career, just two stops shy of her 41-save performance on Feb. 7, 2014 against Syracuse.
Robert Morris will look to build off this victory as it takes on Northeastern again tomorrow afternoon. Opening faceoff for the final meeting between the Colonials and Huskies is set for 3:05 p.m. from 84 Lumber Arena.
