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No. 9/8 Robert Morris Colonials (21-5-2, 10-3-1 CHA) @ Syracuse Orange (15-11-2, 6-6-2 CHA)
Friday, February 7, 2014 / 84 Lumber Arena – Pittsburgh, Pa. / 7:05 PM
Saturday, February 8, 2014 / 84 Lumber Arena – Pittsburgh, Pa. / 3:05 PM

Top Story – No. 9/8 Robert Morris returns home this weekend to take on Syracuse as a part of CHA's "Skate for the Cure" promotion. The Colonials are coming off their second-straight split after they defeated Lindenwood 6-1 last Friday, then were upset by the Lions 4-2 in the rubber match. With six games remaining, RMU is now in a tie for first in the CHA standings with Mercyhurst.



Series vs. Syracuse – The all-time series between Robert Morris and Syracuse has been practically even, with the Colonials holding the slightest of edges thanks in part to their 2-1 victory over the Orange on Nov. 23. RMU went 1-0-1 in a November series at Syracuse, stopping a three-game losing streak to the Orange dating back to last season.

Scouting Syracuse – Despite sitting fourth in the CHA, Syracuse comes into this match-up with an overall record of 15-11-2 and a PairWise standing of 13th. The Orange hold wins over No. 7 Boston College and at Northeastern, and have also tied Mercyhurst in Erie. Sophomores Melissa Piacentini (13-11-24) and Nicole Renault (4-17-21) pace Syracuse offensively, along with the reigning CHA Rookie of the Month Jessica Sibley (9-10-19). Seniors Jenesica Drinkwater and Kallie Billadeau have split time in net for the Orange, with not much of a drop-off between the two upperclassmen. Drinkwater sports a record of 11-4-0 with a GAA of 1.93 and .926 save percentage, while Billadeau has a save percentage of .933 and a 2.12 GAA, but has been unluckier in the win column with a record of 4-7-2.

"Skate for the Cure" – This weekend's series against Syracuse is a part of the conference-wide "Skate for the Cure" event that College Hockey America has featured every season since the 2006-07 campaign.

"Skate for the Cure" was once a competition between the member schools, with the team who raised the most money getting to choose which charity or foundation received the funds. Now the teams will donate the money they raise to the organization of their choice.

The Colonials will be selling raffle tickets through both games this weekend. Tickets can be bought for $10 each or three for $20, and the prizes being raffled off include a signed sitck from Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik and tickets to the Penguins game against the Dallas Stars on March 18th.

To donate, visit http://www.facebook.com/rmuskates4cure.

Last Time Out – Robert Morris completed a six-game road trip this past weekend when it took to the ice against Lindenwood.

The Colonials opened up the series as expected, defeating the Lions, 6-1, thanks to four third period goals.

Rebecca Vint continued her hot streak by leading off the game with a goal four minutes into the game. The junior forward gathered a pass from Erin Staniewski and carried the puck down the ice, then went left to right across the crease before lofting it over Lindenwood goaltender Nicole Hensley's shoulder.

Katie Fergus made it 2-0 midway through the second frame. Brittany Howard carried the puck down the right end, then centered a pass to the crease where Fergus was. The junior forward redirected the pass to record her fourth goal of the season.

Vint would record her second-straight hat trick in the final stanza. Howard and Lions forward Alyssa West traded goals before the junior forward went back to work, as she lit the lamp on both even-strength and power play chances. Ashley Vesci would set the final 33 seconds after Vint nabbed her hat trick, as she used passes from Fergus and Brandi Pollock to notch her fifth goal of the season.

Jessica Dodds broke a school record for wins in a season with her 18th. The freshman stopped 20 of the 21 shots she faced.

The rubber match was a different story as Lindenwood jumped out to a 3-0 lead before weathering a late storm to win 4-2.

The Lions jumped on Courtney Vinet, who was making her first start since Nov. 16, 2013. After a 2-0 first period lead, Vinet was pulled in favor of Dodds, who allowed a goal in the second frame to make it 3-0.

Thea Imbrogno responded with a power play tally to make 3-1 after 40 minutes, but Lindenwood answered with a goal in the final stanza to make it 4-1. Imbrogno struck again with another goal on the man advantage to pull RMU within two goals, but the deficit was too large to overcome.

Hensley made 55 saves on the afternoon, while Dodds and Vinet combined to make 14 saves in the loss.

Among the Elite – For the ninth-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 the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Poll, and are now No. 9 in the USCHO.com rankings. RMU received 48 points from USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine and 35 from USCHO this week, down from 73 and 52 from last week's respective releases.

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

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 has a lower RPI than the two teams it is ahead of in the rankings (Boston College and North Dakota), but hold ultimately hold an advantage because of the Colonials' record against common opponents.

Know Your Enemy – There's a lot of familiarity between Robert Morris and Syracuse, as the two teams meet at least four times a year. Four particular Colonials are on the Orange's radar, as they have enjoyed a fair amount of success against their conference foes.

Rebecca Vint has registered 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 10 games against Syracuse. Vint nabbed the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory on Nov. 23, 2013 and has registered multiple points against the Orange in five meetings.

In 14 games, Thea Imbrogno has averaged nearly a point a game with 11 (8 goals, 3 assists) in total. Imbrogno tallied the only two RMU goals in the Colonials' 2-2 tie with Syracuse on Feb. 19, 2011, and has registered a point in six of the last seven meetings with the Orange.

Katie Fergus (1 goal, 4 assists) and Maddie Collias (3 goals, 1 assist) have also compiled four or more points against Syracuse in their careers.

Streaks and Trends – Even though the Colonials have gone 2-2-0 in their last four games, there are still a few trends and streaks in play this weekend against Syracuse.

The team itself has scored three or more goals in seven of the last 10 games, after turning the trick 12 times before the new year.

Rebecca Vint is on a personal 12-game point streak (13g, 10a), raising her total from 11 to 34 during that time frame. The junior forward has also scored a goal in four of the last five games (9g).

Thea Imbrogno is on a five-game point streak (3g, 7a) and has registered a point in seven of her last eight games (4g, 9a), and nine of the last 11 (5g, 13a). The senior assistant captain has also tallied multiple points in three straight contests (2g, 5a).

Polar Opposites – Hockey games are rarely decided in the first period, but that's not the case this season at Robert Morris.

The Colonials have jumped out to 12 leads in a game's first 20 minutes and are 12-0-0 in those contests. Naturally, RMU holds a record of 0-4-0 when trailing after one.

It's not very tough either to predict the game when the Colonials are tied after the first frame. RMU holds a record of 9-1-2 when tied through 20 minutes.

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 eight Colonial multi-goal performances this season.

Vint leads the team with three multi-goal performances, tallying them all in the last five games. The junior forward notched back-to-back hat tricks in a 5-3 loss at Mercyhurst on Jan. 25 and in a 6-1 victory at Lindenwood this past Friday.

Maeve Garvey is the only other RMU player to register two multi-goal games. 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 Colonial goals in a 4-2 win over the Black Bears.

Anissa Gamble (Oct. 26, 2013 vs. Vermont), Thea Imbrogno (Feb. 1, 2014 at Lindenwood) and Kristen Richards (Nov. 1, 2013 at Penn State) also have recorded multi-goal performances for RMU - Gamble's being the first two goals of her career.

A Special Month – For the third time this season, the Colonials were recipients of multiple CHA monthly awards.

Rebecca Vint won her second CHA Player of the Month this season and the fourth of her career after tallying 15 points (11 goals, 4 assists) in seven games.

Vint broke the program record for career goals with a hat trick at Mercyhurst, then became the first player in school history to record back-to-back hat tricks with a second at Lindenwood. The junior forward also became the first player to eclipse the 100-point barrier after compiling two goals and two assists in a 5-1 win at Quinnipiac on Jan. 18.

Jessica Dodds won her third-straight CHA Goaltender of the Month and the fourth CHA monthly honor of the season.

Dodds went 5-1-1 in January with a save percentage of .947 and a 1.56 goals-against-average. The rookie blanked St. Lawrence on Jan. 5 for her fourth career shutout and set a career-high in saves with 36 in a 1-1 tie at Quinnipiac on Jan. 17.

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 this 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 – This weekend has the possible makings of a historic one for the Robert Morris program, as multiple individual records could be broken following the series with Syracuse.

On the career side, senior assistant captain Thea Imbrogno sits just two assists and five points away from claiming the top spot in both of those categories. Right now, those records are held by Brianna Delaney (2008-12), who compiled 68 assists and 121 points in her career as a Colonial.

Two single-season records could be broken this weekend as well. Junior forward Rebecca Vint is two goals away from tying her own program record of 22, set in her freshman campaign (2011-12). And speaking of impressive rookie performances, freshman forward Brittany Howard needs one assist to break the single-season mark set by Vint (22, 2011-12).

Imbrogno became the fourth player in program history to hit the 50-goal plateau with two in a 4-2 loss at Lindenwood this past Saturday. The senior forward also moved into a tie for fifth in single-season assists (18) with two helpers in RMU's 6-1 win over the Lions this past Friday.

Howard is now third in single-season points (35) following her weekend at Lindenwood. The freshman forward needs two assists to take over the second point, held by Imbrogno (36, 2011-12). Vint is right behind Howard in single-season points, currently holding the fourth best mark with 34.

Career Points
121 – Brianna Delaney (53g, 68a)
117 – Thea Imbrogno (50g, 67a)
111 – Rebecca Vint (58g, 53a)
97 – Sara O'Malley (52g, 45a)
75 – Kelsey Thomas (32g, 43a)
75 – Kristen Miles (43g, 32a)

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

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

Single-Season Points
44 – Rebecca Vint – 11-12
36 – Thea Imbrogno – 11-12
35 – Brittany Howard – 13-14
34 – Rebecca Vint – 13-14
33 – Rebecca Vint – 12-13

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

Single-Season Assists
22 – Rebecca Vint – 11-12
22 – Brittany Howard – 13-14
20 – Thea Imbrogno – 11-12
19 – Brianna Delaney – 10-11
18 – Maria Olausson – 06-07
18 – Brianna Delaney – 11-12
18 – Thea Imbrogno – 13-14

Looking Back – The Colonials have enjoyed a lot of success on Feb. 7-8 during their history, winning all three of their games on those days.

On Feb. 8, 2008, RMU hosted CHA rival Niagara and came away with a 4-1 win.

Goals from Maria Olausson and Ali Proodian helped set the tone for the Colonials in the first period. The score remained 2-0 for most of the second frame, but Kristen Miles scored the first of two goals with 1:15 remaining to make it 3-0.

Miles' second goal was RMU's final one, but the Purple Eagles spoiled Brianne McLaughlin's shutout bid with a tally 12:07 into the final stanza. McLaughlin earned the win by stopping 29 of 30 shots.

On Feb. 7, 2009, the Colonials enjoyed one of the most impressive offensive performances in program history, routing Sacred Heart, 12-0.

Just eight seconds into the game, RMU dented the scoreboard with a goal from Morgan Beikirch. The Colonials raced out to a three-goal lead after 20 minutes, then added three more in the middle frame to make it 6-0. Five of the six third period goals were scored within 6:43 of each other, while the final tally was notched with six seconds remaining.

Maria Stoa (3), Brianna Delaney (2), Beikirch, Kristen Miles, Sara O'Malley, Megan Picinic, Kylie Rossler, Kathryn Traynor, and Chelsea Walkland all tallied goals for RMU. Daneca Butterfield earned the win with 20 saves.

Last season, the Colonials earned its fourth-straight win over their in-state rival Mercyhurst, defeating the Lakers, 4-2, in Erie.

Mercyhurst jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but a power play goal from Katie Fergus tied it after one period. Brandi Pollock tallied the lone goal of the second period, then Thea Imbrogno scored unassisted to put RMU up 3-1.

The Lakers pulled within one late in the third frame, but Kristen Richards scored with 10 seconds left to set the final.

Kristen DiCiocco stopped 28 of 30 shots in the victory.