Robert Morris Colonials (6-14-3, 3-5-2 CHA) vs. Lindenwood Lions (7-13-1, 4-5-1 CHA)
Friday, January 23, 2015 / 84 Lumber Arena – Pittsburgh, Pa. / 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, January 24, 2015 / 84 Lumber Arena – Pittsburgh, Pa. / 3:05 p.m.

Top Story – After a pair of tough-luck losses to No. 4 Quinnipiac this past weekend, Robert Morris continues its season-long six-game homestand by welcoming Lindenwood to the Steel City. The Colonials return to College Hockey America play for the remainder of the season, sitting one point behind the fourth-place Lions and four behind third-place Syracuse with a game in hand. This weekend's series also features RMU's ninth annual "Skate for the Cure" event, which serves as a league-wide initiative dedicated to raising funds and awareness for a local charity or research organization of the school's choice.


 
Series History – The Colonials have gotten the better of Lindenwood since the Lions moved up to NCAA Division I in 2011-12, going 11-5-0 against the lone D-I hockey program from Missouri. RMU split an earlier series with Lindenwood in November, with both contests needing extra time to decide. That's not usual for games between these two teams, as the Lions were the Colonials' opponent in the program's longest ever game on March 1, 2013. In that contest, RMU needed 108 minutes and four seconds to earn a victory in Game 1 of the CHA Tournament, as Cobina Delaney slotted a power play chance home in the third overtime to give the Colonials a 2-1 victory.
 
Scouting Lindenwood – The Lions enter this weekend set with an overall record of 7-13-1 and a 4-5-1 mark in CHA play. Lindenwood is coming off an off week, but it opened up the New Year by upsetting then-No. 9 Bemidji State, 1-0. Junior forward Shara Jasper leads the Lions in assists (11) and points (19), while senior Jordyn Constance has scored a team-high nine goals. Junior goaltender Nicole Hensley, who stopped an NCAA-record 90 shots in the aforementioned 2013 triple overtime thriller, has started 18 of the 21 games for Lindenwood. A three-time CHA Goaltender of the Week honoree in 2014-15, Hensley has posted a .921 save percentage and a 2.67 goals against average this season. Her save total of 572 is the nation's fourth highest.
 
Last Time Out – Robert Morris was swept by No. 4 Quinnipiac this past weekend in its final non-conference test of 2014-15.
 
The Colonials opened up the series by dropping a heartbreaker in overtime, 3-2.
 
Facing one of nation's stingiest defenses, RMU broke serve first with a goal from Anissa Gamble. Gamble's first tally of the season was assisted by Mackenzie Johnston and Mikaela Lowater.
 
After the Bobcats responded with a goal in the middle frame, the Colonials retook the lead less than five minutes into the third stanza. Johnston took charge on the power play, scoring off a feed from Rebecca Vint to make it 2-1. Maddie Collias earned the secondary helper.
 
Quinnipiac, however, answered with a tally nine minutes later and sent the RMU faithful home unhappy with the game-winning goal 1:10 into overtime.
 
Jessica Dodds made a career-high 44 saves in the loss.
 
The Bobcats didn't need an extra frame to complete the sweep, defeating the Colonials, 3-0, the following day.
 
Dodds stopped 26 shots to conclude the series.
 
Know Your Enemy – Rebecca Vint and Katie Fergus have been thorns in the Lions' paws over their careers, each averaging over a point per contest against Lindenwood.
 
Vint has compiled 13 goals and nine assists in 16 games. She has scored multiple goals against the Lions three times, with a hat trick on Jan. 31, 2014 being the most notable of those.
 
Fergus has talled six goals and 13 assists in 16 meetings with Lindenwood. In her first career series against the Lions, the forward collected six points (3g, 3a) en route to earning CHA Rookie of the Week honors.
 
Like Fergus, Natalie Fraser also enjoyed her first time facing Lindenwood, earning the CHA Rookie of the Week award in the process. Fraser scored twice, including potting the game-winning goal in overtime on Nov. 7, and added an assist on the weekend.
 
Skating for a Cure – Robert Morris hosts its ninth-annual "Skate for the Cure" event this weekend, continuing a league-wide tradition that started in 2006-07.
 
The Colonials raised $2,209 last season. In total, $25,385 was donated in 2014 to various charities through the Skate for the Cure program.
 
Vint on Verge of Breakout? – While it hasn't been the storybook senior season thus far for Rebecca Vint, she has shown flashes of changing that since the turn of the calendar.
 
Vint is averaging six shots on goal per game in January, good for sixth nationally. In her record-breaking junior campaign, she scored 15 of her school record 24 goals after the New Year.
 
Eiffel Milestone 65 – The next win for the Colonials will mark a milestone for the 2014-15 senior class, as it will be the 65th win it has been a part of. That number would surpass the school record 64 wins that the 2013-14 senior class achieved in their four seasons donning the RMU colors.
 
Return of the Mack – Mackenzie Johnston has been as steady as they come in CHA play, leading the Colonials with five goals and seven points. Her goal total is tied for the fifth highest mark in conference games.
 
The sophomore also is third in face-off percentage among players who have taken at least 30 draws, winning 59.8% of them.
 
Block Party – Robert Morris currently leads the nation in blocks per game and is third in total blocks. The Colonials have stopped 424 shots from reaching their goaltenders and have blocked an average of 18.43 shots per contest, 0.71 more than second-place Connecticut.
 
Mikaela Lowater leads the team with 49 blocks, ranking her in a tie for seventh nationally. Fellow defenseman Kelsey Gunn is also in the top 25 with 39 blocks.
 
Among forwards, Rikki Meilleur is in a three-way tie for ninth with 30 blocks.
 
This is familiar territory for RMU, as it has ranked in the top four nationally in blocks in 2012-13 and 2013-14. The Colonials slotted third two seasons ago with 489 blocks, and were fourth last season with 575.
 
New Kid on the Block – The Colonials gained a new player over the holidays as freshman goaltender Elijah Milne-Price has joined the team.
 
Milne-Price played for the Mississauga Jr. Chiefs of the Provincial Women's Hockey League (PWHL) this fall, compiling a record of 7-4-3 in 14 appearances with a 1.40 goals against average and a save percentage of .942.
 
Every Game I'm Shufflin' – Listed as forwards on the opening day roster, Katelyn Scott and Katherine Murphy have both made the switch to defensemen.
 
Scott became a blueliner prior to the Colonials' series with Northeastern on Oct. 24. Since she made the move, the senior has blocked 29 shots - the second highest total on the team - and taken one penalty.
 
Katherine Murphy made the move on Jan. 9 at RIT. The rookie blocked a team-high four shots in the series split, and has six stops on the New Year.
 
Networking with the Colonials – Fans can follow the Colonials on Twitter @RMUWHockey to get updates on the team throughout the season. The account has the 16th most followers among NCAA Division I women's hockey teams at 1,312.

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