Pittsburgh, Pa. –
Robert Morris University women's hockey freshman forward
Amanda Pantaleo scored her first career goal with 21 seconds remaining in overtime, lifting the Colonials to a crucial College Hockey America (CHA) win over Lindenwood University, 2-1, this evening from 84 Lumber Arena.
Robert Morris (7-14-3, 4-5-2 CHA) earned its second overtime victory of the season, both wins coming at Lindenwood's (7-14-1, 4-6-1 CHA) expense.
Pantaleo pulled a page out of her classmate
Natalie Fraser's notebook, saving her first goal for an extra frame against the Lions. Earlier this season, Fraser tamed the Colonials' conference rivals with an overtime tally on Nov. 7.
Lindenwood earned two power play chances in the opening frame courtesy of hooking penalties on
Leah Carlson and Pantaleo, but the Colonial penalty kill unit held strong to keep the game scoreless. The Lions' special teams group then held the RMU power play unit off the board in the second stanza, despite good chances from forwards
Rikki Meilleur and
Rebecca Vint.
After the first two periods saw a total of 26 shots reach the goaltenders, the third frame featured 31 shots between the two teams. The first of those to cross the line came 6:45 into the frame as Holly Dietzler gathered a loose puck near the cage and slotted it home.
The Colonials responded nearly six minutes later, breaking a scoring drought of 128:57 in the process. As sophomore goaltender
Jessica Dodds skated towards the bench on a delayed penalty, classmate
Mackenzie Johnston corralled a rebound and ripped a shot past an off-balance Nicole Hensley to knot the game at one.
Anissa Gamble and
Jessica Gazzola were credited with the assists on the tying goal.
RMU's ensuing power play didn't last long, as junior defenseman
Megan Eady and senior assistant captain
Maddie Collias were respectively booked for hooking and tripping within 19 seconds of each other. However, Lindenwood couldn't capitalize on the five-on-three it had for 1:41, with Dodds making six saves during the penalty kill.
Before the Colonials could set up Pantaleo's heroics in overtime, they had to withstand a fury of chances from the Lions. Lindenwood's best chance came on a two-on-one, but senior assistant captain
Katelyn Scott took away the centering pass, leaving Dodds free to make a stop and extend the game.
Pantaleo earned her opportunity thanks to a hard-working shift by two sophomore forwards. Meilleur gathered the puck in the defensive zone and threw a pass off the boards to Johnston, who was skating away from the trailing defenseman. Johnston's speed opened up a two-on-one chance as she placed a perfect pass across the slot to the waiting freshman. Pantaleo then finished it off by tucking a wrist shot under the crossbar, sending her teammates and the crowd of 652 into a frenzy.
Dodds stopped 32 of the 33 shots she faced to earn her fifth victory of the season. The RMU defense blocked 22 shots on the evening, with Scott and sophomore defenseman
Mikaela Lowater knocking down five attempts apiece.
The victory moved the Colonials past the Lions for fourth place in the CHA standings. RMU is two points behind Syracuse for third with a game in hand.
Robert Morris looks for its first sweep of the season tomorrow afternoon against Lindenwood. Opening face-off between the Colonials and Lions is set for 3:05 p.m. from 84 Lumber Arena.
