Pittsburgh, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University women's hockey team exploded for a school record-tying six goals in the second period en route to a 7-1 victory over Lindenwood University in College Hockey America (CHA) play this afternoon from 84 Lumber Arena.
Robert Morris' (8-12-3, 5-5-2 CHA) six-goal middle frame was the fourth of its kind in program history. The Colonials had previously scored six goals in the opening stanza of a 13-0 victory over Chatham on Oct. 27, 2006, the closing frame of a 12-0 win against Sacred Heart on Feb. 7, 2009, and the second period of a 13-4 victory over the same Pioneers squad on Jan. 23, 2010.
Mackenzie Johnston,
Rikki Meilleur, and
Rebecca Vint each tallied two goals for RMU, marking the first time that has happened since Jan. 22, 2010 against Sacred Heart. Vint's multi-goal effort was the 11th of her career.
Mikaela Lowater assisted on five of the seven tallies, tying assistant coach
Chelsea Walkland for the second-highest single-game assist total in program history.
The team's seven-goal output is its highest since a 7-1 win at Penn State on Nov. 10, 2012.
Lindenwood (7-15-1, 4-7-1 CHA) struck first 11:09 into the game as Lyndsay Kirkham forced a turnover in her offensive zone and beat sophomore goaltender
Jessica Dodds five-hole. The Lions took that lead into the first intermission, despite the Colonials outshooting the visitors, 10-9.
RMU carried a power play into the second period, and although it didn't knot the game up on the man advantage, the tying tally came shortly after. Seconds after Brooke Peden returned to ice following a tripping call, Meilleur banged home a rebound off a shot from freshman forward
Jessica Gazzola.
The Colonials' second tally came nearly seven minutes later during a scramble in front of the cage. Meilleur's initial shot at the doorstep was stopped by Lions netminder Nicole Hensley, but the rebound trickled to Johnston, who slid it under Hensley's glove for her first of two goals on the afternoon.
Junior assistant captain
Ashley Vesci made it 3-1 at the 12:26 mark of the middle frame when she corralled a rebound off a shot from the point from Lowater and slotted through the five-hole of Hensley. Junior defenseman
Megan Eady was credited with the secondary assist on the goal.
Frustration started to get to Lindenwood as Tae Otte took a checking penalty soon after Vesci's tally. RMU capitalized on the man advantage as Vint one-timed a great centering feed from
Katie Fergus to make it 4-1. Senior assistant captain
Maddie Collias earned the secondary helper on the tally.
A Lion timeout wouldn't slow the Colonials down as Vint added the 68th goal of her career a minute and a half later. Fergus and Collias again earned the assists, with Eady keeping the play alive after stepping in front of a Lindenwood pass along the boards.
Johnston added her second tally with 49 seconds remaining in the period as she poked home the puck during a scrum in front of the cage. Gazzola nabbed her second assist of the contest on the goal.
RMU scored goal number seven on a five-on-three power play in the third period. Meilleur was the recipient of some tic-tac-toe action from Johnston and Lowater as she buried a pass across the crease for her second goal of the afternoon.
Dodds made 19 saves to earn her sixth win of the season. She gave way to freshman netminder
Elijah Milne-Price with 5:33 remaining the contest, as the rookie stopped the only shot she faced in her collegiate debut.
With the victory, the Colonials are now tied with Syracuse for third place in the CHA standings. The win also clinched RMU's first sweep of the season.
Robert Morris completes its six-game homestand next weekend as in-state rival No. 9/10 Mercyhurst comes to the Steel City. The series begins on Friday, Jan. 30 at 7:05 p.m. from 84 Lumber Arena.
