Pittsburgh, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University women's hockey team closed out the home slate of its regular season schedule by skating to a 2-2 draw with the Rochester Institute of Technology this afternoon on Senior Day from 84 Lumber Arena.
Robert Morris (9-17-5, 6-8-4 CHA) is now two points ahead of fifth-place Lindenwood in the College Hockey America (CHA) standings. The Colonials trail Syracuse and Penn State by four points with two games remaining before the CHA Tournament.
The teams traded goals in the first period before anyone in the Steel City could blink. RIT (10-17-5, 4-11-3 CHA) scored just 1:05 in when Kolbee McCrea batted in a rebound off an initial shot from Emilee Bulleid. 27 seconds later, it was junior assistant captain
Ashley Vesci lighting the lamp as she caused a turnover in the RMU offensive zone and beat Tiger goaltender Ali Binnington five-hole.
RIT added a second goal in the opening frame when Jess Paton redirected a feed from Lindsay Grigg on a short-handed two-on-one breakaway.
The Colonials applied pressure on their second power play of the contest as they rattled off three dangerous shots on the man advantage. Senior forward
Katie Fergus had a chance on the doorstep barely saved, while classmate
Rebecca Vint saw her attempt to go five-hole turned away.
The Tigers almost made it 3-1 with nine minutes left in the second period but sophomore goaltender
Jessica Dodds slid across the crease to glove a wrist shot from Marissa Maugeri.
RMU picked up the tying goal with 2:21 remaining in the stanza. Binnington came out of the cage to play a puck behind the net, but waiting for her was a hard-charging
Amanda Pantaleo. Pantaleo broke up the clear attempt and threw the puck in front of the cage, deflecting off the goaltender's skate across the line for the rookie's second goal of the season.
After being outshot in the first two periods, 28-15, RIT came out blazing in the third frame and outshot the hosts, 17-8. Dodds was tested early as Celeste Brown fired two shots on the doorstep following a turnover in the Colonial defensive zone.
The Tigers picked up another chance with 8:54 remaining in regulation when junior defenseman
Leah Carlson was booked for tripping. RMU's penalty kill came up big with blocked shots from the defensive pairing of
Mikaela Lowater and
Megan Eady and senior assistant captain
Maddie Collias.
The Colonials had a prime opportunity to take the lead with 18 seconds left on the penalty kill as a loose puck created a breakaway with Fergus and Vesci skating at Binnignton. The senior had the puck poked away by the RIT netminder, while Vesci's chance was gloved.
Vesci provided herself another opportunity to make it 3-2, but her wrist-shot with four minutes remaining rattled off the pipe.
The two teams each generated three shots in the overtime period, but came up empty to preserve the 2-2 tie.
Dodds made 33 saves on the afternoon. Eady and Lowater each blocked a team-high four shots.
RMU is now unbeaten in its last five Senior Day contests and is 4-3-3 overall in its home regular-season finale.
Robert Morris completes the regular season next weekend as it travels to Penn State. Opening face-off for the Friday, Feb. 20 contest between the Colonials and Nittany Lions is set for 2:00 p.m. from Pegula Ice Arena.
