University Park, Pa. – Behind the strength of a two-goal performance from senior captain
Rebecca Vint, the
Robert Morris University women's hockey team clinched home-ice advantage in the College Hockey America (CHA) Quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over Penn State University this afternoon from Pegula Ice Arena.
Vint continued her historic success against Penn State (15-14-4, 9-8-2 CHA), scoring her 14th and 15th goals against the Nittany Lions. She also becomes the third player in program history to score double-digit goals in each of her four seasons, joining Brianna Delaney (2008-12) and
Thea Imbrogno (2010-14).
Robert Morris (10-17-5, 7-8-4 CHA) put together the game's first dangerous chance with 13:45 remaining in the opening frame; however
Ashley Vesci's wrist-shot from the slot flew high of the cage. A minute later, Caitlin Reilly skated down the right boards on a breakaway, but sophomore goaltender
Jessica Dodds was there to make the save.
Vint potted the game's first goal thanks to some nifty puck-handling.
Katelyn Scott threw a pass along the boards to the senior captain, who corralled the puck in the neutral zone. She then dangled it through the legs of a PSU defenseman before beating goaltender Celine Whitlinger five-hole for the 71st goal of her career.
A roughing penalty by Hannah Bramm gave RMU the first power play of the game with 7:25 left in the period. The visitors would capitalize at the last possible second as a
Megan Eady feed from the point found the waiting stick of
Rikki Meilleur, who one-timed it in from the doorstep for her 10th goal of the season. Meilleur's classmate
Mackenzie Johnston earned the secondary assist by carrying the puck through the neutral zone before dishing it off to Eady.
PSU looked to cut the Colonial lead to one late in the opening stanza after a shot off the boards provided a perfect rebound opportunity for Laura Bowman. However, Dodds flashed her stick and deflected just enough of the puck to keep the score at 2-0.
Senior defenseman
Erin Staniewski stopped a potential Nittany Lions scoring chance two and a half minutes into the middle stanza when she lifted the stick of a waiting Sarah Nielsen in the slot.
Meilleur almost made it 3-0 with 1:43 remaining in the period as she created a two-on-one chance with
Anissa Gamble skating down the right side. However, the sophomore's wrist-shot from the face-off circle was gloved by Whitlinger.
Less than a minute later, Vint gave the Colonials their third goal after a long stretch in the offensive zone. The senior captain gathered the puck along the left boards and skated towards the cage, finding an opening on the five-hole of Whitlinger for her second of the game and 72nd of her career.
RMU continued applying pressure and received its fourth goal of the game in the process. After Johnston's attempt was saved off a forced turnover from
Maddie Collias,
Jessica Gazzola found the puck off the ensuing face-off and lifted a shot underneath the crossbar for her fourth goal of the season.
Over the next four minutes, Dodds added to her highlight reel with two spectacular saves. Her first came on a penalty kill as she stretched her pad just enough to push away a shot from Amy Petersen. Minutes later she came up big on Petersen once again, gloving a one-timer attempt from the PSU forward to keep it at 4-0.
The Nittany Lions would spoil the sophomore netminder's shutout bid on a power play with 3:41 remaining as a shot from the point from Bella Sutton zigzagged through traffic and into the net.
Dodds made 33 saves on the afternoon.
The two-goal opening frame was RMU's first of the season.
Robert Morris closes out the regular season tomorrow with a rematch against Penn State. Opening faceoff is set for noon from Pegula Ice Arena.
