Pittsburgh, Pa. – Five unanswered goals helped the Robert Morris University women's hockey team to a decisive 5-2 victory over Lindenwood Friday evening at 84 Lumber Arena in the first of two College Hockey America games set for this year's Skate for the Cure weekend.
 
The Colonials (13-9-5, 5-4-4) earn two points toward the CHA standings and pull further ahead of the Lions (6-17-4, 3-6-4).
 
Four freshmen combined for six of RMU's 13 points on the night. Both Maggie LaGue and Amber Rennie recorded multi-point performances with two assists apiece. Rookies Sarah Quaranta and Kirsten Welsh scored early goals for the Colonials. Junior Maeve Garvey scored twice, including a second period go-ahead goal, and added an assist to amass a career-high three points. Sophomore Jessica Gazzola chipped in with two assists.
 

It was a tale of two very different periods through the first forty minutes of action. The Colonials rebounded well after they fell behind early, 2-0.
 
Robert Morris entered the locker room trailing, 2-1, and started the second period with a noticeably improved energy right from the start, as Welsh fired a one-timer from the point and into the net to knot the game at two goals each just 1:16 into the frame. Garvey put her squad ahead with 3:36 remaining before the final period.
 
Junior Mackenzie Johnston widened the gap in the middle of the third as she took a shot from the slot that slipped right underneath the pads of Lindenwood goaltender Nicole Hensley and increased the Colonials' advantage to two goals. The Lions called a timeout with just over two minutes left in the final period, but could not find an answer to the Colonials' offensive pressure. With 11 seconds on the clock, Garvey sealed the deal with an empty-net goal.
 

In the first period, Lindenwood was booked with a five-minute major for boarding and Quaranta remained persistent on the extended power-play and buried a shot on her own rebound to bring the Colonials within one.
 
The Lions scored the first goal of the game on their first shot on goal. RMU led early in shots, 6-0, at the time of the goal. Later on in the first, Lindenwood capitalized on a thirty-second 5-on-3 opportunity and extended its lead to two goals with a power-play tally.
 
The two CHA squads return to the ice Saturday, Jan. 30 at 3:05 p.m. as Skate for the Cure weekend continues.
 
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