Pittsburgh, Pa. – For the first time since the 2013-14 campaign, the Robert Morris University women's hockey team opened its College Hockey America (CHA) season with a victory, following a 2-1 win over longstanding in-state rival Mercyhurst Friday afternoon in 84 Lumber Arena.
 
Sophomore defenseman Kirsten Welsh tallied the game winner, on assists from redshirt junior Brittany Howard and junior Katherine Murphy. Freshman forward Aneta Ledlova recorded her first collegiate goal in the victory. Sophomore goaltender Lauren Bailey improved to 4-1-0 on the season, and made a season-high 30 saves in the win.
 
"She was phenomenal," said head coach Paul Colontino of Bailey. "She was seeing the puck, she was stopping it, she was kicking and scrambling. She was big when she had to be big. It seems like she just keeps getting stronger and stronger. She played a heck of a game. Without her, I don't know how this game would have turned out."

 
Robert Morris (5-1-3, 1-0-0) and Mercyhurst (1-5-1, 0-1-0) both had a plethora of power-play chances throughout the game, but neither squad could seem to capitalize all day. With less than four minutes remaining in the third period, Merrimack's Jennifer MacAskill and Michele Robillard were charged with simultaneous penalties, which put RMU on a five-on-three power play.
 
Just as the penalties expired, Welsh, having just skated on for a new shift, took a slap shot from the point and buried the puck right over the glove of Mercyhurst goaltender Jessica Convery, to take a 2-1 lead and put the Colonials in position for the CHA-opening win.
 
With just under five minutes to play in the third frame, Bailey made a notable glove save on a breakaway chance by Mercyhurst's Taylor Accursi, to keep the Lakers off the board and the Colonials in the game.
 
Despite a scoreless second period, it certainly did not lack action. The Colonials successfully killed off two separate five-on-three situations, and fended off seven shots from the Lakers on the man advantage through three total power-play chances in the period. Robert Morris limited Mercyhurst to zero shots on goal during a late Lakers power play with just over two and a half minutes remaining before second intermission.
 
Ledlova put the Colonials on the board early with her first career goal, a backhander off a feed from junior defenseman Leah Carey, to give RMU a 1-0 advantage at 3:54.

"This game is huge," said Ledlova after the victory, noting the rivalry between the two squads. "You can just feel it out there."

Robert Morris held on to the lead thanks to a successful penalty kill, which featured four blocked shots. Mercyhurst led RMU in shots on goal through the first, however, and it paid off when Brook Hartwick poked one through on a scramble in front of the net. Both squads recorded nine shots on goal through the first 20 minutes of action.
 
Mercyhurst recorded 31 shots on goal overall, while Robert Morris took 24. The Colonials bested the Lakers in blocked shots by a sizeable margin, 22-8. The RMU penalty kill went seven-for-seven on the day. For the first time in three games, the Colonials did not record a power-play goal, and went 0-for-5 on the advantage.
 
The rivalry returns to 84 Lumber Arena in Game 2 of the CHA series on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2:05 p.m.
 
 
Good to Be Back
Today's win marked Robert Morris' first CHA-opening victory since 2013-14, and first win over in-state CHA rival Mercyhurst since Jan. 31, 2015.
 
Trending
Sophomore defenseman Kirsten Welsh has scored a goal in five of the last six games. Redshirt junior Brittany Howard is currently riding a five-game point streak.
 
Shut It Down
For the second time this season, the Colonials limited their opponent to one goal or less.
 
 
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