Burlington, Vt. – Four unanswered goals in the final 13:56 of the third period helped the Robert Morris University women's hockey team to a 5-3 victory over St. Cloud State in the consolation game for a third-place finish in  the Windjammer Classic on Saturday evening in Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
With the win, Robert Morris (10-1-5, 5-0-1 CHA) extended its unbeaten streak to nine games.
 
Freshman Jaycee Gebhard recorded her first career hat trick to increase her goal total to 10 on the season. Redshirt junior line mate Brittany Howard's career-high-tying three assists increased her team lead in the category to 16 helpers, and extended her current point streak to six games. Junior forward Amanda Pantaleo recorded the Colonials' second goal of the game on assists from senior Mackenzie Johnston and sophomore Sarah Quaranta. Junior forward Jessica Gazzola tallied an unassisted effort for the game-winning goal. Sophomore Maggie LaGue tabbed an assist for the second-straight game. Sophomore goaltender Lauren Bailey made 17 saves.
 
"It was pretty amazing," said Gebhard of her first collegiate hat trick. "It was a great effort by the whole team. The last goal was all 'Pants' [Amanda Pantaleo]. She battled for the puck and helped me get it through."
 
Robert Morris earned its first lead of the game in the third period, when Gazzola lured just enough traffic in front of the net to sneak the puck by freshman goaltender Janine Alder, and put the Colonials on top, 4-3, with just under three minutes remaining in the final period. St. Cloud State (5-10-1, 4-7-1 WCHA) earned one final power-play chance with 2:12 remaining, and pulled the goaltender to add the extra skater, but RMU kept them off the board during the advantage and capped the final frame with Gebhard's third goal of the night.
 
"It just kind of happened," Gebhard said of goal number three. "We got that penalty and coach just told us to go out and kill the penalty. All I was thinking about was blocking shots and killing off the penalty."
 
Huskies freshman Kayla Friesen used LaGue as a screen on a one-on-one and went glove side high on Bailey to increase St. Cloud State's lead to two goals early in the third period. RMU responded right away when just 26 seconds later, Pantaleo ripped a wrist shot past Alder to make it a one-goal game.
 
Less than three minutes after Pantaleo's goal, Gebhard cashed in on the power play to record her second goal, and tied it up, 3-3, at 8:54 in the third.
 
After RMU successfully killed off its third penalty of the second period, St. Cloud State junior forward Alyssa Erickson cashed in on the Huskies' offensive momentum following the special teams surge and put her team on top, 2-1. The Colonials, once again, were on the advantage to end the period, but ran out of time to score before intermission. The RMU offense got off to a slow start in the first, but dominated St. Cloud State in shots on goal in the second, 16-5.
 
The Huskies opened the scoring in the second period as St. Cloud State senior Lauren Hespenheide scored her first goal of the season on a shot from the faceoff circle to take a 1-0 lead at 4:44 into the frame. The Colonials turned up the pressure on Alder and Gebhard managed to break through with a shot that bounced off the left post and into the net to tie the game, 1-1, with just over seven minutes to go in the period.
 
St. Cloud State led Robert Morris in shots on goal, 12-6, through a scoreless first period. The Colonials earned a five-on-three power play with less than one minute remaining in the opening frame, but could not convert.
 
Overall, the Colonials went one-for-five on the power play, while the Huskies were one-for-six on the advantage. RMU bested St. Cloud State in shots on goal through three periods, 31-20.
 
"Every girl, every night, no one ever gives up," Gebhard commented on the resilience of her team and their ability to consistently make comebacks. "It's incredible how all four lines can contribute. When we get down we play better. Our coaches said we have to stop giving them heart attacks," the freshman joked, "but it's always great to finish strong."
 
Robert Morris returns to College Hockey America (CHA) action at Penn State on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4 at noon.
 
 
Hats Off
Freshman forward Jaycee Gebhard recorded her first career hat trick in tonight's victory.
 
Comeback Kids
The Colonials are 4-0-4 when either trailing or tied after the second period, and 5-0-3 when their opponent scores first.
 
Trending
Redshirt junior Brittany Howard has posted a point in 14 of 16 games on the young season, including the Colonials' last six. Freshman Jaycee Gebhard has posted a point for RMU in all but four outings.
 
Milestone Watch
Head coach Paul Colontino is four wins away from his 100^th career victory as head coach of the Robert Morris University women's hockey team.
 
 
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