Pittsburgh, Pa. – An early lead in the first period did not hold for  the No. 8 Robert Morris University women's hockey team, as the Colonials fell to Penn State, 3-2, in a College Hockey America (CHA) contest Friday evening at 84 Lumber Arena.
 
Robert Morris (19-4-6, 12-3-2 CHA) dropped its second game in four outings, while Penn State (9-17-5, 8-7-2 CHA) extended its current winning streak to three games.
 
Senior captain Rikki Meilleur notched her fourth goal of the season, and freshman forward Jaycee Gebhard tabbed her team-leading 20^th goal of the year. Junior defenseman Leah Carey, redshirt junior forward Brittany Howard, sophomore forward Sarah Quaranta and sophomore defenseman Kirsten Welsh each tabbed an assist. Senior goaltender Jessica Dodds made 20 saves.
 
Although the Colonials applied pressure early in the game, Penn State scored three consecutive goals to swing the momentum in the favor of the Nittany Lions.

 
Following a scoreless second period, Penn State increased its lead to two, 3-1, with an early score in the third. The Colonials successfully killed off a Howard penalty midway through the third, and upon her return to the ice, Howard and Gebhard skated the puck to their offensive zone, two-on-two. Howard made a skillful move around a PSU defenseman and took a shot that bounced off Penn State netminder, junior Hannah Ehresmann, and back to Gebhard who finished the play in the corner to reduce the Nittany Lions' lead to one, 3-2.
 
RMU pulled Dodds and added an extra skater toward the end of the third in the hopes of a game-tying goal, but a late penalty against Robert Morris forced the Colonials to return their goaltender to the net, and close the game on the penalty kill.
 
Meilleur opened the scoring for the Colonials on a scramble play in front of the net to give Robert Morris a 1-0 lead. Carey fed Meilleur the puck from the defensive zone, and Meilleur cashed in on the rebound of Quaranta's initial shot. Penn State scored on its next possession to tie the game, and quickly followed up with a go-ahead goal 29 seconds later to secure a 2-1 advantage. RMU earned a two-minute five-on-three power-play opportunity late in the first, but could not convert.
 
Robert Morris outshout Penn State in the first period, 20-6, and overall, 37-23. Neither team was able to cash in on the power play.
 
"I think our problem was we were just shooting to shoot," said Meilleur of the Colonials' minimal production in the first period despite the lopsided number in shots on goal. "Next time, we need to shoot to score and find the open pockets. And when we do shoot, when there's a rebound, we need to crash. Sometimes the game-winning goals are the dirtiest goals in front of the net."
 
The Colonials and the Nittany Lions return to the ice Saturday, Feb. 18 at 3:05 p.m. Senior Day recognition will take place prior to puck drop on Robert Morris' home finale.
 
 
Where They Stack Up
The Colonials currently lead the CHA standings by two points, ahead of Syracuse (12-12-5, 11-4-2) and Penn State (9-17-5, 8-7-2).
 
Leading the Way
Top-line trio Amber Rennie, Brittany Howard and Jaycee Gebhard have combined for 107 points through 29 games, averaging 3.69 points per game.
 
Senior Day Saturday
Seniors Jessica Dodds, Maeve Garvey, Mackenzie Johnston, Mikaela Lowater, and Rikki Meilleur will be recognized prior to Saturday's game.
 
Trending
Redshirt junior Brittany Howard has posted a point in 24 of 29 games on the season. She recently improved to second place on the all-time individual career points list. She is seven points away from being crowned the new all-time points leader in RMU history.
 
Making Their Mark
The 2017 squad is tied for second place all time in single-season wins in RMU lore. The Colonials are two conference victories from becoming the winningest team in CHA contests in program history. The 2013-14 squad currently holds the record with 13 league victories.
 
The Postseason Approaches
The Colonials secured a first-round bye in the 2017 CHA Tournament. The tournament central page includes a game schedule and link to ticket sales for the event, which is set to be held at the HarborCenter in Buffalo, N.Y., March 2-4.
 
 
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