Women's Hockey | 1/15/2018 2:01:00 PM

PITTSBURGH -- There isn't much that can be said about the leading scorer in the history of the Robert Morris women's hockey team that its second-highest scorer of all-time hasn't said or thought already.

Class of '15 forward Rebecca Vint graduated from Robert Morris with 134 career points, which were unsurpassed until Brittany Howard broke the record with a flourish in a five-point game at Mankato Oct. 8, 2017. Howard, amid the final semester of her own collegiate career, now has 162 points lifetime and needs just two more goals to trump Vint's program-best 73.

"Brit is having an awesome career at RMU," Vint put it succinctly when asked about Howard, drafted tenth overall by the Buffalo Beauts back on Aug. 17. "She is a great player."

The RMU alumna, after scoring 27 goals and 41 points in 43 games for the Brampton Thunder of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), joined the Beauts of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) for their 2017-18 season. She described herself as "super excited" to return to Pittsburgh and see the new UPMC Lemieux Complex in Cranberry Township for a special neutral-site game against the Connecticut Whale.

On Sunday, Vint channeled that excitement into her best game in a Buffalo uniform, scoring a go-ahead goal and adding two assists as the Isobel Cup champions defeated the Whale, 4-3. Her transition from one pro league to another, as far as she is concerned, has been a smooth one.

"There's really no difference between the two," she said. "Everyone's all in the same boat: work, hockey, maybe a social life, and repeat. As for defending the crown, we are more than confident we are in for a repeat."

After finding success with the Brampton Jr. Thunder, the Caledon, Ontario native began her collegiate career ominously. She scored 22 goals and 44 points, both single-season RMU records, in the 2011-12 season, which ended with the Colonials upsetting Mercyhurst for their first College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament crown in history. Vint set the stage for that watershed moment with her game-winning goal against Niagara in the semifinal round.

She was named the CHA Rookie of the Year for the '11-'12 campaign while earning the first of her four straight All-CHA Team selections and the first of her three consecutive first-team nods. She garnered All-CHA and All-USCHO (United State College Hockey Online) Rookie Team honors as well.

"Some of my favorite memories at RMU would have to do with winning CHA's my freshman year," Vint said, "[in addition to] our annual camping trip, concerts, and all the other team bonding stuff we would do."

Vint would go on to break her own single-season mark with 24 goals as a junior in 2013-14 before serving the 2014-15 term as captain. She ended her NCAA career as Robert Morris's career leader in game-winning goals (18), shorthanded goals (7) and plus/minus rating ( 44), in addition to her aforementioned marks in total goals and points.

Even as she tries to leave her mark on the next level, she remains grateful to her alma mater for helping her get there.

"Playing hockey at RMU certainly helped me prepare to play in both the CWHL and NWHL with the level of competition, our conditioning, time management with hockey and school, and much more," Vint said. "It definitely means a lot to have this amazing opportunity that I could only dream of doing growing up.

"And now it's reality."

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